5 Bases You Should Cover to Produce an Influential B2B Podcast

Guest author Logan Lyles is the Director of Partnerships at Sweet Fish Media.

You’re ready to add a podcast to your marketing mix.

That’s fantastic!

You understand the weight a podcast can carry for your place in the industry. You’ll be a thought leader in no time!

But before that happens, you need to make sure you have everything set up to podcast well. Anybody can record a stream of consciousness into their laptop’s mic, but that doesn’t make them titans of their industry.

Would you rather listen to this blog instead of reading it? Just click play below.

There are five bases you should cover to produce an influential B2B podcast:

1. Equipment
2. Podcast name
3. Guest lineup
4. Hosting
5. Promotion

Let’s break it down.

Find Podcast Equipment

The right equipment can make a big difference for your podcast. However, if you’re contemplating spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on recording equipment and a studio, wait.

There are many other strategic decisions that you should prioritize before buying the most expensive gear. For example, what are you going to talk about?

If you have a foolproof vision and a list of homerun ideas, don’t let the price of podcasting equipment keep you from sharing your message with the world! Check out some of this reasonably priced equipment:

• Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB USB/XLR Microphone
• Neewer NW(B-3) 6-Inch Studio Microphone Pop Filter with Stand Clip
• LyxPro HAS-10 Closed Back Over-Ear Professional Studio Monitor & Mixing Headphones
• Neewer Adjustable Microphone Suspension Boom Scissor Arm Stand
• Zoom H4N PRO Digital Multitrack Recorder
• Uberconference
• Online Voice Recorder

Once your recording equipment is lined up, you’re ready for the next step.

Deciding on a B2B Podcast Name

Here comes the fun part: naming your podcast.

We suggest using one of four naming methods. Keep in mind that you’ll need to be familiar with your ideal buyer for all of them.

1. Ideal buyer’s industry + ideal buyer’s role (Example: The B2B CMO’s Podcast)
2. Ideal buyer’s industry + generic role (Example: The Cruise Line Sales Show)
3. How to + what your ideal buyer is responsible for doing (Example: How to Sell Insurance)
4. Optimal characteristic + type of business your ideal buyer runs/works in (Example: The Savvy Real Estate Agent)

Using one of these templates will make it easier for your ideal buyer to find your content. Remember, the name of your podcast can help attract:

• Strategic guests
• Listeners involved in the industry

This brings us to our next action item for producing an impactful B2B podcast.

Building a Guest Lineup

There are several ways to mine your industry for great B2B podcast guests. Start by:

Looking to your friends or colleagues: Do you work with anyone who has a wealth of knowledge on your topic? Would any of your industry connections be interesting to hear from?

Researching your niche: There likely are podcasts delivering content similar to yours. Who are their guests? Are you connected with any of them or know anyone in a comparable role?

Finding industry contributors coming out with new material: Do some research to see if there are any industry thought leaders coming out with new books, programs, or speaking tours. They might be willing to speak on your podcast in order to promote their new venture.

Investigating other platforms: Search for blogs, YouTube videos, or news releases that feature industry influencers. Are there any potential guests you could contact through social media or email?

Leveraging your soon-to-be guests: Already have a handful of guests lined up? Ask them if they know anyone who would be great for your show.

Generating a powerful guest roster isn’t just about finding the right interviewees. It’s about offering them value in return for their time and knowledge. Be sure to share the benefits of speaking on your podcast so guests are excited about their episodes.

Being a Spectacular Podcast Host

Don’t feel like you need to be Joe Rogan to be a good podcast host. You don’t even have to be an industry authority to host a successful B2B podcast. There are available tools that will help your podcast to go smoothly and make you and your guest shine.

Conducting a pre-interview conversation before you hit record is an essential step for setting yourself and your guest up for success. Your pre-interview conversation should:

1. Establish rapport and make your guest comfortable.
2. Provide an outline for the interview.
3. Tell your guest exactly what to expect before you hit record.

Covering these three factors before the interview will give you and your guest a game plan and help produce a smooth and informative episode.

Promoting Your Podcast

Unless you’re the LeBron of your industry, listeners probably won’t be flocking to your podcast right away. It will take a little time and effort.

Consider these methods for promoting your podcast:

• Co-promotion opportunities: Is your guest willing to tweet about the episode? Can the episode be featured on their company blog? 
• Email signatures (especially made by tools like Sigstr): Throwing the link to your latest episode into your email signature is a great way to muster up interest. Make sure the podcast headline is intriguing!
• LinkedIn status updates: Sharing talking points from your latest episode on LinkedIn can easily generate interest from other industry pros. Don’t forget to link to the episode in the comments!
• Marketing automation sequences: Mold the content into an engaging written format.

Those are only a few ways to promote and repurpose your podcast content. Test them out and see which works best for your audience.

You’re a Podcast Superstar

Now that you have all of the necessary tools to send your podcast out on the right foot, prepare for podcast stardom! (Well, maybe.)

At the very least, you’re on your way to becoming an industry thought leader. Producing your own podcast will open more doors than you ever thought possible.

Go get ‘em!