Do B2B marketing podcasts work?

Yes, they do.

How do I know this? I finally have research to prove it.

Earlier this year, I looked for research to support the marketing value of B2B podcasting and came up empty-handed. I was shocked, given how popular they are. There was not a lot of research out there, or at least research that was easy to find.

However, I kept searching and finally found a study by Lower Street and Content FX that offers fresh insights into the effectiveness of B2B podcasting.

Their survey, conducted in 2023 with 511 managers, owners, executives, and corporate leadership team members from the US and UK, found that 55% of business owners and founders reported being daily podcast listeners, with a similar percentage (51%) among executives and leadership employees. Compared to only 27% of managers surveyed.

As to why they listen to podcasts, 36% of participants cited “learning new things” as their primary motivation. This means for your B2B podcast to engage business decision-makers effectively, your content needs to be informative, insightful, and value-driven.

What about the impact of branding within podcasts? 40% of business owners and executives reported always listening to ads or sponsorships in podcasts, with executives being the most receptive group. This indicates a unique opportunity for brand integration within podcasts. Thoughtful placement and frequency of brand mentions can significantly boost brand awareness and consideration.

Nearly 60% of respondents indicated a greater likelihood of buying products or brands mentioned in podcasts, with this propensity jumping to 70% among executives. A testament to the persuasive power of branding in influencing purchase decisions, especially among high-level professionals.

Based on this research, B2B podcasting certainly represents a potent medium for establishing thought leadership, enhancing brand visibility, and directly influencing the decisions of business leaders. Most importantly, you reach a hard-to-access demographic of business leaders and capture their attention for a sustained period of time. This is impossible in nearly every other medium.

But the challenge remains: it’s hard to create compelling content on a regular basis and build an audience. That is a topic for another post.