Podcasting in the Channel – why start?

Written by Jenn Reed | October 19, 2017

You know as well as I do – today’s Partners work with multiple Vendors. They're highly focused on their company’s growth (not yours), wear tons of hats and have very little time, especially when it comes to communications they deem unimportant. Understandable, yes. But for Vendors, this can be frustrating considering the time and effort you've invested in increasing Partner engagement and motivating them to sell your solutions.

If you’re like most Vendors we work with, your content marketing strategy is in full force and you’re sharing content on a regular basis via Partner-facing blogs, Partner-handles on social media, webinars and other regularly scheduled trainings and events. But let me ask, are you integrating podcasts as part of your overall communications? If not, I seriously encourage you to do so, and here’s why (btw - get ready for some “ah-ha!” moments below):

They’re all ears:

Unlike webinars, blogs, newsletters, emails and other tactics that require undivided attention while watching, reading and/or listening, podcasts are perfect for multitasking. You know… driving to work (and listening to a podcast), taking a shower (and listening to a podcast), exercising, cooking dinner, sitting in the waiting room at your kids’ orthodontist – you get the drift – podcasts fit Partners’ lives, not the other way around.

They make connections:

Blogs are great especially when they’re well written and informative or mildly interesting and easy to skim (and they drive SEO), which is why content is still king. Skilled writers have a “voice” that shines through the words, loud and clear. However, they don’t have inflections, laughter, and personality that are easily carried through – readers add that. Podcasts are different. They have a level of personality that can’t be conveyed in writing and personality is ultimately what creates relationships, which in turn drive sales.

They build trust:

Sales and marketing are about relationships and building trust. That’s always been true. Now, with the Internet and ability to reach farther and faster, much of what we (marketers, sales and business development folks) do is blast people; sometimes with permission and sometimes without. Either way, on the receiving end it has the same basic result… “delete.”

Word-of-mouth is likely the most powerful tactic on earth because it’s based on trust. Partner-facing teams work hard to build trust between Partners and Vendors but at the end of the day, are they? Or is it more like they’re building trust between people and not the Vendor’s company or solutions? It’s hard to tell but one thing podcasts can do for a brand’s channel is give voice and connection on topics that build trust and relationships at the brand level vs. the individual team member level. Done right, with the right type of topics, they also give Partner-facing teams points to discuss with your Partners to deepen those relationships even more.

They’re foundational content:

We’re conditioned to consistently feed the content machine but sometimes it’s challenging to think of the next epic topic idea or you just don’t have time this week to write a blog alongside a million other more pressing deliverables. Repurposing podcasts into blog posts, infographics, slide decks, and social posts are simple solutions (in a pinch) for a quick content fix. They’re also a powerful foundation to build an entire to-Partner marketing campaign.

Similar to any other marketing tactic, the key to successful podcasts lies in topic choices and delivery. Understand which topics Partners want to hear about and how they improve, grow, and enhance their business and their customers and you’ll have a listener for life!