Don’t Forget the Human on the Other End of Your B2B Marketing

Don’t Forget the Human on the Other End of Your B2B Marketing 

B2B marketers have a tough job. They have to be experts in their industries, understand the full technical aspects of their products or services, and communicate complicated information to differentiate their business. And they have to balance all of that with the ever-important need to stand out, capture attention and, ultimately, win new business. In the midst of all this, it can be easy to lose sight of one of the most fundamental principles of marketing: Who’s the audience for this? Will anyone engage with it? Why would they care? And will this marketing even work? It’s easy to forget the human at the other end of our marketing– and ultimately, it’s that human who will make the decision to work with you. 

Podcasts are an obvious solution for B2B marketers (as we’ve seen with the rise of B2B podcasts in the last few years). Here are the facts that make podcasts so powerful: 

• Senior executives and business leaders listen to way more podcasts than the average.

• Podcasts are powerful for reaching targeted audiences with niche interests. People listen alone and with headphones, choosing content that aligns with their specific interests over shows with broad appeal—perfect for reaching decision-makers in niche industries. 

• The long-form nature of podcasts makes them an ideal medium for disseminating research or complicated information.

• Podcast hosts become influencers. The intimacy of audio builds a relationship between listener and host, making it an ideal platform for turning company leaders into thought leaders.

HOWEVER

An audience for your B2B podcast is not guaranteed. Your show still needs to compete for the attention of your target audience, and you’re competing with a lot! The truth is that while business leaders listen to more podcasts, they’re also likely not in a position to listen to podcasts while they’re working. This means that your podcast has to compete for their attention during their off hours, against not only every other podcast that exists, but literally anything else they could choose to spend their free time with. Is your podcast compelling enough to meet that high bar? 

Here are some tips to help you create a B2B podcast that will meet all your needs: 

1. Get to Know Your Audience: Understand who your listeners are outside of their job roles. What are their demographics, interests, and biggest challenges? Tailor your content to resonate with their personal and professional lives.

2. Provide Genuine Value: Overwhelmingly, business leaders report wanting to listen to podcasts for self-improvement, to be inspired, or to challenge the way they think. Your podcast should offer insights, advice, or information that they can’t easily find elsewhere. Competing for their attention means delivering real, actionable value.

3. Entertain Them: This doesn’t mean you need to launch a comedy podcast! But you do need to make something that people will choose to listen to in their limited spare time– you don’t want it to feel like work! Use storytelling, humor where appropriate, and creative segments to keep your audience engaged. 

4. Get Emotional: Leverage the intimacy of audio to create an emotional connection with your listeners. Share stories that evoke emotions and make your content memorable. Showing empathy and understanding can help you connect on a deeper level.

5. Think Outside the Box: Many B2B podcasts focus on tech and business. While executives do over-index for these genres, there is also a lot of competition for their attention in this space. Executives enjoy listening to shows in the news, sports, and science categories. Is there a way to create a unique podcast that will fit in their busy lifestyle and speak to them on a human level, while simultaneously demonstrating your brand values? Showing that you understand them beyond their job title will lead to increased affinity and, ultimately, consideration for your brand. 

B2B podcasting is about more than just sharing information about your brand; it’s about connecting with the human behind the business decisions. Don’t fall into the trap of focusing only on what you want to say and forgetting about what your target audience wants to hear. If you concentrate only on your own message, you risk creating a show with no audience at all. Instead, remember the human who has to choose your show to click play on. Strive to engage them, delivering content that delivers real value and resonates with them on a human level. Don’t forget the human behind the business.