Leveraging podcasts within Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is an effective strategy for building strong, long-term relationships with target accounts before engaging in sales conversations. With podcasts, you can spend valuable time (often an hour or more) with your ideal customer profile (ICP) by inviting them to share their expertise. This forms a relationship-building bridge that feels collaborative rather than transactional.
Below is an actionable playbook on how to execute a podcast as part of an ABM program. We do this often with our clients at XQL Group.
1. Why Use a Podcast in ABM?
In ABM, relationship-building is key. Podcasting allows you to engage with your ICP on a personal level, enabling you to:
- Build rapport before any sales discussions.
- Spend extended time with decision-makers and influencers within target accounts.
- Offer a non-sales environment where your prospects can share their thoughts and expertise, positioning your brand as a valuable partner rather than just another vendor.
2. Defining Your Podcast Strategy for ABM
Podcasts within an ABM strategy fall into several types. Your choice depends on your objectives and resources. Here are the three main types:
- Create Demand Podcast: Position your brand as a thought leader in your industry by leveraging internal experts. This strategy is ideal if you want to build brand awareness, credibility, and trust over time, making your company the go-to resource in your niche.
- ABM-Focused Podcast: This strategy uses the podcast as a networking tool to build relationships with your ICP. By inviting executives from your target accounts to be podcast guests, you not only give them a platform to showcase their expertise but also establish a long-term relationship with them. This is the most effective podcasting type for ABM.
- Networking Podcast: Primarily aimed at expanding your professional network by interviewing a broad range of industry experts. While this can drive engagement, it’s less focused on revenue and building relationships with target accounts.
3. Goals of a Podcast in an ABM Program
When integrating podcasts into your ABM program, the goals should align with ABM principles, such as:
- Building Relationships: Your primary objective is to spend time with your ICP in a way that’s valuable to them, deepening relationships before sales discussions begin.
- Thought Leadership: Position your brand as a trusted expert by regularly discussing relevant topics that solve real business problems.
- Content Creation: Generate content that can be repurposed for multiple channels—LinkedIn posts, blog articles, micro-video clips, etc., enhancing your multichannel ABM strategy.
4. Podcast Structure and Setup
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Architect: Leads podcast strategy, focusing on what topics are relevant to your ICP.
- Expert: The face and voice of the podcast—this should be someone capable of having engaging conversations with guests.
- Creative: Manages editing and post-production, ensuring the podcast is engaging and polished.
- Distributor: Focuses on ensuring the podcast is widely distributed across platforms and aligned with your broader marketing strategy.
Key Equipment:
- Audio: Use high-quality microphones (e.g., USB mics for simplicity or XLR mics for higher audio fidelity). We usually use Riverside.fm for recordings.
- Video: Adding a video component enhances distribution opportunities across platforms like YouTube. A simple external webcam or smartphone can suffice initially, but for higher production quality, invest in DSLR cameras.
- Editing: Either self-edit using tools like Audacity or outsource to editing agencies. Ensuring clean, professional audio is critical.
5. Pre-Production: Planning the Podcast Episode
Guest Selection
For ABM-focused podcasts, your guests are executives or decision-makers from your target accounts. Use this as a networking tool to build rapport with your ICP.
Preparing Questions
The content should revolve around industry trends, challenges, and successes that align with both your product's value and your guest's expertise. Aim for conversations that demonstrate your understanding of their pain points.
Structure
Create an outline for each episode, focusing on a balance of providing value while keeping the conversation engaging. This might include:
- Guest introduction and their role
- Key industry challenges
- Solutions or insights they’ve discovered
- Soft mentions of how your company’s solutions align with their challenges (without being salesy).
6. Post-Production: Maximizing Content Value
Once you have recorded the podcast, maximize its value by repurposing the content:
- Microcontent: Create short clips for LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube Shorts.
- Blogs and Articles: Use the podcast transcript to generate blogs, which can also support SEO.
- Case Studies: If your client is a guest and talks about a relevant problem your company solves, consider transforming that conversation into a customer case study.
7. Distribution and Promotion
A podcast’s value is maximized when effectively distributed across channels. For ABM-focused podcasts:
- Targeted LinkedIn Ads: Promote podcast episodes to key decision-makers in your ICP.
- YouTube In-feed Ads: Run ads by keywords and interests to target your audience on YouTube.
- Direct Emails: Send personalized emails to the guest’s colleagues or contacts in the target account, promoting their episode.
- Social Media: Post highlights and episode clips on LinkedIn, Twitter, or niche industry forums.
- Cross-Promotion: Collaborate with your guest to promote the episode, expanding its reach.
8. Measuring Success
While traditional podcast metrics like downloads and subscribers are useful, for ABM you need to measure success differently:
- Relationship-Building: Track the quality and number of relationships formed through the podcast.
- Engagement: Monitor how target accounts engage with your podcast content on social media.
- Self-Reported Attribution: Ask new leads and customers how they heard about you—podcasts may be mentioned more than you think.
9. Leveraging Podcasts for Demand Creation
An ABM podcast allows you to establish trust before asking for a sale. It’s a long-term strategy that ensures that when your ICP is ready to buy, your company is top of mind as a trusted expert. Use the time with your guests to understand their needs deeply, using that knowledge to fuel further engagement in your ABM campaigns.
Need help launching B2B Podcast? DM me.
