In the past year, since the start of the pandemic, the shift to digital has been drastic; generating leads is a top priority for marketers, with 67% of companies establishing lead generation as a sole measurement in content success.¹

Brands have been forced to pivot strategies, with this fundamental focus on lead-generation tactics. Though, on average, organizations generate about 1.9k leads per month and 1.5k downloads (MQLs), it can still be difficult for sales teams to get in front of senior-level leadership.¹

Cut through the noise and break down barriers to those key decision makers by finding creative ways to build relationships and open doors to normally hard-to-reach prospects – try leveraging an organization’s podcast as a lead-generation tactic. During HubSpot’s 2020 INBOUND Marketing Conference, Bernie Borges, host of the Modern Marketing Engine podcast, spoke to the untapped potential of a podcast and how it can establish trust and expertise, while also building unique connections.

Following are three steps to consider when turning your podcast into a “lead-generation machine”:²

Build a Strategy
Like anything, it all starts with a solid strategy; Bernie refers to it as an Account-Based Podcasting Lead Generation Strategy. This means aligning strategic goals of the podcast with sales and marketing departments.

Before reaching senior-level contacts, the podcast first needs to establish credibility within the space. To accomplish this:

• The host must be authoritative, consistent and committed to the overall strategy since he or she will be building this relationship initially.
• Content should be intentional, engaging and tailored to reach the podcast’s target audience.
• You need to establish consistent episode cadence, guest invitation structure and social media promotion strategy.

Collaborate Internally
Work closely with the sales team to identify target accounts, roles and individuals the podcast should invite as guests on the show. This list should include prospects at a senior level, as well as accounts where automated tactics like email and social media have not been successful.

This step will be key to understanding the pain points and determining the best outreach approach of each potential guest.

TIP: Get creative with the outreach. This is not only the first impression of the podcast, but also the brand, its product and solutions. Whether it’s a customized invite or a personalized gift, it’s important to peak this guest’s interest enough to follow up on next steps.

Prepare Sales Potential
This is where the podcast’s host will shine, kicking off the relationship using insights gained after collaborating and strategizing with teams internally.

Once the initial invitation has been accepted, start by scheduling an introductory call with the guest. This time will provide an opportunity to meet before the official recording, starting to build trust between guest and host. Use this time to share the editorial mission of the podcast, what the guest can expect on the recording day and demonstrate the podcast’s commitment to the thought leadership the guest brings.

TIP: Come prepared with a list of things your guest will need on recording day so he or she feels confident and comfortable. This includes proper audio equipment, an outline of the interview and requesting he or she listens to a past episode before the scheduled recording.

Before recording, confirm the guest is ready and comfortable; request a five-minute debrief after the interview.

After the interview is complete and trust has been established, recap the interview. Continue to be conversational, using the debrief to reveal pain points previously identified. Ask for the opportunity to introduce him or her to a member of the sales team that can speak to solutions that meet his or her specific needs. The guest will either acknowledge these pain points and agree to a meeting or he or she will decline.

TIP: If your guest declines, move on to the editorial focus and how he or she can promote the episode, but do not close the door completely. Keep this contact in your pipeline, leveraging the relationship established from the interview to spark conversations in the future.

In summary, building a pipeline is important, but as more organizations focus on lead-generation tactics, it’s just as critical to find unique opportunities like a podcast to establish quality, long-lasting relationships that sales teams can tap into now and in the future.

¹ HubSpot, “2020 Marketing Statistics, Trends & Data – The Ultimate List of Digital Marketing Stats,” 2020.

² Borges B, “How to Turn Your Podcast into a Lead Generation Machine,” HubSpot INBOUND 2020 Marketing Conference (virtual).

Solve for Effective Multi-Channel Marketing

Lauchlan works across the IT channel to develop and deploy highly effective, integrated, closed-loop multi-channel marketing for IT solution providers. Get in touch today to learn how we can help you reach your desired audiences and tell your unique story. Ashley MacLaughlin is an Account Manager at Lauchlan. You can email Ashley at amaclaughlin@lauchlanx.com.