Episode Summary
In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Meredith Metsker and guest Justin Brown of New North explore the transformative impact of episodic content for small marketing teams. Justin shares his journey from struggling to produce regular content as a small business owner to discovering the strategic advantages of podcasting. This transition not only facilitated consistent content production but also significantly boosted engagement with key audiences.
Justin emphasizes the flexibility and efficiency of episodic content, particularly podcasting, in enabling small teams to punch above their weight. By leveraging podcasts, companies can generate a continuous stream of content, enhance their brand’s visibility, and establish themselves as industry thought leaders without the resource drain typically associated with traditional content creation methods. This approach not only aids in content distribution but also fosters valuable connections within the industry, making it a potent tool for businesses aiming to expand their influence and reach.
The conversation dives into practical tips for developing a successful episodic content strategy, highlighting the importance of audience-centric content planning and execution. Justin’s insights underline episodic content’s role in not just attracting but also retaining an engaged audience by consistently delivering valuable and relevant insights.
Key Insights
Episodic Content as a Strategic Advantage for Small Teams
Justin Brown highlights episodic content, especially podcasting, as a strategic tool for small marketing teams to make a significant impact with limited resources. By sharing his transition from traditional, project-based content creation to adopting episodic content, Justin illustrates how this approach allowed his team to consistently produce and distribute content without the overwhelming resource drain. Episodic content not only facilitated ongoing engagement with their audience but also established his company as a thought leader in their industry. This insight underscores the efficiency and effectiveness of episodic content in elevating a brand’s visibility and influence, particularly for small teams looking to maximize their marketing efforts.
Building Deep Industry Connections Through Podcasting
The episode dives into the power of podcasting in building valuable industry connections. Justin Brown recounts his experience of how starting a podcast opened up opportunities for engaging conversations with marketing leaders and influencers. This medium provided a platform for not only sharing insights but also for fostering relationships that would have been challenging to develop otherwise. Justin’s story illustrates that podcasting can serve as more than just a content creation tool; it’s a gateway to networking with key figures in your industry, enhancing your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness. This insight is particularly valuable for small marketing teams seeking to expand their reach and establish their presence in a competitive market.
Leveraging Episodic Content Across the Marketing Flywheel
Justin discusses the versatility of episodic content in supporting various aspects of the marketing flywheel. He points out that the content generated from episodes isn’t limited to its initial publication; it can be repurposed across different marketing channels, including social media, blogs, email campaigns, and even in ABM strategies. This approach not only ensures a consistent content flow but also maximizes the impact of each episode by reaching audiences through multiple touchpoints. Justin’s insights highlight the strategic value of episodic content in creating a comprehensive marketing ecosystem that drives engagement, nurtures leads, and supports customer retention, making it an indispensable tool for marketing teams aiming for efficiency and effectiveness.
Episode Highlights
The Challenge of Content Creation for Small Teams
Justin Brown and Meredith Metsker start the conversation by discussing the significant challenges small marketing teams face in creating consistent and impactful content. Justin shares his personal journey from operating a small video agency to discovering the potential of podcasting as a solution to these challenges. He reflects on the difficulties of balancing project work with the need to produce regular marketing content, a situation familiar to many small teams struggling to maintain a content creation rhythm.
“My business partner Tristan and I before Motion, our podcasting agency, before Motion became a podcasting agency, we were a video agency. And that had our heads down in project-based work all the time. It was incredibly challenging to not only be able to execute on projects at all times [but also] we had new projects coming in…”
Episodic Content as a Strategic Advantage
The conversation moves to how episodic content, particularly podcasting, offers small marketing teams a strategic advantage. Justin highlights the ease and efficiency of podcasting, allowing for continuous content production without the typical overhead associated with other forms of content. He notes the unique opportunities it provides in engaging directly with CMOs and other marketing leaders, something that was previously challenging. This part of the discussion emphasizes the transformative impact episodic content can have on a small team’s ability to compete in the marketplace.
“Immediately, we were like, wow not only are we having great conversations […] but we’re like, for the first time ever, every CMO is saying they’ll talk to us.”
Building Trust and Authority Through Podcasting
Justin elaborates on the additional benefits of investing in episodic content, such as building trust and authority within the industry. He explains how featuring guests from the target market on a podcast not only enriches the content but also strengthens the brand’s credibility. This approach allows brands, especially those new to a market, to associate themselves with well-known figures and, by extension, build trust with their audience.
“People must know about them […] and if they haven’t heard of you, they have no way to put you alongside something that they trust and see people that they know. It’s going to be very hard to get those people into your pipeline and this is just a great way to build trust throughout your space.”
The Role of Episodic Content in Messaging and Audience Engagement
Towards the end of the podcast, the discussion shifts to the broader implications of episodic content on marketing strategy. Justin discusses how episodic content not only aids in content distribution but also plays a crucial role in developing a company’s messaging and engaging the audience. By having direct conversations with industry leaders and potential customers, companies can fine-tune their messaging to better resonate with their target audience, demonstrating the multifaceted benefits of episodic content beyond just regular content creation.
“We’ve built an entire business unit, the podcasting business unit around the conversations that we’re having with CMOs saying, ‘We struggle to get content out regularly. We struggle to do this, we struggle to do that.’ I’m like, what if we make this an actual service and we say this is how you can build the content engine that will fuel your small marketing team.”
