Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / Why Brands Are Launching Social Media Podcasts
Transcript
- Lucas: So I was scrolling through my LinkedIn feed last week, and I noticed something — three different brand posts in a row were promoting their own podcasts. Not guest appearances, their own shows. And it got me thinking: are we seeing a real shift here? Luna: I've seen that too. HubSpot has a whole network now, Shopify has one. It feels like every B2B brand with a decent budget is starting a podcast. Lucas: Exactly. And the interesting part is how they're distributing these shows. They're not just putting them on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. They're treating them as social media content — posting full episodes on YouTube, pulling out 60-second clips for TikTok and Instagram Reels, even sharing quote cards on LinkedIn. Luna: Which makes sense, because that's where the audience already is. Why make people open a separate app if you can meet them in their feed? Lucas: Right. And the numbers back it up. I looked at a case study from a mid-size SaaS company — they launched a weekly 15-minute podcast in early 2025. Within six months, their LinkedIn engagement rate jumped about 40 percent. Not because people were listening to the full episode on LinkedIn, but because they were sharing clips and the algorithm rewarded that longer watch time. Luna: Forty percent is significant. But I wonder — is this just a B2B play? I don't see, say, a fast-food chain starting a podcast. Lucas: You're right that B2C is trickier. But some are trying. Nike had a show called 'Trained' for a while. But the ROI is clearer for B2B because the content positions the brand as a thought leader, which directly supports sales conversations. For a consumer brand, the podcast usually ends up being more of a brand-awareness play, and that's harder to measure. Luna: So what's the actual cost? I've heard people say you can start a podcast for a few hundred dollars, but a branded show with decent production — that's got to be more. Lucas: It depends on the scale. A simple remote interview show might cost $500 to $1,000 per episode if you're paying a host, an editor, and distribution. But a high-production narrative show — think something like Microsoft's 'After Hours' — that can run $10,000 to $20,000 per episode. The question is whether that replaces some of your paid social spend. Luna: And I think that's the key trade-off. If you're spending $50,000 a month on LinkedIn ads, maybe shifting $5,000 to a podcast that generates organic clips makes sense. Lucas: Exactly. And the clips are the real engine. A 15-minute episode can become 10 or 15 short-form videos. Each clip is a piece of content that can live on TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts, even Pinterest. That's a lot of mileage from one recording session. Luna: I want to talk about guesting too. Because a lot of brands are also sending their executives onto other people's podcasts as a way to build credibility. Lucas: That's a whole separate strategy, but it overlaps. A CEO who does 20 podcast interviews in a quarter can repurpose those appearances into clips, quote graphics, even LinkedIn articles. It's like a distributed content network. And it's cheaper than hosting your own show. Luna: But I think the real magic is when you combine both — host your own podcast to own the platform, and guest on others to extend reach. Lucas: That's exactly what HubSpot does. They have multiple shows, but their executives also appear on other marketing podcasts constantly. It creates this flywheel where every appearance drives listeners back to their own content. Luna: So for a brand considering this in mid-2026, what's the first step? Do you need a full strategy document, or can you just start recording? Lucas: I'd say start with a clear goal. Is this for top of funnel awareness, or for nurturing existing leads? That will dictate format, length, and distribution. Then, honestly, just start. Use a decent microphone, record a few episodes with internal experts or customers, and see what resonates. The polish can come later. Luna: And one thing I'd add — make sure you have a plan for clips before you record. Don't just record an hour-long conversation and then wonder what to do with it. Plan for the snippets. Lucas: Hundred percent. We actually do that here. And speaking of which — if these marketing conversations have sparked an idea you've actually used, that's kind of the whole point. A small group of listeners already chips in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's what keeps this show ad-free and independent. No pressure, just if you find value in it. Luna: Yeah, it's a nice way to keep the conversation going without ads. And it means we can dive into niche topics like this without worrying about commercial breaks. Lucas: Exactly. So back to the podcast trend — one thing I haven't mentioned is the role of audio-only social platforms like Twitter Spaces or Clubhouse. Some brands are using those as a low-risk way to test interest before launching a full podcast. Luna: That's smart. You can gauge audience engagement, see what topics get the most questions, and build a following before committing to a regular show. Lucas: Right. And then when you do launch, you already have a built-in audience. I think we'll see more brands take that approach in the next year. It's about reducing the risk. Luna: So what's the downside? I mean, there must be some brands that shouldn't do this. Lucas: If you can't commit to a consistent schedule, don't start. Nothing kills a podcast faster than a three-month gap between episodes. Also, if your brand voice is very formal or regulated — like a bank or a pharma company — the conversational nature of podcasts can be a challenge. Luna: That's a good point. Compliance teams might not love unscripted dialogue. Lucas: Yeah, some brands have to script everything and then it sounds stiff. But for most companies, especially in tech and professional services, a podcast can be a powerful tool for building trust. And in a world where trust is hard to earn, that's worth something. Luna: I think we're going to see more brands treat podcasts as a core part of their social media strategy, not an afterthought. Lucas: I agree. And if you're a marketer listening, this might be the year to pitch a pilot to your boss. Start with a six-episode series, measure the clip performance, and go from there. Luna: Good advice. Alright, I think that's a wrap on this one.