Do Marketers see Podcast Guesting to be Part of their Funnel?

Give one reason why marketing do not consider podcast guesting to be part of the funnel?

To help determine if guesting on a podcast should be part of your marketing strategy, we asked marketing professionals and podcast enthusiasts this question for their ideas. From podcasts lacking interactivity to there being no confidence in the metrics, there are several reasons you might want to reconsider that podcast appearance as a part of your marketing strategy.

Here are seven reasons why marketing teams don’t consider podcasting a part of their funnel:

• Podcasts Lack Interactivity
• There’s No Guarantee of Payoff
• Podcasting is too New of a Channel
• Difficult to Track Marketing Qualified Leads
• Limited & Too Specific an Audience
• Podcasts are Un-Scripted & Hard to CTA
• There’s No Confidence in the Metrics

Podcasts Lack Interactivity

Many marketing teams view the funnel as beginning with direct engagement and the nature of podcasts are not seen as part of that genre. Most marketing teams work on getting customers to engage through paths that can allow them to collect data and guide the customer into the funnel, whether it be through social media posts, business website interaction, or email.

Podcasts are often absent this element, as their engagement opportunities are more limited, they have less of an interactive quality, and they are often done through third parties that cannot provide relevant data. Though podcasts are becoming more popular, and their interactive qualities are improving and are beginning to cast a wider net of engagement, many marketing teams have been slow to catch on, as they are still focused on pathways they feel provide a more seamless route to the sales funnel. (Adelle Archer, Eterneva)

There’s No Guarantee of Payoff

Making and promoting a successful podcast requires a lot of time and effort. It can take months, or even years, to build up an audience. And there’s no guarantee that your show will be successful, no matter how good it is. Even the most popular podcasts only have a few hundred thousand listeners which is a tiny fraction of the population. So if your goal is to reach as many people as possible with your marketing message, podcasting might not be the best use of your time.(Danielle Bedford, Coople)

Podcasting is too New of a Channel

One reason why marketing teams do not consider podcasting to be part of the funnel is that it’s a relatively new medium. In the past, marketers have primarily relied on television, print, and radio to reach potential customers. While podcasts are growing in popularity, they are still far less widespread than more traditional forms of media. As a result, many marketing teams are not yet familiar with the potential of podcasting and don’t know how to integrate it into their overall strategy. In addition, podcasts are often shorter than other forms of media, which can make it difficult to deliver a consistent message or call to action. For these reasons, marketing teams may be hesitant to include podcasting in their plans.(Jim Campbell, Wizve – Digital & Affiliate Marketing Agency)

Difficult to Track Marketing Qualified Leads

Marketing teams should absolutely consider podcasting as part of the funnel. But when marketing can’t attribute MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) to a source, they too often don’t want to pursue it. This is because they won’t receive credit from their organization for these leads. A simple solution is to create a special landing page for podcast leads. For example, tell listeners to go to Yoursite.com/PODCAST or enter promo code “PODCAST”. This works well to attribute leads to a podcast.(Scott Lieberman, Touchdown Money)

Limited & Too Specific an Audience

Podcasts have the ability to directly engage a specific audience, but often that audience may be too niche to make marketing on a podcast have an impact. The best marketing is able to target the best audience for the brand while introducing it to new consumers. The specific audience for a podcast could be so specific as to either already be an active consumer or not be the right audience for it at all. Podcasting may be too specific to make marketing appealing.(Zachary Hamed, Clay)

Podcasts are Un-Scripted & Hard to CTA

There are a number of reasons why marketing teams may not consider podcasting to be part of the funnel. One reason is that podcasts are typically un-scripted and spontaneous, which can make it difficult to control the message. In addition, podcast listeners tend to be highly engaged and focused, making it difficult to break through the clutter and capture their attention with a Call to Action (CTA). Chances are, podcasts aren’t going to relay your message effectively and even if they do, people probably won’t follow the CTA. However, the devil’s advocate is that podcasts are great for brand awareness, so it depends on what your marketing team’s goal happens to be.(Kelly Skelton, Backyard Assist)

There’s No Confidence in the Metrics

Trying to track podcast success feels like going back in a time machine… and there isn’t a lot of confidence in the metrics being tracked. Which is the opposite of where marketing teams want to be in this decade. When Google and Facebook Ads tout having amazing metrics, real-time ROI monitoring, and automated bidding, podcasts have download counts and not much else. If your job was on the line, would you want to have an abundance of metrics and transparency of where your money went? Or would you take a chance on podcasts and hope they work (even with nearly impossible attribution)? I think that most marketers are scared of taking a chance! (Jeff Sauer, Digital mantis)

Frequently Asked Questions on Podcast Marketing

Why do some marketers think podcasts lack interactivity?

Many marketers view podcasts as lacking direct engagement to collect data and guide customers into the sales funnel compared to other channels.

Why is there no guarantee of payoff with podcast marketing?

Podcasts require lots of time and effort but have small audiences compared to other media. There’s no guarantee a podcast will be successful for marketing.

Why do some view podcasting as too new for marketing?

Many marketers rely on traditional media and are unfamiliar with podcasting potential. Short podcast format can make consistent messaging difficult.

Why is it hard to track marketing qualified leads from podcasts?

Without attribution to podcasts, marketing can’t claim podcast-generated leads, reducing incentive to use podcast marketing.

When are podcast audiences too niche for marketing?

Very targeted podcast audiences may already be brand consumers or be irrelevant, making marketing ineffective.

Why are CTAs ineffective on unscripted podcasts?

Spontaneous podcasts make controlled messaging difficult. Engaged listeners may ignore CTAs.

What metrics concerns limit podcast marketing adoption?

Unlike digital ads, podcasts have limited metrics. This creates uncertainty versus other measurable channels.