Most branded podcasts chase 'awareness' and stall.
Let's make sure yours doesn't.
Hi, I'm Neal Veglio, founder of Podknows Podcasting.
In this episode, I'm making my case for why your show isn’t top-of-funnel content—it’s conversion accelerant.
You’ll learn the 70% Rule (who your show is really for), how to swap broad topics for buying-trigger episodes, and why you need this podcast to become your best salesperson, without the pitch.
Ready to turn your feed into a closer? Book a Podknows Podcast Audit for a written report, video breakdown, and a 1:1 call—delivered within four working days after booking: podknows.co.uk/audits.
Transcripts
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Welcome to the X, Y, Z show where we talk all things business.
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On this week's episode, we're discussing synergy in remote teams.
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Hi, I'm Dave,
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You bored yet?
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Yeah.
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So is your audience.
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So let's fix that.
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Welcome to B2B Podcasting Insights with Neil Lio, founder of ponos,
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a podcast agency helping you get better results from podcasting.
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I'm not gonna sugarcoat this.
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You have been lied to about how branded podcasts work.
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Someone, somewhere, probably some podcasting guru, convinced you
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that this thing you are making, this show you are putting hours
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into is top of funnel content.
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It's about building awareness.
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It's about content marketing.
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It's a play for visibility.
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Just stop it.
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That kind of thinking kills more podcasts than bad audio ever will.
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You know, between 2020 and 2024, I was kind of known on LinkedIn
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as the anti Blue Yeti guy.
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And actually I think that's been overtaken now by the me
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being the anti no strategy guy.
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See, the thing is your podcast is not for strangers.
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It's not a popup ad. It's not a billboard, it's not a bloody LinkedIn carousel.
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It's a vehicle for you gaining trust with your ideal customers.
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It's conversion accelerant.
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A place for the already curious to hear in your own voice why you
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are the safest choice for them.
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You don't win strangers through a podcast.
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You close.
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The ones already circling you.
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Let's start with a big misconception, shall we?
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Here's what too many founders and marketing teams are
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doing with branded podcasts.
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They treat their podcast like it's some kind of cv.
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Here's what we do.
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Here's who we are.
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Please applaud us.
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It's like inviting somebody to dinner and then feeding them your about Paige
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as your engaging topic of conversation.
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nobody asks for that.
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Certainly not at this stage.
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Podcasts are not for awareness.
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They're for belief.
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And belief only happens when you stop generalizing and
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start getting weirdly specific.
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Lemme give it to you straight.
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Here's a recruitment firm's podcast that I audited last year, their top
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three episodes where the future of work, why company culture matters, and how
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to stand out in a competitive market.
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Oh my God, yawn.
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Do you know what should have been their top three podcast
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episodes that they're promoting?
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Number one.
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Why your best candidate ghosted you and how to stop it happening again, three
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questions that are absolutely tanking.
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Your offer calls
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What actually makes a developer say yes to your role?
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And it's not free coffee.
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Do you see the difference?
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The first batch was just trying to educate the masses.
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The second speaks directly to the decision maker who's already halfway convinced,
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and that doesn't just work in recruitment weirdly.
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Let's jump over to the tech space now because your podcast isn't about
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navigating digital transformation, which is the kind of cliched go to now.
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Here's what it's actually about.
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It's about what CTOs complain about in Slack that they'd
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never ever say in a boardroom.
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If you're in wellness, don't just talk about burnout.
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Talk about.
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How does s where a remote team member is quiet, quitting, and what to do
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about it before they actually quit?
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We're getting specific here.
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It's not theory.
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You wanna show them that you've been in the room, that's why when
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I'm talking to corporate podcasters about their branded podcasts, I'm
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always talking about the 70% rule.
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You are not trying to convert the cold, you're trying to tip the 70%.
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You're trying to close them.
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You know the ones who have downloaded your PDF, they've lingered on your
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pricing page, they've watched half your webinar and then ghosted you.
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Your podcast is for them.
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And yes, this still applies to recruitment agencies.
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Why do you think recruitment agencies find it so difficult?
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To get anybody on board, it's 'cause their approach is completely wrong.
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So stop opening your episodes with 60 seconds of backstory.
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Cut the welcome to the show where we, you know, script entirely start like this.
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If your hiring manager keeps tanking the final round, this episode is for you.
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That's what makes someone stay.
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Not just the polish, not just the production, but the precision.
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Here's the real role of your branded podcast.
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Okay?
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Your podcast should feel like your best sales call only without the awkward pitch.
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It's not needed.
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It's where the people here you think aloud.
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It's where they realize that they've already made the
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decision to work with you.
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You are just helping them to articulate what working with you would look like.
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The great news is you've now listened to this podcast episode and you've
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understood that I am solving your problem for you in a very specific way.
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So I am literally eating my own dog food here.
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If you are ready to stop wasting your podcast's potential on brand awareness
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and start building something that actually moves the needle for your
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bottom line, let's audit the damn thing.
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You can book it by going to ponos.co uk.
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That's P-O-D-K-N-O-W s.co.uk.
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Slash audits.
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Once you go to that address, you'll find the button to book your audit,
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which will take you to my calendar,
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The calendar date selection is for your follow-up, one-to-one
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call to discuss what I found.
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But we will send you my full analysis via written report and video
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within four working days after you book.
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The link to my audit for B2B Brands doing podcasts is in the episode description.
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And if you take nothing else from this episode, take this
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your podcast.
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Is no longer for strangers.
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Alright?
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Forget that whoever your CMO is, or if it's you rewrite that rule,
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you are talking to the almost ready
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talk to them like they already believe you because after the
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next episode where you apply this.
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They probably will.
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I hope you found this episode useful.
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If you did, then feel free to share it with somebody else that has a B2B podcast
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that they're using as brand awareness.
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And need to rethink that.
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I'm of course wishing you the best of luck with growing your B2B podcast and future
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episodes will be about helping you do that next time on B2B podcasting insights.
