The best marketers are life-long learners. They look for rare pieces of information that’ll spark big ideas. They spot trends before anyone else. They try to master the newest technology before anyone else hears about it. They want an edge. And, honestly, sometimes just want to hear Elon Musk party with Joe Rogan on his podcast.
Podcasts have emerged in the last few years as one of the best tools for building knowledge, connecting with culture and improving skills. Podcasts can be listened to anywhere, at any time. There’s one for every subject, no matter how important or obscure. And there are a ton of marketing podcasts.
If you want to sharpen your game as a marketer, podcasts are convenient whetstones for your mind. If you’re into podcasts already, you know how fun it is to find new ones and recommend them to your friends and coworkers. With that in mind, here are five we love and think you’ll get value from.
Note: These links all lead to iTunes. If that’s not your thing, they’re all easily found elsewhere with a Google search.
Innovation & Leadership
Jess Larsen is an entrepreneur with a passion for marketing. This isn’t a pure marketing podcast, though. There are many episodes devoted to personal development, leadership and entrepreneurship. That said, marketers will find a lot to like and learn from.
Guests include rocket scientists, pro-athletes, CEOs, CMOs, filmmakers and more. Many of them have unusual paths to success and they discuss the growth hacking and guerilla marketing tactics they used to get the word out about their products and organizations.
Key episodes:
- Content Marketing Evangelist Joe Pulizzi
- Viral Video Advertising and Getting Products in 20,000 Stores With Reed Quinn
- Mastering Social Media Automation With Laura Roeder
The GaryVee Audio Experience
No one has done a better job branding himself as a marketing guru in the past few years than Gary Vaynerchuk. His advice on branding and social media is backed up by his own success. This show is valuable because it shows you “how the sausage is made.”
His podcast is one of the more interesting, and popular, because he has access to famous guests and media figures with cultural impact beyond the world of marketing. Something to note, Gary Vee is not for those with sensitive ears. He has a sailor’s mouth, but if you can get past the language, you’ll find some golden nuggets.
Key episodes:
- How to Make Every Penny Work Like a Dollar
- The Four People Every Startup Needs
- Quadruple Down on What’s Working—ASAP
Louder Than Words
Host John Bonini has inspiring conversations with creative professionals from a variety of disciplines. You’ll hear from designers, managers, copywriters and project managers. Some of them are very well known, some aren’t. Either way, the casual tone of the show makes you feel like you’re having coffee with smart people who are trying to solve the same problems you’re facing.
What’s nice about this show is that it doesn’t get too bogged down in technical details, but remains informative. The interviews answer great questions, provide human insight and often leave listeners with actionable things to try in their own careers. It’s equal parts motivating and informative.
Key episodes:
- Lindsay Pettingill: Airbnb’s 4 Principles for Marketing Experimentation
- Sean Ellis & Morgan Brown: How Successful Companies Drive Extraordinary Growth
- Meghan Keaney Anderson: HubSpot’s VP of Marketing On Why Content is Moving Away from the Website
Call to Action
This is a tactics driven podcast. It goes into detail about the nuts and bolts of design, strategy and technology. If you are into “how to” podcasts, this will delight you. You’ll walk away with things to implement in your own campaigns. Even if you’ve been a marketer for a while, you’ll pick up some new tricks.
It’s created by Unbounce, a marketing company that sells a lead gen product. Keep in mind its purpose is to promote their offerings, but don’t let that get in the way of hearing what they have to say. Episodes are just about the perfect length for a short commute, too.
Key episodes:
- How To Use Analytics To Spur Creativity
- Is Everything The Tech World Says About Marketing Wrong?
- Every Piece of Content Needs to Serve These 4 Goals
Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin
Seth Godin might be the best known marketer in the world. His videos and talks have been viewed millions of times and pretty much everything he’s ever written has hit the New York Times’s bestseller list. He’s so legit he was inducted into the American Marketing Association’s Marketing Hall of Fame in 2018.
This isn’t precisely a marketing podcast. Instead, it’s an exploration of our world and the things that influence it. It’s a big idea show, but part of being a marketing wizard is having your finger on the pulse of culture. Godin’s basic thesis for this show is: culture can be changed, but you have to understand it to know how.
Key episodes:
We are always looking for new podcasts to learn from. If you happen to have a suggestion, let us know over on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Happy listening!
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