If you’re a podcast enthusiast, then you’ll most certainly have your ‘go-to’ favorites and a list of subscriptions. If not, then you’re probably wondering why you should be listening to podcasts, and perhaps, why you should use podcasts as a marketing tool. Read on!

At Larking Gowen, they’ve been running popular podcasts for three years now. They feature hot topics in business and working life, and the goal is to produce something engaging as well as practical and informative for listeners.

The rise in popularity of podcasts speaks for itself. Some of Larking Gowen's marketing team attended The Podcast Show in London in May and learnt about the future of the industry and how brands can continue to grow their listenership, and also target their potential clients more directly through the constantly developing world of A.I.

So, why are podcasts a great marketing tool? Running a podcast attracts listeners and subscribers which, in turn, raises your business or personal brand awareness. This drives traffic to your website and improves SEO (search engine optimization). A huge part of Larking Gowen's business strategy going forwards is focussing on the personal brand of their team members, and if you think of podcasts as ‘audio blogs’ they are a much more efficient way to show someone’s personality – studies show that people are much more likely to take on a professional service provider based on personality over price, and you can let yours, and your expertise, shine in a podcast!

Of course, like all marketing tools, a podcast needs to stay relevant. Larking Gowen's flagship series Leadership & Life Chat was hosted by partners James Lay and Mark Curtis. In the latest series, Mark is joined by fellow partner Becky Ames. They both have a special interest in supporting good mental health practices and don’t shy away from the topics of anxiety, confidence and motivation, and both their topical deep dive episodes and their interviews with special guests are geared towards empowering business leaders to be the best version of themselves and ‘boost their health, wealth and self’.

“We’ve had some fantastic guests,” explains Mark. “In recent episodes, we’ve chatted to climate change author, Dr Matthew Hampshire-Waugh, former Chief Exec of Ipswich Town Football Club David Sheepshanks and broadcast news’ favorite wealth management expert, Janet Mui.

Becky adds, “We’re interested in what makes a good leader and that includes how to overcome obstacles when they arise. Our listeners get ‘life tips’ that they can use in their personal lives as well as in business, and how the two are ultimately linked!”

Ian Fitch, a partner in the corporate team, who hosted Business Insights Chat during lockdown, agrees. “We focused on great topics.” Ian continues, “We had in-depth conversations with the guests and drew out some amazing advice, tips and inspiration for people to take into their business’s future.” Ian’s guests included Turners of Soham MD, Paul Day; and Maria Veronese of Mediapro.

Chris Scargill, Tourism Partner, fronts the Tourism Business Chat podcast, and had the idea to speak to guests from the tourism and leisure sector, during lockdown. The sector was faced with unprecedented challenges and Chris invited business leaders to share their experiences. The series, which included guests from Adnams and the BBC’s Normal for Norfolk, was a hit, and has evolved since then with recent episodes focusing on the future of the sector, featuring the CEO of Banham Zoo, directors of ROARR! – the biggest dinosaur-themed adventure park in the UK, and many more.

The podcast series has helped to cement Chris’s reputation locally within the sector after what was a devastating couple of years for the industry, and his understanding and questioning of his guests highlight his knowledge of businesses operating in this area. It has proven a great topic of conversation at networking events and helps Larking Gowen stand out amongst its competitors in the region.

If you’ve not yet considered using podcasts as a marketing tool, maybe you should! Larking Gowen recently launched their Insights series, which provides more niche and topical tax and finance updates, around topics such as fiscal drag, NHS pension schemes and much more. This series provides an opportunity to showcase a broader range of people from across the firm at different levels. Through podcasts, they can demonstrate their expertise, provide added value content to our clients and each episode includes a call to action so that we can leverage new business opportunities.

Podcasts are a great way to support your people in raising their profile, supporting their career aspirations, and improving their personal brand. Personal brand is an important part of generating new business, with the increasing demand for online content, digital solutions in our industry and the use of A.I solutions, podcasts can help to connect with people and raise the profile of your team. Connecting with people in a digital world can be challenging and podcasts provide a platform to showcase your personality and build your reputation.

Listen to the latest podcast 'Mission Accomplished: Leadership lessons from former Marine, Janet Polach'

It’s widely considered that the US Marine Corps is one of the best examples of leadership in the world. Veteran Janet Polach chats to Mark and Becky about how best to leverage the skills of your team and avoid being a selfish leader.