Let me tell you a true story about me and podcasting: I have had a podcast since 2013, but as I indicate in my own Episode 140, which you can listen to below, I was never a consumer of podcasts. It was a conversation with a millennial marketer at one of my clients that changed all of that. She listened to podcasts instead of the Spotify which I religiously listened to in my car. One day I decided to go into my Apple Podcasts app, do some searches on podcasts based on keywords, listen to a few episodes, and then subscribe. Since then I have become an avid listener of podcasts, so today I want to share with you the best social media marketing podcasts that I have been listening to recently.
One of the reasons why podcasts are so powerful is that we can listen to them in our downtime, like in the car or at the gym, my two favorite places to listen. And that’s important because if you’re like most marketing consultants or managers, the chances are you’re quite busy. Being busy can definitely make it more difficult to learn from other marketing professionals about how to do your job better, especially if you don’t have a chance to attend social media conferences like the Social Media Marketing World.
Fortunately, there are a wide variety of podcasts available that can help you learn while doing other things as well. Going to the gym? Pop one onto your phone or let it stream, and see what the latest thinking is about the use of influencers. Sitting for hours in an airport terminal waiting for that delayed flight? Maybe it’s time to learn about upping your blogging game. No matter when you can listen, here are some of the best social media marketing podcasts to help boost your skills.
Instagram experts Tasha Meys and Viv Conway created this podcast to help people effectively use this platform. Their reach is international, covering Australia, New Zealand, and the US. Perhaps uniquely, they talk about Instagram as both a personal and business platform. Their approach is interesting: like most podcasts they do employ both interviews and monologues. No Instagram-related topic is off limits: there’s even an episode on using Instagram for finding romantic partners. That episode (from Feb 2020) talks about flirting and other behaviors on Instagram that can be used to indicate romantic interests. That’s in addition to more traditional topics such as how to grow your profile, such as episodes about what we can expect in 2020.
Both hosts are effective influencers who have worked with both large and small brands to have successful campaigns. More than just building a podcast, the hosts of Ace The Gram have also developed Instagram workshops and online courses. These range in price from under $40 to almost $700. I think this is great, because these two successful Instagram influencers like sharing their secrets to success.. It’s a refreshing change from the everyday professional marketer talking about principles all the time.
One note is that these two are Kiwis and thus speak in a heavy New Zealand accent. Yes, there have been times when it is difficult to understand them. But when ever I hear them say “dub dub dub” instead of “www” in their intro, it puts a smile on my face 😉
Sure, if you listen to podcasts you’ve probably heard of Smart Passive Income, but what about Ask Pat 2.0? This podcast was my introduction to the amazing talent that is Pat Flynn.
How’d you like to listen to one weekly Podcast that is essentially a one-on-one coaching call with a marketing expert that covers a wide variety of business topics? Ask Pat 2.0 is a call-in show that lets the audience ask anything about business. The host, Pat Flynn, is an online business entrepreneur that’s done this podcast for many years. Topics include when to quit your 9-5 job in favor of an online gig, how to hire experts for a podcast or other program, and how to make money from your hobby. Pat loves to point out that just because you’re having fun doing something doesn’t mean that you can’t make money out of it. The days of having to be chained to a desk in the modern world are over.
Up until the last year or so, these podcasts were very short because Pat took only one question at a time. More recent episodes have been longer, closer to the 30 minute mark. Mostly, this is because Pat has started having whole conversations with guests. Bottom line: a great place to find material on a wide variety of topics and using more than one format.
Note: The Apple Podcasts app introduced this podcast to me before Smart Passive Income, so I have yet to subscribe to the latter. Looking forward to adding it to this list once I get to it!
Want to turn your side hustle into a full-time job? Jenny Melrose, host of Influencer Entrepreneurs, will give you the tools you need to do that. Outside of the podcast, Jenny is a business coach and content strategist and is most famous for her Pitch Perfect Pro program, helping influencers pitch brands. She provides small and large group coaching, in addition to individualized help for your business. Online courses and workshops are available, as well. While the podcast does market Jenny’s other services, it is also an excellent resource on its own.
Recently, Jenny has covered a wide variety of topics. Like most of us, she did an episode on what to expect in 2020. Another topic was increasing your productivity, which also helps boost your income as an influencer entrepreneur. Need info about the latest Google algorithm change? Jenny talked about that too. Overall, a well-rounded podcast that lets you learn about many different things.
What I like about Jenny’s style is that she is a former teacher, and her educational bent shines through in how she explains things or asks the right questions to whoever she interviews to have them give educational answers.
Those who want to focus on Instagram as a source of sales leads will probably like Instagram Marketing Secrets by Derek Videll. Videll is the founder of IGM University, a training business focused on Instagram. If you look at his LinkedIn, you’ll find that Derek has a longstanding background in sales and marketing. Originally, he worked in traditional door-to-door and relationship-based sales, an industry that’s undergone vast changes with the development of social media. In a nutshell, Derek is an entrepreneur who is also quite the hustler and hacker.
So, what’s in the podcast? Recent episodes include a discussion of TikTok and how it is (or isn’t) a threat to Instagram, ways to stay motivated as a content creator (critical if you’re going to keep growing your following), and turning a profit on your social accounts. These episodes are useful for people who are trying to make money on Instagram itself. For businesses hoping to use Instagram for marketing of their website, Derek talks about ClickFunnels, increasing social-based conversion rates, and basic sales principles.
All in all a well-rounded podcast which gets very tactical on what you and your brand can do on Instagram to have an impact on your business.
Not sure how to start (and maximize) your Instagram account? British Instagram marketer Luke Thompson will teach you the basics, and then help you move beyond the baby steps. His first program is on why you need to use Instagram, and then Luke talks about all the essentials of setting up and using a business Instagram account. Most of his episodes are just him talking, though there are a few guests. Overall, I like the fact that Luke doesn’t assume in the first episodes that you know much of anything going in. It’s truly a beginner-friendly podcast.
Recently, Luke’s been doing more technical topics, like how to get Instagram followers on the cheap. His latest releases are about the new algorithm. On other thing I’ve noticed is that Luke understands the interconnected nature of different social media platforms. He’s also talked about making money from Instagram itself, though his focus is on businesses using the platform as a lead generation and customer service tool. This is consistent with his off-the-podcast job: He is the director of ThomTex, a digital marketing and website development firm in England that performs a wide variety of digital and development services.
Want to become a master at Pinterest marketing? Kate Ahl has a podcast for you, called the Simple Pin Podcast. As founder of Simple Pin Media, Kate is a specialist in this particular platform, and has a lot to say about it. Her company provides a variety of Pinterest related services. They’ll help you design pins, form a Pinterest marketing strategy, add followers, and even help you when your Pinterest account gets suspended.
So, what’s in the podcast itself? Kate covers a fairly wide variety of topics, though a good number of them are intended to sell her services. Earlier this month, she talked about when and how to hire a marketing coach for your business, a service she provides. Some of her other recent podcasts were reposts of other people’s podcast episodes where Kate appeared as a guest. She’s clearly a big believer in collaboration between marketing professionals. However, for people who engage in small-scale ecommerce like Etsy and Shopify-based shops, Kate’s insights are especially valuable. That’s because some of her episodes talk about using Pinterest to increase traffic to those types of Web businesses. Overall, a great podcast for both marketing professionals and small-scale creatives alike.
There is no other social network that has a singular influencer like Kate Ahl that everyone respects and looks up to as the authoritative source. If you are involved in Pinterest marketing, this podcast should be your guiding light.
Designed with the at-home worker in mind, “6 Figure Influencer” is hosted by Allie Reeves. According to her website, she is a mom who makes her money as a social media influencer, and by training others to be successful doing the same thing. Her core audience is intended to be stay at home moms who need to make extra money, or just need to effectively promote the other business they’re running. In other words, both the side hustle and the SMB crowd can benefit from her insights. She also provides online coaching and trainings.
What’s on the podcast? Her most recent episode (as of Feb. 2020) was about the challenges of having small children while running a business. In another episode, Allie talks about getting a life partner to support you in running your business. She also talks about following your dreams, and building a business that lets you do that. While the podcast is aimed heavily at women with a home business, anyone who has a home office can benefit from her insights. In a business environment that hasn’t always been friendly to women, this podcast is refreshing.
While I am probably not in Allie’s target audience, she does offer a real and authentic voice in better understanding Instagram and social media marketing that I think anyone can reap benefits from.
Also called “The Blog Millionaire,” this podcast is hosted by Brandon Gaille. Before becoming a blogger, Brandon has a fascinating story to tell on his website. In a nutshell, he was a bullied child of a salesman. He learned the skills he needed to make money very young, and earned every penny he needed to attend college. After suffering a brain tumor Brandon started a blog and made a business out of it. He also sells online courses and does consulting, but mostly he’s a big-money blogger.
What’s in his podcast, then? Mostly, he offers a variety of techniques for blogging success. There are several methods he talks about, including becoming an influencer and old-school affiliate marketing. His main method of monetizing blogs is through affiliate links. You’ll also learn a lot about SEO techniques, in particular how to write the correct length of blog post and answer everyone’s burning questions. Ready to monetize? Brandon will teach you about the older techniques like Adsense, as well as email marketing techniques to include blog reach (and affiliate/influencer opportunities). If you’re a blogger, this is a great place to learn about making your hobby into serious cash.
If I had to pick one podcast in this list that I look forward to listening to every week, it is Brandon’s podcast. He hates fluff just as much as we do, and on each podcast he truly delivers the goods. Thank you Brandon!
Those of us who do a lot of marketing through Pinterest and Instagram could benefit from the insights given in “Visual Marketing with Tailwind.” As many of you know, Tailwind is social media scheduling app that works on Pinterest and Instagram, but doesn’t take advantage of any other platforms. As such, it’s a limited use application, but that also means they’re specialists in the areas they serve. Since the podcast is a form of content marketing, it’s hosted primarily by Alisa Meredith. She’s the content marketing specialist at Tailwind, and is especially proficient with Pinterest
Since Tailwind works with the visual-dominated social platforms, it’s only appropriate that their podcast focuses on visual marketing. Recent topics include a discussion on techniques for taking great Pinterest photos with a smartphone, optimizing pins to look great on mobile, and seasonal content tips. There are also episodes on how to schedule your social media posts, and how to create a month’s worth of content fast. Overall, if you’re looking for visual marketing tips, this is a great podcast.
While this podcast doesn’t broadcast weekly and tends to include recorded livestreams instead of recordings dedicated to podcasting, the content and humorous conversations between the hosts more than make up for it!
Last but not least, let’s talk about my own podcast, “Maximize Your Social Influence.” This podcast began with the name “Social Business Unplugged” as my original podcast concept was to have me speaking “unplugged” giving you advice as if we were in the same room and I was coaching you. With the release of my Maximize Your Social book and website, it made sense to unify the branding to Maximize Your Social. Now that I am publishing The Age of Influence, I recently added “Influence” to the title and rebranded as the Maximize Your Social podcast.
I obviously have a background in everything digital and social media marketing, but looking at marketing through the lens of influence yields exciting results. With that perspective, my podcast is a place where I share wisdom with my listeners. Yes, I do blog, but in all honesty some of those articles have a heavy SEO angle. Not my podcasts, which I use to flesh out concepts that I utilize in future speeches, taok ahout recent client and speaking experiences, and generally Recent episodes have included a how-to on influencer marketing for small businesses, analyzing trends in social media marketing, and a discussion of why using Pinterest to generate sales leads for your business is such a great idea. Another thing I do quite a bit on my podcast is interview other marketers. One time, I interviewed a guy who specializes in expert roundup posts. On another occasion, I talked with a public relations expert about how to use the traditional media to your brand’s advantage.
What social media marketing podcasts do you listen to regularly? Do you subscribe to any of the above podcasts? Drop me a line in the comments below.
Neal Schaffer is a leading authority on helping businesses through their digital transformation of sales and marketing through consulting, training, and helping enterprises large and small develop and execute on social media marketing strategy, influencer marketing, and social selling initiatives. President of the social media agency PDCA Social, Neal also teaches digital media to executives at Rutgers University, the Irish Management Institute (Ireland), and the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland). Fluent in Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, Neal is a popular keynote speaker and has been invited to speak about digital media on four continents in a dozen countries. He is also the author of 3 books on social media, including Maximize Your Social (Wiley), and in late 2019 will publish his 4th book, The Business of Influence (HarperCollins), on educating the market on the why and how every business should leverage the potential of influencer marketing. Neal resides in Irvine, California but also frequently travels to Japan.