The ROI of B2B Podcasting: Metrics That Matter for Business Growth

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Podcasting has become a core channel for B2B marketers—and for good reason. According to Edison Research, 59% of B2B decision-makers say they listen to podcasts during work hours. 

For many organizations, podcasting has become a way to deliver thought leadership—offering a platform to share expert insights, spark industry conversations, and build credibility with key audiences. And that matters, because today’s buyers are actively seeking trusted voices over traditional promotion. The 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn Thought Leadership Report found that 73% of buyers prefer thought leadership over traditional marketing when evaluating vendors.

But as investment in branded podcasts grows, so does the pressure to prove ROI. CMOs and content leaders are asking the same question: Is this actually moving the needle?

Decision makers

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In this article, we’ll unpack how B2B podcasting delivers ROI—from elevating brand authority to influencing pipeline—and share the key metrics that help you measure what matters most.

Table of Contents

Why B2B Podcasting Is on the Rise

Podcast consumption continues to surge, particularly among business decision-makers. According to Edison Research’s The Podcast Consumer 2024, over 100 million Americans—34% of the population—now listen to podcasts weekly, up from 80 million in 2023. Monthly listenership stands at 47%, and crucially for B2B marketers, 59% of decision-makers listen to podcasts during work hours.

Podcast audiences also skew toward attractive demographics for B2B marketers:

  • 56% of U.S. podcast listeners have a household income of $75,000 or more

  • Many are senior professionals in leadership roles, making podcasts an effective channel to reach high-value prospects

The Rise of Thought Leadership in the Buyer Journey

Modern B2B buyers are no longer persuaded by traditional marketing tactics. Instead, they’re actively seeking expert-led, solution-oriented content. Podcasts deliver exactly that. In fact, 64% of B2B buyers say podcasts are helpful in the early stages of the buying process. At the same time, thought leadership has surged in influence—rising from the #20 to the #3 buying decision driver in just one year (B2B International Superpowers Index)

Decision Drivers

Podcasting offers a rare combination: high engagement, authentic conversations, and the chance to build trust over time. For marketing teams aiming to influence pipeline and brand perception, that’s a powerful opportunity.

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Ryan Dull, CEO of Sagemark HR, launched Talent Acquisition Leaders to share insights on recruitment and HR tech. Within a year, the podcast drove thousands of downloads per episode and directly contributed to nine new client acquisitions—proving how podcasting can convert thought leadership into tangible business outcomes.

Featuring respected industry voices on your podcast not only enriches your content but enhances your brand’s credibility. Guests bring their own audiences and expertise, reinforcing your position at the center of key industry conversations.

But the impact didn’t stop there. As of 2025, the podcast ranks #1 on Google for the search term “Talent Acquisition Podcast”, proving how sustained thought leadership can boost visibility and long-term brand equity.

Google Search

2. Account-Based Marketing

Podcasting is a powerful tool for Account-Based Marketing (ABM), especially when used to connect with high-value prospects. By inviting decision-makers from your ideal customer profile (ICP) to be guests, you create warm, relationship-driven entry points where prospects become participants—not just targets.

Case Study:

Rebar Technology

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Rebar Technology used their podcast to engage 48 executives from ICP-aligned companies. Instead of cold outreach, they built relationships through interviews, creating genuine conversations that helped advance sales opportunities and build trust over time.

Network Expansion and Co-Marketing Potential

Beyond ABM, podcasting opens doors to strategic partnerships, referral networks, and co-marketing opportunities. Zendesk’s Conversations with Zendesk podcast, for example, regularly features partners and ecosystem voices—expanding its influence and relationships with every episode.

Network Expansion and Co-Marketing Potential

3. Internal Enablement & Evangelism

Podcasting isn’t just a tool for external marketing—it can also create significant internal value. Many organizations are now using private podcast feeds or short-form episodes to align teams, share updates, and foster a culture of learning. This format is especially effective for distributed or fast-moving teams, offering a flexible way to communicate at scale without relying on live meetings or lengthy email threads.

Lululemon, for example, launched an internal podcast that achieved a remarkable 95% listen-through rate, proving that employees are not only willing—but eager—to engage with high-quality, on-demand audio content tailored to their roles.

Lululemon

Beyond internal alignment, podcasts also serve as an effective enablement tool for go-to-market teams. A well-produced podcast becomes a trusted resource your sales reps can share with prospects to spark conversations, educate buyers, or reignite dormant accounts. It allows your team to lead with value, not just pitch decks—positioning them as thought leaders in the process.

Whether it’s used to train your team or empower them to start smarter conversations, podcasting creates a feedback loop between internal culture and external influence—strengthening your brand from the inside out.

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Mid Funnel: Podcast Engagement & Audience Quality

Here’s where you assess whether you're attracting the right listeners—and if they’re engaging with your brand beyond the episode itself.

  • Email Signups – Newsletter subscriptions or gated content downloads after listening.

  • Firmographic Data – Company size, industry, and job titles of your audience. Are they aligned with your ICP?

  • Location Insights – Geographic distribution of your listeners, which can inform regional campaign strategies.

  • Social Engagement – LinkedIn shares, comments, and mentions tied to specific episodes or guest appearances.

Social Engagement

Pro Tip: Encourage newsletter opt-ins or listener surveys to gather richer firmographic data, especially if your hosting platform’s analytics are limited.

Bottom of Funnel: Revenue Impact & Attribution

These metrics are where podcasting connects to business outcomes. They may take time to materialize, but they’re key to justifying investment.

  • Attributable Leads – New contacts or demo requests that cite the podcast as a touchpoint.

  • Influenced Pipeline – Opportunities in your CRM where prospects engaged with podcast content (e.g., listened, shared, or were guests).

  • Closed Deals – Won business where the podcast played a role in education, engagement, or relationship-building.

  • Cost per Acquisition (CPA) or Cost per Lead (CPL) – Total podcast investment divided by the number of qualified leads or customers acquired.

To improve attribution, add custom “How did you hear about us?” fields to forms, use dedicated landing pages for episodes, or offer exclusive resources linked only in podcast show notes.

B2B Podcast Funnel

While these metrics give you a structured way to assess performance, it’s important to contextualize them with industry benchmarks and real-world impact.

  • B2B podcasts that average 1,000 downloads per episode often rank in the top 20% of shows in their category.

  • Completion rates sit around 52%, signaling a level of engagement most other content formats can't match.

  • 59% of directors and C-suite executives regularly engage with audio thought leadership, making podcasts an ideal format to reach senior decision-makers.

  • Niche shows perform exceptionally well in B2B because they deliver specialized value to clearly defined segments.

And beyond pure metrics, ROI shows up in real business outcomes:

The Hospitality Leaders Podcast converted over 50% of interviews into revenue for Upshift.

According to Demand Gen Report, B2B buyers are nearly 70% through their journey before ever speaking to a rep—meaning your podcast could be doing heavy lifting long before sales gets involved.

Finally, don’t underestimate the intangible value: brand sentiment, authority, and relationship equity. These may be harder to measure directly but can often be the differentiators that tip a deal in your favor.

For a more comprehensive overview, read B2B Podcast KPIs: Which Are Most Valuable?

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