Growth & Strategy
Personas
SaaS & Startup
Time to ROI
Medium-term (3-6 months)
OK, so here's something that's going to sound counterintuitive: while everyone's throwing money at Facebook and Google ads, I've watched multiple SaaS clients get better results from strategic podcast appearances.
Now, I'm not talking about starting your own podcast (though that's an option). I'm talking about getting on other people's shows and turning those conversations into actual paying customers.
The main issue I see with most SaaS marketing is this obsession with quick wins. You know, the "set up ads today, get customers tomorrow" mentality. But here's what I've learned working with B2B SaaS clients: your best customers need to trust you before they buy from you. And podcasts? They're trust-building machines.
In this playbook, you'll learn:
Why podcast audiences convert better than cold ad traffic
My exact framework for finding the right shows to target
How to turn a 30-minute conversation into months of qualified leads
The follow-up system that actually works (spoiler: it's not what you think)
Why most SaaS founders approach podcast marketing completely wrong
This isn't theory. This is based on what I've seen work for SaaS companies that were struggling with expensive ad costs and low-quality leads.
Reality Check
What every SaaS founder has already heard
Here's what the "experts" will tell you about podcast marketing for SaaS:
"Just start your own podcast!" - Every marketing guru loves this advice. Launch your own show, interview customers, build an audience. Sounds great, right? The problem? It takes 18-24 months to build a meaningful audience, and most SaaS founders don't have that kind of time or consistency.
"Sponsor popular tech podcasts" - This is the other popular recommendation. Drop $2,000-5,000 per episode on sponsorships. Sure, you'll get brand awareness, but good luck tracking actual conversions. Most podcast ads get skipped anyway.
"Focus on SEO instead" - The classic fallback. "Podcasts are too hard to measure, just stick with content marketing." While I'm a huge fan of SEO strategy, it's not an either/or situation.
"Podcast ROI is impossible to track" - This one drives me crazy. Yes, attribution is harder than with paid ads, but it's not impossible. You just need better systems.
"Only enterprise SaaS can benefit from podcasts" - Wrong. I've seen early-stage SaaS companies get their first paying customers through strategic podcast appearances.
The real issue with conventional podcast advice? It treats podcast marketing like advertising when it's actually relationship building. That's why most approaches fail.
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
So here's the situation that changed my perspective on podcast marketing for SaaS completely.
I was working with a B2B SaaS client - let's call them a project management tool for marketing agencies. They'd been burning through ad budget for months. Facebook ads were expensive, Google ads were competitive, and the leads they were getting? Mostly tire-kickers who'd sign up for the free trial and disappear.
Their founder was frustrated. "Everyone says we need to be where our audience is," he told me. "But where the hell is our audience?"
That's when I realized something. Their ideal customers - marketing agency owners and operators - weren't scrolling Facebook looking for project management tools. They were listening to business podcasts during their commute.
The founder had actually been invited on a couple of podcasts before, but he'd treated them like PR opportunities. You know, the typical founder spiel: "Here's our product, here's what it does, here's why you should try it." The results? Basically nothing.
But then we tried a completely different approach. Instead of pitching his product, he started sharing actual insights about running marketing agencies. War stories. Lessons learned. Practical advice that had nothing to do with his tool.
The first show he did with this new approach was a marketing podcast with maybe 5,000 downloads per episode. Not huge. But within a week, they had three new trial signups who specifically mentioned hearing him on that show. And here's the kicker - all three converted to paid plans.
That's when I knew we were onto something different.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
OK, so let me break down exactly what we did to turn podcast appearances into a consistent lead generation channel.
Step 1: The Right Show Research
Forget about chasing the biggest shows. We built a list of 50 podcasts where our ideal customers actually listened. Here's how:
Surveyed existing customers about their podcast habits
Looked at LinkedIn posts from target prospects to see what shows they shared
Searched for podcasts by topic, not by size ("marketing agency operations" rather than "business")
Prioritized shows with engaged audiences over large ones
Step 2: The Value-First Pitch
Instead of pitching "I want to talk about my SaaS product," we flipped the script:
"I've helped 50+ marketing agencies streamline their project workflows, and I've noticed some patterns in what separates the profitable agencies from the struggling ones. I'd love to share these insights with your audience."
Notice what's missing? Any mention of the product. The focus is entirely on value for the audience.
Step 3: The Strategic Content Framework
Every podcast appearance followed the same structure:
Share a compelling story (usually about a client challenge)
Extract the lesson (applicable to anyone in the industry)
Provide actionable advice (something listeners can implement immediately)
Mention the tool naturally (only when relevant to the solution)
Step 4: The Follow-Up System
This is where most people drop the ball. We built a system to capture and nurture the leads:
Created a special landing page for each podcast appearance
Offered a "bonus resource" related to the podcast topic
Set up email sequences that continued the conversation from the show
Tracked which shows generated actual trial signups and paying customers
The key insight? Podcast listeners are already in "learning mode." They're not resistant to being educated or sold to - they're actively seeking solutions.
Story Framework
Lead with client stories, not product features. Listeners connect with narratives about real challenges and solutions.
Landing Pages
Create unique URLs for each show (yoursite.com/podcast-name) to track attribution and continue the conversation.
Email Sequences
Follow up with podcast-specific content that references the conversation and provides additional value.
Relationship Building
Focus on building relationships with hosts. One great appearance often leads to introductions to other show hosts.
The results from this approach completely changed how we think about SaaS marketing channels.
Over six months, podcast appearances generated:
23 qualified trial signups directly attributable to podcast mentions
67% trial-to-paid conversion rate (compared to 12% from paid ads)
2.3x higher average customer value than other channels
Multiple referrals from podcast listeners who became customers
But here's what really surprised us: the compound effect. Each podcast appearance built on the previous ones. Hosts started mentioning previous shows, listeners began recognizing the founder as a subject matter expert, and booking new shows became easier.
The timeline was interesting too. Most results came 2-4 weeks after an episode went live - much longer than paid ads, but the quality was significantly higher. These weren't people looking for free trials; they were prospects who'd been "warmed up" by 30-60 minutes of valuable content.
The unexpected bonus? Improved sales conversations. When prospects had already heard the founder speak for an hour, sales calls felt more like consultations than pitches.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
Here's what I learned about podcast marketing that nobody talks about:
1. Smaller shows often convert better than big ones. A 2,000-listener show in your exact niche will outperform a 50,000-listener general business show every time.
2. The real ROI comes 3-6 months later. Unlike paid ads, podcast marketing has a long tail. People save episodes, share them, and revisit them months later.
3. Audio creates a different type of trust. There's something about hearing someone's voice for 30+ minutes that builds connection in a way text or video doesn't match.
4. Preparation beats perfection. Having 3-4 solid stories ready to share is more valuable than being a polished speaker.
5. The host relationship matters more than the audience size. Engaged hosts will promote your appearance, create social content, and introduce you to other hosts.
6. Attribution is harder but not impossible. Unique landing pages, promo codes, and direct customer surveys can track podcast ROI effectively.
7. Consistency compounds. Regular podcast appearances (1-2 per month) create a multiplier effect that's hard to achieve with other channels.
The biggest mistake? Treating podcast appearances like advertising instead of relationship building. The goal isn't to pitch your product - it's to become a trusted voice in your industry.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS companies specifically:
Focus on industry-specific shows rather than general business podcasts
Share customer success stories and lessons learned
Create podcast-specific trial landing pages with extended trial periods
Follow up with educational email sequences, not product pitches
For your Ecommerce store
For ecommerce businesses:
Target lifestyle and niche-specific podcasts where your customers listen
Share behind-the-scenes stories about building your brand
Offer exclusive discount codes for podcast listeners
Focus on shows that align with your brand values and customer interests