Recommended business podcasts

The relentlessly helpful® blog by John Espirian

20 November 2019
My recommended business podcasts

My recommended podcasts for marketing, copywriting and social media.

Blog posts and videos are great but nothing lets you learn while multitasking in the same way that podcasts do.

Here are my recommended business podcasts for marketing your business, writing well and using social media. Ready?

Looking to be a podcast guest?

Having been on 50+ podcasts, I’ve written a post on how to be a good podcast guest.

It’s worth a read if you ever get a chance to get a guest spot on one of the shows below, or indeed any other podcast.

Being Freelance.

Being Freelance
Being Freelance
Who: Steve Folland

What: Interviews with freelance business owners across many different professions.

Website

Listen

Relaxed, funny and informative.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Steve’s relaxed style of presentation and, speaking as a former guest, I can say with confidence that he really makes his featured speakers comfortable and welcome.

Not only does the show cover a wide range of freelance activities, it also showcases the personalities of the people behind these small businesses. Top work!

Connect The Dots.

Connect The Dots podcast
Connect The Dots
Who: Vicki O’Neill

What: A mix of solo and interview shows where Vicki looks at marketing and sales alignment, to help listeners “connect the dots” between the two. The style is relaxed and friendly, and is totally in tune with Vicki’s LinkedIn presence.

Website

Listen

Excellent slices of marketing and sales advice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As someone who hasn’t had any formal marketing or sales training, I’m enjoying learning from Vicki’s experience in how these fields function and how they align to help businesses do better work. Vicki has a fun and friendly delivery method, and – thank goodness! – she doesn’t load her episodes with any of the “buy my stuff” sales fluff that you hear in many other shows. Well done, Vicki, and keep up the great work!

The Janet Murray Show.

The Janet Murray Show
The Janet Murray Show
Who: Janet Murray

What: Janet is a PR expert to helps people get media exposure for their business. She interviews business owners from many different fields, and invited me on episode 209 to talk about about writing compelling copy. The podcast is also supported by a Twitter chat called #ContentHour on Mondays at 9pm UK time.

Website

Listen

Covers so many areas well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Janet’s show spans a huge range of activities that business owners can do to help them get noticed online and in traditional media. There’s advice on best practice for all of the big social networks and interviews with experts in so many fields.

With so many topics covered, you’d think the show would be running out of steam, but Janet keeps cranking out quality content on a weekly basis. Impressive stuff!

Make It Real.

Make It Real with Trisha Lewis
Make It Real
Who: Trisha Lewis

What: Interviews with business owners who share their honest views of the ups and downs of business life.

Website

Listen

Funny and honest.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trisha’s podcast is funny, honest and real. With no airs and graces, she gets down to business by interviewing some of the great and the good independent business owners who stand out through their content and the communities they build.

It’s recommended for anyone looking to do the same – not through cheats and shortcuts but through the creation of an authentic presence. Nice work, Trisha!

Marketing and Finance.

Marketing and Finance
Marketing and Finance
Who: Roger Edwards

What: This podcast mixes Roger’s skills in finance (he worked in financial services for 25 years) with a love for clear and simple marketing. Roger’s on a mission to rid the world of marketing mumbo-jumbo, and I chatted to him about clear communication in episode 114.

Website

Listen

A wonderful, down-to-earth show.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve really enjoyed listening to Roger’s show since discovering it in mid 2016. What sounds like a dull subject area is brought to life by Roger’s enthusiasm, sense of humour and commitment to simplicity and clarity.

He’s a great host and a great guy, and I’m certain this podcast is going to go from strength to strength. Fabulous work, Roger!

The Marketing Book Podcast.

Marketing Book Podcast
Marketing Book Podcast
Who: Douglas Burdett

What: Interviews with leading authors of well-known marketing books. Douglas reads each book beforehand and then quizzes the authors on the main themes they set out in their work. A great way to get quick insights into what’s happening in marketing right now.

Website

Listen

Shortcut to marketing smarts.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve really enjoyed digging into this podcast since discovering it a couple of weeks ago. There are simply too many marketing books out for me to read them all, but these interviews give useful insights and inspiration for further learning.

I can now say that I’m more inclined to buy a marketing book if I’ve heard the author in conversation with Douglas first. Fine work!

The Marketing Companion.

The Marketing Companion
The Marketing Companion
Who: Mark Schaefer and Brooke Sellas

What: One of the most consistently insightful marketing podcasts out there. After 6 years with co-host Tom Webster, Mark rebooted the show with Brooke in early 2019. There’s plenty of humour and original thought in this must-listen show.

Website

Listen

Great marketing insights.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I may have listened to only a few of Mark and Tom’s episodes so far, but I’ve already heard 5 or 6 insights that I haven’t seen anywhere else. That alone tells me that this is going to be one of my favourite podcasts from now on.

I like the light-hearted intro to each show – especially Tom’s ideas for crazy apps and services – but there’s some real depth and thought leadership in the discussion.

My only annoyance is that I didn’t discover this podcast sooner. Easy 5 stars.

Marketing That Converts.

Marketing That Converts
Marketing That Converts
Who: Teresa Heath-Wareing

What: Teresa is an expert on using social media, but her podcast covers advice about all elements of marketing. It’s a mix of solo shows and interviews.

Website

Listen

Practical marketing tips.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Teresa’s show provides good insight for all elements of marketing, from platforms and content types through to pricing and all sorts of other important stuff.

It’s all delivered in a friendly way and there’s no pushy sales. Nice work!

Marketing Study Lab.

Who: Peter Sumpton

What: This show has interviews with business owners from varying professions, and listeners learn about each person’s approach to positioning and promoting their work. There are also plenty of tips for those studying for a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) qualification.

Website

Listen

A great set of interviewees.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well done, Peter, on inviting a fine range of guests to talk about their businesses and how they’ve approached their marketing. Along with your tips for working towards a CIM qualification, this is an excellent show for students and experienced marketers alike.

You Are The Media.

You Are The Media podcast
You Are The Media

Who: Mark Masters

What: Mark’s show is all about what we need to do to stand out in a busy world. Episodes cover the topics of connecting with your audience, demonstrating authority and building trust.

I appeared on episode 18 to talk about writing well for others. I also shared my number one tip for beating the LinkedIn algorithm.

Website

Listen

Top interviews and keen insights.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mark invites guests to help explain the various ways business owners can take control of their marketing and their personal brand.

There’s always something insightful in Mark’s monologues, and the show is a great accompaniment to the You Are The Media event. Good work!

All Good Copy.

All Good Copy podcast
All Good Copy
Who: Glenn Fisher

What: An off-the-wall show featuring interviews with copywriters. Lots of good advice and plenty of fun here. You can listen to our chat about LinkedIn on episode 17.

Website

Listen

Funny and insightful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don’t know of any other podcasts that include random songs, pretend ad slots, thoughts of a dog and cartoons of the guests, but if that sounds like the sort of thing you’d like – and if you’re interested in writing better content – you’d do well to listen to this. Mental but in a good way.

Good Copy, Bad Copy.

Good Copy, Bad Copy
Good Copy, Bad Copy

Who: Radix Communications

What: Radix are a B2B copywriting agency whose podcast discusses best practice and trends in copywriting. I contributed to their special episode 50, which is full of advice from fellow copywriters.

Website

Listen

Useful tips for B2B writers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one isn’t for the casual listener but is full of useful discussion for B2B copywriters like me.

The Radix team is made up of experienced writing pros who share their knowledge in an open and honest way. It’s reassuring to hear their viewpoints, as it’s often hard to know what’s best practice when writing content. Keep up the good work!

.

Hot Copy
Hot Copy

Who: Kate Toon and Belinda Weaver

What: Made for copywriters and covers all of the issues around the art of writing and running a copywriting business. Kate and Belinda make a great double act. Essential listening for anyone who writes copy for a living.

Website

Listen

Helpful, accessible and just fun.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why didn’t I know about this podcast six months ago? I’ve just binge-listened (that’s a thing, right?) to 11 episodes and love the relaxed and humorous approach of both Kate and Belinda.

The content is genuinely useful, the guests are interesting and the hosts show themselves to be real people. Can’t wait to hear what’s coming next. Smashed it.

Linkedinformed.

Linkedinformed
Linkedinformed
Who: Mark Williams

What: LinkedIn is my favourite social network and Mark’s show is where I get all the latest news on how the platform is developing. I discovered this podcast via episode 185 of Janet Murray’s show where she interviewed Mark – definitely worth a listen.

Website

Listen

My favourite LinkedIn podcast.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mark’s Linkedinformed podcast provides excellent insight on what’s happening right now on LinkedIn. The platform changes so often that it can be hard to stay up to speed, but these episodes do a great job of keeping us informed. I particularly appreciate that Mark is willing to test things rather than simply asserting an opinion.

LinkedIn is now my number one social network and I feel much more comfortable in using the platform thanks to Mark’s wise guidance.

I get through a lot of podcasts each week and this might be my favourite one. Essential listening.

LinkedIn Smart.

Who: Vietek Ladislaav

What: Conversations with top LinkedIn experts around the world.

Vietek is a video-production & marketing specialist who interviewed me on episode 33.

Website

Listen

Wonderful LinkedIn insights.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love the direct way Vietek jumps straight into the questions and draws out the LinkedIn insights from his guests.

Really good content for anyone looking to improve the way they use LinkedIn, with great tips from experts around the world.

Social Media Marketing.

Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Who: Social Media Examiner

What: Michael Stelzner interviews the movers and shakers in social media to give listeners lots of practical advice. The show always kicks off with a recommended app or tool – worth subscribing just for this bit (but the rest of the show is excellent).

Website

Listen

Love the questions.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There are a stack of great insights from the expert guests, and that alone would make this worth 5 stars. But Mike’s questioning style is so good: he think and talks like a user. Absolutely love it. One of my favourite podcasts ever!

Twitter Smarter.

Twitter Smarter
Twitter Smarter
Who: Madalyn Sklar

What: Madalyn shares actionable advice on how to get the best from Twitter. If you want to understand this social platform, there’s no better podcast to listen to. I was on episode 44. There’s also a #TwitterSmarter chat on Twitter every Thursday at 6pm GMT.

Website

Listen

Friendly, actionable advice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twitter’s my favourite social network so I was delighted when I discovered this podcast via a colleague (on Twitter, naturally!). Madalyn’s show is full of actionable advice and is presented in a friendly way, without any condescension.

The guests are at the top of their game, and I’ve already picked up some useful tips despite being only a handful of episodes in. And, as you might expect, Madalyn herself is awesome on Twitter – a great connection for anyone who wants to be #TwitterSmarter. Love this podcast!


⭐️ How to rate and review your favourite podcasts.

If you love podcasts, don’t forget to leave a rating and review. Here’s how to do it in less than a minute via the Podcasts app on iOS.


And now for something completely different.

It’s not all work, work, work at Espirian Towers, and so, to wrap up, here are a few podcasts that aren’t related to the editorial profession.

  • No Such Thing As A Fish: full of great trivia, this podcast is run by the team who contribute many of the facts to the hit TV show QI. There’s excellent chemistry between the presenters, and the content is often hilariously funny.
  • The Infinite Monkey Cage: another factual-but-fun podcast, presented by Robin Ince and Professor Brian Cox. The episodes are recordings of the Radio 4 show by the same name. Another one not to miss.
  • The Truth: billed as ‘movies for your ears’, this is a brilliant collection of short stories. Well written, well executed. A great way to add a bit of creative intrigue to your day.
  • My Dad Wrote a Porno: an old man tries and fails to write sexy literature, and his son reads out chapters of his dad’s Belinda Blinked books. One of the funniest things I’ve ever heard.
   

Be part of Espresso+

The community for freelancers & small business owners.

119 recommendations
for John

John Espirian

I’m the relentlessly helpful®️ LinkedIn nerd and author of Content DNA

I teach business owners how to be noticed, remembered and preferred.

Espresso+ is a safe space to learn how to ethically promote your business online and get better results on LinkedIn.

Follow me on
LinkedIn

Share on
social media