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?
Marketing/business.
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.
Relaxed, funny and informative.
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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.
Excellent slices of marketing and sales advice.
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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.
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.
Covers so many areas well.
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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.
Funny and honest.
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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.
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.
A wonderful, down-to-earth show.
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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.
When you're a fan of a podcast, you don't expect a handwritten note from the host, especially when they're on a different continent.
Thanks so much, Doug @MarketingBook – keep up the great work! pic.twitter.com/WzhxacM150
— John Espirian (@espirian) June 19, 2019
Shortcut to marketing smarts.
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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.
Great marketing insights.
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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.
Practical marketing tips.
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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.
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.
A great set of interviewees.
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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.
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.
Top interviews and keen insights.
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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.
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.
Funny and insightful.
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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.
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.
Useful tips for B2B writers.
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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!
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Helpful, accessible and just fun.
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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.
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.
My favourite LinkedIn podcast.
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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.
What: Conversations with top LinkedIn experts around the world.
Vietek is a video-production & marketing specialist who interviewed me on episode 33.
Wonderful LinkedIn insights.
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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.
Love the questions.
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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.
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.
Friendly, actionable advice.
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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.
