5 Podcasts Every Content Marketer Should Listen To

People on my morning commute probably think I’m mildly crazy. Despite what you might assume, I’m not giving a subway sermon or breakdancing for money. I’m simply standing, headphones plugged in, and laughing to myself periodically. I might even give the occasional, “Huh, I never knew that!” or “Shut up, you’re insane!” No, I’m not talking on the phone. I’m just getting really into a podcast.

Podcasts are more popular now than ever. According to The Washington Post, in 2014 there were over 1 billion subscribers and 75 million unique listeners to the medium. According to those stats, you probably have a few episodes vying for your attention in iTunes right now. However, with so many options and such little time to listen, what shows should you choose? Well, if you’re a content marketer, there are a few podcasts out there that provide the perfect mixture of expert interviews and complex insights that will help you show off at the office. Here are five worthy of your time.

1. The Craft of Marketing

In just 20 years, Seth Price has consulted for more than 300 companies in digital marketing. If you check out his podcast, The Craft of Marketing, you know you’re getting an unmatched level of expertise.

For each episode, Seth interviews a different marketing guru. For example, in his most popular episode, “Insider Secrets to Leverage Your Video Marketing,” he picks the brain of Wistia’s Director of Marketing, Ezra Fishman. The show delves into the importance of video in a marketing strategy, gauging the engagement potential of a video, and how to make video production a part of your marketing schedule.

This podcast is particularly valuable to its listeners because some of them even helped create it. The Craft of Marketing wasn’t initially funded by Price himself. Rather, it came to life thanks to the contributions of people on Kickstarter. Hundreds of marketers from all over the world now listen to the show each week. There have been 20 episodes, so take a scroll through the archives here.

2. This Old Marketing

This Old Marketing crams a ton of valuable content marketing lessons into one hour. Hosts and master marketers Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose break their show into three parts: Content marketing in the news, a one-minute rant, and an example of content marketing from the past that listeners can learn from.

As one happy reviewer on iTunes writes, “Can any marketer really keep up with it all / this insane pace of change? These guys help me try!”

In last week’s episode, the hosts dug into Mary Meeker’s annual Internet trends report and give listeners the most important takeaways such as why millennials hold more purchasing power than you might think. The episode also delves into content marketing for startups, Google’s new “Phantom” update, and how content marketing and native advertising are related to each other. Yeah, you’re getting a lot out of one hour by listening to this podcast.

Click here to find the notes for all of This Old Marketing‘s episodes.

3. Content Warfare

During Content Warfare, marketer Ryan Handley talks to some of the most successful content creators and gets them to reveal their secrets for building audiences. To get a sense of the kind of conversations Hadley has with guests, you can check out one of his most popular episodes, “How to Become a Thought Leader with Mark Schaefer,” on YouTube:

This episode tackles dealing with criticism as a thought leader, the difference between arrogance and confidence, and how to compete in the third phase of the digital revolution.

Of course, all shows are also available in the traditional podcast format on iTunes. Get ready for some serious business inspiration.

4. Content Inc with Joe Pulizzi

Joe Pulizzi, again, you ask? I promise, this podcast is different. In contrast to This Old Marketing, you can listen to this show in the time that it takes to brush your teeth and wash your face—every episode is fifteen minutes max. Plus, new episodes are usually posted multiple times per week. If you’re crunched for time but want a lot of great information, Content Inc should be your go-to.

Pulizzi’s most recent show, “Why You Can’t Trust Google,” reminds listeners that they should try and create their own content platforms and engagement strategies. That’s right, Content Inc is fighting the man—just one more reason you should take a listen.

5. The Superheroes of Marketing

For people who run small to medium-size businesses, this podcast is the one you want to hear. Hosts Kelly and Alissa cover a variety of topics, ranging from the benefits of podcasting for marketers to how to be found on Pinterest. In their most recent episode, the two talk with Ian Anderson Gray of Seriously Social about the tools that every marketer should use. This episode gets a special star in my book since it references a lot of free options for those of us who don’t have the biggest budgets.

Also, shoutout to this fantastic header image. Who can ignore smart ladies in capes?

In an industry where longwinded, dull talks can be all too common, these podcasts shine with humor, interesting interviews, and a helpful approach to marketing. They may not be the type of show that will capture the zeitgeist like Serial, but for those who are interested in content marketing, I’d definitely recommend giving them a shot.

Oh yeah, and check out Contently’s great new podcast: #ModernMarketing. The latest episode goes inside LinkedIn and Coca-Cola’s newsrooms to find out how they’ve built brand publications with big-time readerships.

Know of any other podcasts perfect for marketers that deserve to be on the list. Tweet us @Contently.