#15: A conversation with Pod People's CEO
A chat about how audio is an integral part of the modern marketing strategy
As a marketer and a human, I love a good podcast. They have the ability to make you laugh, weep and learn — all within the same episode. That’s why I’m so excited for today’s issue, where we chat with Rachael King.
She is the founder and CEO of Pod People, a production company that creates podcasts and more for brands like Netflix, Vogue, People, Discovery+, HBO, Wondery and more. Thank you to her for sharing her wisdom on this amazing way for both people and brands to tell their stories and connect with people in a genuine way. And, if you’re interested in learning more, feel free to reach out to her for a consultation.
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Tell me about yourself and Pod People.
Pod People is a best in class podcast production company. We work with a wide array of clients and projects, from startups to the Fortune 500 and even PR firms.
We make podcasts, yes, but we’re not just audio. We do audio and visual and we know how to create the best clips for multiple platforms, like TikTok, newsletters and more.
Unlike other companies, we have a global network of writers, researchers, producers, with diverse lived experiences. We also both create and release globally and locally. We started out in branded content, and we are client service-oriented, first and foremost.
How did you get into comms/marketing, and how and why did you get out?
I started in social media because I was an avid user. I was in that first wave of millennials in the workforce that said, “I can manage your Twitter for you.” I also worked in-house at Sidecar, leading content, communications and social media. Then, I was head of communications at Dogvacay, which was acquired by Rover.
Next, I started my own communications firm that focused on early stage companies. But I got really burnt out; I didn’t want to just work for venture-backed white dudes anymore.
I started thinking about what I really wanted to do. It was right after Serial had exploded. Audio was a really interesting channel to me then, and even before. As a kid, I’d go camping with my family and bring these big book sets on tape, with 26 cassettes. Podcasts had saved me when I moved to LA; my commute was such a nightmare. It was a new channel and I knew I could help.
What sort of skills did you carry from your marketing career into now being a founder?
In marketing, you learn how to connect with almost anybody; you encourage people and clients to trust, to feel safe, to share. And that’s incredibly important, to relate to anyone, especially as you work to clearly convey your services for a newer industry.
People who have worked in PR and social are also great at relationship building, which is so important for us. As Pod People has gotten bigger, we’ve worked with an increasing group of partners, done co-productions with other firms. You need to be able to work with all kinds of partners.
And, people who come from comms… we have the best client management in the game. We united the left and right parts of the brain. We are great at creative problem solving. We know how to think through workflows, incorporate tools like Airtable into our flow.
The end goal is that the creative production is frictionless for the client. They can come in, make the creative decisions they need to and just do very little work on their end.
Why should marketers consider audio?
Audio is an owned channel, which is so important in today’s world. No one can take it away from you; there are no algorithms with arbitrary rule changes.
Audio and podcasts are also longform. Your audience spends more time with you, enough time to build a story and give context, with human voices and emotion. You can build more trust in an intimate environment.
Audio is incredibly cost efficient. We can make five hours of a show for what you can spend on five minutes of video.
Audio is great to achieve specific goals too: thought leadership, competitive differentiation. You can humanize your brand, drive recruitment — and build brand awareness.
There’s also an incredible opportunity to leverage audio for crisis. I really wish more brands would leverage audio to tell their side of the story instead of just hoping that they came across well while they were with Emily on Bloomberg.
When a marketing function is making their first foray into owned content, what are some common pitfalls, misunderstandings and myths do you sometimes see?
The biggest mistake I see is when teams don’t invest in marketing the podcast. Podcast marketing is different. Social ads do not convert; cross-promotions on other podcasts do.
When clients opt to spend on just the production and not the marketing, they just create something fantastic that no one hears. Unless you have massive owned channels already, it won’t work. At Pod People, we work with the best platforms and agencies and can support clients with a great plan to get the word out.
What’s something you wish you knew early on in your career?
Don’t underestimate the power of a thoughtful, personalized note to a stranger.
Many people treat their careers as something that happens to them. To me, you should proactively find what makes you excited. Knock on those doors.
What’s your advice for anyone currently in a (potentially unintended) career reset?
I don’t think that we truly understand the value of hobbies. Remember that your work, your career, is only a couple slices of the pie that is your life. Rally the things and people you love around you when you’re in limbo or in a career search. It will keep you sane.
What a book/podcast/movie/piece of art that you can’t stop thinking about and why?
TV show: Severance. It’s so good. I love a slow burn. So incredibly well done, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
Book: Harvey Fierstein’s memoir, I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir, is honest. Brutally open, and so much fun. You may not know who he is, but you know what he sounds like. Listen to the audiobook.
Podcast: Talk Easy. Sam Fragoso is the best interviewer I’ve ever heard.
I’ll be sharing a link to a comms pro in every newsletter moving forward: people who are looking for their next role or client. Let me know if you have a recommendation for a future feature!
Patrick Mahoney is a communications strategist for early stage challengers focused on building and executing against smart, customer-oriented, zero fluff communications programs. He’s the founder of PDM Strategies, and here’s something marketing departments aren't thinking about but should: “The importance of making paid media an integral component of a blended communications program. The pervasive ‘church and state’ mentality between earned and paid PR no longer applies in a world where shrinking newsrooms are coupled with a huge increase in the number of well-produced, audience-tailored paid opportunities. It's an important lever that brands can pull to build initial awareness and maintain ongoing recognition at both the local and national level.”
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