Companies, especially large ones where CEOs lack face time with everyone, should run an internal podcast. It fosters a sense of connection and affection for leadership and coworkers, which can make employees less likely to leave.
Related Insights
Companies often default to using senior executives as spokespeople, assuming title equals authority. However, audience engagement is driven by delivery and personality, not job title. Prioritize employees who are naturally compelling speakers—even if junior—to create more effective content like webinars and podcasts.
Podcast interviews are a powerful tool for building relationships with otherwise inaccessible decision-makers and mentors. Offering someone a platform to share their expertise is a more effective way to get their attention than a cold email, creating genuine connections and business opportunities.
Trust is now built through credible personalities, not just branded content. Channels like podcasts and newsletters succeed because they are personality-driven. HubSpot's CEO advises businesses to identify and empower internal figures with high authority to represent the brand.
It is far easier to extract deep knowledge from experts, like a CEO, through a conversational podcast than by asking them to produce a polished written essay. Podcasting lowers the activation energy for sharing complex ideas.
Effective company culture isn't about corporate perks but about founders who genuinely invest in their employees as individuals. Taking the time to build personal relationships, such as meeting families, fosters a deeper, non-transactional connection that directly improves employee retention.
Chasing viral moments is a losing game. The deep, intimate connection built by being a consistent voice in someone's ears via a podcast creates more brand equity and drives bigger results than any fleeting viral hit. Trust, earned over time, compounds and cannot be bought.
Loom's internal research found that managers sharing weekly video updates, rather than text-based ones, resulted in a 2x increase in team connection. This practice cascades information effectively, models time empathy, and ensures employees feel more recognized and clear on their goals.
Top professionals receive countless requests for mentorship. A podcast is a strategic tool to manage this demand, allowing them to share knowledge and "give back" to the community at scale when individual time is limited. This is a primary driver beyond simple brand building.
A podcast isn't just content; it's a tool for building parasocial relationships. This creates a "tuning fork" effect, attracting high-caliber listeners and guests who feel they already know you, leading to valuable real-world connections and opportunities.
CEOs don't just appear on challenging podcasts for external publicity. A key, often overlooked, motivation is to demonstrate strength and competence to their own internal teams. Successfully navigating a tough interview proves to employees that their leader can handle pressure, something that can't be authentically conveyed in a controlled corporate setting.
