
Our host Will Martin sits down with Tom Hunt from Fame to talk about his journey of building a very successful B2B podcast production agency all the way to 3.8 million ARR without any external funding. Getting podcasting right as a content mint in B2B is very important, as is having strong company values and company culture while you scale.
Tom and Will explore the essentials of B2B podcasting, from selecting your guests to staying on a schedule and being consistent, and how these factors lead to higher long-term ROI.
They discuss the evolution of service-led growth in B2B companies and how podcasting plays with wider marketing strategies, like SEO and social engagement.
The conversation also covers Tom’s personal expertise gained from management consulting, his experience with angel investing, and the increasing convergence of services and products in the current business landscape.
TAKEAWAYS:
- Tom Hunt built Fame to 3.8 million ARR through bootstrapping and learning from failures.
- Tom’s background in management consulting taught him crucial business ops skills.
- Company values and culture are important for sustainable growth and client satisfaction.
- B2B podcasting requires you to focus on specific niche groups and select your guests strategically.
- Stay consistent with your upload schedule for a better chance at long-term success.
- Higher ACV products typically see better ROI from podcast marketing.
- The first year of podcasting focuses on relationship building over listener metrics.
- Podcasts serve as foundational content engines for broader marketing efforts.
- Integration with SEO and social media will push your marketing efforts even further.
- Simplified production processes are crucial for scaling podcast operations.
- Understanding customer personas is important for an effective content strategy.
- Retaining current clients is among the most important factors of B2B growth.
- A service focused model can greatly enhance new client acquisition and current client retention.
- Using AI technology can and will improve your podcast efficiency.
- Strong company culture supports business scaling.
- Angel investing requires strategic thinking over ego-driven decisions.
- The distinction between services and products is becoming increasingly blurred.
- Marketing strategies should align with broader business objectives.
- Content marketing requires long-term commitment for optimal results.
- Strategic thinking in guest selection maximizes podcast ROI.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
01:26 The journey to $3.8M ARR
04:38 Intangibles from management consulting
07:05 Scaling Fame: values and culture
12:38 Should every B2B company start a podcast?
15:31 Key factors for podcast success
22:04 Podcast ROI and consistency
25:12 Who’s podcasting better for? Service vs Product companies
28:40 Podcast as a content engine
30:34 Roles/Team you need to launch and run a successful B2B podcast
35:37 “Whoever is closest to the customer, whoever wins”
37:15 When to start a podcast: early-stage vs mature companies
41:47 Client feedback loops in content
44:11 The role of values and culture in business success
47:23 Tom’s experience in angel investing into 12 companies
50:24 Fame’s GTM strategy and growth levers
55:14 Leveraging AI in podcast production