Business podcasts have evolved from niche marketing tools into powerful platforms for engagement, brand building, and thought leadership. 

In 2025, with more brands launching podcasts than ever before, the challenge isn’t just starting a podcast—it’s making one that stands out.

According to Sounds Profitable’s Business Podcast Consumer Report, business podcast listeners are highly engaged, brand-receptive, and habitually consume content while multitasking. This presents a massive opportunity for brands, but with the sheer volume of podcasts available, what truly makes a business podcast worth listening to?

This article will break down what business podcast consumers actually want in 2025 and how brands can create a show that captures attention, retains listeners, and drives real impact.

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What business podcast listeners want in 2025

Understanding what listeners expect from business podcasts is the key to crafting a show they can’t ignore. 

Because without knowing what they want to hear from you, how can you create a show that demands their attention? 

Pulling from the same Business Podcast Consumer Report, here’s what data tells us about audience preferences:

• Engagement over downloads: Podcasting success is shifting away from vanity metrics like downloads. Business listeners prioritize content depth, relevance, and engagement.
• Video is becoming a bigger factor: 38% of business podcast consumers engage with video podcasts, making multi-platform distribution more important than ever.

Listeners tune into business podcasts because 92% want discussions on topics of interest, 87% seek business news and insights, and 77% want content they can consume while commuting or multitasking. 

On top of this, listeners are brand-receptive, 69% are likely to listen to a podcast about a favorite brand and 56% say a company’s involvement in a podcast makes them more likely to listen.

What does this mean for brands? 

Podcasts need to be more than just conversations the brand wants to have—they need to be strategic, engaging, and tailored to listener expectations.

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How to create a business podcast that captivates listeners

Creating a business podcast that stands out in 2025 isn’t just about producing content—it’s about crafting an experience that listeners choose to engage with over all the other noise. 

Whether you’re launching a new show or optimizing an existing one, these strategies will help you captivate your audience, keep them coming back, and turn your podcast into a powerful marketing tool.

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1. Define your niche & unique angle

One of the biggest mistakes brands make with podcasts is being too broad. 

As the saying goes, if you make something for everyone, you’re really making something for no one. It’s so common that we’ll start working with new brands and they want their podcast to be relevant to a segment like “marketers”. 

But we always recommend going deeper, for example, maybe the podcast is actually for startup marketers with less than two employees on their team or content marketers in B2B brands. Whatever the final target audience ends up being, make it more specific to who you truly want to listen.  

Plus, the business podcasting landscape is growing more competitive. You’re not only competing against other brands or podcasts but also other media like music, TV, or film. Generic topics won’t cut it.

Brand example: Fissionary 

Fissionary by Nuclear Energy Institute sits down with researchers and influencers or dives into pop culture moments to explore how we can envision a world powered by clean nuclear energy. The podcast hones in on targeting individuals working in the energy sector, even more specifically in clean energy. 

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2. Make it listener-first, not brand-first

You don’t want to listen to a 30-minute corporate infomercial and neither does your audience. So don’t fall into the trap of making one. 

That’s why we think listener-first rather than brand-first. We know this can feel odd since the reason you’re making this podcast is to benefit your brand in some capacity. But trust us, by being a listener-first show, your brand will only reap greater rewards. 

Why? Because you’ll have a more engaged and loyal audience. 

So take the "from you, not about you" approach:

• Prioritize storytelling, insights, and real business challenges.
• Feature guest experts, not just internal execs.
• Use case studies, industry trends, and real-world examples.
• Don’t forget to get creative! Try new elements, formats, styles, etc. 

Brand example: SickKids VS  

By SickKids Foundation, SickKids VS takes listeners to the frontlines in the fight for child health. The SickKids team extensively reviews listener feedback to understand better what they’re looking to gather from the show. And as a result, they’ve created content that has changed the lives of many, with one guest even sharing “What is so powerful about the SickKids VS Podcast is it gives parents and caregivers a voice and validates the family's experience. From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU for this experience.”

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3. Optimize for attention, not just awareness

The first 60 seconds of an episode determine whether a listener stays or leaves. 

So just getting your podcast in front of the right audience isn’t enough. You need to make sure you can hook that audience with your episode content before they get bored and leave.  

Here’s how to optimize for retention:

• Hook your audience immediately: Start with an intriguing insight, bold statement, or compelling question. We commonly see businesses use an interesting snippet from within the episode as the hook as seen in Northwestern Mutual’s, A Better Way to Money. 
• Structure matters: Use clear segments, engaging pacing, and avoid long-winded intros. Watch your episode consumption rates to see if there are certain segments listeners drop off if maybe episodes are too long, or if you're losing attention in key areas. 
• Leverage dynamic storytelling: Bring in real-world examples and personal anecdotes to make content relatable. Making our audience feel more connected to your content will only ensure they stick around for longer. 

Brand example: Countermeasures 

By Emergent BioSolutions, Countermeasures does an amazing job at maintaining strong storytelling throughout each episode that shares the real-life experiences of people who are driving positive change to combat the opioid epidemic and destigmatize opioid dependency. Allowing listeners to feel an emotional connection to the show while staying engaged. 

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The role of video & multi-platform distribution

If your podcast isn’t using video, you might be missing out. 

With 38% of business podcast consumers engaging with video, brands that only focus on audio are leaving untapped audience potential on the table. The best podcasts today aren’t just listened to—they’re watched, shared, and repurposed across multiple platforms.

Here’s how to expand reach and keep your content working long after an episode airs:

• Record a video version of your podcast as YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok have become essential hubs for business content.
• Break your content into bite-sized pieces, such as short-form clips (30-90 seconds) for LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. 
• Transcribe episodes into blog posts and newsletters to boost SEO, reach, and engagement.
• Highlight key takeaways in email campaigns to entice new audiences to listen or keep existing listeners engaged between episodes.

The goal? Meet your audience where they already consume content and ensure your podcast isn’t limited to a single format. The more ways people can engage with your brand, the more opportunities you have to build a loyal audience.

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How to measure business podcast success

A successful business podcast isn’t just about downloads—it’s about engagement and audience retention. 

It's key to let go of vanity metrics like downloads and shift focus to metrics and insights that genuinely move the needle. Just think of your website traffic. It’s great to have 20,000 visitors to your site in a month, but the better insights are from how that traffic found you, where they went on the site, what they engaged with, what they bounced on, etc. That’s what we’re aiming to do with your business podcast. 

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Key podcast metrics to monitor

• Listener retention & completion rates: This reveals how much of your episode people are listening to. If retention is low, it may be a sign to tweak your content structure or pacing.
• Engagement rate: Track meaningful interactions outside of listening apps. Are listeners sharing episodes on LinkedIn? Are they leaving comments, sending messages, or referencing your show in conversations?
• Cost of listener attention & listener attention efficiency: Understanding how much it costs to gain a new listener is essential for refining marketing strategies. 
• Growth over time: Is your podcast attracting new listeners or maintaining a steady audience? Tracking trends month over month will let you know whether you’re growing and/or retaining audiences. 

By consistently monitoring these metrics, brands can make data-driven decisions that improve content, drive engagement, and ensure their podcast remains a valuable business asset.

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The future of business podcasts & how to stay ahead

The business podcast landscape is evolving, and the brands that thrive will be the ones that prioritize listener engagement, multi-platform strategies, and data-driven decision-making. 

The days of relying solely on downloads are over—now, it's about attention, connection, and long-term audience loyalty.

Looking for expert insights, data-backed strategies, and real-world examples of top-performing branded podcasts? Subscribe to The Branded Podcaster, Quill’s bi-weekly newsletter, for the latest trends, actionable advice, and exclusive industry insights.