For RIAs and financial advisors, podcasts offer a way to establish thought leadership, boost brand equity and possibly convert a loyal audience into potential clients and valuable business contacts.
But there is a big difference between potential and execution. Saying you want to do a podcast is one thing; doing it consistently well is quite another.
RIAs need to find the right host, design a distinctive production and identify topics and guests that will resonate with a specific audience. Moreover, RIAs must honestly and effectively assess the podcast’s quality and metrics and figure out whether to invest more or pull the plug altogether. That’s especially crucial for RIAs with $1 billion to $15 billion in assets under management (AUM) and limited marketing resources.
In Part 2 of our podcasting series, following our earlier look at whether RIAs should launch a podcast, our experts discuss the practical challenges of producing a really great podcast.
Create The Right Team
Podcasts don’t have to be large or complicated projects. But they do have to be clear and well organized. Clear ownership matters, with editorial and guest‑selection responsibilities coordinated with production, distribution and promotion.
“At minimum, designate a host (or co‑hosts) and a hands‑on producer who together own the editorial calendar, guest preparation, recording, editing, approvals, and deadlines,” said Marie Swift, Founder and CEO of Impact Communications. “Add marketing support for distribution and repurposing, plus an established compliance‑review path. Several roles may be outsourced, but accountability cannot be.”
“You don’t need a massive team, but you do need clear ownership,” said Ashten Legg, Senior Director of B2B Marketing at RFG Advisory.
Said Matt Ackermann, Chief Content Officer at Integrated Partners: “I’d recommend having someone on your team to help drive distribution and execution. A great project manager is key.”
Choosing The Right Host
Finding the right host is crucial. The host sets the overall tone and feel of the podcast, and the contributors emphasized curiosity, preparation, a point of view and the ability to listen.
“A great host is genuinely curious and passionate about the industry and the people shaping it,” Legg said.
Ackermann said a host must be able to make the podcast stand out from the competition.
“A great host needs a point of view and a willingness to stand out!” he said. “This industry has a real ‘sea of sameness’ problem so don’t make a podcast just because everyone else is doing it. Do it because you have something to say or because you know your niche and your audience and you want to reach them. Be consistent and view this as an opportunity to create connections on a large scale.”
Said Swift: “A strong host is curious, prepared, and generous enough to listen instead of waiting to speak. The person needs a point of view, conversational agility, and confidence to ask useful follow‑up questions. One best practice: let the guest finish, then briefly ‘tack on’ to the answer before moving forward. Choose someone who can sustain the commitment without sounding rehearsed.”
Look And Feel
Ackermann said, “Designing your podcast begins with a format and a process. If you want a 30‑minute podcast, break it into chunks with a nice opening, a solid conversation, and clear takeaways for the audience and a call to action. It is important to know who you are talking to and what they need. Building an audience will take time so promote the podcast in social media groups where the audience congregates regularly.”
Swift said RIAs must first establish the reason why their podcasts exist.
“Begin with the editorial promise,” she said. “Who is the show for, what recurring problem will it help solve, and why is your firm qualified to convene the conversation? Let that premise shape the name, tone, artwork, music, format, and guests. Test the concept with clients and centers of influence before launch.”
At the same time, podcasts must be flexible. Legg said RFG Advisory applies that approach to its podcast, Disruption Blueprint.
“Build a recognizable identity, then be willing to evolve it,” Legg said. “We maintain a consistent look and feel for Disruption Blueprint while continually testing thumbnails, episode positioning, CTAs and promotional creative. Design should help the right audience recognize that something is for them, but what works changes. We evaluate and iterate.”
Compelling Guests
Good podcasts can both entertain and inform audiences. That’s why finding the right mix of guests is so crucial to the show’s prospects.
“Select guests for the value they can deliver to the defined audience, not title or company alone,” Swift said. “Look for hyper‑relevant expertise, fresh perspective, credible experience, storytelling ability, and conversational chemistry. Build a balanced roster of clients, specialists, industry voices, and contrarians. Avoid creating a parade of reciprocal promotions.”
Said Legg: “It isn’t about filling a content calendar. It’s about finding people who can contribute something meaningful.”
Ackermann said, “Inviting someone onto your podcast is a great way to create a new connection with an industry expert. (And the truth is, we all have an ego, so we are all happy to say yes to an opportunity like this!)”
Measuring ROI
“Set business objectives before choosing metrics,” Swift said. “Track subscribers, listener completion rates, website actions, event or meeting invitations, media inquiries stemming from the show, prospect and client feedback, and content reuse. Add podcast‑related touchpoints to your marketing and CRM. While downloads show reach, they rarely prove business value by themselves.”
Said Ackermann: “If you are distributing your podcast through an engine like Blubrry, you can easily track your listeners and learn their habits. Are they listening to the whole episode? Do they return?”
Legg also recommended looking beyond the numbers.
She said, “We also measure social engagement, website activity, content performance and how the podcast supports broader marketing and business development goals. Its impact should be measured across the entire content ecosystem.”
More Investment? Or Call It Quits?
Podcasts, even good ones, are not ends unto themselves. They must accomplish their goals. For an RIA with limited resources, the real trick is trying to figure out whether you can improve an underperforming podcast with more resources or cut your losses and end the show.
“Establish a review period and success criteria before launch,” Swift said. “After a meaningful run, examine engagement, relationship opportunities, content value, and business influence. If the premise resonates but distribution is weak, invest more. If the audience promise remains unclear or internal commitment repeatedly fails, pause, redesign, or discontinue.”
“Look at whether the podcast is earning attention and creating value for the audience,” Legg said. “Are people engaging with the conversations? Are episodes creating useful content beyond the podcast itself? Is the audience growing? If not, revisit the topics, format and distribution before assuming the channel itself is the problem.”
Said Ackermann: “From the beginning, give yourself time but also give yourself a deadline. It can take 6‑10 months to gather an audience. Build out an episode guide, with topics and guests, for 6‑10 months of content (Creating a routine for yourself and your audience is important.)”
Thomas Lee, Senior Editor and Staff Writer at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at thomas.lee@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
