Spoken content in inbound: Why podcasts, videos & webinars matter

The ubiquity of spoken content in content marketing is undeniable. Podcasts, webinars, videos and presentations are prolific in marketing and sales, but spoken content transcends industry and sector. We see it harnessed in science, popular culture, psychology, education, and so much more.

Not only does it empower you to thrust your brand into the spotlight, but it enables your organisation to cultivate thought leadership and gain a wider audience. For that reason, the spoken word should be an integral part of your inbound strategy. 

So if you’re still shying away from speaking - be that on audio or in public - now might be the time to face your fears.

The rise of spoken content in B2B manufacturing

In the contract manufacturing space, where trust, technical competence, and complexity are key differentiators, the rise of spoken content—podcasts, webinars, and live demos— has become a strategic necessity.

This content is uniquely powerful for three reasons:

1. It builds trust faster. Hearing a subject matter expert's voice, seeing their face, or watching a real-time process builds a human connection that plain text can't match. This is crucial for high-stakes B2B decisions where a relationship matters.
2. It captures richer data. Webinars and live demos provide real-time engagement data (polls, questions, chat), enabling you to qualify leads based on genuine commercial intent, not just a document download.
3. It meets your buyer where they are. Whether it's the CEO listening to an industry podcast on their commute or a Quality Manager watching an on-demand QA webinar, spoken content delivers technical depth in the format they prefer.

Podcasts and webinars are the new B2B currency

Different people like to consume content in different ways. For some, listening to an article or book is preferable to reading it. The rise of audiobooks and podcasting is a testament to that.

Global podcast listenership is soaring, projected to reach 619 million by 2026.  Simultaneously, webinars have become a powerhouse for driving customer education and brand authority, with one study showing that 63% of webinar views come from on-demand content. This makes every recorded session a long-term lead generator.

If you can give the audience multiple ways to access your content, you have a better chance of broadening that audience. Just look at the proliferation of TED Talks. TED Talks address almost all methods of content consumption. People can listen, watch, or read.

The same can be said for YouTube, which is the second most visited website in the world and the second most popular mobile video app worldwide, according to Hootsuite.

Spoken content is easy to subscribe, or layer with subtitles, making it far-reaching and accessible. 

Spoken content helps conversion rates

Spoken content formats are highly effective at moving prospective buyers from passive consumption to active engagement. This transition is critical for contract manufacturers because these formats serve as high-intent touchpoints that filter out tire-kickers and identify high-value prospects for the sales team.

This process works by providing the right level of commitment (and depth) at each stage of the buyer's journey:

1. Awareness stage: Videos for reach and authority

• Building brand affinity: They position your senior leaders as informed, approachable strategists and industry voices , building trust before the sale starts.
• Segmenting audiences: Videos can be focused on a specific sector (e.g., Life Sciences CDMO challenges), ensuring your message reaches the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

2. Consideration stage: Podcasts for qualification

Podcasts and in-depth video interviews move prospects from curiosity to genuine interest. Podcasts are the ultimate conversion tools that convert interest into a concrete, measurable opportunity.

• Value proof: Contract manufacturers win on operational excellence. Podcasts offer a way to demonstrate your value and strategic differentiation while eliminating the perceived barrier of "do they really understand our niche?".
• Sales enablement asset: These record conversations become powerful sales collateral that the sales team can use to answer technical objections and accelerate the buying committee’s consensus. This is a tangible way for marketing to directly improve the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Revenue Velocity.

3. Decision stage: Webinars for conversion

At the decision stage, the buyer has shortlisted options and needs to de-risk their choice. Live webinars are critical for qualification because the act of registration and attendance is a strong signal of commercial intent.

• Data-rich registration: The required registration form is a vital point for gathering essential demographic and intent data that feeds directly into your Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) definition (e.g., job title, company size, specific pain points).
• Interactive qualification: Q&A sessions, polls, and chat functions allow the sales and marketing teams to agitate the prospect’s problem , address specific complex questions, and identify those ready to move to the Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) stage.

Transcription and repurposing: From one asset to a content engine

The real magic of spoken content lies in its repurposing power. A single 60-minute webinar is not just a one-time event; it's the "Motherlode"—a rich source material that can fuel your content strategy for months.

Smart repurposing allows you to increase your content reach by up to 75% while reducing production costs to just 10–25% of creating new content from scratch. For time-poor marketing managers, this content multiplication strategy is essential for maximising ROI with limited resources.

The repurposing process

AI-powered transcription: Use modern AI tools to convert the full audio/video recording into text. Tools like Otter.ai or Rev provide accurate transcripts that form the foundation for all other content. This step drastically reduces the manual work needed to extract content.

Segmentation and mapping: Review the transcript to identify key segments: quotable insights, compelling statistics, visual demonstrations, and actionable frameworks. Map these segments to your buyer's journey:

• Awareness stage: General industry insights and trends.
• Consideration stage: Solution frameworks, pros and cons, comparison data.
• Decision stage: Customer testimonials, ROI calculations, and business cases.

Content multiplication: Turn those segments into platform-specific assets, such as blog posts targeting SEO keywords, social snippets with video highlights for LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts, and other platforms, lead magnets like a downloadable eBook, gated behind a form, and sales enablement collateral for the sales team.

Spoken content examples

The customer case study testimonial

The branded capabilities overview

The SME interview

Conclusion

Contract manufacturers are built on control, precision, and demonstrable results. Your inbound strategy must reflect that.

By embracing spoken content—such as interviews, webinars, and live demos—you can tap into high-value audiences and turn a single event into an engineered content pipeline. This approach builds trust, qualifies leads, and provides provable ROI data to justify marketing investment and position marketing as a strategic driver of growth.

Ready to build a content system you can prove?

Editor's note: This blog was first written in January 2019 and has been updated in December 2025 for relevance and accuracy.