Typically, you will see blog post or article titles that read something like “Top 10 Financial Podcasts” or the like. This is a bit of a different approach in that, we thought you could learn from not only the great stuff others are doing but also from the not so great stuff they are doing.
The process we followed was to search Google for titles like the ones above and get a list of popular, at least from a search engine perspective, financial podcasts. From there, we looked at a few dozen and came up with a somewhat subjective list of what works well and what fails miserably. We’ve purposefully left out clients we’ve worked with or helped as we knew that would throw some bias in the mix. We have referenced a few at the bottom as a listing only in case you are interested.
This is by no means an all inclusive list so there is no need to write in and ask “what about xxx”. It’s just a mashup of financial podcast channels we thought you could learn from. We’ve decided to list them (and rate them on a scale of 1 to 10) from the highest to the lowest. They aren’t rated on any kind of objective scoring matrix. They are simply rated based on general observations. We’ve added some commentary to the earlier ones to help explain the thinking process.
Whether you are currently podcasting or just considering it, there will be information here to help you rise to the top.
1 – The Truth About Money with Ric Edelman (10/10)
http://www.edelmanfinancial.com/radio
Pros:
- Nice personal design showing personality
- Easy navigation (including highlights to salient clips – really like that)
- Nice intro (once the compliance-heavy content is over – probably should have been a .5 deduction for that but unfortunately it’s likely unavoidable for Ric)
- Simple and non-intrusive social sharing options
- Good value (if this were a weighted average… providing value would be worth a significant portion of the score)
- Very personable
- High-end production
Con:
- Episodes may be a little long (this may be a personal bias but, keeping the episodes to 30 – 45 minutes would be a preference – no points deducted here as that is a simple personal preference. Although, there is some inconclusive evidence that the “sweet spot” on time is the 30 – 45 minute range)
2 – Freakonomics Radio. (9/10)
http://freakonomics.com/archive/
Pros:
- Easy to navigate
- Nice short intros
- Good length
- Nice imagery
- Good interesting conversation
- Great value for investors
Con:
- The topic / headline don’t seem to match the podcast. Makes you wonder if you are in the right place. If it wasn’t for that, this Podcast channel may have gotten a 10. The titles feel a bit like bait and switch.
3 – The Motley Fool (9/10)
https://www.fool.com/podcasts/motley-fool-money
Pros:
- Prominent but not “in your face” sign-up request
- Easy to navigate
- Good episode lengths
- Nice intro with music
- Good value
- Interesting guest interviews
- Easy but non intrusive social media sharing options.
Con:
- Ad Choice ads are a little too prominent (and distracting thus detracting from the value).
4 – Dave Ramsay Show (9/10)
https://www.daveramsey.com/show/home/
Pros:
- Posts very often 3 shows per day.
- Very topical to financial services (Value)
- Good conversational tone with guests
Cons:
- Intro too long.. 22 seconds before any voice.
- Episodes could be shorter.
5 – The Disciplined Investor. (8/10)
http://thedisciplinedinvestor.com/blog/podcast-summary/
Pros:
- Nice podcast graphic
- Consistent with weekly shows
- Good voice and music intro.
- Topical to financial advice (thus good value for investors)
- Easy navigation – including search capability
Cons:
- A little long at about an hour each.
- Intrusive popup to register. (May be my personal bias but I find these distracting and a pain)
- Technical issues and could not get some episodes to play
6 – Bigger Pockets Podcast (8/10)
https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcast
Pros:
- Introduction shows personality
- Consistent timing (reliable source)
- Easy to sign-up
- Good “banter” between guests and hosts
- Great summary text.
- Fair graphics but could be cleaner or more relevant.
- Loved this Channel summary: Imagine you’re friends with hundreds of real estate investors and entrepreneurs. Now imagine you can grab a beer with each of them and casually chat about failures, successes, motivations, and lessons learned. That’s what we’re aiming for with The BiggerPockets Podcast.
Cons:
- Inconsistent intros. Some have nearly no intro but if you listen to episode 242, it’s well done there.
- When there is no intro other than the Podcast title the transition from the intro to the actual show is very abrupt. (needs better editing)
- Episodes are too long – they need to learn to be more succinct.
7 – Quick and Dirty Tips.com (7/10)
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl
Pros:
- Nice intro (short with music)
- Great production quality
- Good Narration
- Nice length at under 30 minutes each.
- Technically the podcasts are very well done. The Cons are enough to make me not want to go there though.
Cons:
- A little too promotional (both self-promotion and sponsors) at the beginning.
- Takes 2 – 3 minutes + to get to the content. Although the podcasts provide value, it feels like the real intent is to make sponsorship and advertising revenue instead.
- DIfficult navigation. (Once inside, there is a podcast play button on the top right but it took me a while to realize that since it’s in the Advertisement column)
- Ads detract from the site. (Way too many of them. It may create revenue but it erodes credibility)
8 – The Clark Howard Show (4/10)
Pros:
- Episodes are good length
- Good podcast intro (music and introduction)
- Consistent schedule (publishes very often)
- Very personable
Cons:
- Look and feel is old
- Hard to find in search engines (likely needs a more intuitive domain name like ClarkHowardShow.com. Clark.com was likely pretty expensive but the lack of clarity around where you are landing is confusing)
- Numerous ads on site detract from value/message
- Somewhat off the bigger financial advice topic therefore, questionable overall value
9 – Like a Mother with Emma Johnson (1/10)
https://www.wealthysinglemommy.com/category/radio-show/
Pro:
- Great design
Con:
- All podcast episodes are playing the same podcast. Likely a temporary issue at the time of this writing but unfortunately, it takes this podcast out of the running.
10 – Entrepreneur on fire (0/10)
Pros:
- Good intro (music and commentary)
- Good “technical” production
- Consistent
Cons:
- Good guest commentary but podcasts feel more like infomercials. Really not sure why anyone listens to these. Feels more like guerrilla marketing than providing value.
- Big-ass signup form that you have to “skip” to get to site. Again.. a personal bias that “IN YOUR FACE” is not the way to build rapport.
- Popup when you scroll down for Free Guide. Exit “x” is subtle and it almost forces you to promote on messenger. (Yikes. Hate this)
Some Podcasts Where We’ve Helped
Here are some of the financial advisor podcasts we’ve had a helping hand with, either through branding, design, or our Top Advisor Marketing podcasting service. They are worth a look (and listen) so you can make up your own opinion.
Beyond Conventional Podcast by Biond Financial http://biondfinancial.com/ (also did their website)
https://beyondconventional.podbean.com/
Your Optional Personal Economy Podcast by Bennett Financial https://bennettfg.com/ (also did their website)
http://yope.podbean.com/
The Money Guy Show by Brian Preston and Bo Hansen (consulting only)
http://www.moneyguy.com/
If you are interested in getting your message out there in a fun and easy way, and attracting more ideal clients in the process, take a look at our podcasting service at https://proudmouth.com/m-solutions/
