Our podcast downloads have plateaued

When we launched The Proof Point back in January, the goal was simple to pinpoint, hard to achieve.

I wanted to create a podcast that would fuel our content engine, increase awareness within our ICP, and build trust in UserEvidence.

I knew firsthand how powerful a podcast could be at doing just that after recording 64 episodes of Demand Gen U (iykyk). Honestly, it would’ve been easy to copy, paste, and run with that same playbook when I changed roles.

But it probably wouldn’t have been as effective.

Why? Because with most saturated content mediums, standing out as a podcast is hard. Standing out as a B2B podcast is even harder.

Here’s how we approached the challenge.

Launching The Proof Point

When I was first thinking about The Proof Point, I drew inspiration from two shows that have NOTHING to do with B2B marketing:

• New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce (and yes, I listened to this before the Swifties put them on the map)

• The Shop: Uninterrupted with LeBron James

What makes New Heights stand out isn’t their humor or football IQ. It’s their chemistry. You’re not just watching two pros talk shop. You’re in on the inside jokes, the sibling rivalry, and the behind-the-scenes moments that make it all feel real. It’s the kind of podcast that keeps you coming back for both the laughs and the lessons.

The Shop redefined the interview format with its barbershop setting, bringing together voices from completely different backgrounds. The mix of perspectives (honest, raw, and zero filter) is what made it work so well. Every conversation felt authentic with experts from all walks of life.

With The Proof Point, I wanted to combine the best of both concepts: go deep on a single topic in every episode while bringing in unfiltered perspectives to keep it real.

If we’d had Series B budget, I would’ve loved to record the show in person (because let’s be honest, humor and flow don’t always land the same over Zoom). But some compromises had to be made.

What we didn’t compromise on? Choosing topics that our three key personas (marketing leaders, product marketers, and customer marketers) actually care about.

Or booking big names from outside our small customer marketing bubble to boost awareness around UserEvidence.

And, of course, I made sure to work with people way smarter than me on production and branding (shoutout Share Your Genius and Algert.co).

What’s worked so far

1. Clear focus: Each episode goes deep on one topic, giving us the space to explore it from multiple angles. This focus has kept the conversations engaging while reinforcing our positioning.

2. The guests: Bringing in a roundtable of trusted voices from outside the customer marketing space has helped us expand awareness and spark conversations that feel relatable. Plus, it’s been a great way to build relationships for cross-promotion and future collaborations.

3. Consistency: Sticking to a bi-weekly schedule has kept us on track, even with a small team and limited resources. You need that steady baseline of material to see what’s working (or not) and figure out when it’s time to pivot.

What we’re tweaking

No surprise here: we’re not perfect, and there’s plenty we want to improve. Especially now that our downloads have started to plateau.

According to our production team, this is pretty common after the initial buzz of a show launch, but it’s still something we’re keeping a close eye on.

Some highlighted metrics from our production team at Share Your Genius.

A few big improvements worth calling out:

• Distribution: We’re sitting on a content goldmine. Right now, we promote episodes once or twice, and then… crickets. Jillian helped me see just how much we can do with what we already have. Repurposing, re-editing, and amplifying episodes will be a major focus moving forward.

• Creative format:  From how episodes appear in someone’s LinkedIn feed to the design of short-form clips, there’s a ton of room to improve the visuals and edits. Next season, expect more polished and engaging formats to catch your eye.

• Production capacity: We had big dreams of adding a second show, but the reality? Running one podcast is already a lot. For now, the focus is on making The Proof Point even better.

The plan for season two

Here’s what’s ahead as we take a pause to reflect, reset, and reboot:

• Strategic review: Jillian and I are looking hard at what’s working, what’s not, and where the show can evolve. And by “review,” I mean we’re recording a retrospective episode on season one… for the podcast itself. Meta, I know. Got questions you want us to answer? Drop a comment on my LinkedIn post here.

• Less is more: The roundtable format with three guests per episode was fun and unique. Different from anything else in B2B. But the logistics were a LOT and the engagement didn’t justify the effort. So for season two, we’re giving ourselves flexibility. Anywhere from 1-3 guests per episode, based on what makes sense for the topic.

• Doubling down on the proof: Season one leaned a bit more into “hot takes” than proof points. It made for great conversations, but this time we’re shifting gears. We'll be asking guests to literally bring the proof to each episode with actual results and data from plays they've run and even sharing some original research their teams have conducted.

If there’s one lesson from all this, it’s that making a podcast shouldn’t be another form of checkbox marketing (we’ll see if Brendan Hufford actually reads Evidently).

You have to give the tactic a real chance to succeed. Build fast, iterate faster. When something doesn’t land, dig into the “why” before calling it quits.

Launch, refine, and make the most of what you’ve already created.

We’re still figuring out the roadmap 19 episodes in. But one thing is for sure: we’re 100% just getting started.

Stuff I’m digging this week

• Klueless: A Competitive Deal Story—if you’ve been reading Evidently for a bit, I wrote about Klue’s original film when their marketing team announced it. I saw the premiere IRL at Klue’s Compete Week event in Vancouver last month. It’s the funniest (and most original) piece of B2B content I’ve ever seen.

• UserEvidence’s Demo Ranch—we unveiled our new Demo Ranch last week. The OG title (interactive demo center) was very boring. After Eric Holland put me on blast at Navattic’s user event, we rebranded this page in 132 minutes. We wanted it to feel more like us and lean into our Jackson, Wyoming roots.

• Emily Kramer’s MKT1 Newsletter—a B2B marketing newsletter promoting another B2B marketing newsletter. How fitting. Emily’s one of the few voices in our space I actually trust. Her insights always seem to land in my inbox at the exact right moment. And she’s genuinely hilarious.

Opinions are cheap. Proof is gold.

In the latest episode of The Proof Point, filmed live at the Exit Five event, Bitly’s CMO Tara Robertson shares how customer evidence is at the heart of Bitly’s brand evolution—from a link shortener to a full connections platform.

My biggest takeaways:

• Real customer evidence builds trust. Tara emphasizes that customer stories should be authentic and relatable, focusing on real outcomes rather than polished case studies.

• At Bitly, they prioritize KPIs like product adoption and retention—metrics that show genuine customer value instead of just looking impressive.

• From SMBs to enterprises, Bitly customizes its customer stories to speak directly to each audience’s unique needs and challenges. They tailor evidence to their different audiences.

Listen on Spotify or Apple, or head over to YouTube.

UserEvidence, who?

UserEvidence creates customer evidence content for go-to-market teams, generating verified competitive intelligence, product stats, and ROI data.

Happy customers help you credibly prove the value of your product.