Fatima Zaidi ON: The Future of Audio and Why Podcasting is a Content Medium You Can't Ignore

The Picture of Wealth

In this episode, Dustin interviews Fatima Zaidi, founder and CEO of Quill Inc and CoHost. Fatima shares her insights on podcasting and business, discussing topics such as monetization, audience growth, and the value of branded podcasts. She emphasizes the importance of analytics and engagement metrics for monetizing a podcast and attracting sponsors or advertisers. Fatima also notes that podcasting is about reaching a niche, specific, and highly engaged audience. The conversation also touches on the evolution of podcast content and the importance of staying focused on the original brand and audience. Fatima Zaidi is the Founder and CEO at Quill Inc., an award-winning production agency specializing in corporate audio, and CoHost, a podcast growth and analytics tool. As a member of the National Speakers Bureau, Fatima has spoken at various events around the world on media and tech trends leading her to keynote on world stages alongside speakers like Gary Vaynerchuk. In addition to being a commentator for BNN Bloomberg on the challenges that female and BIPOC founders face in entrepreneurship, she is a frequent contributor to publications including The Globe and Mail, and Huffington Post, and has also been featured in publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur. Over the past few years she has won two Top 30 under 30 awards, the Young Professional of the Year by Notable Life, Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Future Award, The Women in Content Marketing Award, and one of Flare Magazine’s Top 100 Women. What we discuss: [00:00:00] Fatima explains why it's crucial to set up analytics from day one and utilize data for monetization efforts. [00:03:16] Fatima says podcasting is a unique content medium that offers great potential for engagement. [00:07:07] Fatima shares not every business needs a podcast. It depends on the target audience. However, if done properly, a podcast can do wonders for brand awareness and the bottom line. [00:09:09] Fatima explains how engagement metrics are crucial in measuring the success of a podcast. [00:10:00] The two talk about how podcasting offers unique opportunities to reach a specific, engaged audience, rather than a mass audience through digital marketing [00:16:21] Fatima explains niche content is essential for the success of a podcast. It's important to focus on the ideal listener profile and create content that resonates with them. [00:18:09] Fatima explains that successful founders share common traits, including their ability to embrace rejection and discomfort, and their resilience and grit [00:19:09] Fatima shares how Work-life balance is essential for success. [00:27:25] Fatima explains there are different ways to monetize a podcast, including finding an exclusive sponsor, bundling advertising slots, and utilizing analytics to show demographic data. [00:30:05] Fatima shares the top three metrics for podcasters to track are average consumption rate, demographic data, and B2B analytics. [00:33:42] Fatima: recommends several podcasts with unique formats, including "The History of the Nineties," "Missing Crypto Queen," "10% Happier," and "Akimbo." Episode Resources: Fatima Zaidi | Twitter Fatima Zaidi | Instagram Fatima Zaidi | Linkedin Fatima Zaidi | CoHost Fatima Zaidi | Quill Inc.