Content Is Profit – HubSpot Lead in Media Partnerships Insider Strategies: How Businesses Can Win In Content Before The End Of The Year

Podcast: Content Is Profit
Hosts: BIZBROS (Fernando & Luis)
Guest: Carly Baker (HubSpot Originals)
Date: December 2, 2025

Overview

In this episode, the BIZBROS welcome Carly Baker, formerly a liaison for the HubSpot Podcast Network and now in charge of listener acquisition and audience growth for HubSpot Originals. The conversation dissects modern strategies for content growth, brand media arms, partnership dynamics, and predictive trends for content creators and businesses moving into 2024. Carly offers both tactical advice and broad strategic vision for winning with content and building audiences, pulling from HubSpot’s own experimental approach.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Every Company Needs a Media Arm

• It’s no longer enough for companies to sell a product or service — establishing a media presence is essential.
• Key Insight: Businesses must control their message and become "media companies" in their own right, regardless of size; it's about building authority and connecting with customers beyond the product.
• Carly's Take:

  “One of the most amazing parts of having sort of that media arm is ... you’re positioning the value of your goods or services in a unique way to the market that you wouldn’t have a chance to posit in any other way.” (04:53)
  “It’s really important as search becomes more complicated in the land of AI and Google changes … to have that media arm to expand and have authority.” (06:02)

2. The Rise of Edutainment

• Traditional branded content and basic guest interviews no longer suffice for business podcasts.
• Definition: Edutainment—the fusion of education and entertainment—emerges as the sweet spot for audience growth and engagement.
• Carly on Edutainment:

  “The word of the year for creators … is definitely like, edutainment … educational content that’s very entertaining.” (10:14)
  “It’s not enough just to have someone on to share their story and that’s it … There’s so much of that content. Folks that are having great success are really leaning more into that edutainment sphere and going full steam ahead.” (10:55)

3. Earned Media & True Partnerships (Not Just Guests!)

• Move away from merely inviting guests — treat appearances as mutual partnerships with clear value exchange.
• Set expectations for promotion, asset sharing, and collaborative amplification to maximize episode reach.
• Carly's Process:

  “One of the strongest pillars … is figuring out how to facilitate more one-on-one partnerships with people that come on our shows.” (12:22)
  "It’s not enough just to have Seth Godin on your show when Seth Godin has been on a thousand other shows. ... It's more of a holistic partnership ... there's value at an equal value exchange from the guest to the show." (12:59–13:46)

• Key Tactics:
  • Provide guests with ready-to-post assets and copy.
  • Discuss expectations for promotional collaboration before recording.
  • Pursue feed drops, guest swaps, co-branded social pushes, and coordinated live events as low-friction collaboration methods.
  • Make it as easy as possible for guests to share—the friction is often what prevents guest promotion.

4. Platform & Content Trends for 2024

• Shift to Shows/Series Format: Higher entertainment value content and series, not just one-off posts or podcasts.

• Partnership Expansion: Companies are seeking to “recruit” creators or establish Chief Creator Officers; partnerships are deepening.

• Multi-Format & Cross-Channel Approach:

  • YouTube strategies and video podcasts are priorities (HubSpot is bullish on YouTube).
  • Not every show needs every channel—focus where your audience actually is.

  “At HubSpot, we spend a lot of time experimenting and doing trials and A/B testing... having a cross-channel marketing strategy is really important. Cross channel doesn’t necessarily mean all channels.” (27:27, 30:37)

5. Consistency, Capacity, and Avoiding Burnout

• Quality and consistency beat overambitious schedules.

  • Be realistic about your resources, energy, and goals.
  • Burnout is common—keep ambitions in check and double down where you have capacity.
  • Carly and the hosts both emphasize systemizing your approach for reliable publishing.

  “Be honest with yourself: what are my goals? What do I have time, resources, and energy for? Prioritize those … It's more important to be consistent than to be everywhere or everything at once.” (27:27)

• Hosts’ Pro Tip:

  • Use tools like their “Publishing Pyramid” to assess and maintain sustainable publishing cadence.

6. Growth Tactics: Practical Steps for Collaboration

• The BIZBROS List of Actionables:
  • Feed drops (sharing episodes in each other’s podcast feeds)
  • Producing and sharing trailers or clips
  • Coordinated social sharing (with agreement on timing up front)
  • Writing LinkedIn or social posts for guests to reuse
  • Email campaign mentions
  • Guest cross-promotion in your or their newsletter
  • Shoutouts/callouts in subsequent podcast episodes
  • Live, co-hosted or collaborative content
• Low-barrier collaborations: "Drop an episode in their feed," "produce and share a trailer," email shoutouts, etc. (22:31–26:12)

7. Carly’s Predictions for 2024

• LinkedIn will explode as a B2B influencer marketing platform

  “This is gonna be the year of B2B influencer marketing on LinkedIn … brands really wanting to do sponsored content there.” (32:51)

• Explosion of niche and specialized creators

  “I really think it’s like the new age of specialized and niche creators ... there's such an explosive growth in podcast listeners ...you can still become extremely successful because those niches just have so many people.” (32:51–33:40)
  “The age of thinking of creators only as the biggest people at the top of the pyramid is really over.” (34:53)

• Generalists fade; the edge goes to those with a clear, narrow angle and dedicated tribe.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s not enough just to have Seth Godin on your show when Seth Godin has been on a thousand other shows.” —Carly (12:59)
• “Give them what they want, sell them what they need.” —BIZBROS (06:41)
• “Edutainment ... is getting the most traction and having the most growth.” —Carly (10:14)
• “Expectations are uncommunicated commitments.” —BIZBROS (22:31)
• “Would I even want to have that person on if they don’t even want to share this amazing interview … is that even a valuable person or someone that you would want to have on?” —Carly (18:57)
• “The age of thinking of creators only as the biggest people at the top of the pyramid is really over.” —Carly (34:53)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Guest Intro & HubSpot Originals Overview: 01:55–03:04
• Why Media Arms Matter for Companies: 04:53–06:32
• Edutainment, Not Just Interviews: 10:14–11:42
• Earned Media & Partnership Strategies: 12:16–14:00
• Practical Collaboration Tactics: 22:31–26:12
• Consistency & Avoiding Burnout: 27:27–32:24
• Predictions for 2024 (LinkedIn B2B and Niche Creators): 32:51–34:53

Tone & Style

Upbeat, practical, collaborative, and open—both Carly and the hosts inject humor ("business crack," roast each other, and joke about taking notes), while also focusing tightly on actionable, real-world advice for creators and businesses.

Summary Takeaways

• Every business needs a media strategy—what that looks like depends on your size and audience, but not having one is no longer an option.
• Edutainment is king—blending education with entertainment brings the best growth in audio/video/podcast content.
• Guest appearances should be partnerships—set mutual expectations, prepare assets, and make collaboration frictionless.
• Experiment and focus on channels that matter—spread yourself only as wide as your resources allow.
• Lean into your uniqueness and niche—the future is not generalist, but deep, passionate, and specific.
• Be realistic about what you can deliver—consistency matters more than sheer volume.
• LinkedIn and niche podcasts are THE places to watch for business growth in 2024.

For actionable lists and tactical breakdowns mentioned, DM the BIZBROS for resources like their “Publishing Pyramid” or partnership playbooks.