How This Leading Agency Perfected Podcast Marketing at Scale

Building an agency is rarely a straight path. For Rob Johnson, CEO of Wayne Media, the defining moment came in 2020 when he took a six-figure gamble that could have ended his business before it ever scaled.

Wayne Media had grown steadily since its founding in 2018. Still, Rob knew that to take the agency to the next level, he needed a dedicated production space—one that would allow him to streamline podcasting, video content, and marketing services for his clients. The investment? Nearly $100,000.

At the time, a large client had committed to an upfront annual payment of $60,000, a major financial boost that would fund part of the expansion. Confident in the decision, Rob greenlit the build-out of a full-scale studio in downtown Brighton, Michigan. But then, disaster struck.

The client backed out at the last minute.

With the lease signed, renovations in motion, and no fallback plan, Rob and his wife faced a terrifying decision: Cut their losses or go all-in on Wayne Media.

They chose to bet everything on the agency.

“We put everything we had into the business and trusted that we’d make it work,” Rob recalls. “It was terrifying, but we knew we had something special.”

What followed was a period of relentless hustle. The agency leaned into its web development and digital marketing expertise to land new clients and stay afloat. Meanwhile, Rob doubled down on podcasting as a core service, recognizing the untapped potential for Wayne Media and its clients.

Fast forward to today, and that risky decision has paid off. Wayne Media now serves 50–75 active clients at any given time, employs 20 people, and has a dedicated podcast production arm, the Speakeasy Network.

This moment—where failure seemed imminent—set the foundation for how Wayne Media scaled podcast marketing into a repeatable, high-impact service.

Shaping Wayne Media’s Core Services

Wayne Media didn’t start as a full-service agency. It started with Rob Johnson working on his own marketing projects—building websites, running social media ads, and experimenting with different business models. In 2018, he was still in a corporate job, having recently finished his MBA and searching for something that felt like the right fit.

It didn’t take long for people to notice what he was doing. By 2019, Rob made Wayne Media his full-time gig.

At our core, Wayne Media is a consulting and marketing agency that focuses on small to mid-level businesses, giving them strategic guidance in all areas of marketing. And then also a little bit on the consulting end, fractionally with the house sales and operations and just business growth and development fitting into a company's overall marketing plan. And that's really important to us. We’re consultants first and marketers second.

Rob Johnson, Founder & CEO, Wayne Media

As the agency grew, Rob started to define the five key areas where businesses needed the most support—the result of years of hands-on work—and figured out what businesses actually needed to succeed:

• Creative and Social Media

• Web Development

• Commercial Videography and Photography

• Podcast Production and Distribution

• Business Consulting

Let’s take a closer look at Wayne Media’s approach to each of these verticals and how the agency settled on their unique strategy.

Creative and Social Media: The First Step in Getting Noticed

Early on, Wayne Media spent a lot of time running social media campaigns and building ad strategies, helping businesses tell their story in a way that connected with people.

Every campaign had to serve a larger purpose—driving leads, improving brand recognition, or helping a business break into a new market. That foundation set the tone for how Wayne Media would approach marketing across all its services.

Web Development: The Pivot That Kept Wayne Media Alive

When that large client contract dropped out at the last minute in 2020, leaving a massive financial gap just as Rob had invested nearly $100,000 into Wayne Media, the agency had to pivot—fast.

We made a really hard shift into website development. And that's really what saved us. We were already building websites, but not at that volume. Thankfully, that just happened to align at the right time where the pandemic hit and everyone was making a rush to better their web presence. We were gladly there to help them. We did almost 100 websites in a 12-month calendar.

Rob Johnson, Founder & CEO, Wayne Media

What started as a lifeline has become one of Wayne Media’s core services. Custom websites and landing pages are now a key part of helping clients convert leads and establish a strong online presence.

Commercial Videography: Bringing Brands to Life

Video became a natural extension of Wayne Media’s work. As clients built their online presence, they needed high-quality video marketing content for social media, commercials, or branding.

On top of its two offices in Brighton, Wayne Media also runs a video production studio in Howell, Michigan. From quick-turn social content to full-scale commercial shoots, video content has become a standard business expectation. The studio allows Wayne Media to handle production efficiently in-house.

Podcast Production and Distribution: The Service That Set Wayne Media Apart

Podcasting was baked into the agency’s DNA from Day One. Rob had been an early adopter, launching his first podcast in 2013, and saw its potential as a tool for brand building, content repurposing, and lead generation.

What a lot of businesses are missing is being their own media company and having their own podcast. So podcasting definitely needs to be a part of the agency. Clients need to be able to do their own podcast, and we need to be able to use that for social content and ads.

Rob Johnson, Founder & CEO, Wayne Media

That insight led to the creation of the Speakeasy Network, Wayne Media’s podcast division. The studio setup, the editing workflow, and the distribution process were all designed to make it easy for businesses to launch and scale their own podcasts.

Business Consulting: The Piece That Ties It All Together

From the start, consulting was the foundation of everything.

Some clients hire Wayne Media for specific services, while others rely on the agency to handle their entire marketing operation. In some cases, Wayne Media’s team takes on a fractional C-suite role, providing guidance on marketing and operations strategy.

Launched in late 2024, Wayne Media’s Enterprise Division formalized this approach, bringing senior leadership into direct partnerships with businesses to oversee their full marketing strategy.

However, while most fractional consultants usually work independently, meaning agencies still have to find, vet, and manage vendors for execution, Wayne Media does it differently. Consultancy is backed by a full-service agency that knows creative, videography, web development, advertising, and strategy inside and out.

Basically, we work with companies that do everything that we offer from an agency perspective and a member of our senior leadership team sits on their C-suite for monthly or bi-weekly meetings to make sure they have a pulse of what's going on. There's a waiting list for those services right now. That's exciting—companies want this.

Rob Johnson, Founder & CEO, Wayne Media

Wayne Media at work (from left): CEO Rob Johnson and COO Julia Piehler.

Building a Comprehensive Approach to Podcast Marketing

Podcasting has exploded in popularity over the last decade but remains an underutilized channel for many agencies. For some, it’s an occasional experiment—an extra content piece without a clear strategy. Wayne Media sees it differently.

For Wayne Media, podcasting is a core component of a larger marketing ecosystem. It’s a tool for building authority, creating high-quality content, and driving real business results for clients.

Instead of just helping clients record and publish episodes, Wayne Media ensures each podcast serves a larger goal:

• Aligning Podcast Content With Business Growth: Every episode needs a purpose, whether it’s attracting leads, establishing thought leadership, or deepening customer relationships.

• Integrating Podcasts Into a Multi-Channel Strategy: A podcast doesn’t live in isolation. It should feed into social media, SEO, blog content, and ad campaigns.

• Repurposing Content at Scale: One podcast episode can become dozens of content assets, from LinkedIn clips to Instagram Reels.

• Using Podcasts for Networking and Partnerships: Inviting industry leaders onto a podcast builds connections and opens doors to new opportunities.

For Rob and his team, podcasts are business assets, and agencies that treat them as such will leverage them for brand growth, client retention, and new revenue streams.

Finding the Right Niche for a Podcast

Podcasting works best when it’s built on expertise and authenticity. For agencies, that means choosing a niche where they’ll provide real value—something Wayne Media has perfected.

Rob has seen firsthand what happens when businesses launch podcasts without a clear direction. Many fade out after 15 episodes because they lack a strong focus.

If I was doing a podcast on a topic I didn't care about, it would be very transparent. You would know I don't care.

Rob Johnson, Founder & CEO, Wayne Media

Wayne Media’s podcast clients start by answering two questions:

1. What topics do you know well enough to talk about for years?

2. Who is the audience that will find this content valuable?

Every show has a defined goal and target listener, whether a law firm wanting to establish industry credibility or a software consultant educating potential customers.

Avoiding the Saturation Trap

With over 2 million podcasts launched since 2020, standing out takes more than merely hitting that red “record” button. 

Wayne Media doesn’t let clients dive into podcasting without a clear plan. Before recording a single episode, the agency works through a structured pre-production process to ensure the podcast has a strong foundation:

1. Realistic Audience Size: Not every podcast needs thousands of listeners to be successful. A local law firm’s podcast might only reach 500 listeners, but it's still successful if those are high-value potential customers.

2. Content Approach: Every podcast needs a strategy. Will it focus on educational content, expert interviews, case studies, or industry news?

3. Differentiation Strategy: A podcast only works if it stands out. A generic "marketing podcast" won’t succeed, but a "performance marketing breakdown for ecommerce brands" has a clear audience.

By setting these foundations first, Wayne Media ensures every podcast serves a clear purpose rather than being an unfocused content experiment.

Drawing an Operational Blueprint for Podcast Marketing at Scale

Wayne Media’s podcast division didn’t happen by accident. It took trial and error and major investments to develop a production system that delivers high-quality content at scale.

Rob Johnson remembers the early days of podcasting when turnaround times were slow, editing was tedious, and processes were inconsistent. Clients loved the podcasting service, but scaling was nearly impossible without a system in place.

The solution? A studio built for efficiency, a refined tech stack, and a streamlined production workflow.

Wayne Media’s Speakeasy Network studio in downtown Brighton, MI, is a 1920s-themed hub for podcast production. (Credit: Speakeasy Network/Wayne Media)

From Chaos to a Well-Oiled Machine

Wayne Media’s Speakeasy studio in downtown Brighton is a fully equipped, high-end production space that serves as a community hub for locals and businesses. The entire studio was designed and modeled after a 1920s Speakeasy. Rob’s wife, Beth, designed and curated the studio. She’s been a major contributor to every studio built within the agency.

The 4K video studio was built from the ground up to eliminate the biggest bottlenecks in podcast production:

• Live-switching video setup cuts down post-production time by making real-time edits during recording.

• Professional-grade audio and video equipment ensures a polished, high-end final product.

• Structured workflows keep every episode on schedule—from recording to publishing.

Clients don't have to wait two to three weeks to cut a podcast or to get the results. We have a three-day turnaround—from full editing to posting and distribution on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. 

What we tried to do is provide efficient services that are very high-quality. It's really deep—it's not just an iPhone on a tripod.

Rob Johnson, Founder & CEO, Wayne Media

A three-day turnaround speed is possible because of clear systems and dedicated personnel. Every podcast follows a structured process:

• Pre-Production: Planning topics, scripting, and coordinating guests.

• Recording: High-quality video and audio capture with real-time editing.

• Post-Production: Fine-tuning audio, adding branding elements, and creating repurposed content.

• Publishing and Distribution: Syndication across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and social media.

• Performance Tracking: Analytics dashboards to measure engagement and business impact.

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Adopting the Right Tech Stack To Scale Podcast Production

Scaling podcast production takes a system built for speed, quality, and consistency. Wayne Media designed its Speakeasy setup to handle high-volume production without sacrificing creativity or efficiency.

“We spent a lot of time and money figuring out how to do this the right way,” Rob says.

That meant testing countless tools, refining workflows, and upgrading equipment until everything worked seamlessly. Today, Wayne Media’s tech stack delivers studio-quality podcasts with a smooth, repeatable process:

Measuring What Matters: Podcast Analytics That Prove ROI

A podcast isn’t valuable unless it drives tangible results. Wayne Media doesn’t focus on vanity metrics like total downloads—they look at real impact:

• Audience Growth and Engagement: Are the right people listening, subscribing, and sharing?

• SEO and Website Traffic: Is the podcast driving new visitors to the client’s site?

• Lead Generation and Business Impact: Are listeners turning into customers or strategic partners?

To measure the true impact of a podcast marketing campaign for a client, Wayne Media’s reporting process centralizes data from multiple platforms for a complete performance overview. 

Rob’s team pulls YouTube performance data directly into AgencyAnalytics and includes Podbean’s metrics (which track Apple and Spotify) using Google Sheets to ensure seamless client reporting.

Social media analytics are also captured directly in AgencyAnalytics to build a report that gives clients a comprehensive view of each podcast campaign’s success.

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What Is the Future of Podcasting? Trends to Watch in 2025 and Beyond

Podcasting has evolved. It’s no longer just about audio-first content—it’s about creating a full multimedia experience that engages audiences across multiple platforms.

Rob has seen these shifts firsthand. When he started podcasting in 2013, the industry looked completely different. Back then, most podcasts were pure audio, with niche audiences and slow adoption. 

But over the past decade, and especially since 2020, podcasting has exploded. The game has changed, and Wayne Media is adapting to what comes next.

The Rise of Long-Form Content

Experts once predicted that short-form content would take over. While that’s true when it comes to social video trends, Rob says that hasn’t happened with podcasts. In fact, longer conversations are more popular than ever.

The reason? Audiences are tired of surface-level content. They want depth, real discussions, and content that informs and entertains rather than just grabbing attention for a few seconds.

Podcasts that are two or three hours long are thriving. Long-form conversations are what people want. They might not finish in one sitting, but they keep coming back.

Rob Johnson, Founder & CEO, Wayne Media

Wayne Media helps its clients lean into substance over soundbites. Some podcasts work well in 30-minute formats, while others thrive with longer, more in-depth discussions. The key is knowing what the audience expects and delivering content that keeps them engaged.

Video-First Podcasting Is Now the Standard

In the past, launching a podcast meant publishing to Apple, Spotify, and other audio platforms via RSS. Nowadays, that’s not enough.

That’s why Wayne Media’s Brighton studio was designed for audio and video production. Instead of treating video as an afterthought, every podcast is recorded in 4K video with professional lighting, high-end cameras, and live-switching production.

The impact? Clients get more than a podcast—they get a full-scale content engine. The same episode can be repurposed into:

• Full-length YouTube content

• Short-form social media clips (Instagram Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn videos)

• Blog content, transcriptions, and show notes

• Traditional podcast syndication

Wayne Media sees higher engagement, greater reach, and stronger customer retention when clients embrace video-first podcasting. The more ways an audience is able to engage, the more powerful the brand presence becomes.

What’s Next? Agencies as Media Companies

The next big shift is about how agencies position themselves. More than ever, businesses are moving away from relying on traditional media and becoming media companies.

Wayne Media is helping them become the go-to voice in their industry.

In a world where many people want to be the next Joe Rogan, micro-influencers from a corporate level can have a tremendous impact beyond the listener count.

Rob Johnson, Founder & CEO, Wayne Media

What Agencies Can Learn From Wayne Media’s Podcast Marketing Strategy

Wayne Media built a repeatable, scalable system that turns podcasts into real business assets. For clients, that means using podcast marketing strategies to generate leads, build authority, and create lasting connections.

What started as an extension of the agency’s marketing services has become a core element of its growth strategy. By refining its process, investing in the right technology, and integrating podcasting into a broader marketing plan, Wayne Media has proven that podcasts do far more than fill a content calendar—they drive real business outcomes.

For agencies looking to scale podcast marketing, a few key lessons stand out:

• Video Is No Longer Optional: Podcasts with a visual component perform better across platforms like YouTube and social media. Businesses that embrace video-first podcasting will have an advantage in audience engagement and brand reach.

• Long-Form Content Builds Trust: While short clips and social snippets help with visibility, deeper conversations create real connections. The most successful podcasts go beyond surface-level discussions to provide insight, expertise, and value.

• Podcasts Are Business Tools, Not Just Content: The most effective client podcasts support their sales efforts, strengthen their brand positioning, and open doors to new opportunities through industry networking, strategic partnerships, or audience-driven lead generation.

Agencies that treat podcasting as more than another content channel will see the greatest results. With the right systems, tools, and strategic approach, podcasting will become a lasting growth engine for any agency willing to invest.