We reviewed 90+ social media marketing podcasts to find this year's top shows.
If you’re looking to learn about a specific topic, develop an informed opinion, and glean the knowledge necessary to level up your career in social media, podcasts are one of the best tools at your disposal.
There are over 4 million podcasts out there, so you probably turn to top charts or sift through pages and pages of search results to find your next binge-worthy pod. But it's hard to find one that truly clicks with you — the podcast you can't wait to throw on when a new episode drops.
Your search is finally over. We scoured Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, forums, social media, and other blog posts to compile a list of almost 100 recommended social media marketing and social media adjacent podcasts. Then we slashed the list, prioritizing the shows with high-quality educational content, top-tier hosts, immaculate production value, and a unique angle on marketing, social media, and internet culture. That leaves us with 16 social media marketing podcasts that are most worthy of your ears in 2024.
Here’s the criteria we used to evaluate the podcasts:
Aside from the shows that deal explicitly with social media strategy and tactics, there’s plenty to learn from news journalism, pop culture discussions, and interviews with industry pros. With this in mind, we separated the list into three major categories:
Without further ado, here is the list:
Like the TV shows we watch, the books we read, and the accounts we follow on our private, zero-follower socials, the podcasts we listen to are an intensely personal affair. We’ve done our best to include a variety of topics, perspectives, and formats in this list. Now it’s up to you to take your pick
If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re looking to learn more about a specific concept, trend, or strategy in social media. These podcasts are your best bet. They cover all the essential knowledge, and with frequent release schedules any one of them could become your next social media marketing mainstay.
Episode length: 15-30 minutes
Frequency: Weekly
From the experts who run Social Media Examiner, this podcast breaks down the biggest news, feature releases, app updates, and changes across social media platforms. A marketing expert will walk you through critical changes happening on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube and discuss how they apply to your social strategy. If you like the Talk Show you’ll probably dig the producers’ companion podcast, "The Social Media Marketing Podcast" — it’s a definitive resource for deep dives and primers on social media strategy.
What makes it special: Not a week goes by where a social platform doesn’t roll out a new feature. This podcast will keep you on top of the changes with a breezy, easy-to-follow format.
Recommended episode: Instagram Updates: Video Stickers, Campaign Marketplace, and More
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube
Episode length: 30-40 minutes
Frequency: Weekly
One of the internet’s longest running marketing podcasts and also one of the best. The "Social Pros Podcast" features no-fluff interviews with social media leaders and practitioners about running social at top brands like Zoom, Notion, and Reddit. There’s tons of implementable methodologies and trend analysis to take away.
What makes it special: On top of superb liner notes with helpful timestamps, you’ll get “The Big Two” from every guest: rapid-fire answers to the same two questions, including a career advice prompt that usually yields an insightful response.
Recommended episode: How Reddit broke the fourth wall and the internet
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: 40 minutes-1 hour
Frequency: 2x per month
This is your source for different angles on the creator economy. Guests range from social-forward brands like Duolingo, creator partnership powerhouses like LogiTech, top internet voices like Taylor Lorenz, and the biggest creators in the biz, like Natalie Marshall (aka Corporate Natalie).
What makes it special: Make it to the final third of any episode and you’ll be treated to COW and BOW: the hosts’ creator of the week and brand of the week. It’s a quick way to hear about the cool (or controversial) stuff that brands and social creators are making and doing.
Recommended episode: Duo’s Story: From Graphic Logo to Social Media Sensation
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: ~35 mins
Frequency: Weekly
Hosts Danielle Wiley and Lia Haberman are a knowledgeable duo that discuss the big picture of online influence while dissecting the micro-changes happening across social platforms. A weekly listen will help you understand the impact these day-to-day shifts have on your long-term social strategy.
What makes it special: The 2024 season is a special co-production between "The Art of Sway" and "ICYMI," an excellent Substack newsletter from Lia Haberman that discusses all things internet.
Recommended episode: Snapshots & Shopping: Navigating TikTok's New Era and Pinterest's Innovations
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: Interviews: ~40 minutes, News bulletins: 18 minutes
Frequency: 2x per month
Over its 250-episode lifespan, "Social Minds" has developed a reputation for its zero-fluff, unfiltered take on developments in the social media industry. Through interviews with some of the most influential corporate, agency, and creator talent, plus quick news bulletins, this could easily be your go-to podcast for everything social media.
What makes it special: Host Eve Lily Young asks juicy, non-basic questions and the news bulletin episodes, called "Social in Six," might be the fastest way to get your weekly social news.
Recommended episode: Mob: How to Stand Out in the Busiest Social Spaces
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: 20-40 minutes
Frequency: Weekly
Is it even a social media marketing article if we don’t say “video is king” at least once? This podcast is entirely focused on the social video medium, including Reels, TikToks, and Shorts. With hands-on guidance to filming and editing to big picture video strategy, host Natasha Pierre is a social video master with tons to teach.
What makes it special: This podcast takes the cake for “actionable.” Natasha doesn’t just offer tips — she breaks down video formats in step-by-step instructions that will help anyone who’s still getting comfortable with social video.
Recommended episode: How to Create Controversial Social Media Content (Without Getting Canceled)
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Host: Bri Reynolds
Episode length: 25-45 minutes
Frequency: Monthly
“No VPs allowed.” So says the intro for "How I Posted This," created by Lyft social media manager Bri Reynolds. Scroll through any social media podcast list and you’ll see interviews with CMOs, VPs, Directors of Brand, and more higher ups. This one is different, made just for social media managers by social media managers, with all the hands-on knowledge that flows from this role. It’s a new podcast, but we expect it to become a big one.
What makes it special: Host Bri Reynolds is an effective and successful social media manager in her own right, running social at Lyft and developing a huge following for her LinkedIn posts about social media.
Recommended episode: Morning Brew Content Machine
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Life as a social media marketer has its ups and its downs, and boy can those downs come at you fast. Sometimes you end up totally burnt out, staring at the wall, wondering if it's too late to trade this career for one in marine biology. In times like these it's not always learning that you need, but some good ol' support and a simple "I get it." These podcasts take the shape of a good friend, offering empathy, perspective, and gentle advice that will help you build a healthy approach to your career.
Episode length: 25-45 minutes
Frequency: 2-3x per month
Hosted by the social media agency team at Kylee Social, this podcast offers an honest look at life and work at a fast-paced agency. The free-flowing conversation isn’t necessarily meant to teach you about social media strategy or tactics, but through the hosts’ unfiltered stories of juggling multiple accounts and dealing with client demands you will learn how social really works.
What makes it special: Many podcast hosts are thinkers and thought leaders — "The State of Social" hosts are doers. Their day-to-day work makes for valuable and actionable insights that might get buried in other podcasts. We're keeping our eyes on this show in 2024!
Recommended episode: TikTok’s Halt in Growth & How We Became Social Media Managers
Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: 20-45 minutes
Frequency: 2x per week
This popular podcast offers plenty of social media marketing insights, but it’s even more helpful for the thoughtful conversations about what it takes to work in social media and how to stay motivated in this emotionally draining business. A good sidekick keeps it real about the ups and downs, and this podcast does just that.
What makes it special: This podcast is especially useful for job seekers, featuring personal “how I got here” stories from people in the industry and interviews with hiring managers in the space.
Recommended episode: A Marketing Recruiter's Advice for Today's Job Seekers | Matthew Kantner of Creative People
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: 10-20 minutes
Frequency: Weekly
If you run a social media agency or you're thinking about starting one, the "Social Media Manager Confidential" podcast is tailor-made for you. With realistic yet positive guidance, host Shanté Gorman share everything agency related, from content tips and strategy breakdowns to real talk career advice and conversations with other solo social pros.
What makes it special: Gorman often shares Q&A episodes, delivering in-depth answers to questions from social media managers who are dealing with the struggles of client relationships and building their business.
Recommended episode: Are You Making These Big Mistakes As A Social Media Manager?
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: ~30 minutes
Frequency: Weekly
Social media management doesn't have to mean infinite scrolling. Host Andréa Jones shares practical advice for dealing with the dark side of social media, like negative comments, unrealisitc content demands, and creative burnout. She layers this empathetic approach over all of her content, leaving you feeling motivated and capable no matter the topic.
What makes it special: The shift from "Savvy Social" to "Mindful Marketing" speaks to the larger shift many social media marketers are making in their practice. We’re excited to see how this approach to work/life/social media balance plays out.
Recommended episode: How I Navigated the Social Media Slump: Mindfulness Strategies for Business Owners
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
There's social media strategy, tactics, systems, and methodologies. Then there's social media culture — that fast-moving, amorphous cloud of chaos that defines what we see online and how we talk about it. You could spend 24 hours scrolling and never skim the surface of that day's news, memes, and trends. That's why we have podcasts! Subscriptions to a few of these shows will make for the perfect mix of journalism, analysis, and humor necessary to thrive in social media.
Episode length: 40 minutes-1 hour
Frequency: 2x per week
"Decoder" comes from The Verge, a news site about technology and how it makes us feel. Host Nilay Patel dives into stories and interviews voices in AI, digital media, big tech, and more. This is a go-to for staying informed and thinking critically about the impact of tech on our lives.
What makes it special: The Verge’s Editor-in-Chief Nilay Patel is a tenacious host, covering the big stories in tech with an eye towards the future and an unrelenting interview style.
Recommended episode: How to save culture from the algorithms, with Filterworld author Kyle Chayka
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: 30 minutes-1 hour
Frequency: 2x per week
There are no girls on the internet is an old internet forum and gaming meme grown from the tongue-in-cheek idea that, well, there are no girls on the internet. Host Bridget Todd takes this concept even further, investigating how people from marginalized backgrounds have been erased from internet history, and how they show up on online in the past, present, and future. You're guaranteed to end every episode understanding more about the intersectionality of identity and internet culture — essential knowledge for all digital citizens.
What makes it special: This podcast is one of the best at contextualizing the news of the day. It routinely brings history, perspective, and nuance to the biggest headlines.
Recommended episode: Why trad wife content is taking over social media right now
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: 30 minutes-1 hour
Frequency: Weekly
If you've been on YouTube in the past three to four years, you might have noticed a new crop of video essays popping up in your suggestions. It turns out Gen Z has a thing for crafting these thesis-backed, elaborate visual presentations about pop culture. There's really no better way to digest the niche, hard-to-track memes that spring up from social media every day. "Share Your Screen" does the pop culture analysis particularly well (and they offer it in a convenient podcast format!).
What makes it special: Hot takes are always fun, but this podcast delivers that and more, helping listeners analyze how pop culture stories speak to larger societal trends and changes.
Recommended episode: The Lana Del Rey Effect (Part 1)
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: 20-40 minutes
Frequency: Weekly
In short, simple episodes, the hosts of "Endless Thread" investigate the weird and wacky stories that spring from the internet, like how the corn kid came to be, or what an NPC stream is, or why tunnels became such a big part of the global conversation for a second there. Its wildly entertaining and thoughtful storytelling will make this an easy part of your online culture rotation.
What makes it special: WBUR is an NPR station, and NPR has pioneered the audio storytelling format. "Endless Thread" reaps the rewards of its production value, with practiced investigative journalism, engaging layers of audio, and tightly edited episodes.
Recommended episode: The Music Man, Part 1
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Episode length: 30-50 mins
Frequency: Weekly
Taylor Lorenz has covered internet culture for The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Business Insider, and now The Washington Post. She brings that wealth of knowledge to "Power User," where her drive to understand how the internet is changing our lives (for better or worse) makes for essential commentary.
What makes it special: Lorenz isn’t always in agreement with her guests or episode co-hosts, which provides genuine and interesting discourse. It’s always helpful when you can hear from multiple POVs in one podcast.
Recommended episode: Should we ban TikTok? + MrBeast’s Amazon deal, and what’s up with Shrimp Jesus?
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
16 new podcasts to add to your rotation, and 1,000+ hours of content to keep you occupied when you're walking the dog, washing the dishes, or avoiding that TikTok you have to edit. Stay tuned for more round-ups for social media marketers!