All the cool digital media companies are podcasting. Presumably, they’re not just in it for the fun.

Podcasts present another potential path to monetization for publishers, who for years have been pitching advertisers on 360 campaigns that can include branded content, social media posts, and live events. For some, podcasts are now part of that mix.

Zoom in: Betches is one such company leveraging its podcast slate, which includes 13 original shows with a combined 30 million downloads, as part of broader offerings to advertisers.

• It does offer advertisers the opportunity to home in on one channel but suggests a cross-platform approach whenever possible, Randi Windt, VP of sales and brand partnerships, told us.
• Podcasts in particular have been “an increasingly popular medium of ours,” she added. Its podcast revenue is up 101% year over year from 2021 to 2022 so far, and podcasts have been a part of recent campaigns Betches ran for brands including Heineken and Pizza Hut.

We talked to marketers at Nature’s Bounty and E. & J. Gallo Winery about the podcast advertising they’ve done with Betches and the results they’ve seen. Read the full story here.—AM

I was laid off in 2020—my first time without a job. It didn’t help one bit that I’d moved across the country for the gig only six months earlier, but that’s Covid for ya. That left me stuck in New York City, isolated in quarantine, with no income, the week my sublease was ending—not exactly my most comfortable self.

I turned to social media for help because of course I did—24 minutes after I tweeted I was available for hire, I got the DM that brought me to Twitch, my last role before joining the Brew.

Social media’s an incredible tool for finding your next job. Between pandemic layoffs, “quiet quitting,” and the long-overdue pursuit of work-life balance, people often want to help people.

I wanna share a bit on the mindset, strategy, and Twitter/LinkedIn tactics I’ve used when turning to social media for the job hunt. Read here.—JA

The DTC landscape is constantly shifting as brands in the space determine how to best reach their target audiences, especially post-Apple privacy changes. Some are looking toward TikTok, while others are tapping into a more traditional medium: TV. During the first half of this year, DTC ad spend on TV grew 20.5% compared to the year prior, according to iSpot.TV figures. Meanwhile, others are figuring out ways to foster community as a way to hopefully attract and retain consumers.

We spent some time last month talking to DTC brands about their marketing strategies. Check out each story below, or read them all here.

Once reliant on FB and IG, DTC advertisers move to other platforms

Why the benefits of samples could outweigh the costs for DTCs

How Eliqs is trying to brand your beer and wine

For influencer marketing, Instagram isn’t the only show in town anymore

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren’t those.

Pencil it in: New to content marketing or looking to up your game? Here are seven skills that can help you improve.

Shopping spree: Get started with shoppable content with help from this guide.

Game on: If you want to start a competitive analysis but aren’t sure where to turn, click here.

Go off, marketers: Only 1 in 5 marketers feels prepared for their future—and a lack of training is to blame. Get the whole story with MarketingProfs’ State of B2B Marketing Training Report 2022 and take the 2023 survey.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

We’re just four days away from the most action-packed marketing event of the year—but we have only a few tickets left. You won’t want to miss our incredible speakers from Magnolia Bakery, REI, Vans, and more, who will take to the stage to tackle the dizzying industry topics we love so dearly.

We’ll also have multiple breakout rooms where you’ll get to engage directly with presenters following interactive panel-style discussions, in addition to the overall unique opportunity to connect with fellow marketing professionals before and during the event.

Excited yet? So are we. You don’t want to miss this.

Here’s what the lesser other Brews have been up to over the past few weeks.

• Retail Brew looked at how markdowns can impact luxury brand images.
• HR Brew wrote about how social media is changing the recruiting game.
• CFO Brew dove into the newest C-suite position for digital-first companies: the chief product officer.
• Healthcare Brew explored why the healthcare industry is often slow to adopt new technology.

Which headlines are real marketing news, and which one is fake?

1. Johnnie Walker used ink from air pollution for special black labels
2. McDonald’s created a grease-proof gaming chair
3. Southern Comfort creates shot glass pants for Thanksgiving
4. Target is already selling Valentine’s Day candy in some locations

Keep scrolling for the answer.

Catch up on a few Marketing Brew stories you might have missed.

• Why some brands are making small-scale zines and magazines
• TikTok wants to be a marketplace
• 400 creators reveal what’s most important in a brand partnership