Where does webinar and podcasts fit into the GTM strategy and how do you decide at what stage to use then?

Great question! A great GTM strategy is ultimately focused on driving 1 business metric forward. I'll share an example where a podcast made a lot of sense:

We researched our enterprise market to try to understand: Which audiences should we focus on within this broad category and what do those people want? After rigorous research, we discovered that the most relevant enterprises for Segment are those that are doubling down on digital experiences (new apps, new experiences, often called "Digital Transformation") And many of them mostly wanted to hear the inside story of how to get it done from people who had already transformed their businesses.

So when we thought about our most important GTM play, it became clear that if we wanted to increase sales velocity (1 business metric) we needed to give these people access to an inside look at how companies have digitally transformed using Segment.

When we asked customers and prospects how they would most want to digest this information, podcasts were the clear winner. And we're launching a podcast very soon to address this case.

Webinars and podcasts are a little different. 

1. Podcasts are for awareness and brand building: A well executed podcast with speakers like your prospects and/or relevant to your prospects can be a good way to build enough content to generate inbound interest. This also offers a way for your company to be associated with other relevant brands, without a constraint of having those brands be customers (always a challenge with early startups). The online traffic from those brands will in turn be a headwind for your company. The key in the content here is not to focus too much on your own value prop but to focus on the problems of your buyers.

2. Webinars can be used across the funnel: The primary use case of webinars is usually top of funnel with similar content as the podcast. The webinar should be an 'offer' that provides value in itself. However, webinars can also serve downfunnel for nurture or retention goals if the content is technical or bit more in-depth. Depending on where in the funnel the webinars are, the metrics for success will be different and so will your audience. 

P.S. The world is changing. a) Buyers aren't that giddy to keep providing their email addresses. We need to check ourselves from gating content all the time. b) Attention spans are dropping. I would question the utility of 1hr webinars going forward.