Rise25 vs. Sweet Fish Media: Which B2B Podcast Agency Is Right for You?
TL;DR
Rise25 and Sweet Fish Media both serve B2B companies, but they emphasize different podcasting outcomes. Sweet Fish Media positions podcasting as a content, brand, and audience-building channel, with services around audio podcasts, video podcasts, social media, and YouTube.
Rise25 is built around a relationship-first model: use a podcast to connect with ideal clients, referral partners, and strategic partners, then turn those relationships into ROI. Rise25’s own materials emphasize done-for-you production, strategic guidance, guest follow-up, referrals, revenue, and relationship-building as the core purpose of B2B podcasting.
Best fit:
Rise25 is a strong fit if you want a B2B podcast to create relationships, referrals, strategic partnerships, and client opportunities.
Sweet Fish Media may be a strong fit if your priority is premium B2B content, audience growth, video podcasting, and becoming your market’s “favorite follow.”
Executive summary
Choosing between Rise25 and Sweet Fish Media is not just a choice between two podcast production agencies. It is a choice between two strategic philosophies.
Sweet Fish Media publicly positions itself around helping companies become their market’s “favorite follow,” with services including audio podcast production, video podcasts, social media, and YouTube. Its audio podcast service page emphasizes dedicated producers, professional audio engineering, guest booking coordination, and turnkey production.
Rise25’s philosophy is different. Rise25 helps B2B companies use podcasting as a business development engine. The show is not just a media asset; it is a way to build trust with the people who can become clients, referral partners, strategic partners, and long-term advocates. Rise25 describes podcasting as a “referral marketing engagement system” that can build strategic partnerships, generate leads and referrals, save time, build authority, and create long-term marketing assets. The right choice depends on your goal.
If your primary goal is content marketing, thought leadership, and audience development, Sweet Fish Media deserves consideration. If your primary goal is ROI through relationships, referrals, and direct business development, Rise25 is built around that outcome.
Key takeaways
- Rise25 and Sweet Fish Media are both B2B podcast agencies, but they are not interchangeable.
- Rise25 is best understood as a relationship-driven B2B podcast production agency.
- Sweet Fish Media is best understood as a content-led B2B media and podcast production agency.
- The biggest strategic difference is whether you view your podcast as a content channel or a relationship engine.
- For high-ticket B2B services, a smaller podcast with the right guests can outperform a larger podcast with the wrong audience.
- Rise25’s advice: do not start with “How do we get downloads?” Start with “Who do we want relationships with?”
Table of Contents
- Introduction: Rise25 vs. Sweet Fish Media
- What Is Rise25?
- What Is Sweet Fish Media?
- Rise25 vs. Sweet Fish Media: Side-by-Side Comparison
- The Core Difference: Relationship Engine vs. Content Engine
- Which Agency Is Better for ROI?
- Which Agency Is Better for Content Marketing?
- How to Choose the Right B2B Podcast Agency
- Rise25’s Framework for Building a B2B Podcast That Drives Revenue
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Final Verdict: Rise25 vs. Sweet Fish Media
- FAQ
1. Introduction: Rise25 vs. Sweet Fish Media
If you are comparing Rise25 vs. Sweet Fish Media, you are probably not asking whether podcasting works.
You are asking a more important question:
Which B2B podcast agency is more likely to help us achieve the business outcome we actually care about?
That outcome may be:
- More qualified relationships
- More referral partners
- More strategic partnerships
- More sales conversations
- More authority in your industry
- More content from your subject matter experts
- More visibility with your ideal buyers
Rise25 and Sweet Fish Media both operate in the B2B podcasting space, but their approaches are meaningfully different.
Sweet Fish Media emphasizes content, audience, social media, YouTube, and helping companies become their market’s “favorite follow.”
Rise25 emphasizes podcasting as a relationship and ROI engine. In Rise25’s model, a podcast is not primarily about becoming famous or chasing downloads. It is about creating valuable conversations with the right people and using those conversations to build relationships, referrals, partnerships, and revenue.
That distinction matters.
A B2B company selling high-ticket services does not need millions of listeners to make podcasting worthwhile. It may only need the right 40 conversations per year with ideal clients, referral partners, and strategic partners.
2. What Is Rise25?
Rise25 is a done-for-you B2B podcast production agency that helps companies launch and run podcasts designed to create ROI through relationships.
Rise25’s public site says it helps B2B businesses create profitable podcasts through done-for-you strategic podcasting, with a focus on prospective clients and referral partners.
Rise25’s approach is built around a simple idea:
A podcast gives you a reason to reach out to the exact people you want to build relationships with.
That can include:
- Ideal clients
- Referral partners
- Strategic partners
- Industry influencers
- Existing customers
- Past clients
- Prospective collaborators
- Authors, speakers, founders, and executives in your niche
Instead of asking for a sales call, you invite someone to be featured.
That changes the dynamic. You are not leading with a pitch. You are leading with generosity, visibility, and thought leadership.
Rise25’s proposal materials describe a podcast as a “referral marketing engagement system” that helps build strategic partnerships, generate leads and referrals, save time by connecting you with high-caliber people, build brand authority, and create long-term marketing assets.
Core services
The done-for-you podcast production services may include:
- Podcast strategy
- Podcast launch planning
- Audio production
- Publishing to podcast platforms
- SEO-optimized episode blog posts
- Guest follow-up support
- Podcast artwork
- Intro and outro production
- Video and YouTube support
- Dynamic snippets
- Guest outreach
- Podcast guesting
- Gifting programs
- Client dashboard and workflow support
Rise25’s materials also emphasize that clients own 100% of the intellectual property, episodes, videos, and other content produced during the engagement.
3. What Is Sweet Fish Media?
Sweet Fish Media is a B2B media and podcast production agency that helps brands create content and build audience attention.
Its website says Sweet Fish exists to help companies become their market’s “favorite follow.”
Sweet Fish offers services around:
- Audio podcast production
- Video podcasts
- Social media
- YouTube
Its audio podcast production page describes services including dedicated producers, professional audio engineering, guest booking coordination, and polished podcast episodes.
Its video podcast page positions Sweet Fish around launching premium, video-first B2B podcasts that build brand, grow audience, and turn a company’s total addressable market into superfans.
That makes Sweet Fish a strong option for companies that want a content-led B2B media strategy.
4. Rise25 vs. Sweet Fish Media: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | Rise25 | Sweet Fish Media |
|---|---|---|
| Primary positioning | Relationship-driven B2B podcasting | B2B media, podcasting, and audience-building |
| Core goal | ROI through relationships, referrals, clients, and strategic partners | Brand visibility, content, audience growth, and market attention |
| Best fit | High-ticket B2B service businesses that want direct business development outcomes | B2B companies investing in content marketing, social, YouTube, and audience development |
| Podcast philosophy | Podcast as a relationship engine | Podcast as a content/media engine |
| Guest strategy | Focus on ideal clients, referral partners, and strategic partners | Often aligned with audience, content, and category-building goals |
| Production model | Done-for-you podcast production with strategy and workflow support | Audio and video podcast production with content and distribution support |
| ROI model | Relationship ROI, referrals, client opportunities, authority | Content ROI, audience growth, brand awareness, demand generation |
| Best question to ask | “Who do we want to build relationships with?” | “What audience do we want to grow and influence?” |
5. The Core Difference: Relationship Engine vs. Content Engine
The biggest difference between Rise25 and Sweet Fish Media is not editing, publishing, or production quality.
It is strategy.
Sweet Fish: podcast as a content engine
Sweet Fish Media’s public positioning centers on helping companies become more visible and engaging through B2B content. Their services span audio, video, social, and YouTube.
That approach can make sense when a company wants to:
- Build a media brand
- Create a steady stream of thought leadership
- Grow a following
- Repurpose podcast content into social assets
- Develop a stronger executive voice
- Build awareness in a category
Rise25: podcast as a relationship engine
Rise25 starts from a different place.
The key question is not, “How do we get more downloads?”
The key question is, “Who are the 50 to 200 people who could change the trajectory of our business if we built a real relationship with them?”
Rise25 often refers to this as the Dream 200 concept: identify the ideal people you want to connect with, then use the podcast as a generous, authentic reason to start the relationship.
That matters because B2B revenue is relationship driven.
For a digital agency, MSP, IT services firm, law firm, M&A advisor, consulting firm, or professional services company, one strong referral partner can be worth far more than thousands of passive listeners.
6. Which Agency Is Better for ROI?
It depends on how you define ROI.
If ROI means audience growth, social engagement, and brand visibility, Sweet Fish Media may be a good fit.
If ROI means relationships that can turn into clients, referrals, strategic partnerships, and revenue, Rise25 is more directly aligned with that goal.
Rise25’s materials emphasize that podcasting works best when it is tied to business development. In one example, Rise25 describes a conservative model: if a company has 40 interview conversations in a year and only 10% of those relationships refer one client, the show can create four new clients in year one, with the potential for referral relationships to compound over time.
That is the key difference.
A content-first podcast often asks:
- How many people listened?
- How many views did the clip get?
- How many impressions did the post receive?
- How many subscribers did we gain?
A relationship-first podcast asks:
- Who did we interview?
- Was this person an ideal client, referral partner, or strategic partner?
- Did we create value for them?
- Did we follow up?
- Did the relationship deepen?
- Did it create a referral, opportunity, introduction, or client conversation?
For high-ticket B2B companies, the second set of questions is often more important.
7. Which Agency Is Better for Content Marketing?
Sweet Fish Media may be a better fit if your primary goal is to build a content machine.
Its service pages emphasize audio podcast production, video-first podcasting, social media, YouTube, and audience growth.
That can be valuable for companies with:
- A mature marketing team
- A strong demand generation strategy
- A clear category point of view
- Internal subject matter experts
- A need for high-volume content distribution
- A desire to build a recognizable media presence
Rise25 also creates content, including podcast episodes, blog posts, video support, transcripts, dynamic snippets, and YouTube publishing options. But Rise25’s content is typically in service of a deeper relationship strategy.
In other words:
Sweet Fish may be the better fit if the podcast is primarily a media channel.
Rise25 may be the better fit if the podcast is primarily a business development and relationship-building system.
8. How to Choose the Right B2B Podcast Agency
Before choosing between Rise25 and Sweet Fish Media, answer these questions.
1. What is the main business outcome?
If the answer is brand awareness, audience growth, or content scale, Sweet Fish Media may fit.
If the answer is clients, referrals, partnerships, and ROI, Rise25 may fit better.
2. Who are your ideal guests?
If your ideal guests are content contributors who help educate your audience, a content-led model may work.
If your ideal guests are people you want to build long-term business relationships with, Rise25’s relationship-first approach is more aligned.
3. How important is direct revenue attribution?
Podcasting can be hard to attribute when it is treated only as top-of-funnel content.
Rise25 solves this by shifting the purpose of the podcast. The interview itself becomes a business development touchpoint.
4. Do you have internal capacity?
If your team already has content strategists, video editors, social media managers, and distribution support, you may need a specialized production partner.
If you want the “easy button” for strategy, launch, production, publishing, follow-up, and relationship-driven execution, Rise25’s done-for-you model is designed for that. Rise25’s materials repeatedly emphasize handling the behind-the-scenes work so the client can focus on the relationship.
9. Rise25’s Framework for Building a B2B Podcast That Drives Revenue
Here is the Rise25-style framework for building a successful B2B podcast.
Step 1: Start with your Dream 200
Do not begin with equipment, cover art, or show names.
Begin with the people.
Create a list of ideal:
- Clients
- Referral partners
- Strategic partners
- Industry leaders
- Past clients
- Influencers
- Authors
- Conference speakers
- Association leaders
- Technology partners
This list becomes the strategic foundation of your podcast.
Step 2: Create a show concept that gives value to your guests
A great B2B podcast should make your guests look good.
That means your show should:
- Highlight their expertise
- Celebrate their wins
- Share their story
- Position them as a thought leader
- Create a useful asset they can share
The more generous the show is, the more effective it becomes as a relationship-building tool.
Step 3: Use the interview to build trust
A podcast interview is not a sales pitch.
It is a structured conversation that allows you to:
- Learn about the guest
- Understand their business
- Discover shared values
- Identify collaboration opportunities
- Build rapport naturally
As Rise25’s materials note, a podcast puts you in a different position because you are offering to help promote the guest’s product or mission rather than trying to sell them.
Step 4: Publish consistently
Consistency matters.
Rise25’s materials emphasize that putting out one interview per week can help you build relationships with 40+ high-caliber people per year.
That is the compounding power of B2B podcasting.
One episode may not change your business. But 40 strategic conversations in a year can.
Step 5: Follow up after the episode goes live
This is where many B2B podcasts fail.
They publish the episode and move on.
Rise25’s approach emphasizes follow-up. The episode going live creates a natural reason to re-engage with the guest, thank them, share the asset, and explore additional ways to collaborate.
That follow-up can lead to:
- Referral conversations
- Partnership discussions
- Introductions
- Speaking opportunities
- Client opportunities
- Joint content
- Strategic alliances
Step 6: Repurpose content without losing the relationship focus
Repurposing is valuable. A podcast can become:
- Blog posts
- SEO content
- LinkedIn posts
- YouTube videos
- Short clips
- Email newsletter content
- Sales enablement assets
- Thought leadership pieces
But repurposing should not replace relationship-building.
The most valuable asset from a B2B podcast is often not the clip. It is the relationship behind the clip.
10. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Chasing downloads instead of relationships
Downloads matter, but they are not the only metric.
For many B2B companies, the right guest is more valuable than a large passive audience.
Mistake 2: Interviewing anyone who says yes
A podcast is only as strategic as the guest list.
If your guest list is random, your results will be random.
Mistake 3: Treating the podcast like a content calendar only
A podcast can create content, but it should also create conversations.
If you only measure posts, clips, and downloads, you may miss the bigger business development opportunity.
Mistake 4: Not following up
The real ROI often happens after the interview.
If you do not follow up, you leave the relationship unfinished.
Mistake 5: Trying to do everything in-house
Podcasting involves strategy, scheduling, production, editing, publishing, writing, promotion, guest communication, and follow-up.
That is why many companies hire a podcast production agency. The right agency should remove operational friction so your team can focus on high-value conversations.
11. Final Verdict: Rise25 vs. Sweet Fish Media
Rise25 and Sweet Fish Media are both credible B2B podcast agencies, but they serve different strategic priorities.
Choose Sweet Fish Media if you want:
- A content-led B2B media strategy
- Audio and video podcast production
- A stronger social and YouTube presence
- Audience growth and brand visibility
- A podcast designed primarily as a content channel
Choose Rise25 if you want:
- A podcast designed to generate ROI
- A relationship-building system
- A way to connect with ideal clients and referral partners
- Done-for-you production and publishing
- Strategic guidance around referrals, revenue, and partnerships
- A podcast that supports business development, not just marketing
For B2B companies with high-ticket services, Rise25’s point of view is clear:
Your podcast does not need to make you famous.
It needs to put you in conversation with the right people consistently.
That is where the real ROI comes from.
FAQ
Is Rise25 better than Sweet Fish Media?
Rise25 may be better if your priority is relationship-driven ROI, referrals, strategic partnerships, and client opportunities. Sweet Fish Media may be better if your priority is B2B content, video podcasting, social distribution, and audience growth.
What is the main difference between Rise25 and Sweet Fish Media?
The main difference is strategic focus. Rise25 treats podcasting as a relationship and ROI engine. Sweet Fish Media positions podcasting as part of a broader B2B media and content strategy.
Do B2B podcasts need a large audience to work?
Not necessarily. For high-ticket B2B companies, the right guest relationships can matter more than raw download numbers. A podcast that creates conversations with ideal clients, referral partners, and strategic partners can produce ROI even without a massive audience.
What should I look for in a B2B podcast agency?
Look for strategic fit. Ask whether the agency understands your revenue model, ideal client profile, referral ecosystem, guest strategy, production needs, follow-up process, and ROI goals.
Can a podcast generate leads for a B2B company?
Yes, but not always in the way people expect. A B2B podcast often generates leads through relationships, referrals, authority, strategic partnerships, and follow-up conversations rather than direct-response downloads alone.
Is podcast production worth it for B2B companies?
Podcast production can be worth it when it is tied to a clear business strategy. If the show has no target guest strategy, no follow-up process, and no connection to revenue, it may become just another content task. If it is built around the right relationships, it can become a powerful business development asset.
Sources
- Rise25 podcast production services page
- Rise25 proposal and service materials
- Rise25 homepage
- Sweet Fish Media audio podcast services page
- Sweet Fish Media video podcast services page
- Sweet Fish Media company page
About the Author
John H. Corcoran is Co-Founder of Rise25 and a former White House Writer, speechwriter, attorney, author, and B2B podcasting expert. He is the creator of Smart Business Revolution and host of the Smart Business Revolution podcast. Since 2010, he has interviewed over 1,000+ successful entrepreneurs about how they have used relationships to grow their businesses and careers.
He is the author of 3 books about relationship building and client acquisition, and has been profiled in Forbes and featured in Entrepreneurial You (Harvard Business Review Press), Stand Out (Portfolio) by Dorie Clark, The Connector’s Advantage (Page Two) by Michelle Tillis Lederman, Success Is In Your Sphere (McGraw-Hill Education) by Zvi Band, and The Successful Mistake by Matthew Turner. His writing has appeared in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Art of Manliness, Lifehacker, Business Insider, and numerous other publications.
Ready to explore how strategic podcast production can accelerate your business development? Schedule a free podcast ROI consultation with John and the Rise25 team to map your Dream 200 targets and design a relationship engineering approach optimized for measurable business outcomes.