Marketers are happier and more productive when they're learning. That's a fact: In the recently published Marketer Happiness Study from MarketingProfs, we found that marketers who actively seek out learning opportunities are more likely to feel happier and more fulfilled in both their personal and their professional lives.

Another recent study, conducted by LinkedIn, found that "employees who spend time at work learning are 39% more likely to feel productive and successful and 21% more likely to feel confident and happy."

But how to make time for all this learning when we're already having trouble keeping our head above water with our day-to-day responsibilities?

Podcasts are one of the most efficient ways to learn. They're a learning medium that's easy to access (you don't need any special tools), portable (all you need is your phone), and economical (yeah, free).

A podcast not only allows you to learn on the go but also gives you the opportunity to do some of your most efficient multitasking. You can learn while you're driving to work, going for a walk, riding the train, mowing the lawn, exercising, or folding laundry. (Plus, research has shown that exercising immediately after learning something helps improve the long-term retention of those skills.) It's a win-win all around.

But where to even start? With the thousands of podcasts available, figuring out where to start can feel a little overwhelming.

So I took an extremely formal poll of the MarketingProfs staff (meaning, I sent out an all-staff email) to determine their favorite podcasts. I've compiled a shortlist of some of the most popular podcasts.

But don't think that it's all work, work, work. There are plenty of nonwork-related podcasts out there that just make for good old-fashioned listening. I've divided the list of 18 podcast into three sections:

1. One for professional-type podcasts
2. One for interesting and fun podcasts
3. One for fiction (the modern-day equivalent of old-timey audio dramas)

Marketing and Professional Podcasts

Marketing Smarts: our flagship podcast in which Kerry O'Shea Gorgone interviews a new guest each episode for their unique take on a hot marketing topic.

Marketing Over Coffee: a perennial in the "best marketing podcast" category; Chris Penn and John Wall bring you an interesting look into the world of marketing and tech.

Marketing Companion: Mark Schaefer and Tom Webster bring you "The world's most entertaining marketing podcast."

Making the Brand: Chris Brogan showcases companies that are doing interesting work in the realms of brand building and customer experience.

Craft of Marketing: Seth Price helps listeners get their "MBA with a podcast" as he dives into building your brand and growing your tribe.

Clear and Vivid: Alan Alda (yes, that Alan Alda) shows us how to make better connections and communicate more effectively.

UnPodcast: Scott and Allison Stratten have created the business podcast for the fed-up; they share tips about what you definitely shouldn't be doing in marketing.