Marketing School | Digital Marketing | Online Marketing

In episode #978, we discuss whether you should focus on one or multiple keywords in your blog posts. Tune in to hear how we approach blogging and keyword rankings. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Should a Blog Post Focus on One Keyword or Multiple Keywords for SEO? [00:35] One of our live viewers, Dinesh, recommended this topic. [00:55] NSFW sites usually rank for the most keywords. [01:05] Focus on one keyword first. [01:15] Once you rank for one, try to then build in other keywords. [01:35] Neil thinks you can do multiple keywords at a time. [01:45] Neil writes, doesn’t worry about keywords, and checks for which keywords the post naturally ranks. [02:00] Once he sees what his keywords are, he adjusts the post to fit more closely around those keywords. [02:06] SEO

In episode #977, we discuss if podcast advertising actually works. Tune in to here if this method of marketing is a good idea. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Does Podcast Advertising Actually Work? [00:35] MeUndies advertises on podcasts. They make $75 Million a year. [00:48] They spent a third of their marketing budget on podcast advertising. [01:10] Eric thinks this is “stupid”. [01:40] Once you start advertising overly consistently, the message becomes lost on people. [02:15] People reach out wanting to advertise with us all the time. [02:40] It is estimated that Joe Rogan makes a killing with the ads on his podcast. [03:05] Knowing the audience is key. [03:15] It has to be the right product for the right people. [03:20] That’s it for today! [03:29] We hit our

In episode #976, we discuss how often you should be blogging. Tune in to hear how often we blog. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: What is the Ideal Amount of Blog Posts to Write Each Week? [00:35] Eric writes 3-6 posts per week. [01:22] Neil only writes 1 post per week. [01:52] Eric wants to reach 500,000 unique visits per week, which is why he is heavily pushing content. [02:25] Neil feels like the blogosphere is too competitive, so he likes to write on lengthy, meaty post per week. [02:51] Take the opposite approach of your competitors’ posts. [03:22] Eric’s USC professor friend wrote a blog post about unintended consequences. [04:00] Start off slow and steady. [04:10] That’s it for today! [04:13] We hit our goal of 1 Million downloads! So, we will be throwing a fr

In episode #975, we discuss what to do when you are overwhelmed by all the new marketing tactics. Tune in to hear what you can do to decrease the pressure you are putting on yourself. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: If You are Overwhelmed by All the New Marketing Tactics, do this Instead [00:38] Instead, focus on one channel. [00:58] If you are overwhelmed, just double down on what you are already doing. [01:25] Even though Neil is doing a bunch of different things, he still focuses on blogging. [01:42] Eric likes creating video content and he’s good at it. [02:40] Eric gets 1350 new subscribers per month and 64,000 views. [03:08] Just figure out what is right for you. [03:15] Neil is flyout out to SXSW and will be talking about SEO for text-based content. [04:05] If

In episode #974, we discuss why you shouldn’t publicly share income information. Tune in to hear the dangers of being so forthcoming. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why You Shouldn’t Share Income Information [00:53] When things are going well for you and you share the details of your income, people will begin copying your methods. [01:05] You only invite competition and resentment. [01:25] Once, Eric referred a customer onto someone else. [01:38] He then got sued because the customer felt the other company wasn’t helpful and wanted Eric to pay back the amount of the money he felt he wasted. [02:10] Sharing income reports puts a target on your back. [03:05] You can share your income at the beginning, but once you start making more, scale back the sharing. [03:07] That

In episode #973, we discuss what the ROI of a live event is. Tune in to hear what you can expect to get out of throwing a live event. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: What’s the ROI of a Live Event? [00:45] We’re throwing a live event in June. [00:55] It costs roughly $20-30 a head to do an event the right way. [01:25] Since we’re not charging for the event, we aren’t making money. [01:40] People say if you charge, 40-50% of attendees will not show up. [01:50] People will pay and then no-show. [02:57] Sponsors are how you can make a profit. [03:50] Either ticket sales or sponsors will cover your costs. [04:15] Our goal isn’t to make money. [05:02] Clarion is an events company that goes around buying up conferences. [06:08] That’s it for today! [06:12] We hit our g

In episode #972, we discuss the future of podcasting. Tune in to hear where we think podcasting is going next. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Where Podcasting is Going Next [00:35] Luminary is a company that is trying to be the Netflix of podcasting. [00:55] Their at the stage where they are producing their own shows and they charge a subscription fee. [01:15] Podcasting is becoming a maturing field. [01:45] Neil thinks podcasting is heading towards full integration into daily life. [02:30] He thinks it will integrate with Alexa and other smart home devices. [03:15] Mary Meeker does an internet trend report every year. [03:45] There is a gap in monetization for podcasts. [04:15] Anchor allows you to make podcasts and monetize. [05:02] AI isn’t where it needs to b

In episode #971, we discuss if luck is even a thing. Tune in to hear if success is just a matter of good luck. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Is Luck Even a Thing in Business? [00:35] Neil met Guy Kawasaki and he said he would invest in luck over anything else. [01:10] Jim Collins wrote a post about the “Return on Luck”. [01:35] Being white and upper class was a benefit to the founder of Microsoft. [02:00] However, there are many people who grew up that way, so why are there so few people like Bill Gates? [02:20] Luck is great, but you have to work hard to capitalize on it. [02:45] Eric grew up in a middle-class family, but has had a good deal of success. [03:05] There is something to be said for hard work and execution, because you can’t pick luck. [03:30] Eric fo

In episode #970, we discuss a few ways to get in touch with leads. Tune in to hear the crafty ways we try to reach leads. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: A Couple Slick Ways to Get Ahold of Your Leads [00:35] Try text messages. [00:40] Sending one with the person’s name and a question mark may be enough to get their attention. [00:45] It’s one way to start a conversation. [00:55] Facebook Messenger is another useful tool. [01:05] Mobile Monkey or ManyChat are ways to broadcast through Messenger. [01:20] Schedule a call right when you get their attention. [01:34] You can always follow up with text-based reminders. [01:48] ScheduleOnce and HubSpot will help you get this done. [02:15] Text message open rates are somewhere near 99%. [02:40] If you call a lead within t

In episode #969, we discuss 7 creative ways to monetize your podcast. Tune in to hear how you can actually make money from a podcast. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Creative Ways to Monetize Your Podcast [00:32] 1: Use advertising. [00:45] Some podcasts have ads before, during, and after the show. This is a great way to monetize. [01:10] Podcast attention is highly rated right now. [01:20] 2: Throw your own live event. [01:30] Charge admission. [01:58] People who listen to podcasts are often in a high income bracket. [02:11] MeUndies spends a third of their marketing budget on Podcasting. [02:30] 3: Subscriptions. [02:40] Asian Podcasters monetize through subscriptions. [03:16] 4: Sell info-products. [03:57] 5: Sponsorships and VIP experiences. [04:16] Our li

In episode #968, we discuss which Slack community that is the best resource for marketers. Tune in to hear which community we both agree is the best. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Best Slack Communities for Marketers [00:33] Traffic Think Tank is a community run by Matthew Barbie, Nick Eubanks, and a third person. [00:56] It’s one of the most engaging Slack groups out there. [01:30] Neil signed up for the Authority Hacker course, because he liked their Facebook ad. [01:55] Traffic Think Tank is one of the favorite communities of Neil’s team. [02:15] Eric thinks he got value out of watching their videos. [02:41] TTT is always adding more content and the community around them provides value, as well. [03:10] That’s it for today! [03:16] We hit our goal of 1 Mill

In episode #967, we count out 7 creative ways to add to your email list without being spammy. Tune in to hear our tactics for collecting email addresses. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Creative Ways to Collect Email Addresses Without Being Spammy [00:33] 1: Spin the Wheel. [00:45] As long as you offer something of value, people will be excited about it. [00:48] 2: Add little yellow boxes and get them to opt-in to offers. [01:03] 3: Block off content. [01:15] Make a portion of the content accessible only if someone enters an email address. This could also just be bonus content. [01:44] 4: Create cloaked links and drive people back to an offer. Try Pretty Links. [02:22] 5: Create quizzes. [02:34] Collect enough info for a full lead. [02:41] 6: Use Outgrow to put c

In episode #966, we discuss how you can market when you’re a nobody. Tune in to hear how you can build your following and gain conversions. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Market When You’re a Nobody [00:40] Eric and Neil are technically “nobodies”. [01:06] Look to see who is getting traction. [01:20] BuzzSumo will help you figure out what’s hot in your field. [01:35] You can also cross-link with popular people and sites. [02:30] When Eric first started in marketing, he began emailing Neil trying to connect/cross-link with his site. [03:30] Most people do not know us! [03:42] The more people who don’t know you, the more people you can convert. [04:00] Consider all the outlets you can use (podcasts, videos, etc.). [04:30] Neil’s audio engineer badgered Larry

In episode #965, we discuss what you should do when you get complaints about your product or service. Tune in to hear how you should handle negative feedback. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: What You Should do When People Complain About Your Product or Service [00:38] It’s a good thing when people complain, because you get more value from this kind of feedback. [00:59] Look for recurring feedback, because then you know it’s an actual issue and not just a one-off. [02:05] Sometimes, people will complain, but it won’t make sense to address it. [02:30] Solve the problems that a majority of the complaints are about. [02:54] Eric likes to send NPS surveys. [03:00] His team uses AskNicely. [03:28] Neil likes Qualaroo. [03:45] SurveyMonkey has built-in feedback tools. [0

In episode #964, we discuss when you should hire a sales rep. Tune in to hear if you need a sales rep and when it’s worth it to hire one. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: When Does it Make Sense to Have Sales Reps? [00:41] You shouldn’t hire a rep without testing out sales yourself. [00:55] You need to have an understanding of the objections you will run into. [01:11] Try doing it yourself for 30-60 days. [01:30] Once you have a process, hire a rep. [01:48] Start-ups fail because of premature scaling. [02:45] If you hire prematurely, you will only end up having to fire people and losing money. [03:01] When you hire people, it may not even work out. [03:15] Have the rep do a paid trial to see what their skills are. [03:40] The CEO of Saastr, Jason Lemkin, has a blog

In episode #963, we count out the 7 questions you need to ask a potential marketing hire. See which questions we think will guarantee that your next hire is a slam dunk. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Questions to Make Sure Your Next Marketing Hire is a Slam Dunk [00:36] 1: How do you get better at marketing? [00:41] What are you reading to enhance your skills and understanding of the field? [00:52] Marketing is ever-evolving, so you have to read blogs to stay up-to-date. [01:20] 2: What would you change? [01:30] If they can’t tell you how they would improve your business, how will they be as a hire? [02:07] 3: Have them do a paid trial. [02:55] 4: What do you do when an experiment fails? [03:06] A great way to understand their thought process. [03:30] 5: If you

In episode #962, we discuss how to target effectively on LinkedIn. Tune in to hear how you can get the right people to engage with your content. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Target Effectively on LinkedIn [00:38] On LinkedIn, you can target job titles, specialties, or seniority. [00:56] Targeting job titles is the easiest option. [01:16] Although everyone has odd titles nowadays. [01:30] The specialties option allows you to search for job function. [01:42] Seniority helps you narrow down the level of employee you are seeking. [02:10] It’s all about the content you produce. [02:24] Post content that’s related to your business. [03:02] When your post is more specific, you will get engagements from real leads. [03:30] LinkedIn groups are an option. [03:45]

In episode #961, we discuss whether blogging is still relevant. Tune in to hear if this method is still effective. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Do You Even Need to Blog Anymore? [00:35] We still blog, but we try not to spend money on it. [01:15] You can’t please everyone with one format, which is why it is important to blog. [01:21] Blogs still generate more traffic from a Google search. [01:40] Podcasting only gets good traffic for the first 30 days. [02:08] When you blog, you have more control over the SEO. [02:35] People are able to find you more organically. [03:00] In general, the answer is yes, but that doesn’t mean you need to create thousands of blog posts. [03:45] If you’re going to blog, write about new, fresh ideas. [04:05] Once Google recognizes your

In episode #960, we discuss 7 simple tactics that always work. Tune in to hear how you can use social media marketing to your advantage. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Dead Simple Social Media Marketing Tactics That Still Work Today [00:45] 1: Post your content repeatedly on social media. [00:55] Share a few times in the first 24 hours and you’ll get more hits than you normally would. [01:30] 2: Push things to your email list. [01:53] 3: Post a portion of your post on LinkedIn. [02:01] Make sure to link to your site so people can finish the post. [02:10] 4: Repurpose your content. [02:30] Make sure things are formatted for the sites you are using. [02:48] 5: A week after you’ve posted something, post the entirety of it to social media (like Facebook). [03:43] 6:

In episode #959, we discuss the craziest content marketing tactics. Tune in to hear what we think are the craziest tactics out there. We have committed to throwing a FREE Marketing School Live Event in Los Angeles, once Marketing School reaches 1M downloads in a 30 day period. Take action: Rate, review, subscribe, and SHARE. Check the progress here! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Craziest Content Marketing Tactic EVER [00:37] Neil’s craziest tactic was when he stopped doing content marketing as often and started creating and giving away free software instead. [00:52] Product-led growth has served him well. [01:25] Not many people know how to build products, so take advantage of that marketing tactic. [01:50] A crazy tactic is to use the marketing channel or method that isn’t popular yet. [02:38] Another crazy tactic is the content sprouting approach (more or less omni-channel marketing). [03:30] Figure out what’s right for your business. [03:43] UberSuggest is still growing m