The Agents of Change Digital Marketing Podcast

If you're already creating content for your own business, why would you want to seek out guest posting opportunities for other sites? Well, because guest posting is a creative and important strategy for growing your own blog readership and community. Guest posting builds relationships, it's great for search engines, it introduces you to a whole new audience, it associates you with other influencers, it helps build email lists, and the backlinks...oh, the backlinks you'll get that will make Google so very happy. But you can't just go into it willy nilly. It takes some research and time to create the perfect pitch that will have influencers interested and anxious to post your content to their sites. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/250

If you're a business owner, chances are you're already using Facebook ads as part of your marketing strategy. And the last thing you probably want to do - or have time for - is add yet another social platform to your repertoire. But don't overlook the many benefits of Pinterest and what it can do for your business. Pinterest offers an abundance of benefits for businesses, and the best part, it doesn't have to be just content that you've created. You have the opportunity to build relationships with influencers, re-pin older content of yours that did really well to keep it alive and get more new eyeballs on it, schedule pins all at once to save time, and don't forget the benefits of group boards, where you can collaborate with others. A tweet has a limited shelf life, but a pin can last forever. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/249

It's pretty common these days for businesses to use Facebook ads for business, but have you considered the power of YouTube ads? Everyone knows that video is a powerful way to capture your potential audience's attention, and even more than Facebook, people turn to YouTube to find answers to problems they're having. If you have answers to their problems, YouTube is a great place to find your target audience. Take advantage of YouTube's high traffic rate to leverage your business's expertise by creating some creative and entertaining content for your target audience. And like Facebook, YouTube also offers advertisers some easy ways to find your ideal audience as well as tracking which video ads are working well, and how you can do it affordably. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/248

Really, AI has been around as long as computers have. But over time, AI and machine learning have been able to take over certain functions in more concise, error-proof, and productive ways than humans can. We have benefitted from this in ways that encompass Netflix being able to recommend the kind of shows we like based on our viewing history, all the way to bidding on PPC ads on our behalf based on certain data it's picked up from the various platforms. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/247

Businesses are always looking to find creative ways to target their audience, and geo-fencing fits that role perfectly. By setting up a geo-fence - or a virtual boundary - it allows businesses to access mobile device user's WiFi/cell date/GPS to trigger push notifications, text messages, alerts, and even targeted advertisements, to deliver location-based marketing data. Think of the possibilities. As a business you have the ability to potentially reach customers when they enter one of your competitor's businesses and hit them with an offer they can't refuse. You can literally aim your ads to customize your audience's local needs, and this is key for not only sales but for customer retention as well. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/246

Not all entrepreneurs and business owners are also financial wizards. That's why it's vital to make sure you have a person on your team that can pick up that task and do it in a way that shares your business growth vision, understands your needs, speaks to you in a way you understand, and doesn't just throw around fancy accounting jargon. But where do you start? Do you hire an accountant, a bookkeeper, a CFO? All of these roles perform essentially the same task, but the way they do it may or may not align with the way that's right for your particular business. Knowing where you're at, where you want to be, and what you need to do to get there are all part of what makes a good business finance officer. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/245

What happens when you let a Pinterest expert take over your business account? Rich Brooks found out the answer when he let Alisa Meredith do that very thing. The result: she helped him turn his dumpster fire into a well-oiled machine. If only more businesses saw Pinterest as the search engine that it is, instead of just a social site to pin crafty ideas. Pinterest can help build brand awareness and loyalty. It has its own amazing analytics to help you in your marketing campaigns and strategies. There are incredible opportunities here for content creators. You can use hashtags! Tune into this special episode (also available on video!), and see how to create a Pinterest business page that will help you direct traffic to your webpage and convert customers. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/244

You don't have to look far to find influencers. They're the people that have established their own following through their use of tools like blogs and social media to let their followers know when something is good (or less than stellar). It's amazing what people will do when they get something above and beyond what was expected. As a business, when you treat those customers in a way that makes them feel special, they are primed to become your biggest advocates, fans and influencers. They'll give you great reviews, tweet about you, blog about you, recommend you to friends and family. It's the kind of free marketing every business wants. When you find a way to intersect with your customer's lives instead of interrupting them and treating them like they come first, you're focusing on your influencers instead of just targeting to the general masses. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/243

Improvisation on stage can be a scary, intimidating thing. Sure, you have some rough guidelines and an end goal, but you're never quite sure of the twists and turns you'll take in the middle. Well, isn't business a lot like that, too? And just like the way an improv performer can reel in an audience with good storytelling, the same is true in business. We, as business owners and marketers, can borrow from improv to help us better interact and connect with our audience by creating layered stories, not being afraid to take risks, taking the lead and encouraging followers, as well as catering content to your ideal audience. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/242

Let's say you've already heard about the benefits of Facebook groups from other business owners and now you want to try your hand at using it to promote your brand, products, and services as well. Once you decide why and how you'll use the group, it's a good idea to set up some rules and parameters for potential members to adhere to. You can even require they answer a series of questions before you determine if they're a good fit for the group. Proper vetting is important because the success and growth of your Facebook group really depends on consistent engagement in the group. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/241