The Long Game

Good copywriting is about persuasion, not manipulation. It’s getting someone to do something that’s in their best interest through writing. And it’s the “best interest” part that’s important. Effective website copy moves people from Point A—where they are now—to Point B, where things will be better for them. SaaS Consultant & Copywriter Josh Garofalo has spent several years learning what does and doesn’t work when it comes to website copy with his business, Sway Copy. In this episode, he explains the human-centered tactics that are a win-win for both company and customer.Show TopicsPersuade, don’t manipulateLeverage tactics with empathyAmp up your testimonialsNail your headlines and keep features togetherPut your value first on your pricing pageShow what gaps you fillCheck out Sway CopyFollow Josh Garofalo on LinkedIn or Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

The ease of publishing content online means anyone can become a content creator with the click of a mouse. So how do companies make their content stand out in the endless sea of ad campaigns and marketing tactics? Sam Chapman is a content strategist, brand builder, and storyteller. As Content Director at Aprimo, he heads up brand experience and creative direction, and mapping content strategy to growth objectives. Sam has over a decade of experience in content operations, communications, and brand management for startup and global B2B tech organizations.In this episode, Sam gives us his thoughts on building competitive marketing content, the importance of thought leadership, and how to keep creatives from burning out.Show TopicsDon’t make content transactionalAdapt to non-linear strategiesDevelop authentic connectionsBuild an ongoing conversationPrioritize quality contentCheck out AprimoFollow Sam Chapman on LinkedIn Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Marketing agencies are a dime a dozen, but Tyler Hakes wanted to build Optimist differently. Tyler found himself often frustrated that companies and agencies often play a game of telephone, never actually speaking with the people who were creating content on their behalf.That’s why Optimist functions as a collective of high-level freelancers of varying specialties, who come together to take content strategy for Optimist’s clients from end-to-end. In this episode, Tyler shared the lessons he’s learned over the past 5 years of running Optimist, and why he always thinks of content in terms of ROI-driving assets. Show TopicsA decentralized agency modelWhy strategy is more important than contentDon’t be scared to sellThink of your content as assetsCheck out OptimistFollow Tyler Hakes on LinkedIn or Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Many people think of testing and optimization as selecting one tactic and then seeing if it has a positive or negative impact. But that’s just validating ideas, and not the best way to maximize outcomes or profit. In fact, that approach has a less than 10% success rate in terms of winning experiments. According to Andrew Anderson, Head of Website Optimization Programs at ZenBusiness, the better way to experiment is to move from a validation mindset to a discovery and exploitation mindset. In this episode, Andrew explains what this tactic looks like and how it can be applied to websites, content, and growth. Andrew has been described as "The Most Passionate Optimizer in the World".He also touches on how and why he got into writing and blogging, and how he constructs articles which is completely different from the typical SEO model. It’s a really fascinating discussion. We hope you enjoy.Show TopicsHow an exploitation mindset increases your chances of successLearn from what doesn't work, not just what doesThe importance of discipline-based testingMeasure what’s relevant to your businessTie experimentation to growthShow Links Check out ZenBusinessFollow Andrew Anderson on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

If you have any familiarity with SEO, you’ve heard of EAT: Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. It’s part of the guidelines by which Google judges the effectiveness of its algorithm and a benchmark for content creators. Like anything else in the SEO world, people have tried to hack it, but in this episode of The Long Game, Kevin Indig, Director of SEO for Shopify, explains how to authentically establish trust in your content so that it inspires shares and links, and fuels your entire content machine. This episode is shorter than usual because it was part of our Office Hours series, a bi-monthly virtual event where we get the best speakers and experts in content, SEO, and marketing to give 20 min practical talks for our audience. Register for free.Show TopicsHave an SEO sandbox to experiment inCreate content only you can createBuild trust with backlinks and robust evidenceGive high quality recommendationsIncrease trust and authority with original dataIndividual growth leads to company growthShow Links Check out ShopifyCheck out Kevin-Indig.comFollow Kevin Indig on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

SEO is often presented as a huge checklist of things that need to be done before you can even consider hitting publish. Miss a step and your content will be dead on arrival. But the truth is some of those things can make a big impact on how content ranks, but some of it is just noise. Dan Shure, founder of Evolving SEO and host of Experts on the Wire, said good SEO comes down to paying equal attention to both the big picture of content—the structure and purpose—and the small details that make a difference. Getting too bogged down by one or the other will lead to content that flops. In this episode, Dan explains how he handles that balance and tunes out the rest. Tune in for a massive amount of actionable tips on SEO strategy.Show TopicsPay attention to the big picture and small detailsDon’t waste time on perfect if imperfect will doNail first sentencesLabel content typesFit the structure to the keywordPut SEO over promotionShow LinksCheck out Evolving SEOFollow Dan Shure on LinkedIn or TwitterListen to Dan’s podcast: Experts on the WireConnect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Journalists often make the best marketers. That’s because journalists are trained to focus on the human element of a story, and good marketers understand what drives a human connection with content. According to Chelsea Castle, former journalist and Director of Content at Chili Piper, the best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing. She talked to us about how to keep the human on the other end in mind when creating content and shared the two things that all content marketers should stop doing to better engage with their audience.Show TopicsUse journalism skills in marketingCreate content with tangible takeawaysBalance analytics with other measuresCultivate content from the whole companyRethink gated content and the traditional SaaS funnelUse passive CTAsCheck out Chili PiperFollow Chelsea Castle on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Freelance content creators wear a lot of hats while working their day jobs: writer, business manager, and client liaison, to name a few. There is always a new skill to learn or process to polish up on. But it’s hard to know which areas freelancers should focus on when they’re trying to grow their skills. As the founder of Stories By Us and co-host of the podcast Freelance Writing Coach, Emma Siemasko knows a thing or two about finessing the freelance life. In this episode, she talks to Allie about how she creates awesome case studies for her clients, the merits of content journalism, and why creating a podcast is both important and fun. Show TopicsCultivate your managerial sideHave a goal in mindMinimize your toolsLearn from your communityBuild your business on relationshipsShow LinksCheck out Stories By UsFollow Emma Siemasko on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

When you think of content marketing, you probably think of blog articles and social media posts. But great content marketing goes beyond just words and includes the whole experience of copy, design, and frameworks. It’s all of the things that work in tandem with the writing. For Ross Hudgens, founder and CEO of Siege Media, the thing that has set his agency apart is its focus on good design. It’s what’s landed them bigger upmarket brands like Casper and Zillow. In this episode, Ross talked to us about how his agency puts an emphasis on UX design as well as how their approach to SEO has evolved over time to help their clients improve their rankings.Show TopicsEvolve your SEO from link building to designBuild passive link assetsSell brands on UX designMatch patterns in contentContent marketing is more than writingTest content on social media firstShow LinksCheck out Siege MediaFollow Ross Hudgens on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

What should a content marketer be goaled on? This is a tricky question, as business goals and content marketing goals aren’t always one and the same. While content marketing initiatives do need to be strategized and held accountable in one way, shape, or form, the big question is: how? This topic was inspired by a Slack forum conversation where a content marketer was bemoaning being goaled on leads attributed directly to content. Their reasoning? That this type of revenue-driven goal clashed with a customer-focused approach, where some of the true value of content marketing lies. In this Kitchen Side episode, where we take you behind the scenes at our agency, we invited Tommy Walker to join us to think through what content goals make sense, and when. Listen in to hear our thoughts on long-term, goal-oriented thinking. Show TopicsRevenue is always the top priorityWhen to focus on organic trafficWhen to focus on return visitorsBusiness goals versus marketing strategyEvery goal has a tradeoffDon’t become a soul-sucking content farmTake risks and re-evaluateCheck out The Content StudioFollow Tommy Walker on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with Alex on LinkedIn or TwitterConnect with David on LinkedIn or Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/