Ahead of the Game

Digital transformation expert Clark Boyd and SEO expert Danny Richman discuss the impact of GPT on marketers, touching on topics like AI in content creation, legal implications, marketing strategies, staying informed on AI trends, chat GPT integration, and tips for utilizing AI effectively.

A brand is every interaction someone has with your business. Your brand identity is one part of that. Host Will Francis chats with Jason Byer of Crowdspring about what businesses of all levels, B2B or B2C, need to think about when approaching their branding, elements of authenticity and trust, and trends he sees coming down the line - like personalization and the rise of artificially generated designs. Jason's top tips on getting started on your brand or rebrand: 1. Look at other brands out there, not just your obvious competitors, and see who is offering a solution to a user's core problem. 2. Doing nothing is often a solution to a problem. 3. Think about where you can be different. 4. Then start the creative process. Check out Crowdspring's focus group tool The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. A full transcript of this episode is available on the DMI website, where you'll also find all our other episodes on our extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us! If you'd like to be a guest on the show, drop us a line at podcast@digitalmarketinginstitute.com.

On the first episode of this bright new year, host Will Francis welcomes Rhoan Morgan to the show. Rhoan is founder and CEO of the MarTech agency DemandLab, host of Revenue Rebels podcast and a monthly columnist for CMSWire. "Saying no is actually one of the most important things you have to learn because the agency will die unless you are quite specific and focused about what briefs you take on" Rhoan Morgan.  Working in marketing over several decades, Rhoan recounts how agency services, and life, have changed - to the point where things couldn't really be better! She offers insights into working with clients in a data-driven age, how to start and run your own agency while maintaining the right focus for your offerings, getting referrals, why awards and industry-recognition are so important (for clients), looking after your staff through training and benefits, as well as tips on how to deal with an agency from the other side. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. A full transcript of this episode is available on the DMI website, where you'll also find all our other episodes on our extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us! If you'd like to be a guest on the show, drop us a line at podcast@digitalmarketinginstitute.com.

Consultant, founder, strategist, and author Julie Atherton and customer relationship growth manager at Intercom Sean Gallagher join host Will Francis to tell us why Social Selling is more about value than sales. Julie and Sean discuss their original research, which Sean worked on while undertaking his master’s dissertation under Julie’s supervision. They also talk us through how a personal and company profile can complement one another, and how to go about starting meaningful relationships with industry leaders, among many other topics. Julie and Sean leave us with many practical sales tips on considering TikTok and other socials for selling, and the importance of consistency and genuineness in fostering leads. If you are interested in buying Julie's latest book "B2B Social Selling Strategy" then listen now to get an exclusive discount code from Julie. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. A full transcript of this episode is available on the DMI website, where you'll also find all our other episodes on our extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

It's here! Our roundup of 11 experts across digital marketing with their insights on what to look out for in 2023. Here's just some of the things they see coming up that marketers of all levels need to think about: the need to address cost of living crisis, a shift within infuencer marketing, social media going back to its roots and seeing some decentralization, further personalization and a push back to one-to-one interaction, data skills, the rise of super-apps, where is automation going, new responses to the shift in data, GA4, serious use of AI,  consumers' expectations of brands, and lots more! We were delighted to have our host Will Francis chat with: Ken Fitzpatrick of the DMI,  Neal Schaffer, Caitlin Seele of Drift , Kate Toon, Clark Boyd Julie Atherton, Alison Battisby, Cathal Melinn, Katrina Noelle, Stephen Walsh, and Chris Coomer of Neil Patel Accel From now until the end of the year, we will feature on our library further investigation of what 2023 may bring, including our December 13 free webinar. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. A full transcript of this episode is available on the DMI website, where you'll also find all our other episodes on our extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

How do brands know what their audience thinks or expects? By asking them, of course! That's the role of an insights expert like Katrina Noelle, founder of KNow Research . She joins Will Francis on the podcast to explain how that asking is done, and all that happens from that initial point of contact through to the all-important final insights - and even pearls - that come from the process. They chat about how market research has changed over the decades (short answer - customer expectations), tools for social listening, AI as friend or foe, and the importance of clean, reliable, and secure data. She offers advice on tools you can use, and adopting a mindset of listening to your audience at a myriad of sometimes surprising touchpoints. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. A full transcript of this episode is available on the DMI website, where you'll also find all our other episodes on our extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today  You can learn more about Katrina on her Twitter. If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us! Katrina's top 3 tips - Marketing Insights 1. Don't jump in and start doing research. 2. Write down a list of "I wish I knew" before doing any research 3. Place at any customer touchpoint an opt-in to sign up for participating in research.

Email marketing has been around for a while, but it’s still the ideal channel to span the entire marketing funnel. And it’s free! In this episode, host Will Francis talks to Head of Digital Marketing at Drift, Caitlin Seele, on how we can integrate email marketing with all other strategies and keep it as part of the overall conversation. They chat about subject lines, smart scheduling, and A/B testing, as well as logistics of aligning internal strategies to nurture tactics throughout the funnel and how to exploit the new reality of first-party data. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. A full transcript of this episode is available on the DMI website, where you'll also find all our other episodes on our extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today and gain access to our ultimate email marketing guide. You can learn more about Drift on their website, Twitter, LinkedIn, and on their podcast, Conversation Starters. If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Host Will Francis chats with Mischa McInerney, DMI's CMO, about essential digital marketing skills. They discuss data understanding, CX & UX interest, and the importance of soft skills. Topics include automation, omnichannel, and CRO. They also touch on creativity, hybrid working, and interview questions.

B2B marketing hardly comes to mind when discussing fun and creative practices in digital marketing. Is it because B2B marketing is just boring? Is there room for creativity in B2B marketing?  In this edited episode, Host Will Francis brings you some of the most creative and unusual B2B marketing practices mentioned during his previous chats with B2B marketing experts. Banks being cool, dentists using TikTok, and B2B influencer campaigns are some of the topics Will discusses with our experts Linda Mullen, Dominik Schneider, and Lee Odden. Did you witness any other creative and fun B2B marketing practices? Share your experience with us now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. A full transcript of this episode is available on our website, where you'll also find all our other episodes on our extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute. If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

As we go back to the office or try out a hybrid working setup, staying productive while maintaining one’s mental health is as important as ever. In this edited episode, Host Will Francis brings you some of the best productivity tips and methods unearthed during his chats with some of our previous guests. Whether it’s using the Mind Map method, trying out Deep Work, or simply Eating (and Swallowing) the Frog, the tips from our experts Joe Williams, Alison Battisby, or Kevin Reid are as helpful and insightful as always. For more productivity tips and hacks, check out the full episode with each expert: Productivity Tips for Freelancer Marketers with Joe Williams Staying Productive while Running your own Company with Alison Battisby How does a career coach manage his own time? with Kevin Reid A full transcript of this episode is available on our website, where you'll also find all our other episodes on our extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!