Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

In episode #594, Eric and Neil count the 7 unique marketing systems that always work. Tune in to hear what steps you should be taking to increase your revenue. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Unique Marketing Systems that Work [00:36] #1: Neil likes doing three meetings each week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). [00:49] Every Monday, they split up into teams of three and brainstorm ways to further the business. On Wednesday, they implement those ideas, and on Friday they discuss the results. [01:18] #2: At Eric’s company, they have an “innovation meeting” twice a month. [01:25] They do it over lunch in a conference room and they discuss movements in the industry. Everyone must participate and share. [02:10] #3: Create a team and a system to make your content more popular. [02:19] In Neil’s company, they have a team that specializes in improving previous content. [02:54] #4: Refer to Traction: The Entrepreneur’s Operating System. [03:14] Eric’s team has this type of meeting every Monday. These meetings involve scoreboards, to-do lists, and quarterly rocks. [03:45] This allows his team to systematically move forward. [03:53] #5: A re-test system. Things that worked a year ago are not going to work today. [04:09] Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn authorization used to drastically increase conversions, but now, because of privacy issues, in some cases it is decreasing conversions. [04:36] When running AB tests or marketing experiences, list them out and note the results for each one. [04:43] Take all the winners and re-test them a year from then. [05:08] #6: Personalized and scale your marketing. [05:24] Clearbit has a nice API, which Eric’s company uses to enrich emails and chats. [05:46] On Growth Everywhere, Eric spoke with the CEO of Drift. The CEO spoke about how they like to tailor their website to each customer. [06:29] #7: The Zebra System: if it looks like a Zebra, walks like a Zebra, eats like a Zebra: it’s a Zebra. [06:37] Whoever your ideal customer is, it is now a Zebra. Within your marketing framework, make sure you are only targeting Zebras. [06:47] Campaign Monitor grew by doing email marketing for designers. [06:52] Convert Kit grew by doing email marketing for bloggers. [06:55] There’s nothing wrong with picking a niche. [07:09] As you’re focusing in on a specific demo, you’ll find that as you grow, you will start getting away from your Zebra. Don’t do that too early, because it will hurt your revenue. [07:18] Build a check-in every quarter to make sure your marketing is still focused on the Zebra. [07:31] Once you are hitting over $8 Million in revenue, then you can consider expanding your focus. [07:49] That’s all for today! [07:52] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #593, Eric and Neil debate whether you need to spend money on a nice office. Tune in to hear the reasons you may need a great office space. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Is it Worth it Spending Money on a Nice Office? [00:51] In a collaborative environment, it’s good to have everyone in the same space. [01:14] Eric pays about $11,000 for three sections in co-working spaces. [01:35] Now, they’re moving into their own dedicated space. [01:49] Offices are good for recruiting, it’s a great space to bring clients into, and it’s nice to have a home base. [02:13] If you are looking to build a culture, you need to have your own dedicated space. [02:27] A crappy space creates a crappy feeling. [02:45]However, Neil thinks it’s a waste of money to have a nice office, even though offices do serve an important purpose. [03:10] He would rather save money on the office and spend it on food or other community-related activities and things that build culture. [04:07] Nice offices are good for creative businesses and it helps create a positive perception. [04:40] Marketing warrants a nice office, in Eric’s opinion. [05:01] Neil prefers to sublet for a year at a time. [05:54] He thinks it’s too risky to sign up for years at a time. [06:20] Consider whether your industry warrants having a nice office. [06:29] That’s all for today! [06:32] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #592, Eric and Neil discuss what you should do with your profits. Tune in to hear in what you should be investing. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: You Made a Bunch of Money. Now What? [00:45] If you make six figures, pay your expenses and live a minimalist lifestyle. [01:05] Put all your money back into your business. [01:28] Ray Dalio’s book has been helpful for determining what to do with your money. [01:54] Ray is a hedge fund manager; his book discusses the benefits and diversifying. [02:18] Warren Buffett typically makes ten to twenty investments at a time. [02:37] Invest back in yourself! [02:50] Invest back into your business! [03:22] Neil would take his profits and invest in more businesses. [03:40] He lost a lot of money this way. Focus on your core business. [03:44] Neil spoke with Brian Lee, head of Shoe Dazzle and Legal Zoom. He told Neil to have laser-sharp focus on his core business. [04:14] Only consider expanding when your core business has leveled off. [05:23] Eric watched a video about how to get richer. [05:45] He learned that taxes are 30-50%. [06:06] Eric recommends starting an LLC to run your expenses through. [06:21] That’s all for today! [06:25] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #591, Eric and Neil discuss the secret to engaging your customers in order to produce greater revenue. Tune in to hear the main thing you can do to generate sales. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Little Known Secret to Generating More Revenue From Every Customer [00:54] When you first sign up with Intercom, they have a great on-boarding email. [01:35] On-boarding is the biggest lever you can pull to generate more revenue. [01:53] When you buy a meal at McDonalds, they are always upselling (Fries? Super size?) [02:22] Upsell or downsell when people are checking out. [03:12] The upsell could be a software that does the work for you. [03:32] Your solution should be both speed and automation. [03:49] Dotcom Secrets is a great book about upselling and on-boarding. [04:05] Eric recommends Appcues, a cheaper option, or Intercom, which is known for their chat feature. [04:34] On-boarding isn’t just the first week, it’s about keeping customers engaged. [05:03] Customers who are successfully on-boarded are more likely to buy products and services. [05:40] That’s it for today! [05:42] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #590, Eric and Neil talk about delivering a remarkable customer service experience. Tune in to find out what it takes to create amazing experiences for your customers. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Secret to Delivering a Remarkable Customer Experience [00:35] If you really want to create amazing experiences that your customers love, you have to care about them. [01:00] Zappos goes above and beyond to delight their customers (fast shipping and easy returns). [01:45] Amazon bought Zappos some time ago and they are also a customer-focused company. [02:20] When Eric was in Japan, he stayed at the Prince Gallery and he found the customer service aspects remarkable. [02:36] He felt special and even minor details were attended to. [03:00] Think about creating remarkable experiences. [03:05] The Ritz Carlton does training in terms of customer experience and service; you can send your team there (for an expense), but they will learn a great deal. [03:30] Neil stayed in the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas and he saw notes that were left for employees and the customer service mantras they lived by. [04:25] They went above and beyond at no extra cost to Neil (except for tips). [04:55] The problem with affiliate marketing, is that you are really doing it for yourself. [05:27] That’s all for today! [05:29] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #589, Eric and Neil explain why you should hire developers to work as marketers. Tune in to hear why developers are so good at marketing. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why You Should Hire Developers as Marketers [00:35] Neil think developers are really good at understanding data and making changes. [00:54] They are amazing marketers because they are creative, make changes, and run tests without relying too heavily on others. [01:04] Marketers on the other hand, may have good ideas, but have to figure out how to get them implemented by someone else. [01:26] During Eric’s time at Treehouse, the CTO was a developer who would help him get things done. [01:36] The CTO didn’t know marketing, but learned as he went. [01:52] Engineers/Developers are self-motivated. [02:27] What Neil loves, is that they believe in the “quick and dirty” approach. [02:53] The one danger in hiring developers as marketers, is that they will sometimes run a lot of bad tests and you will lose revenue. [03:22] When you run a test and things go wrong, you will absolutely lose money. [03:52] Make sure that you have an individual contributor and also managers. [04:30] Neil thinks you should be paying $150,000-$200,000 for a good developer who understands marketing. [04:41] It doesn’t make sense for you to hire someone into this position unless you already have a business that is producing millions in revenue and you need more growth. [05:10] You don’t always have to pay a lot for good talent, but those with experience will cost more. [05:25] That’s all for today! [05:28] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #588, Eric and Neil discuss marketing tools that can help you grow your business. Tune in to hear which tools Eric and Neil swear by. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Unusual Marketing Tools That'll Help You Grow [00:37] Tool #1: Frame.io is a cool tool that allows you to leave feedback on videos to help push them through the creation process. [01:17] Tool #2: Zapier helps automate a lot of your marketing apps. It can connect with HubSpot or Drip. [01:50] Your marketing team doesn’t have to create systems to organize their output, because Zapier does it for you. [02:00] Tool #3: TubeBuddy allows you to AB test different thumbnails, schedule things ahead of time, and see which tags are viable for your YouTube videos. [02:15] It can also show you how other channels are doing in comparison to yours. [02:27] Tool #4: Full Story allows you to do user recordings “on steroids”. [03:00] Tool #5: Front is a collaborative email inbox. [03:15] You can assign emails to other people and make it available to them. [03:30] It also syncs with Base. [03:52] Tool #6: Clearbit helps you to connect with a lot of existing tools like Drip. It lets you know important background info on email and chat identities, so you know who the viable customers are. [04:44] Tool #7: Snip.ly lets you take posts and overlay your offer or content. [05:25] It helps to re-target people. [05:47] That’s it for today! [05:53] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #587, Eric and Neil tell you what to put in the very first email you send to customers. Tune in to hear why on-boarding is so vital to your success. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Here's the Very First Email that You Should Send to Customers [00:35] Send an email that helps them throughout their journey and experience. [00:47] Setting them up properly will give customers a positive experience and makes them more likely to remain satisfied customers. [01:24] Getting people on-boarded the right way is key. [02:10] On-boarding is one of the most important levers you can pull and can translate to long-term growth. [02:30] Intercom’s initial email explains how everything works and how you can get started. [02:49] Pat Flynn will send an email introducing himself and uses the tags in Convert Kit. [03:20] Neil’s Co-Founder did a test with About.me and he was able to get their revenue to increase 40 or 50%, just by creating a nice “getting started flow”. [03:52] Make sure to include a checklist or steps, so that people have a path to follow. [04:15] Intercom has a chat or email on-boarding feature that allows you to choose a path that works for you. [04:43] That’s all for today! [04:48] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #586, Eric and Neil explain how you can get rich people to part with their money. Tune in to hear how you can convince rich people to invest or become clients themselves. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Get Money out of Rich People [00:43] Eric has gotten money from people by networking and then identifying what their companies’ challenges were and coming up with solutions. [01:04] He waited a few months to hit these people up for money. [01:30] Get to know people before you ask for money! [01:50] Give help, show your value, and offer something. [02:15] Always ask what challenges they are facing, which is a great conversation starter. [02:45] Have multiple touchpoints and remain top-of-mind. [03:20] Nextiva was founded by the guys who created Endurance International and iPowerWeb. [03:40] Eric didn’t pitch the Nextiva founder; the founder reached out to get Eric speak at a conference. [04:00] Eric went because he saw Steve Wozniak would be speaking at this conference. [04:10] They then developed a relationship and he came to Eric to ask for help. [04:27] Usually, this is unique, but the key is they had established a relationship before the topic of business was broached. [05:24] That’s it for today! [05:28] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 In episode #585, Eric and Neil give you seven simple hacks that will increase your business. Tune in to hear how you can improve your ROI. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Age-Old Sales Hacks that Still Work Today [00:38] Hack #1:  Build a dream 100 (a list of clients you want to go after). [01:00] You can even build a dream 25, if that seems like a more attainable or realistic goal. [01:05] Hack #2: When trying to close a deal with a Fortune 100 company, send an email to the CEO that points out some weaknesses and solutions. [02:23] Hack #3: “The fortune is in the follow-up” -John Maxwell [02:42] If you follow up with the right people a couple of times, you will eventually receive a response. [03:10] Hack #4: Give before you ask. [03:20] Solve problems and educate people and they will be likely to become a paying customer. [03:50] Hack #5: Do something that stands out. [04:02] Some people bring a bottle of champagne or order tacos for the whole office, which will be sure to make you stand out. [04:37] Hack #6: Go to conferences. [04:46] Conferences are great places to get leads and will definitely increase your ROI. [05:17] Hack #7: Make your target the star. [05:35] Think about how you can make your target person or business a feature of your blog, podcast, video, etc. and it will entice them to work with you. [05:57] That’s all for today! [06:00] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.