Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

In episode #495, Eric and Neil point out six ways to exponentially increase traffic to your site. Tune in to hear about simple and effective ways to boost your business’ visibility. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:28] Today’s Topic: 6 Ways to Exponentially Increase Your Traffic [00:34] Repurposing or updating your content increases hits to your site. You can reevaluate your content every few months. [01:15] Take the existing content from your website and put the opening lines or entire opening paragraph on LinkedIn and include a link to the full content located on your site. [01:45] Because LinkedIn isn’t as popular a networking site, it is more likely for them to push your content. [02:10] Another strategy is to use paid Twitter ads; engagement is high. [03:24] Try using SEMRush and Ahrefs in tandem: SEMRush will show you your competitors’ traffic, while Ahrefs will help you see the backlink count for their most popular pages. Take this intel and use it to write similar, but better content. [05:28] The sixth way to increase traffic: translate your content into other languages. English-speaking markets aren’t the only ones with money! [06:17] SalesForce’s number two market is Japan. [06:25] Find freelance translators on Upwork, so you get better quality work than you would a translation tool. [06:37] Make sure you use “HREFLANG”, because it will tell search engines that you have content in multiple languages. [06:55] Make sure you use subdomains for other countries. [07:15] Pick regions with high populations and high GDPs. You may corner the market in certain countries, because not everyone is doing this. [07:43] That’s all for today! [07:45] Supermetrics is a powerful analytics reporting tool. It does things other analytics tools cannot do! To learn more go to Supermetrics.com/marketingschool. 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 #494, Eric and Neil talk about ways to promote your business and retain customers without resorting to sleazy tactics. Tune in to hear how you can promote your business in an easy and fun way. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:28] Today’s Topic: Top Marketing Tools to Win Business Without Being Sleazy [00:35] An email service provider helps you send good content and increase business in a non-sleazy way. [01:02] Reaching out to customers or other companies individually provides value and goes a long way in retaining their patronage. [01:05] Neil also recommends checking out WebinarJam, because you can promote a product or service through “educating” clients. [02:00] WebinarJam is the best service, as they offer better tools to optimize your business. [02:50] Have some form of live chat available on your site. Intercom or Drift are great services for this, as they are more relaxed and conversational. [03:50] At Nextcon, Eric and Neil spoke with the conference founder who said he gets his customers through a three-way split: lead forms, phone numbers, live chat. [04:26] Tubebuddy allows you to schedule posts on Facebook and is a great YouTube analytics tool. [05:27] You can also try VideoRemix or PicSnippets for images. [05:45] Personalized messages always perform better. People also respond to quirky content. [06:35] MixMax is an email follow-up tool that Neil swears by; you can schedule email sequences. [07:24] “The fortune is in the follow-up” [07:45] That’s all for today! [07:47] Supermetrics makes it easy to set up good-looking reports that make sense. To learn more go to Supermetrics.com/marketingschool. 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 #493, Eric and Neil discuss how you can create paid ad funnels through which you can drive traffic to your site and earn revenue through sales. Tune in to hear some great tips on how to automate your business in your absence. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Step Away From Your Business So It Grows on Its Own. [00:35] Neil believes you need a “funnel”. [00:47] If you can take your marketing funnel and fine tune it, you can constantly make income whether you are there or not. You can use tools like ClickFunnels. [01:07] Use Facebook to advertise, get people to register for a webinar, and then pitch your ebook or course (all of which brings in income). [01:27] You can also drive traffic through Google AdWords or YouTube. [01:52] You can also upsell (or downsell) different products and generate more interest and income. [02:22] The more products that you have to offer, the easier it is to step away from your business and still generate income. [02:38] It’s a similar concept for service businesses when using funnels. [03:15] When hiring people, you need to make sure you have a solid training process. [03:50] Eric likes to let new hires know about his shortcomings so they are prepared and understand the office culture. [04:30] Neil likes to hire people who can hit the ground running; he likes to hire from competitors within the industry, because they are already trained. [05:20] Set up a 365 day timeline for you business, so it will help you focus on goals and make sure the business can grow without you. [06:22] If people aren’t motivated by the same things the boss is, it will make it hard to keep the business growing in the boss’ absence. [07:02] Find employees who are willing to take the lead and incentivize their goals by giving bonuses. [07:30] Set up a bonus structure. [08:00] Employees stay much longer when they are incentivized by bonus structures. [08:20] Make sure your bonuses reset, so each quarter or year you’re coming up with new (but realistic) bonus numbers. [08:41] That’s all for today! [08:43] Eric and Neil recommend the Problem Solvers podcast, because there is an episode about Burrow, the Dollar Shave Club for couches. To listen go to singlegrain.com/solve. 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 #492, Eric and Neil talk about how to manage your business while traveling. Tune in for some great tips on how to stay involved while also trusting others to step up in your absence. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:22] Today’s Topic: How to Run a Business While Traveling [00:31] Eric and Neil are going to try a new format for the next twenty or so episodes about this type of content and would like your feedback. [01:05] Eric likes to make sure he has ironed out processes and delegated important tasks before he travels. [01:40] Traveling internationally doesn’t mean you can’t reach your team; you can still work in your current time zone. [02:10] Compromising with your leisure and work time while traveling is the best way to get everything done. [02:30] Having amazing managers in place means you can actually enjoy your travels and have fewer work responsibilities while you’re away. [03:10] Parkinson’s Law applies: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” [03:50] Just because you own the business, does not mean that you have to do everything: reliable employees are key. [04:06] Eric recommends Insta Sleep to help you get your rest on the plane and adjust to another time zone. [05:30] Traffic is the lifeblood of your business. [05:55] Eric recommends Traction as required reading. [06:45] Eric and his team use Slack and 15Five to keep organized and in touch. [07:20] It’s important to have systems in place to retain excellent workers. [07:40] Always use the plane’s WiFi, so you can communicate and get work done on the go. [08:15] The American Express Platinum card gets you travel perks that offset the costs of membership. [08:33] That’s it for today! [08:42] Eric and Neil recommend the Problem Solvers podcast, because there is an episode about Burrow, the Dollar Shave Club for couches. To listen go to singlegrain.com/solve. 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 #491, Eric and Neil explain the purpose of Google’s AMP and why it may be killing your revenue. If you are an e-commerce business, this episode should be of particular interest to you. Tune in to discover how AMP is hurting your business. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27]   Today’s Topic: Google’s AMP Is Killing Your Revenue [00:35] Explaining the purpose of Google’s AMP. [01:13] When stripping down sites for mobile access, it strips away ads to get the sites to load more quickly. [01:30] Reasons why certain countries have different rates of search traffic. [02:30] Why your revenue will tank in spite of search traffic increases. [03:13] Even though Google says they are adding tools for publishers, take it with a grain of salt. [03:35] If you are an e-commerce business, it can be detrimental to use AMP. [03:48] That’s it for today! [03:50] Marketing School is giving away a 90-day free trial to Crazy Egg, which is a visual heat-mapping tool. [03:55] Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your free copy. You can also learn how to win a one-year subscription to Crazy Egg.  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 #490 of Marketing School, Eric and Neil explain why social media scheduling tools can hurt your numbers in terms of reach. Ultimately, live posts are still where it’s at. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:30] Today’s Topic: Buffer and Hootsuite Are Hurting Your Facebook Reach [01:05] When using Buffer and Hootsuite to schedule posts, it doesn’t get nearly as much engagement as “live” posts or by using Facebook’s own tools. [01:54] These tools are ok to use with Twitter. [02:19] They ultimately recommend to avoid using tools and post manually. [02:20] That’s it for today! [02:22] Marketing School is giving away a 90-day free trial to Crazy Egg, which is a visual analytics tool. [02:28] Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your free copy. You can also learn how to win a one-year subscription to Crazy Egg. 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 #489, Eric and Neil give advice on how to increase the number of your Instagram followers. A lot of it is as simple as interacting and engaging others on the social media platform. Listen in for more specific advice on how to get your first thousand followers. Time-Stamped Show Notes:  [00:28] Today’s Topic: How to Get Your First 1,000 Instagram Followers [00:44] Gaining Instagram followers by doing “shout for shout” [01:59] Promote your social media profiles by cross-linking them all and linking to them from your website. [02:58] It’s harder to rank on Google organically, because if it wasn’t, they wouldn’t get money from ad revenue. [03:14] If you have an email list, link to your social media profiles in your blasts. [03:50] Interact and engage on Instagram to make your profile more visible. [04:35] That’s it for today! [04:37] Marketing School is giving away a 90-day free trial to Crazy Egg, which is a visual analytics tool. [04:43] Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your free copy. You can also learn how to win a one-year subscription to Crazy Egg. 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 #488 of Marketing School, Eric and Neil discuss whether it is better to hire an agency or a freelancer to market your business. Tune in to learn which approach is best for you and your company. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Should You Work with an Agency or Hire Freelancers? [00:36] Establish a goal. [01:15] Freelancers are great if you have a lot of time to manage people; plus it’s more cost-effective. [01:46] Agencies tend to move faster than the companies that hire them; hire them if you need someone to push you. [02:33] You can find freelancers on sites like Upwork, Problogger, or Fivrr. [03:38] You can use tools like Hubstaff to manage your freelancers (it takes screenshots and helps to track their time). [04:15] Before you hire anyone, be sure to ask what they are going to do for your business. [05:00] Check agencies’ and freelancers’ past work, experiences, and ratings. [05:33] That’s it for today! [05:35]  Marketing School is giving away a 90-day free trial to Crazy Egg, which is a visual analytics tool. [05:42] Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your free copy. You can also learn how to win a one-year subscription to Crazy Egg. 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 #487, Eric and Neil discuss how to learn copywriting when you suck at writing. Tune in to learn that you don’t have to be an expert writer to be a copywriter. Focus on overcoming objections and solving problems. They also shares books, tools, and helpful resources. Time-stamped show notes: [00:28] - Today's topic: How to Learn Copywriting When You Suck at Writing [00:43] - If you suck at writing, it doesn't mean you can't do copywriting to compel people to take action. [01:00] - Read Persuasion by Robert Cialdini and The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert. [01:53] - Neil is great at copywriting, but not writing. He learned he doesn't have to be the best writer from Frank Kern. [02:26] - You just need to be able to answer the customer's objection. [02:43] - Survey your visitors and find their objections. Use SurveyMonkey or any survey tool. [02:49] - Find out why people aren't converting and answer those objections in your copy. [03:08] - Solving people's problems will make them much more likely to convert. [03:27] - AppSumo is based on sending emails. Neville Medhora from Kopywriting Kourse helped Noah Kagan build AppSumo. [03:37] - You have to have good copy when sending emails. [03:58] - Also check out CopyBlogger and the podcast from John McIntyre and Ben Settle’s emails. [04:15] - When looking at copywriting think of the concept of Seinfeld emails: talking about nothing or the story of your day and weaving in your offer. [05:14] - Conversion rates are 1 to 3 percent. To get people to convert, you have to create multiple ways to help your customers convert into buyers. [06:29] - Talking to people and presenting information in the right scenario can also help with conversion. [06:41] - That's it for today! [06:45] - Marketing School is giving away a 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool. Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your FREE copy. [06:53] - You can also learn how to win a one-year subscription to Crazy Egg.  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 #486, Eric and Neil discuss how to create the perfect “About” page. Tune in to learn how to have an About page that resonates with people through storytelling, connecting emotionally, and giving readers next steps to follow. Time-stamped show notes: [00:28] - Today's topic: How to Create the Perfect About Page [00:35] - The Single Grain About page describes our process, who we have contributed to, and our core values. [01:12] - Neil's About page is a story. Storytelling is one of the most powerful forms of marketing. [01:21] - Create a story with an emotional punch and you are more likely to convert those people into customers. [01:44] - Also give next steps about what people should do after reading your story. [02:30] - The story needs to resonate with people. [02:49] - Neil's About page used to have an image of Neil and things he liked, such as tacos. [03:16] - Think about how to connect and resonate with people. [03:25] - We speak at conferences to connect with people and find their story. [03:35] - That's it for today! [03:37] - Marketing School is giving away a 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool. Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your FREE copy. [03:49] - You can also learn how to win a one-year subscription to Crazy Egg.  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.