Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

In Episode #385, Eric and Neil discuss how to monitor your backlinks in 15 minutes or less per week. Tune in to learn the advantages of checking your backlinks—such as building your network and watching for those who can negatively affect your Google search ranking. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Monitor Your Backlink Profile in 15 Minutes or Less in a Week 00:34 – Neil uses Ahrefs to continuously see which sites link to him 00:43 – It’s not time intensive and he checks three to four times a week 01:18 – You monitor your backlinks because a site that consistently links to you can penalize you and screw up your search ranking 01:30 – Eric checks his backlinks to build relationships 02:03 – Eric uses Ahrefs as well and sets alerts weekly 02:35 – There are other links that can be missing that you need to watch for 02:40 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 03:28 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 03:35 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Reach out to those who link to you and try to build your network. You can check your backlinks through Ahrefs which already has detailed data regarding your backlinks profile. Be careful with who links to you so you can avoid getting penalized by Google. 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 #384, Eric and Neil discuss why it’s important to diversify your traffic sources. Tune in to know the key traffic sources you should be leveraging and why you shouldn’t focus on just one traffic source. You’ll also discover the top, highest ROI marketing strategy to date. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Why It's Important To Diversify Your Traffic Sources 00:40 – Even if Neil is getting traffic from content marketing, if Google decides to ban him, it’s gone forever 00:57 – Therefore, you need to diversify your traffic sources 01:07 – There are a lot of people who have invested everything on SEO; they were clueless about what to do after an update 01:26 – You should have a good mixture of everything, like Google News traffic 01:35 – Social media channels are the best sources of traffic, not just Facebook 01:40 – Your choices are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and Quora 01:52 – Paid advertising drives traffic 02:03 – Create videos or audio files to get into other communities like iTunes and YouTube 02:23 – Make sure you’re collecting emails, too 02:42 – It’s still one of the highest ROI in marketing activities 02:53 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 03:38 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 03:50 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Diversifying your traffic sources gives you more chances to stay in the game should some of your platforms decide to ban or remove you. Leverage ALL social media platforms—this will cover you. Building an email list still drives the most traffic so make it your priority. 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 #383, Eric and Neil discuss how to make users watch your full video. Tune in to learn what strategies you can employ to keep your audience engaged. You’ll find the value of a good hook and the importance of producing high quality videos—all tactics that Neil has used to ensure people stick around to the end of your video. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Make Users Watch Your Full Video 00:40 – To make users stay, mention at the start of the video that you have something for them at the end of the video 00:46 – It entices people and it’s a strategy that works well 01:01 – “Have a really good hook in the intro” 01:18 – When Neil creates a video with a number of tactics, he will say that ONE of them will help the viewers immensely, so they should stick around and watch the whole video 02:05 – Eric tends to watch videos that are 5-10 minutes long 02:19 – Keep your video in high quality and make sure it’s well produced, even if it’s short 02:44 – Add some animation to your videos 03:11 – Neil’s editors continually adjust the frames 03:23 – This way, the viewers won’t get bored 03:45 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 04:24 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:34 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Entice people by having a great hook at the start of the video; having a surprise for them at the end can also work to keep them watching. A short, well-produced, high quality video is more likely to get watched than longer, poorer quality one. Add animation, adjust your frames—do what you need to do to keep your video enticing. 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.

Dive into the essentials of calculating customer lifetime value, especially for SaaS models. Discover a straightforward formula that considers churn rates and average payments. Learn about handy tools like Mixpanel and RJMetrics that simplify the process. The hosts share practical examples and insights, emphasizing the importance of selecting the right calculation method for your business. Get ready to enhance your marketing strategies with valuable tips and tools to boost customer retention!

In Episode #381, Eric and Neil discuss the difference between macro and micro-conversions. Tune in as Eric and Neil define what these conversions are and which ones deserve more of your attention and focus, what you need to track and how often, and which conversions (micro or macro) deserve an A/B test. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: The Difference Between Macro and Micro-Conversions 01:09 – Your funnel has a lot of small steps which are considered “micro” and the large step is the actual act of purchasing 01:24 – How many micro-conversions should you be tracking? 01:51 – When Neil does A/B test, he only looks at macro conversions 02:00 – “I really do focus on the bottom line which is sales and revenue” 02:19 – You want people to convert to buy, so that’s what you should be optimizing in an A/B test 02:28 – When Eric started, he used to track micro-conversions, like click through rates for example, which led to him losing his focus 02:50 – Make sure you focus on the RIGHT things 02:59 – You can look at micro things once in awhile, but don’t let it be your main focus 03:02 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 03:51 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:00 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Micro-conversions are the small steps that lead to the purchase, which is called the macro-conversion. Your main focus should always be on the sales, don’t let micro-conversions steal your focus. You can track micro-conversions every now and then, but it’s not necessary to do this on a daily basis. 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 #380, Eric and Neil discuss how to ramp up content production. Tune in to learn how to maintain structure, quality and form when it comes to rapid content production. You’ll also learn how known influencers, such as Chalene Johnson and Gary Vaynerchuk, successfully repurpose their content across several media channels. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Ramp Up Content Production 00:54 – Eric grows his business by creating content and building relationships 01:15 – In rapid content production, he creates batches of content 01:45 – Hiring several content writers can help you ramp up your content production, you can find writers at ProBlogger 01:55 – The key in increasing content production is setting up a guideline or rubric that outline your writing format and expectations 02:10 – Neil’s structure includes an introduction, conclusion, body in the middle broken down into subheadings with targeted keywords 02:21 – Neil gets topics from BuzzSumo 02:28 – Neil goes to Ahrefs to see his competitor’s search traffic 02:32 – From the research, Neil gains writing ideas such as variations to competitors’ posts which are better and more thorough 02:58 – Chalene Johnson sells Instagram courses and she usually posts livestreams of herself talking about anything under the sun 03:17 – The topics in the video will also become blog posts and/or social images 03:31 – Gary Vaynerchuk creates videos and segments them to different social media posts 03:56 – Eric is trying other ways to repurpose content in order to grow more 04:19 – You can try different formats of content 04:25 – Eric and Neil recreate Marketing School posts using different formats and across different platforms 04:46 – Execute one of the methods above and you’ll definitely see changes 05:15 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool that shows where people click; you can also make changes on your website 05:42 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 05:55 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: You grow your business by creating content and building your relationships. Have a writing guideline or rubric that you (and other writers) to make the process a lot easier, faster and consistent in quality. Repurpose your content across different mediums and in a variety of forms—especially the content that has always performed well. 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 #379, Eric and Neil discuss what link blending is and how to do it fast. Tune in to learn how to execute link blending as a part of your process for boosting your rank. You’ll learn just what it takes to be in a “good neighborhood” with others who have similar content and keywords as you. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: What Is Link Blending (and How To Do It Fast) 00:39 – Eric shares how his friendship with Neil started 00:41 – Eric was just starting when Neil wrote a post about link blending 00:45 – Since Eric didn’t understand what Neil’s post was about, Eric reached out to Neil to ask more questions about link blending 01:01 – Link blending is when someone links out to you, like a Wikipedia article for example, and ranks for the keyword you want to rank for 01:12 – Then, they will link to someone who is in the top 20 for the keyword that you want to rank for without using an anchor text for other links—Google will read that you’re in a good neighborhood 01:33 – It’s easier to control link blending if you’re building links through black hat ways 01:39 – In link blending, you should know who’s linking to your competitors that are at the top 01:43 – If you build links to those sites, you’ll be in a good neighborhood 01:51 – Your ranking will grow faster 01:53 – If someone is already ranking for your keyword and links to you from their page, your rankings will go up because your content is similar 02:03 – Link blending is a way to make sure you’re in a good neighborhood and your links are relevant 02:15 – There’s a template that needs to be followed in guest posting 02:48 – There’s a lot of link blending happening with guest posting in big publications 03:17 – Link blending is a process that is good to have on your checklist 03:34 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 03:59 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:11 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Link blending is about being in a good neighborhood with sites that have relevant content who also rank well. Guest posting helps with link blending, but there’s a template or process that needs to be made and followed. Link blending is a process that is good to have on your checklist. 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 #378, Eric and Neil discuss the marketing benefits of Google Tag Manager. Tune in to learn why marketers need to be using Google Tag Manager today and why you will no longer be needing to depend on your developer to get certain tasks done. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: The Marketing Benefits of Google Tag Manager 00:35 – Google Tag Manager manages your pixels, is free to use and makes your life easier 00:49 – When Eric was just starting, he had to beg developers to get something done 01:08 – With different tools nowadays like Crazy Egg and Optimizely, the marketers are now able to control the pixels without going to the developer 01:20 – With Google Tag Manager, you can easily add tags to relevant pages without being a coder 01:30 – You won’t be needing your developers to add the code when you’re using Google Tag Manager 01:50 – Most websites should be using Google Tag Manager 01:56 – Measure School focuses on Google Tag Manager and offers some tips and tricks for it 02:30 – Segment is very similar to Google Tag Manager 02:38 – As a business owner, you should know the tools that your people are using 02:55 – With Google Tag Manager, it encourages you to annotate each change that you make 03:18 – Eric’s website experienced a glitch and he was able to find the cause using Google Tag Manager 03:35 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg, a visual analytics tool that shows you where people click, how far they scroll and allows you to run A/B tests 04:12 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:24 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Google Tag Manager lets you apply changes to your website successfully without the help of a developer. Annotating the changes that you made on your site makes it easier for you to revert to your previous site, if you encounter a glitch. Leverage Google Tag Manager, it will make your life and work a breeze. 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 #377, Eric and Neil discuss the tried and tested methods for building local links. Tune in to learn the simple steps that will help you increase your rank on a local scale. You’ll also find out who you need to be reaching out to when it comes to asking for those links. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Tried and Tested Ways of Building Local Links 00:41 – When it comes to local SEOs, citations are important 00:45 – A citation can be counted as a link 00:56 – You can get multiple citations from Whitespark and Moz Local 01:05 – Another way to get a citation is to reach out to the local chamber of commerce 01:13 – They also have events where you can network with people 01:41 – Reach out to people and try to add value 01:46 – Local stores take anything that can help their business 02:00 – It’s a lot easier to rank for local keywords 02:14 – Go to Ahrefs and put in your competing URLs within your region 02:26 – Reach out to those linking to them and ask for links 02:35 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which helps you increase your conversion rate 03:28 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 03:35 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Reach out to your local market to get citations. Build a network with your local stores and always try to add value to them. Check your competitors and get in touch with those who are linking to them. 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 #376, Eric and Neil discuss whether it is better to create a mobile website or a mobile app. Tune in to decide whether it’s worth your time to create an app or just focus on your website being optimized for mobile. Eric and Neil discuss what they prefer and why it depends on your niche. They also emphasize that whatever route you take—mobile app or website—make sure you focus on making the BEST user experience possible. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Is It Better to Create a Mobile Website or a Mobile App? 00:40 – Eric personally prefers creating a mobile website that is a responsive website 00:58 – Eric also has a mobile app that they built with BuildFire 01:03 – It includes their podcast 01:16 – Unless you’re providing a unique function that requires an app, having a website is just fine 01:40 – Prioritize making the best user experience when it comes to your product 01:52 – Neil created an app before but the usage isn’t very high 02:00 – Mobile optimized websites are simpler and drives more users 02:22 – A website is enough for those content-oriented sites, just make it sure it’s optimized for mobile 02:40 – Eric shares a study regarding app usage 03:30 – Neil has less than 10 apps on his phone 03:35 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool that helps you increase your conversion rate 04:40 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:44 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: The percentage that describes mobile app usage varies per industry. Consider your audience when creating a mobile website or mobile app—are they more likely to use the app directly or just stick with the browser to check your product? Eric and Neil both agree that it is better to focus on mobile websites rather than an app if your site is more content-oriented. 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.