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Eric Siu and Neil Patel
Neil Patel and Eric Siu bring you daily ACTIONABLE digital marketing lessons that they've learned through years of being in the trenches. Whether you have a new website or you're an established business, you'll learn the latest SEO, content marketing, social media, email marketing, conversion optimization and general online marketing strategies that work today from people that actually practice marketing and operate business. Approaching 100M downloads with 2,500+ episodes, you're sure to find something that will help you grow faster. Also don't forget to subscribe to our Marketing School Youtube channel to get more marketing goodness.
Episodes
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Aug 10, 2017 • 9min
How to Distribute Your Podcast | Ep. #375
In Episode #375, Eric and Neil discuss how to distribute your podcast. Not everyone is on YouTube or iTunes. With all the platforms that are out there for broadcasting podcasts, it’s your responsibility as a podcaster to get your content to the people. Tune in to learn where you can go to broadcast your work, the many different ways to expand your reach, and the importance of asking other bloggers, listeners, and websites that you link to share your podcast! Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Distribute Your Podcast
00:34 – “A podcast is all about getting reach at the end of the day” 00:39 – Eric hosts their podcast on Libsyn 00:59 – With Libsyn, it will publish automatically on YouTube and on Soundcloud
01:15 – Not all people are on iTunes, so spread your podcast anywhere you can 01:17 – Tweet out your podcast and share it on Facebook 01:45 – Neil used to use Product Hunt’s podcasting section, but it’s been deleted 02:00 – Neil was driving thousands of views a day 02:06 – Neil also networks with other bloggers to share their podcast 02:20 – Neil and Eric mention tools in their podcast because they use them, not because they’re paid 02:28 – After mentioning a tool, they’ll email those websites to tell them about their episode in the hopes that they share the podcast, too 03:00 – One of their tool’s websites reached out to Eric and Neil when they learned that their tool was mentioned in the podcast 03:26 – Wavve allows you to make different social media sharing templates and Eric is testing it out now 03:52 – Google Play, Stitcher and iHeartRadio are some of their podcast’s hosts 04:07 – Eric just resubmitted their podcast to Spotify
04:45 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a heat mapping tool that helps you increase your conversion rate 05:32 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 05:35 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Don’t stick to one platform, broadcast your podcast on every platform you can. Reach out to other bloggers and your audience to share your podcast. You’re the one that needs to work your way to the listeners when it comes to expanding your reach. 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.

Aug 9, 2017 • 7min
Should You Use Manual Bidding on Facebook Ads? | Ep. #374
In Episode #374, Eric and Neil discuss whether you should be using manual bidding for your Facebook ads. People have been running ads on Facebook for years now and still rely on the automatic bidding and optimization features for their ads. Tune in to learn what Eric and Neil prefer between the two and how you can know what option is best for you. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Should You Use Manual Bidding on Facebook Ads?
00:35 – People have been running ads on Facebook for a couple of years now 00:42 – People just rely on Facebook’s automatic bidding and automatic optimization 00:50 – As per any kind of marketing, you want to be testing all the time 00:53 – Eric has seen marketers who have switched to manual bidding 01:11 – You can set the manual bid on how much you’re willing to pay 01:36 – Every time Neil uses automatic bidding on Facebook, it is way higher than manual bidding 01:49 – Neil thinks manual bidding works better 02:00 – Neil saw a 20% increase on his automatic bidding price 02:10 – With Google, you can set the bidding to manual at first, then to automatic 02:30 – Figure out what your numbers are and just test the water 03:00 – 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 03:46 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 03:53 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: People tend to rely on Facebook’s automatic bidding because it’s easier and less time consuming. Know your numbers and test the manual bidding option; it’s cheaper and you stay in control of your options. For ANY type of marketing you choose, you need to be testing it all the time. 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.

Aug 8, 2017 • 8min
How Many Links Do You Really Need to Rank Well? | Ep. #373
In Episode #373, Eric and Neil discuss how many links you really need to rank well. Tune in as Eric and Neil remind us of the TWO most important factors for SEO. They’ll also explain why The Penny Hoarder gets more traffic than Neil does and why Eric builds links for a post that is already driving traffic. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How Many Links Do You Really Need to Rank Well?
00:39 – Two main factors in SEO are content and links 00:57 – Eric and Neil uses Ahrefs 01:01 – Ahrefs has a keyword explorer tool that will show you the difficulty and guidelines for using a certain keyword 01:23 – The Penny Hoarder is a popular blog which was in Inc 500 list 01:32 – They make 8-figures/year in revenue 01:35 – The blog has more traffic than Neil’s blog 01:40 – They get more traffic because of their content 01:43 – Neil has more backlinks and domain authority than TPH 01:52 – “It just comes down to content” 01:58 – You don’t need too many backlinks 02:02 – You need MORE content 02:06 – If you want to build up your links, use infographics or Brian Dean’s Skyscraper Technique
02:25 – Eric didn’t build links for the top 5 keywords for which they’re ranking 02:46 – Focus on the domain authority 03:03 – Eric has one post that ranks for the most marketing keywords 03:16 – Eric has built links for that post to boost it 03:41 – Check Eric Enge's: Do Links Still Matter
04:05 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a heat mapping tool that helps you increase your conversion rate 04:52 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:58 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Content and links are the main factors for SEO—keep track of them. Having too many backlinks may not always boost your post; rather, focus on creating GREAT content. Check the posts whose keywords are ranking well and build links to boost that post. 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.

Aug 7, 2017 • 7min
Do Social Sharing Buttons Still Work? | Ep. #372
In Episode #372, Eric and Neil discuss whether social sharing buttons still work. Tune-in to learn whether social sharing buttons are effective in driving traffic to your site, how to use them properly if you still wish to use them, and an alternative to the buttons that is proven to work. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Do Social Sharing Buttons Still Work?
00:39 – Sumo is a plugin for social share buttons 00:47 – Eric personally uses Buffer to share 00:58 – Neil tracked the social share button clicks 01:03 – It drives traffic once in awhile 01:22 – The only way to get traffic from social share buttons are to integrate them within the post 01:30 – Click to tweet 01:34 – Having quotes or snippets within your blog post that is easy to share drives more traffic 01:45 – Integrating the buttons within the blog post is more effective than scrolling social buttons within the blog 02:05 – The percentage of clicks is NOT high 02:25 – For Eric, social sharing buttons don’t work 02:33 – If you still put them in, just choose the major social media sites 02:50 – 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 03:41 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 03:46 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Social sharing buttons does work, but it needs to be integrated into the post. An alternative to social sharing buttons is adding a click to tweet somewhere in your post. If you still want social sharing buttons, just pick the major social media sites. 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.

Aug 6, 2017 • 9min
How to Get Started With Podcast Advertising | Ep. #371
In Episode #371, Eric and Neil discuss how to get started with podcast advertising. Podcast advertising is becoming more and more lucrative—especially for leading podcasters such as John Lee Dumas and Tim Ferriss. Tune in to learn how much you can earn in podcast advertising and how the process works. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Get Started With Podcast Advertising
00:36 – Podcast advertising can be lucrative 01:04 – You’re looking at cost per thousand impressions for what you can make in podcast advertising 01:14 – Range is anywhere from $15 to $40 01:34 – For more hands-off solutions, you can use Midroll’s service 02:25 – The earnings are per ad placement 02:36 – John Lee Dumas does a pre-roll then a post-roll 02:42 – Pre-roll is before the podcast starts and post-roll is after the podcast 02:49 – Tim Ferriss has 2 pre-roll ads and 2 post-roll ads 02:53 – John Lee Dumas has 2-3 ads per episode 03:09 – For a thousand listeners, you can get around $50 to $100 depending on the number of ads that you have 03:32 – Podcast advertising is also a branding play 03:50 – If you’re just about to start with podcast advertising, you can do it directly or opt for Midroll’s service 03:56 – if you’re a podcaster, people will start to reach out to you 03:59 – Freshbooks and Hostgator have approached Eric before 04:15 – Marketing School is more focused on growing the podcast rather than having ads 04:24 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool that will help you increase your conversion rate 05:17 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 05:21 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Podcast advertising can be pretty lucrative if you have a large following. As you become a more established podcaster, business will reach out to you for ad placements. Podcast advertising can be a branding play as 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.

Aug 5, 2017 • 8min
How to Determine Your One Key Metric | Ep. #370
In Episode #370, Eric and Neil discuss how to determine your one key metric. When you establish a set goal or priority, then all your tasks will follow suit to achieve that goal. But what IS that one measure that you look to as a company? Tune in to know what your one key metric is and why knowing what you’re after will set you up for success. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Determine Your One Key Metric
00:36 – Josh Elman coined the term "one key metric"
00:40 – When starting a business and using Twitter, your one key metric will be the number of tweets you want to hit 01:09 – First, determine how people are using your product—the core functionality of your product 01:20 – Then figure out if that one key metric is the one to go after, then work from there 01:35 – “Figure out what you’re really after and what’s going to impact that” 01:40 – If you want to increase your revenue, figure out the different sources of revenue 02:09 – Then you can have control and manage that one key metric 02:21 – The purpose of Airbnb is to book a place to stay 02:26 – The core action is searching and booking your accommodations 02:36 – Another example is Yelp where you find different local businesses and review them 03:18 – Neil’s one key metric for Crazy Egg is the number of tests done a day 03:43 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a heat mapping tool that helps you increase your conversion rate 04:28 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:33 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Knowing your one key metric helps you focus your tasks accordingly. Establish what you’re really after and what’s going to influence that. If you want to increase your revenue, then think solely on your sources of revenue. 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.

Aug 4, 2017 • 7min
What Drives More Traffic: Quality Content VS Quantity | Ep. #369
In Episode #369, Eric and Neil discuss what drives more traffic, quality content or quantity content. This is an age-old debate and the answer depends on pretty obvious factors such as the size of your team and budget. Tune in to hear the route Eric and Neil chose, why they chose it, and how YOU should make the decision between quality and quantity. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: What Drives More Traffic: Quality Content VS Quantity
00:39 – Neil took the quality route 00:43 – Neil only publishes high quality content, but he doesn’t have a lot of it 00:59 – HubSpot’s is quite popular because they produce a LOT of content 01:28 – Eric talked to the managing editor of a website that gets 8M visits a month 01:35 – They hire bigger teams to produce larger quantities of content 01:41 – They often open on guest posts too 02:06 – From Eric’s data, it’s “more publishing, more quantity” 02:10 – Creating content around the news works very well 02:30 – Neil recommends starting out with quality content 02:46 – In 24 hours, TechCrunch can create around 29 posts, but not all are quality posts 03:05 – Go to Ahrefs and SEMrush to see what’s driving your competitors’ traffic 03:14 – Then make better versions of their blog posts 03:20 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which helps you increase your conversion rate 03:58 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:04 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: People can receive more value from high quality content. If you have the budget to create a large quantities of content; then this will be a great option for you. If you’re just starting out, focus on quality over quantity. 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.

Aug 3, 2017 • 8min
Why You Should Pay Attention To Facebook Groups | Ep. #368
In Episode #368, Eric and Neil discuss why you should pay attention to Facebook groups. Tune in to learn the pros of joining Facebook groups, starting your own for your company, and how to extract and give value to these online communities. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Why You Should Pay Attention To Facebook Groups
00:39 – Eric gets a lot of value from Facebook groups 00:43 – Eric follows Badass Marketers and Founders Facebook group run by Josh Fechter 00:50 – There’s a ton of marketing information he gains from the group 00:56 – Another group to follow: Young Entrepreneurs Council
01:00 – There’s a high level of engagement in these groups and people share them with others 01:18 – Facebook just launched a summit for Facebook groups 01:54 – You can search for terms in groups that are related to your niche 02:08 – Answer questions in groups—this will lead people to your website and build traffic 02:15 – When you build our own Facebook group, it builds a community with that will strongly support your brand 02:22 – Neil has a private Facebook group and most of its members help promote one another 02:56 – Find the group that has more signal than noise 03:11 – Eric highly recommends Badass Marketers and Founders
03:30 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which helps you increase your conversion rate 04:00 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:10 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: There’s a lot of VALUE to be had in Facebook groups—build your network and your following to increase your support. Join groups that are relevant to your niche. Be helpful with those in your Facebook groups—answer their questions and promote one another depending on the type of group that it is. 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.

Aug 2, 2017 • 7min
Is Blog Commenting Dead? | Ep. #367
In Episode #367, Eric and Neil discuss whether blog commenting is dead. Tune in to learn why blog commenting is NOT dead in Eric and Neil’s opinion. They’ll list the reasons why they still do it and explain the benefits you can gain from interacting with your audience. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Is Blog Commenting Dead?
01:05 – Nowadays, blog commenting still drives traffic, but not as much as it did before 01:13 – For niche blogs, blog commenting will still work 01:17 – What works is that people come to your blog and you build a rapport with them—because of this relationship, they are more likely to convert 01:45 – Some big publications have shut off their blog comments 02:00 – For Neil’s blog, which has educational value, people leave productive comments and build a relationship with him 02:15 – Neil has dedicated time to respond to the comments 02:42 – Even if there’s only one person who leaves a comment, you still have to respond 03:00 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 03:45 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 03:54 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Blog commenting STILL works when it comes to driving traffic to your site. Build a rapport and relationship with your blog followers by responding to their comments. Blog commenting is NOT dead; in fact, it’s a tool that will help you increase your conversion rates. 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.

Aug 1, 2017 • 10min
Growth Is Getting Harder (And What You Can Do About It) | Ep. #366
In Episode #366, Eric and Neil discuss how growth is getting harder and what you can do about it. In terms of marketing, it seems that everything repeats itself. Now, more than ever, is the time to get CREATIVE in order to stand out. Tune in to learn how you can deal with the fast-paced, competitive market out there and the importance of keeping it fresh and original. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Growth Is Getting Harder (And What You Can Do About It)
00:36 – Today’s episode is inspired by Uber’s Andrew Chen who is well known in the growth network 00:55 – CPCs and the rise of ad blockers are getting higher 01:18 – “As growth gets harder, you have no choice but to get more creative” 01:24 – The main way to grow is to think outside the box and go after different channels 01:43 – Facebook has a saturation point and the ad prices are higher 01:57 – Aside from the sending people to landing pages from your Facebook ads, take your people to educational/press type articles 02:15 – It will all come down to CREATIVITY 02:38 – Everyone is getting smarter in regards to growth 02:50 – The competition is tougher 03:09 – Facebook and Google are still on the top list of apps 03:19 – Develop your own brand to stand out 03:37 – Building your brand with corporate personnel 03:50 – Amazon’s customers are loyal therefore, they will always have high conversion rates 04:08 – Beats by Dre entered a saturated market, but still manages to make sales 04:21 – Beats by Dre has a great design that becomes part of one’s lifestyle 04:30 – They pay celebrities to use Beats by Dre 04:40 – Alternatively, you can give out equity in exchange for promotion 04:45 – Vitamin Water gave out equity to promote their product 05:05 – Social media channels are copying each other 05:24 – You have to figure out a way to differentiate yourself from the competitors 06:00 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which helps you increase your conversion rate 06:33 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 06:45 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Leverage all channels that are available to grow your brand. The more creative you are, the more you will be able to adapt to the market and compete. Giving out equity is another way you can promote your brand. 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.


