The Edward Show

E515: Relating Daniel Kahneman's 8 questions to expose cognitive traps to digital marketing. Your brain is trying to trick you. These 8 questions will prevent you from making costly long-term mistakes. Question 1: Am I thinking fast or slow? Kahneman's not impressed by your lightning-fast decisions. Why? Because your brain has two systems: • Fast: Intuitive, emotional, unconscious • Slow: Analytical, logical, conscious Guess which one Kahneman trusts for big decisions? Think about it: You're offered a new job. Exciting, right? Fast thinking says: "Take it! More money!" Slow thinking asks: "How does this align with my long-term goals?" This question is your brake pedal in a world of snap judgments. Question 2: Am I too stressed to think clearly? Stress is kryptonite for your decision-making superpowers. This question is your stress detector. Why it matters: • Stress narrows your focus (hello, tunnel vision) • It amplifies negative emotions • It makes you more likely to take unnecessary risks So before a big decision, check your stress levels. Heart racing? Palms sweaty? Mind spinning? Pause. This question is like a mental health check for your choices. It's the difference between a panic move & a power move. Question 3: Is this a reversible decision? Kahneman wants you to know your exit strategy before you even enter. This question is your decision flexibility test. Some choices are set in stone. Others are written in pencil. Knowing which is which changes everything. Buying a house? Pretty irreversible. Trying a new hairstyle? Totally reversible. This question helps you: • Allocate the right amount of mental energy • Take calculated risks • Avoid decision paralysis It's like having a safety net for your choices. Question 4: What would you think about this if it were someone else's decision? This isn't just a thought experiment. It's a superpower. Here's why Kahneman loves this question... Our brains are wired with an "inside view" - we're too close to our own choices. But imagine your best friend facing the same dilemma. Suddenly, you're a genius of objectivity. For example: You're considering quitting your job to start a business. Risky, right? Now imagine your friend wants to do the same. You'd probably ask about their savings, market research, and backup plan. See the difference? This question turns your emotional decision into a logical analysis. It's like having a personal board of directors in your head. Question 5: What would I think about this a year from now? Kahneman knows our brains are time-traveling fools. We overvalue the present and underestimate the future. This question is your time machine. Think about it: Remember that "urgent" work crisis from last year? Yeah, neither does anyone else. But that small investment you made? It's grown into something beautiful. This question helps you see the forest, not just the trees. It's your shield against short-term thinking and knee-jerk reactions. Question 6: What would I advise a friend to do in this situation? Kahneman knows you're smarter than you think... when it comes to other people's problems. This question taps into that hidden wisdom. Why? 1. You're emotionally detached 2. You want the best for your friends 3. You see their blind spots Imagine your friend is considering a major career change. What advice would you give? Now apply that sage wisdom to yourself. Boom. You just became your own best advisor. Question 7: What's the quality of the evidence? Kahneman doesn't trust your "trustworthy" sources. He wants you to put on your detective hat and investigate. Ask yourself: 1. Where did this information come from? 2. Is it peer-reviewed or just someone's opinion? 3. Are there conflicting studies or viewpoints? For example: You read a headline: "Coffee cures cancer!" Before you start chugging espresso, dig deeper. Is it a single study or a meta-analysis? Who funded the research? What do other experts say? This question turns you from an information consumer into a critical thinker. It's your BS detector in a world of misinformation. Question 8: What are the opposing arguments? Kahneman knows your brain loves to play favorites. This question forces you to consider the other side. Why it matters: 1. It challenges your assumptions 2. It prepares you for potential pitfalls 3. It might change your mind (gasp) Try this: Before your next big decision, play devil's advocate. List all the reasons why it might be a terrible idea. You'll either strengthen your resolve or avoid a costly mistake. Win-win. Remember: Your brain is trying to trick you. These questions are your secret weapon. Use them wisely. Source: https://x.com/itsolelehmann/status/1821144546694271297 00:00 Introduction to Daniel Kahneman's Lessons 00:33 Understanding Fast and Slow Thinking 01:21 SEO and the Long Game 03:15 Stress and Decision Making 04:09 Reversible vs. Irreversible Decisions 05:46 Objectivity in Decision Making 06:50 Long-Term Implications 07:24 Advising a Friend and Evaluating Evidence 09:45 Challenging Assumptions and Opposing Arguments 11:06 Conclusion The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #digitalmarketing #marketingstrategy #searchengineoptimization #danielkahneman

E514: How going after low domain authority sites can actually increase rankings on Google! A user on the SEO subreddit had a client with only elite websites linking to them. The client needed a natural backlink profile - only high domain authority sites is not natural. The SEO contractor built links from a ton of low domain authority “mom blogs.” The keyword was in the 90th percentile of difficulty. Did the low domain authority link building increase rankings on Google? You’ll have to watch to find out! From: https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/12ihay2/link_building_in_2023_strategies_that_have_worked/ 00:00 Importance of an Authentic Backlink Variety 00:58 Case Study: Appliance Company 02:47 Marketing Strategy: Targeting Smaller Blogs 04:04 Building a Natural Backlink Profile 05:19 Outreach Techniques 06:58 Conclusion The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #seotips #searchengineoptimization #marketingstrategy #digitalmarketing

E513: This is the best way to be a terrible marketer and to get the worst results. From the legendary Rand Fishkin: https://moz.com/blog/the-best-way-to-suck-at-marketing-whiteboard-friday And mentioned at the end of the episode: What I Learned About Networking Going to NYC Tech & Business Events Every Night for Three Years - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/three-year-networking-experiment/ Things I’ve Learned About Networking to Sell a Service - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/things-ive-learned-about-networking-to-sell-a-service/ 00:00 Introduction to Whiteboard Friday and Rand Fishkin 01:17 The Best Way to Suck at Marketing 03:05 Transactional vs. Relationship-Oriented Marketing 05:24 Building Authentic Relationships 06:45 The Decline of Moz 12:31 Personal Networking Experiences 15:06 My Thank You The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #digitalmarketing #marketingstrategy #searchengineoptimization #organicmarketing

E513: In 5 minutes, I made a video in a café about a product I love. The product has an affiliate program, so I used my affiliate link, masked with a catchy domain I purchased. The video is going viral. Now, every couple of minutes, I get a notification of a new customer from my affiliate link. The product is software with recurring monthly fees. I get 25% of those recurring monthly fees… for life. This is why that video is going viral. 00:00 Recording Videos in Public 00:16 A Day in Lithuania: The Cafe Story 01:07 Podcast Matching Tools 02:52 Engaging Video Hooks 05:49 Promoting Products with Affiliate Links 08:43 Future Plans 10:56 Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #tiktokmarketing #instagrammarketing #affiliatemarketing #saasmarketing

E511: A combination of silly gameplay and TikTok virality has resulted in 20 million downloads in October alone for “The Screaming Chicken Game.” These mechanics are brilliant and can be copied across products. The game was the most downloaded game in October 2024 due to its viral mechanics made explicitly for TikTok and Instagram Reels. It also invited tons of copycats exploiting the game’s lack of ASO (app store optimization) knowledge to rank above the game for its own keywords! Wild digital marketing story here. Shared on the show: https://www.indiehackers.com/post/tech/the-screaming-chicken-game-uses-tiktok-to-top-the-game-download-leaderboards-I5QnJacIiUcdqrmnjCHm 00:00 Nostalgic Green Screen Setup 00:22 Introduction to The Screaming Chicken Game 01:27 Virality and Monetization 03:16 TikTok and Instagram Reels Impact 04:25 Marketing Insights and Competitor Analysis 10:28 Podcast Outro The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #tiktokmarketing #instagrammarketing #saasmarketing #socialmediamarketing

The podcast dives into the pros and cons of buying backlink services on Fiverr. It emphasizes the risks of low-quality links that can harm your SEO efforts. The discussion highlights a preferred platform for link building, showcasing its efficiency and credibility. Listeners learn why prioritizing high-quality backlinks is crucial for long-term success in digital marketing. The podcast also shares insights from the SEO community, stressing the importance of smart investments in backlinks.

E509: How I run SEO experiments and why every digital marketer should be doing this. The SEO change log I keep and some of the experiments I’m running now. This is one of the most insightful things you can do in SEO. 00:00 Introduction 00:34 Bottom of Funnel SEO for Service Businesses 01:39 Challenges and Experiments with SEO Keywords 02:55 Best Practices for Services’ Bottom of Funnel SEO Pages 04:13 Recent Changes and Testing Strategies 06:26 Importance of SEO Change Logs 07:13 Additional SEO Tips 11:21 Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #seotips #searchengineoptimization #marketingstrategy #digitalmarketing

E508: How to get credible experts to write your SEO content for free and in a timely manner. I did this to outrank the New York Times in under 5 minutes back in 2020. I got an expert to write our SEO article for free. I targeted the keyword properly. I submitted the article to Google Search Console. 5 minutes after the article was published, it was ranking #1 on Google, and the New York Times was ranking #2. This strategy is going to blow your mind. The article I shared: https://edwardsturm.com/articles/5-minute-seo-ranking/ 00:00 Insane SEO Strategy 00:43 The Newsletter and the New Tool 02:14 Outranking the New York Times 04:32 The Fake Journalist Strategy 06:41 SEO Optimization and Results 11:01 Craziest Coincidence 12:26 How to Implement the Strategy Today 17:47 Wrapping The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #seotips #searchengineoptimization #marketingstrategy #digitalmarketing

E507: The strategy Loïc Gouzer used to sell the da Vinci painting, Salvator Mundi, to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) for $450,300,000. This is a marketing and sales strategy anybody can incorporate into their business. It’s a fun one. Loïc Gouzer sold a $450 million dollar painting of Jesus to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in 19 minutes. But the real work of art was his insane sales strategy. Here's how he pulled off the most expensive art sale in history. In 2017, Christie's exec Loïc Gouzer had a wild idea: Sell a controversial da Vinci for a record price. The art world scoffed as the painting, Salvator Mundi, was debatably a fake. But Gouzer saw opportunity where others saw risk. Gouzer's strategy? Break every auction rule. His first move was to take the painting on a world tour. Not to museums, but to billionaires' living rooms. Why? He knew the ultra-rich don't just buy art; they buy exclusivity and bragging rights. But it gets crazier. Next, he put the da Vinci in a contemporary art sale. Purists were outraged. But Gouzer knew his audience. Tech billionaires were more likely to attend a flashy contemporary auction than an old-fashioned event. The marketing was unorthodox. Christie's made a video of people crying at the painting. They called it the "male Mona Lisa." Even Leonardo DiCaprio posed with it. The hype was building. But the real genius was yet to come. Gouzer set the starting bid at $100 million. Insanely high? No, it was strategic. It shifted the conversation from "Is it authentic?" to "Is it worth $100 million?" A subtle but crucial difference in perceived value. At auction night, the tension was electric. Bidding opened at $90 million. 19 minutes later, the hammer fell. The price? A cool $450.3 million - the most expensive painting ever. The real surprise was that only two people were bidding. Gouzer orchestrated a bidding war between two billionaires, each thinking the other would stop. A masterclass in high-level FOMO (fear of missing out). The result? A sale that redefined the art market. The buyer remained a mystery for days. Then the bombshell came: it was Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Suddenly, it wasn't just about art. It was geopolitics, power, perception. A young, ambitious leader now owned a Christian icon by a Renaissance master. It wasn't just to diversify Saudi's economy, but the ultimate status symbol. Whatever the motive, Gouzer's strategy paid off spectacularly: The techniques? Applicable to any high-ticket sale. 1. Understand buyer psychology 2. Build hype through exclusivity 3. Know your audience intimately 4. Break industry norms strategically 5. Create competition, even if artificial 6. Create an experience, not just a product 7. Anchor high to shift the value conversation Remember: In high-ticket sales, you're not just selling a product. You're selling a story, a status, a legacy. Gouzer sold a piece of history still making headlines years later. What lasting impact will your next sale have? Source: https://x.com/projectkim/status/1838613550623027382 00:00 The $450 Million Painting Sale 00:41 Gouzer's Unconventional Strategy 02:28 Auction Night Drama 03:32 Lessons from the Sale 05:01 Real-World Applications 07:24 Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #marketingtips #salestips #marketingstrategy #digitalmarketing

E506: Steal this SEO strategy. Ensure quick wins. Takes just a few hours to analyze and set up. Tools: Google Search Console Moz/Ahrefs/Semrush From: https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1gwj5hn/steal_my_seo_strategy/ 00:00 Introduction to The Strategy 00:31 Phase 1: Analyzing Google Search Console 01:02 Phase 2: Optimizing Keywords 01:45 Phase 3: Competitor Analysis 02:25 Phase 4: Interlinking and Backlinks 02:32 Case Study 03:04 Moz for Keyword Gaps 06:52 Personal Reflections 07:39 Sign-Off The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #seotips #searchengineoptimization #marketingstrategy #digitalmarketing