The Agents of Change Digital Marketing Podcast

If you've been think about creating a blog and aren't sure where to start, Leslie Samuel can teach you how to become a blogger and create content that inspires others and keeps your audience coming back. It's vital to first know who your audience is

Quora is one of the largest online communities for questions and answers, as well as one of the highest quality user generated content platforms. As a Quora evangelist, JD Prater knows firsthand how leveraging the power of Quora's user intent makes it a smart new option for marketers. While it offers many of the same options for marketers that they have become familiar with and embrace on platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook, Quora also offers unique opportunities for businesses and brands to build their expertise on given topics, as well as directly answer questions coming from actual users and potential customers.

With content, less can be more if you ask Daniel Daines-Hutt, as long as the content that you are putting out is of the highest quality and has proven it has what it takes to get attention and convert customers. He has proven that by writing far less often than most industry experts generally swear by, you can actually get more traffic and higher conversions. But just as important as the content you're putting out there is how you're promoting it. The way you target and test your content will directly impact how much you're paying for your ads and how that relates to the lifetime value of your average customer.

One of the important things that Melanie Diezel stresses to all content marketers is to make sure they're not just sharing the content they want to share, but to ensure it's the content their audience wants - and needs - to receive.

If you're looking for a new and exciting way to reach out and deliver content to your customers and prospects, Jen Lehner has the inside scoop on the newest tool, Alexa Flash Briefings!

Being everywhere doesn't necessarily get you anywhere, or so says Andrew and Pete, so they've created a 90/10 rule that they believe is the backbone to great content marketing strategies. Rather than try to be a jack of all trades, be remarkable at on

What does it mean to be authentic in the digital age? How can you be authentic online? Is this something just for big corporations with huge marketing and communications teams, or can any small business or entrepreneur succeed? What if more businesses worked together instead of against each other? It is this focus on collaboration that Nicola Smith believes is going to be a key to how businesses grow in the future.

Video marketing can attract an audience, but do you know what types of videos close sales? Marcus Sheridan does, and he's been sharing that secret with businesses looking to grow. Thorough transparency and authenticity that only video can deliver, businesses gain not only trust but also brand awareness. Further, by using Marcus Sheridan's "Selling 7" tips for which kinds of videos you should be making, you'll develop a steady stream of new clients.

Steve Chou has cracked the code on how to effectively communicate with his customers online. By successfully utilizing Facebook Messenger's marketing opportunities – i.e., chatbots - he's been able to find an alternative way to communicate with his customers outside of email, find new ways to get his content out there, use customized segmentation for different audiences, and increase his open rates and revenue per subscriber. It's all about spreading things around and having multiple ways to reach people, instead of just putting all of your eggs in one basket.

After running a couple of pizzerias and having to figure out the promotion and advertising on his own, Bruce Irving turned his pizza shop business into a full on restaurant marketing juggernaut, helping not only his own businesses, but others see dramatic growth as well. Since he started in those pre-social media days and was still finding success, he quickly saw the advantages that social media could play – especially in local business – and adopted marketing plans on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram because of their incredible targeting abilities, as well as the reasonably priced paid marketing options, ability to run promotions/contests, use video, and even chat bots.

When businesses go looking for expert advice on how to drive business growth through LinkedIn, AJ Wilcox has earned that reputation for knowing exactly how and when to utilize LinkedIn's numerous advertising options.

If you're going to invest time and money into creating videos for your business, you want your ideal customers to find them and watch them. And since no one serves up more views than YouTube, your focus should start there. So how do you get those views? Tim Schmoyer understands what YouTube wants, and he helps people and brands create the type of videos that address YouTube's three main concerns. What are those concerns?

The goal in marketing is to reach, engage, and convert your followers, but how do you accomplish that? By creating content that people actually want and need. Michael Brenner knows the importance that empathy and storytelling play in marketing, and shares how brands can tap into this by acting as publishers instead of just creators of propaganda. This customer-centric approach to marketing will help you not only increase sales, but also appeal to your customers in a refreshingly organic and openly straightforward way.

As you know, SEO is constantly evolving. When I first started blogging, short posts (under 500 words) that narrowly answered a question was the secret to page one success. However, now Google is looking for longer form content from authoritative websites, aka "pillar posts." What are pillar posts? How do they work? How can you create one? We answer all those questions and more with the first episode of 2019, an amazing interview with SEO expert Christine Whittemore.

When you think about it, in marketing what we're really trying to do is influence people's behavior. Whether we want them to try something, or buy something, or buy it again, or whether we want them to open and read, or give up some personal data, or refer us to a friend. Whatever it is we're always trying to influence some kind of behavior, and behavioral science, social science, is ideal for that.

Of all the social media platforms, Facebook is probably the one that changes most frequently and most dramatically. What worked so well last year, or last month, or even yesterday, is dead in the water today. In today's episode we speak with Michael Stelzner of Social Media Examiner who shares with us evidence-based reasons on why they changed up their video marketing on Facebook and what they're doing today that's working better. He'll share both their current Facebook marketing as well as their online video strategy. What they've already learned could save you hours of frustration and thousands of dollars.

Budgets sound cheap. Budget travel, budget hotel, budget wedding. Budgets also sound restricting. What's the budget? Keep to the budget! Don't go over the budget!! But budgets are really about understanding how much your clients are worth, how much it cos

Are you just going to "roll over" your current marketing plan into next year? With 2018 rapidly coming to a close, Rich Brooks of flyte new media shares his agency's changing strategies for the new year. How they plan to refocus their attention and generate more leads going forward. He reminds us that if you plan to do the same thing in 2019 that you did in 2018 – or just more of it – then you should expect disappointing results. Remember, your competition is already pivoting with the changes and you need to, too. Whether it's diving into AI with chatbots, changing the way you create blog posts and other content, or even redesigning your own website, it's time to shift your marketing plan to compete with the ever changing digital marketing industry. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/273

Worried that AI—Artificial Intelligence—is going to make your digital marketing job obsolete? Instead of looking at the future of AI in the digital marketing space as something that's eventually going to replace us with robots, think of it instead as a business partner that will enhance your job and supplement your output. Artificial Intelligence can never replace humans in areas such as empathy, sensibility, strategic capabilities, and creativity, but they can do things like sort through and analyze data quicker than the human brain can. So approach AI as a member of your team that handles some of that data for you so you have a little more time to concentrate on the parts of marketing that humans do best. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/272

Have you heard about "RankBrain"? That's the name of Google's AI technology, making user intent a critical piece in search results. RankBrain is constantly trying to improve the Google's Search Engine Results Page by attempting to understand what people are actually looking for when they search and delivering on that need. Better search results pages are better for searchers, but how can you take advantage of this shift to get in front of more of your ideal customers? In short, how can you optimize for RankBrain? Or is it impossible? If you want to understand more about how RankBrain in upending the search business and how you can stay on your feet, listen to Jeffrey Kranz, an SEO expert who focuses on RankBrain. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/271

Pinterest is an underutilized tool in your social media toolkit. A pin has a much longer shelf life than a tweet or a Facebook update. Pinterest offers search engine optimization benefits that other social media channels can't match. Listen in to Pinterest marketing expert Jennifer Priest and discover how to leverage hashtags, videos, and search in Pinterest to reach more of your ideal customers and drive traffic and sales. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/270

Facebook's ad platform gives you more control over your ad campaigns compared to any other platform out there. Whether you're a pizza shop looking for more customers, or an online retail store looking to find more people interested in your products, Facebook's audience targeting options allow you to reach the right people based on location, demographics, interests, behaviors, and more. Once you've properly installed the Facebook pixel on your website, you can go as broad or niched down as you need to get in front of your ideal audience, ensuring you can increase your reach and boost your sales. Listen to Andrew Bengel, the Ad Viking, to discover how to target the right audience to grow your business. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/269

How many times have you read a blog post by a social media expert that told you to do one thing, and then listened to a podcast by another expert on the same topic that told you to do the exact opposite? Now it makes sense that different people will have different opinions, but what does the actual data say? This is where Social Media Lab fits in. They are the Mythbusters of the social media world. They take a scientific approach and perform real tests on the types of social media questions that marketers have when it comes to what really works and what doesn't, what will give you a better reach with your audience, and what gets more conversions...and they have the actual numbers to prove it. How many hashtags is too many? Instagram Carousel or individual photo posts? Instagram Story ads or Instagram feed ads? How do your current social media marketing strategies rank up against the data? Maybe it's time to try something new. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/268

With our social feeds clogged up and algorithms working against us, how can we engage our audience? Well, there's a relatively new offering from Instagram that may provide the solution: Instagram TV (IGTV.) IGTV displays full screen, vertical videos that can be up to an hour long. Video, in and of itself, is a great opportunity to nurture the "know, like and trust" aspect of warming your audience by showing them a more personal side of your business or brand. Think of the possibilities: vlogging, behind the scenes glimpses, influencer marketing, and repurposing content used on other social channels. The possibilities are limited only by your creativity! https://www.theagentsofchange.com/267

By now it should be safe to assume most people are aware that LinkedIn has much more to offer than as just a place to park your resume. But don't think it's a free-for-all opportunity to spam the heck out of people with cold business pitches. To success at generating leads from LinkedIn, you want to gradually build a network of people that are your ideal prospects. To do this, set up a process where you build rapport, gain trust, and determine if you can help with their pain points. Then begin a gradual process of explaining how that might look to them, and constantly stay top of mind. That is the key to successfully navigating and utilizing LinkedIn for your business. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/266

Webinars are a great way to grow and empower your community. When done creatively, they can also drive different revenue streams for your business. The very interactive nature of a webinar lends itself to being a fast track to building trust, engagement, and community– the building blocks for growing your business. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/265

It can be difficult for small business to compete at Google against large corporations who have bottomless pockets and huge marketing teams. However, there are gaps—keyword gaps—that you can take advantage of to get found by your ideal customers when they search. Find out how to discover these keyword gaps, take advantage of the "long tail" of search, and ensure that no technical problem is keeping you off the front page of Google. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/264

When running ads for your business, where you target potential customers is just as important as who you target. Search engines like Google generate more direct sales because people searching there generally already know what they're looking for. Alternatively, with Facebook the key is to impress your potential customers by first getting them to know, like, and trust you. Too often businesses think if they just send ads out to everyone, then they're bound to generate some business. But the smarter way is to niche down and target only the most ideal audience for your business. That's what's going to help you both stand out and survive. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/263

You understand the importance of SEO for your business and its online visibility. But just throwing up a bunch of blog posts and articles isn't nearly enough to get the job done in today's crowded, competitive marketplace. Instead, think quality over quantity. Carefully crafting – and curating – your online content is vital to how Google perceives you and helps determine if your offerings are valuable to the people searching online. This includes adding quality links from well-respected and trustworthy sources, and being smart and calculated with your keyword research. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/262

The importance of building high quality links has never been greater. But you can't fool Google…grabbing any and all links will not boost you in the search rankings. You need to prove to Google that you've earned the spot by seeking out the ones from more authoritative and trusting sources. And when you research and contact these trusted sites, you need to take care with how you pitch them. Sending out a generic copy in a pasted email to a hundred people is only going to ensure your request hits the spam box or the trash. Instead, make sure you're creating a pitch through thoughtful outreach. Include a subject line that compels people to open your email - that shows you've done your research and that this impacts their business directly. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/261

Local SEO is an effective way for businesses to promote their products and services to local customers online at the exact time they're looking for them. By following a strategic formula that incorporates both original content and reputable curated content, as well as the often overlooked value from videos and reviews, your content will create a buzz that Google and other search engines and directories are looking for. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/260

If you've been in the business world and have a website, chances are you've been told the importance of good SEO. It's also no secret that crafting a successful SEO strategy takes a great deal of time, research and effort, and many feel it's a job best to hire out to a professional. But even if that's your game plan, it is still highly recommended that you at least know some of the basics yourself. A smart and successful SEO campaign will help you choose the most profitable keywords, understand what the search engines are looking for, be able to hone in on what your competitors are ranking for so that you can compete better with them, have a powerful link-building strategy, and of course, create compelling copy that not only educates your customers but sends them further along in your sales funnel. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/259

Search engine optimization has this reputation for being a mysterious and difficult job, though a very important one. But in reality, a savvy DIY-er can learn to do this effectively themselves if they just put in just a little bit of time to learn it and dig in. Even if you do decide to hire out for your SEO needs, every business owner should at least know how to find where their website ranks, which keywords are and aren't working for them, and what kind of content is both valuable to the search engines and effective at helping to grow their online footprint. It's all about prioritizing usability and keeping content and keywords fresh. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/257

We've all thought at one time or another, if I could just come up with a great idea, it will sell itself and I'll be rolling in money. Well, it's not quite that simple. Sure, the idea is the impetus of the plan, but the process that you use to keep it moving forward – through a sales funnel – is what will determine your success or not. Once you've got your big idea, make sure you're being intentional with the content that you're creating around it. An initial free guaranteed offer is a great way to earn trust and continued interest. And from there it's creating a continuous system that funnels your customers from one step to the next with continued opportunities for them, and continued revenue for you. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/258

Many small businesses offer their products and services to a specific geographical market. To be successful, they need to make sure they're being found quickly in search engines. That's why incorporating strategies specific to local search and SEO is an important part of creating a well-rounded and comprehensive online marketing strategy. To help increase your chances of getting found by customers, you can start by implementing local search strategies such as creating localized content for your website, claim and optimize your Google My Business page, obtain online reviews from customers, and claim and manage local listings and citations. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/256

After 21 years in business, I finally decided to take a sabbatical. If you've been wondering if you can take a sabbatical, or how to make it happen, I'll share my process in this episode! And, if you're not sure why you should take a sabbatical, I'll share with you why I'm taking mine, and maybe it will resonate with you. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/255

As a business you always want to be building loyalty and trust from your clients and prospective clients. The best way to do that is by telling stories that they can relate to personally. You should think of storytelling as tribe building. And if you put out your story, you're going to attract like-minded people for your products and services. And the clearer you are with story and the better you can tell that story, you're going to continually attract the kind of people who are going to grow your business. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/254

Businesses are always looking for ways to cut costs and improve customer engagement, and chatbots have become the newest shiny object on the block that have filled the hole as an alternative way to engage conversationally with customers. More importantly, chatbots are available to companies of all sizes, so it allows the small guys to compete with the larger, more established brands. Chatbots have been proven to increase traffic flow, build email lists, provide a more personalized customer experience, and nurture leads. These are all things that every business wants. They also allow you to get creative with offers and promotions, and they're available 24/7, unlike traditional customer service for many businesses, so you never miss out on an opportunity to engage with your audience no matter what time it is. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/253

Your prospects and customers are researching and buying online, so you need to focus your marketing to them on digital channels as well. The way to do that is to be specific in who you're trying to reach, know where they're hanging out online, prove to them that your brand is trustworthy, and be able to measure your efforts so you're only spending your time and money on the efforts that are actually working. The first step is in creating a realistic and specific digital marketing plan. You need to give them valuable content that they can actually use to make their lives easier and that will make them keep coming back to you. It's building brand awareness and loyalty. In the world of digital marketing it's quality over quantity, and slow and steady wins the race...and the customers. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/252

Many of us have these grandiose dreams of having it all, the family and the career where we're our own boss. Well it doesn't have to be a dream, you can make that a reality if you take the right approach. The key could lie first in finding your perfect community. This is where you get support, tools, resources, connections, and even collaborations. Some people try to go too hard, too fast, but slow and steady often wins the race. Find your passion, stand for something, give value to others, and defend what you've built. In no time, you'll have a community of like-minded individuals coming along for the ride with you. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/251

If you're already creating content for your own business, why would you want to seek out guest posting opportunities for other sites? Well, because guest posting is a creative and important strategy for growing your own blog readership and community. Guest posting builds relationships, it's great for search engines, it introduces you to a whole new audience, it associates you with other influencers, it helps build email lists, and the backlinks...oh, the backlinks you'll get that will make Google so very happy. But you can't just go into it willy nilly. It takes some research and time to create the perfect pitch that will have influencers interested and anxious to post your content to their sites. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/250

If you're a business owner, chances are you're already using Facebook ads as part of your marketing strategy. And the last thing you probably want to do - or have time for - is add yet another social platform to your repertoire. But don't overlook the many benefits of Pinterest and what it can do for your business. Pinterest offers an abundance of benefits for businesses, and the best part, it doesn't have to be just content that you've created. You have the opportunity to build relationships with influencers, re-pin older content of yours that did really well to keep it alive and get more new eyeballs on it, schedule pins all at once to save time, and don't forget the benefits of group boards, where you can collaborate with others. A tweet has a limited shelf life, but a pin can last forever. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/249

It's pretty common these days for businesses to use Facebook ads for business, but have you considered the power of YouTube ads? Everyone knows that video is a powerful way to capture your potential audience's attention, and even more than Facebook, people turn to YouTube to find answers to problems they're having. If you have answers to their problems, YouTube is a great place to find your target audience. Take advantage of YouTube's high traffic rate to leverage your business's expertise by creating some creative and entertaining content for your target audience. And like Facebook, YouTube also offers advertisers some easy ways to find your ideal audience as well as tracking which video ads are working well, and how you can do it affordably. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/248

Really, AI has been around as long as computers have. But over time, AI and machine learning have been able to take over certain functions in more concise, error-proof, and productive ways than humans can. We have benefitted from this in ways that encompass Netflix being able to recommend the kind of shows we like based on our viewing history, all the way to bidding on PPC ads on our behalf based on certain data it's picked up from the various platforms. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/247

Businesses are always looking to find creative ways to target their audience, and geo-fencing fits that role perfectly. By setting up a geo-fence - or a virtual boundary - it allows businesses to access mobile device user's WiFi/cell date/GPS to trigger push notifications, text messages, alerts, and even targeted advertisements, to deliver location-based marketing data. Think of the possibilities. As a business you have the ability to potentially reach customers when they enter one of your competitor's businesses and hit them with an offer they can't refuse. You can literally aim your ads to customize your audience's local needs, and this is key for not only sales but for customer retention as well. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/246

Not all entrepreneurs and business owners are also financial wizards. That's why it's vital to make sure you have a person on your team that can pick up that task and do it in a way that shares your business growth vision, understands your needs, speaks to you in a way you understand, and doesn't just throw around fancy accounting jargon. But where do you start? Do you hire an accountant, a bookkeeper, a CFO? All of these roles perform essentially the same task, but the way they do it may or may not align with the way that's right for your particular business. Knowing where you're at, where you want to be, and what you need to do to get there are all part of what makes a good business finance officer. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/245

What happens when you let a Pinterest expert take over your business account? Rich Brooks found out the answer when he let Alisa Meredith do that very thing. The result: she helped him turn his dumpster fire into a well-oiled machine. If only more businesses saw Pinterest as the search engine that it is, instead of just a social site to pin crafty ideas. Pinterest can help build brand awareness and loyalty. It has its own amazing analytics to help you in your marketing campaigns and strategies. There are incredible opportunities here for content creators. You can use hashtags! Tune into this special episode (also available on video!), and see how to create a Pinterest business page that will help you direct traffic to your webpage and convert customers. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/244

You don't have to look far to find influencers. They're the people that have established their own following through their use of tools like blogs and social media to let their followers know when something is good (or less than stellar). It's amazing what people will do when they get something above and beyond what was expected. As a business, when you treat those customers in a way that makes them feel special, they are primed to become your biggest advocates, fans and influencers. They'll give you great reviews, tweet about you, blog about you, recommend you to friends and family. It's the kind of free marketing every business wants. When you find a way to intersect with your customer's lives instead of interrupting them and treating them like they come first, you're focusing on your influencers instead of just targeting to the general masses. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/243

Improvisation on stage can be a scary, intimidating thing. Sure, you have some rough guidelines and an end goal, but you're never quite sure of the twists and turns you'll take in the middle. Well, isn't business a lot like that, too? And just like the way an improv performer can reel in an audience with good storytelling, the same is true in business. We, as business owners and marketers, can borrow from improv to help us better interact and connect with our audience by creating layered stories, not being afraid to take risks, taking the lead and encouraging followers, as well as catering content to your ideal audience. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/242

Let's say you've already heard about the benefits of Facebook groups from other business owners and now you want to try your hand at using it to promote your brand, products, and services as well. Once you decide why and how you'll use the group, it's a good idea to set up some rules and parameters for potential members to adhere to. You can even require they answer a series of questions before you determine if they're a good fit for the group. Proper vetting is important because the success and growth of your Facebook group really depends on consistent engagement in the group. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/241