Marketing School | Digital Marketing | Online Marketing

In episode #720, Eric and Neil discuss why marketers overspend. Tune in to hear why you are spending too much money. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: You're Spending Too Much Money! [00:40] In marketing, everyone is about spending money. [01:15] When people hit Eric up, they are looking for advertising and SEO, but rarely conversion rate optimization. [01:40] SEO and content marketing are the best or most popular services. [01:57] If you're spending all this money on marketing, why wouldn’t you hire someone to reduce your expense by cutting the fat? [02:12] Hire someone full-time to just do conversion rate optimization. [03:00] Consider ways your office space can produce revenue. [03:22] AWS did $12 Billion in revenue. [03:35] Take the expense you have and figure out creative ways to make them profit-generating machines. [03:50] Example: your office could be an event space. [04:10] Optimize to get more out of your resources. [04:20] Be more creative with how you spend your money,

In episode #719, Eric and Neil discuss the efficacy of midrolls. Tune in to hear whether you should drop the midrolls or keep them. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Do Midroll Ads Really Work? [00:40] In podcasts, there are always ads in the middle of the show. [00:50] Most podcasters use this format, where they run ads in the beginning, middle, and the end. [01:35] Eric was looking at their Apple Podcast retention rates. [01:50] Because Growth Everywhere has a midroll, he checked the retention rates. [02:09] He lost 50% of people at the midroll, but it increased after the ad. [02:30] So, keep your midrolls, because people will just skip them, but will continue to listen and stay engaged. [03:20] Perhaps create a customized landing page to increase ROI. [03:50] Andrew Warner integrates his ads into the podcast episode, which increases sign-ups. [04:22] If you auto-insert ads, people will skip them. If you pay people for custom plugs, that will generate more revenue. [05:12] What W

In episode #718, Eric and Neil discuss the reason people don’t buy from your site. Tune in to hear what could be blocking your conversions. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Number 1 Reason People Don't Buy From Your Site [00:52] 95-99% of visitors will not convert and this happens because your website is pitching too much and you are not answering objections. [01:23] If you don’t answer people’s objections, you are not going to increase your conversion rate. [01:36] Google Russell Brunson/Grant Cardone 10X speech. [01:45] As they pitch, they talk through objections. [02:32] This pitch created a buying frenzy. [02:48] Pamphlets were also put under people’s seats. [02:57] At Crazy Egg, they ended up hiring a company called Conversion Rate Experts. [03:06] They had an amazing consultant, John Jack. [03:22] John suggested they answer objections on their site; they followed his advice and conversion rates went up. [03:35] If you are not sure how to answer objections, survey your cu

In episode #717, Eric and Neil discuss how much you should spend on marketing software. Tune in to hear why you might be over-spending. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How Much Should You Spend on Marketing Software Per Month [00:40] Eric probably spends $2000/month, while Neil spends $500/month and still thinks that’s too much. [01:10] Everyone pays for more and more software solutions. [01:33] Neil was speaking at a conference and his coworker suggested they get Google Analytics 360; Neil balked because it would cost $100,000. [01:51] Most people who pay for software solutions don’t take action with the data. [02:00] If you want to buy something, make sure you need it and will use it. [02:35] Eric uses a ton of software. [03:00] Marketing software has a lot of the same features. [03:15] So many enterprises are using marketing tools. [03:30] It is so easy to get software/marketing ADD. [03:53] Pare down your costs every quarter. [04:14] Neil tracks his daily expenses. [04:30]

In episode #716, Eric and Neil discuss why you shouldn’t copy the strategies of billion dollar companies. Tune in to hear why corporations don’t have all the answers. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why You Shouldn't Copy Billion Dollar Companies [00:42] A lot of the things big companies do, don’t make sense. [00:55] Companies like Slack have the high valuation. [01:13] They ran a commercial, but the commercial didn’t completely explain what Slack actually is. [01:50] If you are in marketing, you have to have good messaging and a good story. [02:15] Your product is not a consumer-based product and is probably more complex. [02:45] Eric watches The Man in the High Castle and he recommends it. [03:00] However, the recent marketing campaign for this show involved covering the inside of subway cars with full Swastikas. It was a confusing ad campaign. [03:30] If you don’t know the show, this campaign was probably jarring. [03:50] You have to be smart with your branding and think of lo

In episode #715, Eric and Neil discuss repetition in marketing. Tune in to hear why it’s important to repeat yourself! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why You Should Repeat Your Message Over and Over Again [00:48] They repeat messages over and over, because people won’t absorb your message the first time they read it. [01:07] Tony Robbins uses the same technique. [01:45] If you keep putting your message out there, people are more likely to convert, and you will become the authority in your field. [02:25] Eric and Neil talk about marketing and SEO so often, that they often come up in marketing and SEO conversations. [02:45] They know how to stay top-of-mind. [02:51] Check out the book Top of Mind. [04:01] When repeating, you must do it across multiple channels. [04:35] Think about creative ways you can repeat your message. [05:25] Even though Neil has written blog posts about other topics, he often posts about the same thing, to make sure his point gets across. However, you can r

In episode #714, Eric and Neil discuss the response to Neil’s SEO strategy. Tune in to hear why people think Neil’s strategy will fail. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: A Response: Neil's Response to Critics On His New SEO Strategy [00:55] Neil had a concept where most of the marketing tools out there have tons of features that no one uses. [01:25] He figured he could build more usable versions and give them away for free. [01:40] Eric subscribed to a marketing podcast and the Marketing Director for AHREFS was on the show. [01:52] He and the two hosts ended up critiquing Neil’s strategy. [02:29] Most people don’t do anything with the “history”. [02:58] Neil believes his strategy is obvious. [03:25] Neil is unaware of the public response to his actions. [03:50] People think Neil is underestimating server costs and other expenses. [04:02] Critics also believe he is building up towards a paid tool. [04:20] Neil has no such plans. [04:54] The first version of Neil’s free tools will n

In episode #713, Eric and Neil discuss how and why you need to manage your experiments. Tune in to hear how you can manage marketing experiments successfully. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Run and Manage Your Marketing Experiments [00:35] Neil likes to use Trello to manage his marketing experiments. [00:45] Everyone puts their ideas on the board and then they pick the best ones. [01:00] Don’t spend six months on something that doesn’t work. Start with smaller experiments. [01:22] Eric uses Asana Premium to organize his experiments. [01:58] GrowthHackers Northstar is a great tool, but Neil thinks they won’t be around much longer. [02:25] Make sure you’re spending time and energy on things you can get done quickly. [02:50] Everyone had a different perspective, which is why it’s great to get input and ideas from everyone on your team. [03:31] Only 1 in 12 experiments actually succeeds. [03:48] Neil thinks that stat means that whoever is running your experiments sucks. [04:0

In episode #712, Eric and Neil discuss why great marketers steal. Tune in to hear why you should be jacking tactics from other marketers. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Good Marketers Copy, Great Marketers Steal [00:45] Growing up, Eric played a game called “EverQuest”. [00:48] He had no strategy and saw a German player using a specific strategy and used that strategy to win a tournament. [01:17] In marketing, there is nothing wrong with stealing (except when it’s plagiarism). [01:33] Copying successful tactics is a good idea. [02:35] GrowthHackers is a great resource, as is Sparktoro. [02:54] Eric and Neil both use the traction framework, which means they run a lot of experiments. [03:40] Figure out what other successful marketers are doing and use their tactics to your benefit, [04:00] It’s not about being the first, it’s about being better. [04:15] Facebook steals a lot of stuff from their competitors. [04:45] Look at what you can convert and use for your own purposes. [05:0

In episode #711, Eric and Neil discuss exceptional marketing campaigns. Tune in to find out who are the best marketers in the game. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Most Exceptional Marketing Campaign in 2018 [00:48] Neil loves Billy Gene’s videos. [01:22] Neil thought his “Wolf of Wall Street” themed video was so effective. [01:50] Eric prefers Grant Cardone. [02:25] Eric once watched an hour and a half interview with Grant and he liked it because he was emotional and honest. [03:43] Tai Lopez also does a good job of leveraging lifestyle marketing. [04:05] Grant Cardone has multiple shows. [04:15] He is a great example of consistency and quality. [04:35] Billy Gene and Grant Cardone are neck and neck when it comes to leveraging lifestyle marketing. [05:00] Look at their techniques and see what you can learn from them. [06:22] Look at their campaigns and see if you can borrow strategies and apply them to your business in a way that works for your brand. [06:40] If someone’s m

In episode #710, Eric and Neil discuss how Clickfunnels earned their success. Tune in to hear how Clickfunnels beat the competition. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How Clickfunnels Built Their Way To $100M ARR [00:40] Clickfunnels is a SAS Product that is a monthly subscription service. [01:00] They claim you can use their product to do everything you need to build a site and promote it. [01:15] Leadpages and Infusionsoft are their direct competitors, who they have since surpassed. [01:45] They reached $100 Million ARR without raising capital. [02:10] Once you set up a funnel, it continues to work. [02:30] They not only sell the product, but also training to make sure you use it correctly. [03:20] If you Google Grant Cardone/Russell Brunson 10X, they sold a huge bundle that made them a lot of money. [04:30] Clickfunnels does a ton of webinars. [04:50] They also use affiliate marketing to grow their business. [05:25] They stand out from the pack because they are very generous wit

In episode #709, Eric and Neil discuss the one marketing channel you are probably neglecting. Tune in to hear what important channel you haven’t leverage yet. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The One Marketing Channel You Aren't Investing in But Should [00:42] Branding is the one thing in which most business do not invest. [01:05] Big corporations are smart enough to spend big bucks on branding. [01:25] Think about all the things at the airport that are branded (the bins at security, the walls of your gate). [02:12] Most of the money comes from awareness campaigns. [02:35] The rule of seven applies here. [02:45] Awareness campaigns can help your company more than you think. [03:33] Neil believes in branding. [03:50] Neil doesn’t track all his branding campaigns; he believes it works. [04:15] There is a great Hubspot post about tracking your branding ROI. [04:40] Eric feels he is better at the less flashy aspects of marketing, which is why he does branding. [05:55] Nintendo has be

In episode #708, Eric and Neil discuss a marketing hack you aren’t using. Tune in to hear why bundling can drive up your revenue. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Bundling: The Marketing Hack That You Aren't Using [00:36] Alex Becker teaches a course and has marketing automation software. [00:59] He uses the webinar to sell his software and other courses. [01:18] Eric used to partner with software and education companies and they would bundle software and offer giveaways. [01:40] This makes people feel like they are getting a lot of value. [02:15] HighRise and Basecamp offered bundling and the revenue went up for both companies. [03:00] Work out a bundling deal with someone in your industry. It’s a great idea to drive revenue. [03:33] GoDaddy has so many products that they offer as a bundle with web hosting. [04:25] If you have to offer upsells on top of bundling, you’re doing it wrong. [05:15] You need to comply with GDPR laws if you are bundling, especially if you are working wi

In episode #707, Eric and Neil discuss why your blog isn’t loved by Google. Tune in to hear the one big mistake most people make. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: This is Why Your Blog Isn't Loved by Google [00:35] People like using web addresses that stick to the format “blog.domain.com” [01:08] Eric and Neil believe this is a mistake. [01:25] When Eric’s past companies switched from a sub-domain to a sub-folder, traffic increased. [02:30] If you’re going to switch, you have to change all of your internal links plus 301 them. [03:00] A lot of work is involved in switching over. Use Screaming Frog to make sure you changed everything over correctly. [03:45] You have to make sure you have an excel sheet your engineers can follow. [04:50] Go post by post when moving everything. [05:00] This is also an opportunity to update and delete content. [05:15] Make sure all your info is up to date. [05:22] That’s it for today! [05:27] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool

In episode #706, Eric and Neil discuss why you should switch email service providers. Tune in to hear why you shouldn’t remain complacent. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: You Need to Switch Email Service Providers [00:38] Neil ended up switching because deliverability sucks after a while. [00:50] Neil has been having good luck with ConvertKit. [01:15] They make sure that the emails only go to people who consistently open Neil’s emails. [02:15] Deliverability dops because people either don’t clean their lists or because of spammers. [02:31] Neil doesn’t have his own IP, ConvertKit allows him to be on other IP’s. [02:43] Eric uses Drip. [02:50] Drip is more focused on ecommerce as opposed to ConvertKit who focuses on bloggers and online training courses. [03:15] Neil doesn’t believe it matters who the company targets; emails are emails no matter what you do. [04:00] ConvertKit does a lot of the work, so Neil doesn’t have to even think about it. [04:27] Eric may have been converted

In episode #705, Eric and Neil discuss their feelings about conferences. Tune in to hear why Eric loves them and Neil thinks they are a waste of time. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why Eric Loves Conferences and Why Neil Hates Them [00:45] Eric likes that he can connect with distant acquaintances and friends. [01:05] It gives you the chance to deepen connections. [01:30] Neil hates them, because he sees the dinners as a distraction. [01:50] He believes you can pick up more information watching YouTube videos, which is less expensive than a conference. [02:12] Neil thinks people don’t implement the things they learn at conferences. [02:50] He doesn’t see a direct correlation between attending conferences and increased revenue. [02:58] Most marketers also go to the wrong kind of conferences. [03:15] Eric agrees you need to be more selective about which conferences you attend. [04:05] If you don’t expand your horizons, you will keep getting the same info from the same people. [04:

In episode #704, Eric and Neil discuss why they don’t worry about sucking at Instagram. Tune in to hear why it’s ok to suck at Instagram marketing. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why We Suck at Instagram (and You Should To) [00:45] Neil only has one image uploaded at this point. [01:05] The cool part about  Instagram is that it gives you a window into other people’s lives. [01:30] If it’s a viable way to get business, why don’t Eric and Neil use it? [01:40] They want to play to their strengths and there also isn’t enough time in the day to focus on Instagram. [02:10] The two biggest spends/revenue producers are Adwords and Facebook. [02:40] Nail the basics first, then expand. [03:05] Grant Cardone has an insane studio set-up, because he has a whole team. [03:35] When you’re starting out, you aren’t yet mastering anything. [03:47] Focus on a few basics, before trying your hand at Instagram. [04:25] When you are good at video and pictures, then you can worry about Instagram. [05:

In episode #703, Eric and Neil discuss ways to optimize your website. Tune in to hear how you can increase conversions with simple SEO tricks. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The SEO Hack You've Never Optimized For [00:40]  No one is focusing on site speed, which is important. Hosting deeply affects your rankings. [00:55] Google has a mobile-first index, which means fast sites will get ranked higher. [01:22] You also need to use a content delivery network. [01:48] There is a Google Page Speed tool or GT Metrix which will help you measure speed. [02:30] Eric’s website was too slow for 3G. They used GTMetrix to discover all their tags were slowing them down. [02:56] Ping Them is another great resource. [03:10] Don’t take servers for granted. [03:30] Optimize for faster load times, which will help with your conversions. [03:51] WP Engine has been a great resource for this. [04:33] However, WP Engine has been charging exorbitant rates. [05:20] Content Distribution Networks distribut

In episode #702, Eric and Neil discuss the seven ways to get more engagement on your Facebook ads. Tune in to hear some neat tips and tricks. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Simple Hacks to Get You The Most Engagement on Your Facebook Ads [00:40] 1: Hit the “Boost Post” button in Facebook and drive it as a message. [00:55] This is a way to build up Messenger subscribers. [01:07] 2: When creating a Facebook ad, they give new ads premiere placement to judge its performance. [01:38] If you keep rotating your ads, you will get premiere placement and your cost per click will go down. [02:00] 3: Go for cost per engagement bidding. [02:05] Facebook is going to optimize for people who are apt to engage with your ad. [02:55] 4: Most visitors aren’t going to be buyers. So, you should set up a remarketing ad for those people. [03:33] 5: Ask for engagement in the ad itself. [03:48] You can coax people into commenting, liking, etc. [04:04] 6: Make sure you are using video ads. These drive t

In episode #701, Eric and Neil discuss what happens when you buy links. Tune in to hear why this isn’t the best practice. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Here's What Happens When You Buy Links [00:35] When Eric was first doing SEO, he would peruse black hat forums. [00:47] Wicked Fire has a lot of offers for paid tools. [01:01] Eric would buy links for sites and his sites would shoot up in the rankings. [01:15] He was using cheap content brokers and they would blast a bunch of links, his rankings would increase, but then go back down after a couple days. [01:45] Neil tried this with sponsoring an online poker contest. [02:05] Sometimes these things work, but more often than not: you get burned. [02:27] It’s cheaper and smarter to build your own site with quality content. [02:41] Your rankings will maintain when you build your own site. [03:26] Always play the long game. [03:40] Build an audience. [03:50] Investors are burned from buying high-ranking SEO sites. [04:00] Sites tha