On Brand: A Podcast About Branding For Brand Builders, By Brand Builders

“SEO isn’t done unless your done growing.” Growth is something that John Jantsch has helped countless small businesses with in his decades of experience. As the author of the classic Duct Tape Marketing and founder of the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network, Janstch has written five books on marketing. His latest, SEO for Growth, asks marketers and brand builders to rethink how they think about SEO. About John Jantsch John Jantsch is a marketing consultant, speaker and author of Duct Tape Marketing, Duct Tape Selling, The Commitment Engine, and The Referral Engine and the founder of the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network. His latest book, SEO for Growth - The Ultimate Guide for Marketers, Web Designers, and Entrepreneurs, is changing the way the world thinks about SEO. Episode Highlights Why SEO? Why now? John noted that he gets this question a lot. “I wanted to change the mindset around this. SEO is a huge driver of growth. PR is a channel, content is a channel — so is SEO.” Yet too many view SEO as t

On this week's Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed a recent article from Adweek, which noted that social platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter are getting away from the 'social' label. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week's show. Beyond the Sound Bite Why Snapchat, Facebook and Other Platforms Are Trying to Shed the 'Social' Label — with diversification comes a new mindset (Adweek). Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we'll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.

“Brands don’t have stories. People have stories.” Paul Smith is an acclaimed speaker and expert trainer. Specifically his work focuses on how stories and storytelling can influence leadership and life. His latest book, Sell with a Story, looks at the impact stories have on the processes of selling. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Enjoy This Episode Now Download Episode Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via Stitcher About Paul Smith Paul Smith is a popular speaker and expert trainer on business storytelling techniques. A former Procter & Gamble executive, his clients include Hewlett Packard, Bayer Medical, Progressive Insurance, Walmart, and other distinguished companies. As the author of Lead with a Story and Parenting with a Story, he has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Inc., Time, Forbes, The Washington Post, Success, and Investor’s Business Daily. His latest book Sell with a Story, focuses on how to capture attention, build trust, and close the s

“I always say it's not that a brand can't be successful. It's that they have already self-selected unsuccessful." As a Moz Associate, Ronell Smith helps brand builders at organizations big and small overcome obstacles in digital marketing today. He's also an advocate for being a generalist when it comes to marketing skills. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Ronell Smith Moz Associate Ronell Smith, a business strategist with more than decade of experience helping businesses online and offline, assists companies looking to create a user experience their customers will recognize, appreciate, and reward them for with their business. His passion is for removing the obstacles keeping individuals and businesses from reaching their full potential, in large part by helping them think strategically about how search, social, and content work together successfully. Episode Highlights "Search isn't about getting found. It's about getting chosen." This is a big distinct

“If you’re not amplifying the positive stories around your brand, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.” This past week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Social Media Rockstar event in Minnesota alongside last week’s guest Lee Odden. Also speaking at the event was Aaron Weiche, CMO of GetFiveStars, an online review platform. I couldn’t wait to share his insights with you on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Enjoy This Episode Now Download Episode Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via Stitcher About Aaron Weiche A passionate, design oriented problem solver, Aaron has been involved in web design, development, and online marketing since 1998. In having helped grow 3 different digital agencies in the Minneapolis area, Aaron has helped launch over 350 websites for small business on up to Fortune 100 companies. In growing multiple agencies past the $2M mark in founder and executive roles, Aaron has a strong sense of brand, team building, user experience and the full digital life-cycle a campaig

“There's a gravity to shiny new objects and tactics that people can easily fall prey to." As CEO of TopRank Marketing, Lee Odden helps both B2B and B2C clients overcome the obstacles of today's shiny new things. He's also the author of Optimize and an expert on influencer marketing. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the podcast. About Lee Odden Lee Odden is the CEO of TopRank Marketing, a Minneapolis based digital marketing agency specializing in strategic internet marketing consulting services including: Content Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Organic and Paid Search Marketing, Organic and Paid Social Media, Online PR, Email and Conversion Optimization. Odden and his team have provided digital marketing consulting and services for some of the leading B2B and B2C companies including: McKesson, BT Syntegra, Virgin Pulse, Marketo, LinkedIn, Dell, Henry Schein, HP, Microsoft, Staples, General Mills, Content Marketing Institute, Copyblogger Media, and MarketingProfs. Odden has been freq

On this week's Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed new data on Facebook video length from Q2. Best practices usually remind us to keep videos short and sweet but that may not be the best advice. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week's show. Beyond the Sound Bite What Video Ad Length Is Best on Facebook? (eMarketer). Registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, Gini Dietrich, Andy Crestodina, Kristen Craft, Melanie Deziel, Carlos Gil, Mike Smith, more. KXIC listeners save by using promo code KXIC. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we'll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes

This week, we have something a little different for our podcast listeners. Recently, I was asked to do a reading of my new book, Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small at Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City. Prairie Lights is something of a literary institution — both in the region and beyond. I was delighted to read from my book and answer a few questions. I thought I'd share the audio from the event as a special live episode.  Next week, we'll be back with a full-length brand builder interview. In the meantime, enjoy this week's special episode. About Nick Westergaard Look at this! I'm a guest on my own podcast! If you don't already know ... Nick Westergaard is Chief Brand Strategist at Brand Driven Digital, where he helps build better brands at organizations of all sizes — from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies to the President’s Jobs Council. He’s also the author o fGet Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small. An in-demand speaker at conferenc

“The new normal is that there is no normal.” Geoffrey Colon opened this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast with these daunting words. Colon, a self-described data punk, DJ, podcaster, and author, serves as a communications designer and Microsoft. He also just released a new book on this very topic Disruptive Marketing. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the podcast.   About Geoffrey Colon Geoffrey Colon works at the intersection of marketing, tech, and popular culture. Data punk, DJ, podcaster, and author, Geoffrey is a communications designer at Microsoft, where he markets search advertising products for Bing. He has written for The Futurist, Advertising Age, and Fast Company, and been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Billboard Magazine, The Guardian andThe Los Angeles Times. He has also appeared on NPR and Cheddar TV. Colon has written his first book Disruptive Marketing: What Growth Hackers, Data Punks, and Other Hybrid Thinkers Can Teach Us About Navigating the New Normal (A

“It’s brand or be branded.” That’s the ultimatum that Deb Gabor presented this week on the On Brand podcast. The founder and CEO of Sol Marketing and author of the new bestselling book Branding Is Sex explained that if you aren’t talking to your customers, finding out what’s important to them, and making that a part of your brand story, you run the risk of being branded by them. She discussed all of this on the On Brand podcast. About Deb Gabor Deb Gabor is the founder and CEO of Sol Marketing. Deb Gabor was born to brand. Deb is a brand dominatrix and investor pitch whisperer with legendarily bad travel karma. In her capacity as Sol’s strategic and spiritual leader, Deb has led research engagements and brand strategy development for organizations ranging from international household names like Dell, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft and NBC Universal, to digital winners like Allrecipes, Cheezburger and Rentpath, to well-loved Austin icons like Austin Ventures, KUT/KUTX, ZACH Theatre, HomeAway, RetailMeNot, The Univer

On this week's Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the latest news out of Twitter. And it's not super great. With a recently downgraded market share of the US social networking space, Twitter is flailing — adding features, seeing what works, and trying to stop the bleeding. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week's show. Beyond the Sound Bite Twitter's Share of US Social Network Users Is Dropping (eMarketer). Twitter to open up Moments feature to all users (eConsultancy). Registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, Gini Dietrich, Andy Crestodina, Kristen Craft, Melanie Deziel, Carlos Gil, Mike Smith, more. KXIC listeners save by using promo code KXIC. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we'll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. Last but not least … Subscribe

“Don’t be afraid to to embrace your brand ambassadors. Make them a part of your marketing.” Schwinn Bicycles is a historic brand that’s part of the lives of generations. As Associate Marketing Manager, it’s part of Samantha Hersil’s job to communicate this history while finding new stories from customers, advocates, and their own innovations. We discussed all of this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Samantha Hersil Samantha Hersil is the Associate Marketing Manager for Schwinn Bicycles and is a 2013 University of Wisconsin alumni. When not immersed in the digital world of marketing and communication for Schwinn Bicycles she can be found, volunteering, practicing yoga, riding bikes, running around her neighborhood, or knee deep in one of her many hobbies. Last year Samantha completed her first marathon and biked her first half century. An avid adventure seeker she currently is planning her next backpacking adventure with her boyfriend Chris. Samantha is highly involved in Girls on the Run

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed an interesting development. Just as Facebook continues to offer their own robust advertising solutions, they’ve taken a big step to block the ad-blocking apps that many love. Let’s take a closer look. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Beyond the Sound Bite Facebook Disarms Ad-Blockers, Works to Improve Ad Relevance with New Options (Social Media Today). We also took a moment to remember local broadcasting legend Dottie Ray, who passed away earlier this week (Press-Citizen). Registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, Gini Dietrich, Andy Crestodina, Kristen Craft, Melanie Deziel, Carlos Gil, Mike Smith, more. KXIC listeners save by using promo code KXIC. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up a fresh new

“It’s almost cliche to say but the Internet is challenging. There’s so much noise. Why do weed another blog or another channel?” While digital media has provided more opportunities for building brands online, it’s also created a level of noise that’s hard to break through. Aaron Orendorff helps college students, speaking audiences, and marketing clients do just that. We discussed all of this on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.   About Aaron Orendorff Aaron Orendorff is a regular contributor at Entrepreneur, Lifehacker, Huffington Post, Fast Company, Business Insider, Content Marketing Institute, Copyblogger, Unbounce, and more. When he’s not terrifying college students in the public speaking classroom, he’s busy “Saving the World from Bad Content” at iconiContent.com. Grab his Ultimate Content Creation Checklist or follow him on Twitter. Episode Highlights How heaven and hell play a roll in your marketing. “We’re all looking to be saved from hell and delivered to heaven.” Aaron reminded us that th

“In marketing we’re trying to get people to do something. We need to understand why we do what we do. What motivates us?” Building on a career at Coca-Cola and brand consulting, Daryl Weber has devoted himself to connecting the dots of human behavior and branding. He’s the author of the new book Brand Seduction: How Neuroscience Can Help Marketers Build Memorable Brands. We discussed the book and the science behind it on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Daryl Weber Daryl Weber is a branding consultant whose work has influenced many of the best brands in the world, including Coca-Cola, Nike, Johnnie Walker, Gatorade, Old Spice, and many more. He is the author of Brand Seduction: How Neuroscience Can Help Marketers Build Memorable Brandswhich explores the unconscious side of brands in a way that’s inspiring for creative marketers. Previously, Daryl was Global Director of Creative Strategy at The Coca-Cola Company, where he oversaw brand strategy for many of the company’s global billion-dollar

“A bad marketer is one who does things based on their gut.” As the co-founder of Orbit Media, an author, and host of Content Jam in Chicago, Andy Crestodina helps marketers quantify those gut impulses with actionable data and strategies. Andy is also a speaker at Social Brand Forum 2016 in Iowa City this September, where he’ll be talking about Google Analytics Fundamentals: How to Measure What Matters For Your Business. We discussed all of this on this week’s On Brand podcast.   About Andy Crestodina Andy Crestodina is a co-founder of Orbit Media, an award winning, 35-person web design company in Chicago. Over the past 15 years, Andy has provided web strategy and marketing advice to more than 1000 businesses. Andy has written hundreds of articles on topics including search optimization, social media, Analytics and content strategy. He is also the author ofContent Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing. Episode Highlights You have to practice data-driven empathy. Andy is one of the most acti

On this week’s Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed … Pokemon Go! Love it or hate it (and folks seem squarely in one of those two camps) Pokemon Go is lighting up the Internet this week. Let’s look at why. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week’s show. Beyond the Sound Bite ‘Pokémon GO’ Is About To Surpass Twitter In Daily Active Users On Android (Forbes). Pokémon Go has an estimated 7.5M U.S. downloads, $1.6M in daily revenue(TechCrunch). Pokemon Go Is Driving Insane Amounts of Sales at Small Local Businesses. Here’s How It Works (Inc Magazine). Registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, Gini Dietrich, Andy Crestodina, Kristen Craft, Melanie Deziel, Carlos Gil, Mike Smith, more. KXIC listeners save by using promo code KXIC. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we’ll serve up

“It doesn’t matter where you interact with us — you’re part of our community.” Being on the community team at SEO software giant Moz isn’t just focusing on social media. As senior community manager, Erica McGillivray interacts with the brand’s community both online and off. As you’ll learn, Erica also has a formidable comic book collection. We talked about all of this and more on this week’s On Brand podcast.   About Erica McGillivray Erica McGillivray spends a ridiculous amount of time being geeky, both professionally and personally. At Moz, she’s the senior community manager, wrangling 500,000+ people and co-running their annual conference MozCon. Erica also is a founder of GeekGirlCon, is a published author, and has a comic book collection that’s an earthquake hazard. Follow her at @emcgillivray. Episode Highlights How does community management work at Moz? Erica is a part of a six person team charged with the three aspects of community management at Moz — social media, onsite Q & A/forums, and live events

“Employees are trusted more than the organizations they work for.” Citing this simple stat from the Edelman Trust Barometer, Adobe’s Lauren Friedman described her job in a nutshell. As the head of Global Social Business Enablement, Friedman spends her time doing just that. Social engagement, activation, and advocacy across Adobe. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. Enjoy This Episode Now Download Episode Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via Stitcher About Lauren Friedman Lauren Friedman is the head of Global Social Business Enablement at Adobe. She’s a social marketing authority, with extensive experience working with brands such as Safeway, Levi’s, Hyatt and Disney, to create their social personas, nurture their Facebook and Twitter communities and curate their social conversations. She is currently working across Adobe functions to enable all employees to be successful using social for marketing and community building. Episode Highlights So, what is Global Soc

On this week's Social Sound Bite – recorded live at the KXIC studios in Iowa City – Jay and I discussed the news that Facebook has redesigned their 'like' button. While this could sound trivial, consider the fact that the like button is a signature part of the Facebook experience and is part of millions of pages across the web. Listen for the full sound bite and enjoy these useful links to the news, trends, and tips included in this week's show. Beyond the Sound Bite Here's the full story from the Verge — Facebook just redesigned the like button. Registration is now open for Social Brand Forum 2016 featuring Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, Gini Dietrich, Andy Crestodina, Kristen Craft, Melanie Deziel, Carlos Gil, Mike Smith, more. KXIC listeners save by using promo code KXIC. Register now and save! Remember, the Social Sound Bite is just the appetizer! On Monday morning we'll serve up a fresh new episode of the On Brand Podcast. Last but not least … Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via