On this week's episode, I speak with Dave Polykoff, the CEO and Co-Founder of Presto Media, Zenpost, and ProWriter. Many companies are looking for ways to build out their content presence and just don't have the know-how. We discuss how companies should find and hire their writers, how you can write for humans and search engines at the same time, and the key concepts and tools to start blogging right now.

On this week's episode, I speak with Kelly Glover, the Founder of The Talent Squad.  We focus the show on podcasting, specifically addressing if you are a company or individual that is trying to get booked onto podcasts.  We talk about how to get booked on podcasts, the perfect elements for a "perfect" pitch, and how great podcasts grow their audience. Episode Highlights: Kelly's background in media and "talk show host" influence.Key differences between Australian and American schools.Internships that began to shape Kelly's career and her unique career path.Major differences between radio and podcasting.How the number of current podcasts affects the quality of content.The key factors for podcasting's rapid growth.Podcast's multi-faceted purposes and potential for even greater reach.Why you should "not" have a podcast.The 2 ways of approaching podcasting to be successful.The first step before attempting to pitch your brand.The key foundational elements to a great pitch.The "secret sauce" for getting a response from a pitch.The process for improving how you communicate your value.What should be on your "one-sheet" to peak the greatest interest?Key elements to have in your online press kit.How the ROI of podcasting stacks up vs. the ROI of a conference circuit.Strategies for preparing for your interview.Techniques for finding the "right" shows for you.The 1 strategy to take you to the "top tier" of pitches.Foundational steps to grow your podcast from "ground zero."Kelly's definition of "ROI" for podcasts.Key factors for shows attracting the right guests.Lessons to learn from podcasts that are growing well. 3 Key Points:Podcasting has been one of the fastest growing mediums in the last few years and companies are realizing it's incredible potential.You don't have to have a show to succeed and/or benefit from podcasts.Being successful in podcasting is knowing how to track ROI correctly and presenting yourself and your content effectively to the right audience. Quotes:“People are starting to realize that sometimes the audience isn't actually the target of a podcast, it can actually be the guest on a show.” – Kelly Glover“You need to think of it in a different, more than just as questions and answers with commercials." – Kelly Glover"Do you want to throw 1 party a year, or be a guest at 50 parties a year.” – Kelly Glover"No one really cares about the person unless you're a start in your field, they actually care about the content and what you're going to teach the audience." - Kelly Glover"Treat yourself as a brand and as a media expert, and then your opportunities will be more frequent and bigger." - Kelly Glover Resources Mentioned: The Talent SquadKelly Glover on LinkedIn

On this week's episode, I speak with Tamara Yarovoy, the Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Meltwater. She has an interesting story, being that she was originally from Serbia, and now living in the US. We talk about how college athletics prepared her for a career in marketing and how sales and marketing can align to achieve success. Episode Highlights: Tamara's background: from Serbia to the University of Wyoming for marketing.  Why marketing and not professional volleyball?Tamara's "first step" into marketing.Running a real estate venture, in Serbia, while in the US for college.Tamara's current role with Meltwater, goals, and contrast from previous roles.The importance of partnership in digital marketing.Creative vs. Technical marketing.Melding marketing and sales teams.The "Rule of 8" for the alignment strategy of marketing and sales.The challenges of having marketing and sales under one "umbrella."Minimal recommendations to achieve better alignment.Thought experiment: 4 problems of misalignment and solutions.Is the average salesperson better at marketing or the average marketer better at sales?Should marketers and salespeople become one?The #1 piece of advice for new marketers.Why athletes make great marketers.What's next for Tamara. 3 Key Points: It's important to have both the creative elements of marketing and the technical tools working together to build successful campaigns.Marketing and Sales need to be in alignment to have a successful customer strategy.Being willing to continually learn, adapt, and grow your skills is key to being a successful marketer. Quotes: “If both teams understood more of what the other did, it would certainly help.” – Tamara Yarovoy“Have a clear business strategy, where both marketing and sales can build strategies that align with the business." – Tamara Yarovoy"Be patient, try your best, don't give up, continue to learn, find a mentor, and don't be scared to explore.” – Tamara Yarovoy  Resources Mentioned:Meltwater WebsiteTamara Yarovoy on LinkedIn

On this week's episode, I speak with Ross Simonds, the CEO and Digital Marketing Strategist at Foundation Marketing. Ross is an extremely active entrepreneur and has numerous side projects including Hustle and Grind. We discuss why content strategy doesn't stop when you hit "publish", how distribution is a "game-changer" for any type of content, and the future of social media. Episode Highlights: Ross's current projects and ventures.Ross's background and journey into the marketing sphere.How blogging drives growth in building a brand.Biggest differences between building a brand now and when Ross first started.Game-changing content distribution tips for marketers.The time-frame for "optimal growth" after publishing content.Common misconceptions around content distribution.Examples of great content distribution strategies.The "Sherlock-Homeboy" effect.Advice for creating content to build a successful brand.The importance of experimentation in creating content.Key failures to learn from when creating content.Types of content that generate the greatest potential ROI.The hardest platform to currently have the biggest impact.The next "big thing" in social media.Podcasting: a strategic platform for the future.Predictions on fading social media platforms.Video: The future of content for all channelsSteps to take for landing speaking engagements.Tips on creating great presentation topics.Keys to juggling multiple ventures at the same time.C.R.E.A.M: How things get done.Ross' "call-to-action" on content strategy. 3 Key Points: Distribution of content is just as important as the creation of content.Focusing on creating content that withstands the test of time.Listen and be aware of trends in social media and create and distribute content based on those trends. Quotes: "Oftentimes we get caught up in the idea that once we press publish on a piece of content I've succeeded... but in reality, that's when the livelihood of your article really begins." - Ross Simonds"Distribution is, without question, the most underrated element of the content marketing process." - Ross Simonds"If you are creating content that's reaching masses, you have the ability to shape the way that they view their world." - Ross Simonds"Spend as much time distributing your content as you did, creating it." - Ross Simonds Resources Mentioned: Ross Simonds WebsiteRoss Simonds on TwitterRoss’ “85 Distribution Tips” Guide

On this week's episode, I speak with April Dunford, the Founder and Chief Strategist for Ambient Strategy. She's been with a number of large companies and now doing her own consulting. We primarily discuss the idea of "positioning." We talk about what positioning is, how to find your product's position in the marketplace, and how positioning fits in with branding and go-to-market strategies. Episode Highlights: April's current primary focus and role in consulting.What is "positioning" and how do you know you have problems?April's background in Systems Design Engineering and unique reason why?April's first role in a startup, the requirements needed.The key learning points in strange career arcs between startups and large companies.The importance of creating the right environment for the right team.The impact of various positions on consulting work.The goal of positioning consulting.The core differences between "positioning" and "branding."Approaching the value proposition of a company unaware of positioning.How positioning and go-to-market strategy work together.Positioning on the book "Obviously Awesome."How to combat overthinking in marketing.The #1 call-to-action for new marketers.What's next for April. 3 Key Points:Positioning allows multiple departments of a company to be on the same page.The key to positioning is putting your greatest feature "right in the middle" so that everybody "gets it."The foundation of every marketing piece is positioning. Quotes:“Positioning done right...makes it so that everything you do in sales and marketing is that much easier.” – April Dunford“My job was to create the conditions to where my team could be successful." – April Dunford"Re-contextualizing your product changes all your assumptions about it.” – April Dunford"If your stuff didn't exist, what would they do?" - April Dunford"People get bored of their own tactics, but if they're working, why not just do more of that." - April Dunford Resources Mentioned: April Dunford's Website“Obviously Awesome” by April DunfordPositioning: The Battle for Your MindApril Dunford on TwitterApril Dunford on LinkedIn

On this week's episode, I speak with Joel Harrison, the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of B2B.net. He's been in the B2B space for decades and really has much to share. We discuss the current state of B2B and what's important, the common thread between ABM, MarTech, and CX, and how to use thought leadership to build a trustworthy brand. Episode Highlights:Joel's background in urban planning and journey into marketing.  Joel's early years in journalism.How marketing got "onto the radar."The ideas and challenges of starting a media-based company.Journalism's effect on the product.What is the draw to B2B?The most challenging part of being Editor-in-Chief.The most challenging aspect of being an Entrepreneur.Key efforts B2B leaders should be involved in, to positively affect their business.The Journey every marketer should go on.Key tactics for building your thought leadership.Other key tactics to build a loyal following.What is ABM?ABM model: different types and processes.The common thread between ABM, MarTech, and CXThe Rise of behavioral economicsBecoming a trusted brand in B2BWhere in-house and B2B marketers "fall short." 3 Key Points:Being an entrepreneur is both challenging and rewarding, but totally worth the effort.It's critical to become the authority in your space to build your following.To build your brand and become a trusted source in your industry you must be authentic and be yourself. Tweetable Quotes:“We're only here once, and if you don't do this, it's not a rehearsal.” – Joel Harrison“It's about exposure therapy, just about putting yourself out there and starting small." – Joel Harrison"If you can speak authoritatively and clearly, representing the organization, then you will be taken seriously.” – Joel Harrison“Having gray hairs helps" – Joel Harrison Resources Mentioned:B2B.net WebsiteThinking Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanJoel Harrison on LinkedIn and Twitter

On this week's episode, I speak with Geoff Atkinson, the Founder and CEO of Huckabuy, an SEO software company. We dive into a number of technical aspects around SEO. We talk about optimizing for humans and search engines, and how to use structured data and schema to succeed in SEO. Episode Highlights:Geoff's background journey into digital marketing.  How a "ski bum" got started in marketing.Advice on getting to the SVP level of your company.What made Geoff "fall in love" with SEO.Internal Navigational Search: the key reason for a spike in growth.The importance of structured data in SEO.The idea and foundations of Huckabuy.Defining structured data.The major ways structured data can be used.Focusing on JSON-LD for the future of structured data.Why does structured data and schema not get enough attention?Where to start on growing your technical SEO skillset.The natural move from developer to technical SEO marketer.Balancing between optimization for humans and search engines.Objections and responses to the importance of structured data.2 SEO strategies that always bring results.The vision and reason behind SEO cloud.The concept and importance of Dynamic Rendering.Why you need faster page loads today and how to make it happen.The #1 skill every marketer should have.The reason you should check out Huckabye. 3 Key Points:Earlier in your career, experience and worth are more important than how much money you make.Combating the fear and nervousness around SEO can help you succeed in growing your skillset and your brand.Building relationships between your development departments and marketing can help to enhance SEO.

On this week's episode, I speak with Seth Avergon, the President at Avergon Marketing Group.  His focus is on strategic marketing. We discuss how to have a top 1% marketing strategy, how psychology plays into marketing, and his time as a "fractional" CMO. Episode Highlights: Seth's background in psychology and shift to marketing.  How psychology plays into marketing.Discussion on growth ideology vs. marketing.The cohesion of Sales and Marketing.Consulting vs. company work.Creating a marketing group focused on both strategy development and implementation.Seth's personal marketing strategy.Honing the skills to be a complete marketing strategist.The need for flexibility in marketing strategies.Understanding those that have a vested interest and approach to strategy.The importance of marketing intelligence.The role of "fractional" CMO and its place in the market.The goals of a "fractional" CMO.The foundational elements that go into a marketing strategy.What the top 1% of marketing strategies have that others don't.The need for "delighting" your customer.The game plan to learn how to become a strategic marketer.The top marketing minds on the planet.What Seth is working on right now.

On this week's episode, I speak with Mike Carroll, who's the head of Growth at Nutshell CRM. He has some amazing things to share with us about growth marketing and sales. We discuss how a career in politics can prepare you for a career in marketing, creative alchemy, and why sales and marketing should be combined for maximum results. Episode Highlights:Mike's background in journalism and politics, to marketing.The benefits of working in an agency.The difficulty of working politics and running campaigns.Comparing political campaigns and marketing.Core differences between Agency and In-house marketing.The advantage of knowing your limits.What is a "Creative Alchemist?"How to blend all the elements to create a balance between Sales and Marketing.How to overcome being overwhelmed.The importance of focusing on the skill of writing.What does it mean to be the "Head of Growth?"How to get rid of your "silos" and become agile in your customer approach.The difficulties of having a single "growth" team.How marketers can get better at sales.Melding Customer service into a "growth" team.The keys to great communication between Sales and Marketing teams: avoiding arrogance.An interesting experiment: who would do better, switching roles.The importance of CRM's in your strategy.Mike's opinion on "Growth Hacking."The benefits of Nutshell. 3 Key Points:You must know your limits to create a successful team to implement successful campaigns.Building cohesiveness among your teams will allow you to better serve your customers in any part of the funnel.Good marketing is all about understanding context and timing.

On this week's episode, I speak with Rachael Pilcher, the Founder, B2B, and SaaS Conversion Copywriter and Growth Strategist at Mighty Fine Copy in New Zealand. Rachael shares how to bring to light your company’s personality, how insurance companies and insurance commercials became interesting, and also her framework called SNACKS for creating great converting copy. Episode Highlights:Rachael articulates what Mighty Fine Copy is and does. How did Rachael make the transition from a legal PA to copywriting? What hands-on experience taught Rachael niche marketing and branding?How far has she come in copywriting? The Copywriter Club group on Facebook opened her eyes to the bigger money she could make as a copywriter. What did she learn during her rebranding process at Mighty Fine Copy?If your brand isn’t ‘funny’ how can you still stand out?Did she ever go against her own recommendations during rebranding? What are the fine points of Rachael Pilcher’s personality that need to be represented on the page? Has she had to turn any clients down for them not being a good fit? What tips or optimizations does Rachael have for B2B SaaS businesses to help their users care about their words? Are companies trying to cast too big of a net in terms of their marketing efforts? What is the relationship between copy and design? Did she think about design first or copy first when working on her website? Is it more of a challenge for a company looking for a serious tone? What is her process for getting up to speed with a client’s needs? What is her SNACKS framework?Rachael Pilcher applies SNACKS to a mock example. How long should a company wait to revamp their copy? Rachael states her opinion on keywords for traffic. What does it take to identify a company’s personality and bring it to life? What if a company’s founder has a terrible personality? What are some ways to incorporate a brand story into the copy? What is the brand story behind Mighty Fine Copy?Does that copy she writes for clients feel like books she has written? Has she come across a company that has changed her copy for the worst? How can something boring like insurance be made interesting with marketing? Video and YouTube channels have been great for showing a company’s personality. There is still a great need for great copy. What tips does she have for copywriters? Are great copywriters born that way? How many words does she think she may have written for other companies? How many words does she typically put into a conversion copywriting project? 3 Key Points:Copy and design should come together, be cohesive, and draw your eye.SNACKS stands for Strategy, Niche, Asking, Knowledge, and Sales. It is better to focus on good copy than being keyword-driven to force traffic.