Listen Now

What's the problem with doing what everybody else is doing? Marketers are expected to come up with something wildly innovative or creative. Dare to be different and get unstuck by presenting interesting or authentic ideas in a meaningful way. Today’s guest is Mike Poznansky, founder and managing partner at Neato—a full-service marketing agency that helps brands connect with young audiences, including college students and Gen Z. Mike explains how to break out of a rut and do work that reflects you and your brand. What makes you uniquely valuable, instead of someone simply following the leader of the pack?   Some of the highlights of the show include: Neato: Uncovers insights, develops strategies, and creates marketing programs Turnkey Tactics: Marketers observe how successful brands market themselves Thoughtful: Put time, energy, and effort into effectively identifying ‘why’ or ‘how’ Copy-and-Paste Marketing: Don’t expect the same results by mimicking tactics College Culture: People's needs, pain points, aspirations are always changing Human-Centered Approach: Understand brand, organization, accomplishments Iterative Process: People on the ground and prototypes represent audiences Authenticity: Be yourself, know who you are, what resources/assets are available Failures: Try to do something for the sake of evolving and learning   Links: Mike Poznansky on LinkedIn Neato Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes from Mike Poznansky: “Prototype it, and then get out there and try stuff, and show up. Be a part of that experience or that event, and see how people respond, and talk to people afterwards. Then, refine it. It's an iterative process.” “Everyone acknowledges in some capacity, the need to build a genuine and meaningful relationship with the segment in order to get them to care about your brand. It's critical for brands to show up in an authentic way.” “Stay invested, stay involved, continue to refine that approach, continue to learn, continue to listen to your segment, assess the results, and figure out how you can improve and make it better.” “Fear of failure or fear of sounding stupid or uninformed, those are real creativity killers in businesses and in the agency-client dynamics.”

How do marketers bring customers back to maximize revenue? Loyalty programs build customer devotion and retention by incentivizing repeat business. Buying becomes a habit. Today’s guest is Matt Baglia, co-founder and CEO of SlickText, an SMS marketing platform. If a loyalty program makes sense for your business, Matt talks about what it takes to make a loyalty program work as a growth lever.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Why loyalty programs matter? 20% of company’s customers make 80% revenue Brand Champions: Pay attention to their interests, what they’re buying or not What is a loyalty program? Distinct difference w/two purposes—register, rewards Customer Behavior: Value-add messages give customers a reason to return Getting Started with a Loyalty Program: Step 1: Understand clientele Step 2: Incentivize customers Step 3: Talk and listen to customers Step 4: Select a loyalty service Growing a Loyalty Program: Interaction: Ask, are you a member of our loyalty program yet? Incentivize: Join loyalty program by providing value Integration: Plugin pop-ups and other online opportunities for information Marketing Metrics: Subscription velocity, click-thru links, opt-out rates, check-ins Do’s/Don’ts: Get permission to send messages, or face legal ramifications   Links: Matt Baglia on LinkedIn SlickText Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes: “Research shows that 20 percent of a company’s customers will typically make up about 80 percent of their revenue.” Ben Sailer “You have a small cohort of your best customers, and it’s really important that we’re paying attention to what they’re doing, what their interests are, what they’re buying, what they’re not buying, how they’re buying, and make sure that we communicate and market to them appropriately.” Matt Baglia “When we think, loyalty program, we actually think, ‘Register for our loyalty program and earn points towards rewards’.” Matt Baglia “The value is very, very simple. For us, it serves two purposes. One, we need to get people to come back, and in order to do that, we need to give them a reason to come back.” Matt Baglia

How can marketers retain an engaged audience? Treat content like a carousel by getting people to come back for unique value from you and your brand. Today’s guest is Lindsay Tjepkema, CEO and co-founder of Casted—the first and only B2B marketing platform for brand podcasts. Lindsay knows what it takes to build, grow, and retain an audience.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Podcast: Opportunity to connect with audience and sales by providing content Marketing Channels: Leverage content for podcast business to amplify voices Content Challenges: Underwhelming access to software and experts Actionable Advice: Be the change you wish to see, and practice what you preach Casted: Create, publish, syndicate, and leverage show content across channels Content Carousel: What is it, who’s it for, how will you continue to serve them? Good or bad thing? Customers stop coming once they get what they came for Audit Audience Trends: Downloads, listens, and other signs people stay or leave CRM Capabilities: Engagement and retention rates—who listens and when? Advocate for Seasons: Make and compare changes, but don’t change audience Repurpose content and re-order ingredients to re-engage audience   Links: Lindsay Tjepkema on LinkedIn Casted Creating a Content Carousel for Your Podcast with OpenView's Meg Johnson HubSpot Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Lindsay Tjepkema: “Is it a bad thing if people aren’t listening or consuming that content anymore? Are they advancing onto the next step? Then, it’s not a bad thing, as long as you keep filling that funnel.” “If it is a bad thing, and you’re losing people for the wrong reasons, how can you just go back to the basics? How can you better understand your audience and give them more of what they are looking for?” “Repurpose your content. You put a lot of effort into it. If it’s good, it’s good, especially if it’s evergreen.” “An expert is someone who knows a lot about the subject matter that your audience cares about.”

What strategies can marketers learn from nonprofits about building brand advocacy? Successful nonprofits know what it takes to get people to rally behind a belief or cause. Brands that turn their best customers into advocates build brand loyalty and drive sales. Today’s guest is Spencer Brooks from Brooks Digital, an agency that helps health-focused nonprofits grow a digital presence and turn patients into advocates.   Some of the highlights of the show include: What is an advocate? Highly engaged customer doing work on brand’s behalf Passive to Active Promoters: How to turn customers into brand advocates Why do brands need advocates? Free marketing saves time and money How? Gift products and provide positive referrals, reviews, recommendations What makes nonprofits effective? Fewer resources rely on constituents Meaningful Why: Nonprofits use emotional storytelling to create advocates Company values solve some philosophical problems when things are done right Foundational Concept: Brand advocacy resonates product/service with identity   Links: Spencer Brooks on LinkedIn Brooks Digital Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller Traction by Gino Wickman Lean Customer Development: Building Products Your Customers Will Buy by Cindy Alvarez Why Digital Marketing Tactics Are a Waste of Time for Nonprofits Actionable Marketing Podcast: Free Resources From Ben & Spencer’s Interview Squatch Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Spencer Brooks: “It’s this push from passive to active that I think really represents turning a customer into an advocate.” “Advocates are important because they provide a leverage point. They are doing, a lot of times, free marketing for you.” “Creating advocates is work, and you have to recognize when that is an appropriate strategy to be using.” “Nonprofits are really good about using emotional storytelling to turn people into advocates.”

What are the best ways for brands to make a difference during times of crisis? Connect customers with solutions to their problems.   Today’s guest is Richard Lau, founder of Logo and executive director at Water School. Richard discusses how to build a business and brand. Find the right balance between being genuinely helpful and useful while driving sales and revenue.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Donations: Time, money, and network covers clean water project costs NamesCon: Purpose of conference and partnerships to raise awareness Sun, not Son: Women and girls are burdened with getting clean water Colon Cancer Crisis: How it changed Richard’s perspective on life and business Doctor’s Orders: Required workaholic to rollback on number of hours worked Life Goals and Lifestyle: Borrowed or gifted time where life is about relationships Compliment: Create a culture where everyone feels like more than a paycheck COVID: Companies can better serve customers, employees, and communities How to help other people? Prayer and passion; publicity is not the goal Change Management: Invite and support others to do something—small or big Pay It Forward: How are you, each and every day, a hero in your own life?   Links: Richard Lau on LinkedIn Logo Water School NamesCon Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Richard Lau: “We use the sun as the main focus. The sun is what disinfects the water, rather than using chlorine or wood.” “Life is about relationships. It’s not about money.” “Life is too short to work for a bad boss.” “There’s no better remedy for self-motivation than for helping someone in need.”

The belief that being empathetic means being emotional is not actually very empathetic. Marketers often misunderstand customers when crafting messaging and marketing content. How can marketers be genuinely empathetic?   Today’s guest is Megan Thudium from MTC - The Content Agency. Megan discusses how to adjust, adapt, and authentically understand the needs of customers from different cultures and countries.   Some of the highlights of the show include: MTC: Berlin-based B2B organic content marketing agency w/empathetic mindset COVID and Cultural Barriers: Stay connected and relevant during tough times Empathy Marketing: Long-term gain emphasized now when emotions are high Empathy: Them to you, not you to them process for messaging and marketing Worst-case Scenario: Miss the marketing message? Lose customers Bottom Line for Business: Make messaging more empathetic for direct impact Marketing Evolution: People want authentic, engaging, empathetic conversations Consequences: Failing to do right messaging or following cookie-cutter structure Practical Takeaways: Connect with and talk to customers/teams to get feedback Back to Basics: Marketing should be empathetic; put buyer personas into action   Links: Megan Thudium on LinkedIn MTC - The Content Agency Patagonia Slack Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Megan Thudium: “Empathy marketing is a long-term gain.” “Empathy is understanding your audience at a level that has a deeper understanding of what they need.” “You’re going to isolate your audience. They’re going to step away from you. They’re going to disconnect, which is the worst thing that we want in marketing because then we lose customers.” “Depending on your specific audience, there might be specific needs.”

Consumer behavior is always changing. Even with COVID-19 affecting people’s lives and how businesses operate, it will never be the same. How can businesses better serve customers by staying ahead of changes and trends? Data.  Today’s guest is Jonathan Silver from Affinity Solutions, a data intelligence platform with access to consumer data. Jonathan talks about how businesses need to collect data, know how to interpret that data, and turn it into action to succeed.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Affinity Solutions: Access to unique data around people’s purchasing habits Permission and Participation: Banks provide businesses with consumer data Business Benefits: Use data to build relationships and grow, retain market share Consumer Benefits: Use data to improve people’s lives to get what they want Shifts: COVID changes behavior with price sensitivity, personalized experiences Trends: Parallel reality where physical environments change with technologies Predictions: Colder weather will spike COVID cases, continue habit to buy online Data Types: Understand and adapt to consumer behavior with purchasing info Regulatory and Privacy Trends: Personal data cloud and operating system Survive and Thrive: Expand to include external data to redefine competition Insight into Action: Distinguishes successful businesses and drives returns Data Platform: Artificial intelligence/machine learning make directed decisions Downward to Upward: Use data-driven tools, dashboards during difficult times   Links: Jonathan Silver on LinkedIn Affinity Solutions Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Jonathan Silver: “We have a ton of unique data around people’s purchasing habits.” “Businesses build deeper relationships with consumers, with their customers and  prospects, so that they can grow and retain their market share.” “(Parallel reality and personalized experiences) where physical environments are changing with these different technologies is going to become a norm.” “The best predictor of future purchase behavior is what you’ve done in the past.”

Two things are true about marketing—saturation across digital channels makes it difficult to be different and using direct mail is a unique option to reach customers at home where they are spending most of their time these days.  Today’s guest is Nick Runyon from PFL. The software company makes tools that help marketers bridge the gap between digital and direct mail marketing using Tactile Marketing Automation (TMA). Go beyond the send!   Some of the highlights of the show include: PFL: Orchestrates digital difference between TMA and direct mail marketing Pandemic vs. Marketing Plans: Collectively, society remains pessimistic, fearful Consumption and Conversion: Cut through digital clutter for direct mail comfort CRM Mishaps: Direct mail data mashed together from multiple people, places TMA: Enables direct mail to be triggered to send based on digital intent signals Getting Started: What’s the overall experience that you want to deliver? What business objectives do you want to move with that experience? Sales Process Sequence: Experience value proposition via opt-in engagement Bottom Line: Direct mail is popular right now but more expensive without TMA Advanced Tactics: Accelerate value with TMA software through PFL   Links: Nick Runyon on LinkedIn PFL AMP 205: Cutting Through the Noise By Integrating Direct Mail With Digital Marketing With Ryan Cote From Ballantine The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Nick Runyon: “When I think about direct mail and I think about Tactile Marketing Automation, the difference between those two is that we’ve taken direct mail into really the digital environment.” “Tactile Marketing Automation is really the orchestration of an overall multichannel customer journey.” “One of the challenges that marketers are facing now with this increase in digital consumption is really cutting through the clutter and making an impact and gaining a moment of attention from our customers and our prospects.” “Reasons why direct mail is overall resurging: It’s comfortable, it’s familiar, it also monopolizes my attention whenever direct mail is in my hand.”

Marketers have access to more data than ever before that enables them to offer better customer experiences—if they make use of that data. Don’t struggle to find and apply the right information.  Today’s guest is Michael Loban, Chief Growth Officer at InfoTrust. Also, Michael is the co-author of Crawl, Walk, Run, a new book on advancing marketing analytics maturity.  He describes how to level up your analytics progress with consistent practice.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Crawl, Walk, Run: How organizations progress through digital analytics maturity Target Audience: Every marketer with every level of analytics experience Three Industries: Direct-to-consumer, consumer packaged goods, news/media Marketers, Pay Attention: Change is inevitable, but progress is optional Missing Skills: Being data driven makes some marketers fail to be successful Google Marketing Platform: Helps marketing teams keep pace with changes Google Optimize: Test hypothesis by reviewing analytics to improve experience Data-driven Daily Practices: Marketers need to change or adapt to be effective Metrics: Maximize data to generate greatest ROI/revenue for business   Links: InfoTrust Crawl, Walk, Run by Michael Loban Michael Loban on LinkedIn Google Marketing Platform Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Michael Loban: “The idea of Crawl, Walk, Run is to demonstrate how organizations tend to progress through certain subject matter.” “Just like with data, if you know what you are looking for, you will find some help in this book.” “Change is inevitable, but progress is optional.”

Research shows that 73% of consumers expect brands to personalize and tailor online experiences to meet their needs. It feels weird when websites don’t give people what they want and expect. Personalization matters for your business, even in difficult times. Today’s guest is Amey Shivapurkar, an experienced optimization SME at Avionos. Amey helps clients create data-driven experiences that deliver business outcomes. He talks about how personalization isn’t always easy, but worth considering for marketers to maximize CRO, create meaningful results, and drive user experiences.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Personalization: Relevant products, services, content based on previous visits Key Investment Benefits: Improves customer loyalty, engagement, vanity metrics Steps to Start: Crawl, walk, and run to get to end product Define measurement framework that tracks customer’s journey Identify best opportunities/skills for personalization to improve bottom line Experiment and iterate personalization to build and grow business Best Practices: Excel personalization by solidifying available data to automate Complex Learning Curve: How can personalization increase conversion rates? Personalization Pitfalls: Know purpose/intention and provide time to run results   Links: Amey Shivapurkar on LinkedIn Avionos Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Amey Shivapurkar: “Customers are really looking for brands to give an experience based off of previous interactions that they’ve done.” “It’s really about providing the most relevant content at the right time.” “Bad experiences will lead to bad personalization.” “Personalization is one of those things where a lot of people...they think it’s a nice-to-have. Personally, I think it’s kind of a must.”

Former professional boxer Mike Tyson wisely stated, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Unexpected blows, such as a global pandemic and recession, have marketers evaluating their strategies to learn how to change, respond, and adapt during times of crisis. Today’s guest is Tony  Guarnaccia, a brand consultant, founder, and author. He knows how to turn businesses around and out of tailspins. If you don’t know what you don’t know about how to grow a business, you and your business will fail.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Bakery 2.0: Bounce back by studying marketing, business, and entrepreneurship 10-Year Journey: If you don’t know, follow those that do to grow a business Resources, Strategies, Tools: Learn what you don’t know; teach what you learn Right or wrong decision? Reduce marketing budget when revenue drops Rules to Follow: Make business sustainable and maintain profitability Maintain advertising spend in marketing; make cuts elsewhere Expand market share due to less competition and lower acquisition costs Red Flags: Results that can or can’t be controlled to drive growth Results Loop Framework: What markets are you serving? Be in the right niche What are your offerings? Identify products/services that create traction How do you grow revenue? Create trust, value, and loyalty Pain Points: Problems clients experience are opportunities to sell, provide value Supply and Demand: Trigger events and money are available, but shift and pivot   Links: Tony Guarnaccia’s Website Tony Guarnaccia on LinkedIn Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Tony Guarnaccia: “You want to make sure you are sustainable.If you don’t have a sustainable business and it’s not profitable, then you don’t have a business. You’re going to go out.” “Now is the greatest time to expand your market share.” “The problems that your customers or clients are experiencing are the opportunities for you to sell.” “I’m a believer that money is always there, it just shifts.”

Do you spend too much time and money creating content from scratch every time you need to publish a piece, launch a video, or ship a campaign? Create a year's worth of content in one day for a specific channel through the power of repurposing. Today’s guest is Shaina Weisinger from Repurpose House. Shaina talks about how to make the most of your time and resources, while using less effort to make your ROI go through the roof.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Purpose of Repurpose House: Help those struggling with repurposing content Savvy Digital Marketing Strategy: Video production at same time in same place Pain Points and Pieces: Changes to content takes too much time and effort Repurposing Content vs. Creating New Assets: Cost- and time-saving benefits Chasing Content: Creating content that’s impossible to keep up with every day Content Map: Be in better place before making content and measurable results Where to start? Go through content that crushed it to start finding small snippets Cutting Corners: Avoid sacrificing quality for speed when repurposing content Headlines: Make them catchy and include a number whenever possible Data: Go with your gut, trends, and results from studies to spread the word   Links: Shaina Weisinger on LinkedIn Repurpose House Headliner HubSpot Infusionsoft Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes by Shaina Weisinger: “If you can map all of that out before you sit down and make content just to make content, I think that you're in a much better place.” “You want to know what your strategy looks like and why the content you're putting up there matters.” “It's absolutely doable. If you take the time to sit down and really create the strategy, it's a no brainer. You can supplement your social media calendar with other things.” “if you have a library of content...that's how you're going to fill your calendar and you don't even have to create new content.”

Email inboxes, social media feeds, and internet experiences are filled with marketing messages. However, what’s old is new again in marketing. Direct mail can be an effective way to cut through the noise and grab people's attention.  Today’s guest is Ryan Cote, Director of Digital Services and Partner at Ballantine. Ryan talks about how to make the most out of direct mail by integrating it with digital strategies and tactics.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Two Things: Ballantine’s transition has combined direct mail and digital marketing High Demand: Direct mail isn’t dead, but has changed print marketing Mail vs. Email: Printed mail is less competitive than congested inboxes Print and Digital Tactics: Complement and work together for integrated campaign Informed Delivery. Find out from USPS what’s in your physical mailbox Direct or Digital? Determine which makes more sense for your brand Direct mail is expensive, so start with something simple and cheaper Mailing List: Stay specific and targeted to add value and get/keep clients Partners: Find broker/production company to help with printing plan Measure ROI Impact: Put trackable phone number on mail Set up special landing page Some mail can't be tracked Two Data Types: In-house and rented to create mailing lists, fix discrepancies   Links: Ryan Cote on LinkedIn Ballantine USPS Informed Delivery Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes: “Print is definitely not dead. It's just changing like anything, like SEO, like any digital channel. It just changes. We've had to change with the times.” “It's usually less competitive in a mailbox. If you think about your inbox—how much email you get. Email is still very important, but it's just very congested.” “They're basically just using direct mail and digital to fully blanket their customer because you don't know where you're going to get them to respond.” “If you have the budget to do both print and digital, that's always the best-case scenario because you're getting multiple touchpoints.”

Does your business rely on revenue from selling tickets for live events? To stay in business due to COVID-19, you may need to turn to other options for profits. Today’s guest is Jim McCarthy, CEO and co-founder of Goldstar. With more live shows, concerts, and other events going digital, Goldstar quickly created Stellar. Within just a few months, the new streaming and ticket platform launched to help organizations continue to make money.   Some of the highlights of the show include: New Normal? Pandemic shutdown forced switch from live to online events Stellar Solution: Learning curve to what does/doesn’t work with digital events Live vs. Digital Events: Either, neither, all, or nothing, which will people prefer? Goldmine for Goldstar? Make, film, stream new forms of online entertainment Pros and Cons: More people and money, different expectations and experiences Getting Started, Going Digital: Commit to quality not money to build/market product or service Make thoughtful and aggressive use of assets (i.e., mailing lists) Utilize existing audiences/fans plus geo target platforms Promote partnerships and other distribution channels   Links: Jim McCarthy on LinkedIn Goldstar Stellar Tickets Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule   Quotes: “This toolset, some other knowledge, and some marketing skills can really enable them to use online events to their great advantage.” “We just want everybody to be able to survive the crisis and thrive by learning how to make online events that are great.” “I don’t know about you, but I'm ready to get out a little bit more and go have some fun.” “For every one person you successfully get in the door to enjoy the show or the event, there's 99 or maybe even 999 people who would be there if they could, if they knew about it, or if it was available to them. This is just a huge marketing opportunity.”

Do you have something to say and share with others? Start a podcast, but don’t sell yourself short when trying to get your dream guests on the show. It takes connections. Today’s guest is Stephanie Cox, vice president of sales and marketing at Lumavate. She hosts the company’s Real Marketers Podcast and has talked to guests from the world’s biggest companies. What did she do to make it happen, and how can you do the same with your own podcast?   Some of the highlights of the show include: Lumavate: Platform enables marketers to build mobile apps without code Real Marketers: Authentic conversations that ask forgiveness, not permission Strategic Networking: Who and what you know, and who and what they know Podcast Launch: First few episodes feature big names to build credibility Timeline: Four weeks post-launch of podcast to regularly land high-profile guests Dream ‘Guest’ List: Goals to get ultimate brands/names (Google’s Alex Russell) What’s the worst that could happen? All you have to do is ask and outreach Missing Pieces: What stories do you want to tell and best people to tell them? Success Rate: Love what you do and be a passionate thought leader   Links: Stephanie Cox on LinkedIn Lumavate Real Marketers Podcast Progressive Web Apps: The Future of Mobile Web, Episode 11 with Alex Russell, Senior Staff Engineer at Google Progressive Web Apps: The Future of Mobile Web (Part Two), Episode 12 with Alex Russell, Senior Staff Software Engineer at Google Calendly Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule

Are your emails failing to reach and resonate with readers? Maybe, you’re asking for too much information without offering enough value. Every time someone opens their inbox, they’re flooded with people asking them to do something. What do they get in return? Today’s guest is Brendan Hufford from SEO for the Rest of Us. Brendan emailed thousands of subscribers to ask: What frustrates them the most about SEO? As promised, Brendan followed up by sending every person who replied a custom video response. Was all his hard work worth the thoughtful effort?   Some of the highlights of the show include: Stay in School: Transition from being a teacher to helping clients learn SEO Bright Idea: Utilize unique video content on what people care about Incentive: How to get people to reply to emails and build relationships Numbers Game: Subscribers in traffic are costs; make money on sales Timeline: About 50 videos made, each taking 10 minutes equals 500 minutes Replies and Responses: Quantify what it’s worth by understanding content Primary Pain Points: People are struggling, whether they're in-house or with clients Begging for backlinks, whether you're on the giving or receiving end Creating solid content strategy, not repurpose copycat content Free Time/Money: Resources are free, and there are no secrets to SEO writing SEO Framework: Intent, Asset, and Medium (IAM) SEO Roadmap: Build foundation and structure Value Proposition: Suffering from email fatigue, due to lack of human contact? Results: Immediate engagement and affinity with people on your email list   Links: Brendan Hufford SEO for the Rest of Us Flipped Lifestyle with Shane and Jocelyn Sams Miles Beckler Ahrefs Loom CloudApp SEMrush Podia Joel Klettke (Copywriter) Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule

The ad tech industry—specifically, Facebook—continues to create privacy consent concerns and public discontent. How much do people trust social networks and the brands that advertise on them? Today’s guest is Richard Jones, chief marketing officer (CMO) for Cheetah Digital. If you rely on social advertising to promote your business, Richard talks about what you need to know to prevent or handle damage to your brand’s reputation.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Ethics: What problems does ad tech introduce into social marketing? Digital Footprint: Personal information gets presented without permission Under the Knife: Invasion of privacy when bombarded with ads on Facebook Stop Hate for Profit: Campaign to curb hate speech and put people before profit Money or Morality? Ad pressure makes it okay to break up with social media For Sale: Personal data creates polarization of society, dangerous environment Algorithms: People’s inability to curate truth, not simply sort shared information Social Media Alternatives: How to shut off highly effective or targeted ad spend? End of Era: Fast and loose data powering third-party advertising economy is over Trust Economy: Why trust is most impactful economic power over data privacy COVID Impact: Expect increase in promotions and people looking for value   Links: Richard Jones on LinkedIn Cheetah Digital Stop Hate for Profit Econsultancy Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule

Is a picture still worth a 1,000 words? What about videos? Any business or organization can use the power of video content to build its brand and promote its products. However, it’s not always cheap to do or get it right to make a difference. Today’s guest is Doug Scott from Tectonic. He describes how nonprofits with small budgets, but big aspirations, maximize their impact with video marketing.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Film School Dropout: Doug’s dream to make movies wasn’t his reality Newfound Desire: Passion for storytelling led to helping nonprofits Why Video? Efficient, engaging, and preferred form of communication Challenges: Level of clarity to quantify cost for return on investment SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Time-bound SMART Metrics: Benchmarking, baseline, and big strategic objectives Mindset Shift: Video versus any content created based on outcome, not output Change Management: Provide data, demonstrate impact, and make progress Ethics: Offer marketing messages with simplicity, positivity, and compellingness Promotion: Gain exposure with compelling videos that the press can't ignore Social Media: Most engaging are user-generated single-shot videos   Links: Tectonic Nonprofit Video Index Mutual Rescue Heads Up: Health Awareness for Concussion Prevention TeachAids Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule

When looking to get ahead in marketing, business, or life, the black community faces challenges and structural issues. What should white people consider to be effective allies to black colleagues, friends, and neighbors? Today’s guest is Muyinza Kasirye from APRT Media in Los Angeles. Muyinza immigrated from Uganda to Toronto and relocated to Boston after his mother’s death due to cancer. Muyinza grew up with little money or privileges but worked his way up. He shares his perspective on challenges that black marketers and business owners experience.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Black Entrepreneur Challenges: Don’t know about or denied initial money to start a business Higher barrier of proof required to get work Fair distribution for work, investment, and positions of real power Negative Consequences: Economy isn’t achieving its true potential Equal Opportunities: Different approaches equal different outcomes Status Quo: Drive positive change in the direction it is needed What white people need to know and do to dismantle barriers to success? Help when and where you can Start investing in black individuals to move forward Listen, not Lecture: Wherever white people are on spectrum of understanding   Links: APRT Media APRT Media on Instagram Muyinza Kasirye on LinkedIn Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule

Doing social media marketing in a regulated industry isn’t easy. Legal considerations, regulatory red tape, and compliance restrictions can make your job more difficult. Today’s guest is Regina DeMars, Director of Content Marketing and Social Media Strategy at First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO). How can financial services marketers make friends with compliance and win at social media? Get creative with solutions to problems.   Some of the highlights of the show include: Content: Create financial advice/guidance that existing/potential customers want Common Problems: Marketers face ever-changing regulatory space and timeline Top Tactics: Urgent requests, audits, and procedures eliminate potential issues Social Media Channels: Monitor and archive online brand reputation, compliance Relationships Matter: Identify those interested in and active on social media Collaborative Compliance: Mitigate risk, accomplish goals, and stay compliant Organic Messaging: Focus on educational, inspirational, and entertaining content Paid Perspective: Focus on awareness, consideration, and conversion content Other Options: Social selling, influencer marketing, and employee ambassadors Make the Case: Do content marketing work that matters with more resources Mistakes Happen: Ensure everyone’s following processes, procedures, policies   Links: Regina DeMars on LinkedIn First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) FNBO’s Dollar Belles on YouTube FNBO’s Cashology Facebook Group Ben Sailer on LinkedIn CoSchedule