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This is the second half of my conversation with Henneke Duistermaat on her kindle book, Blog to Win Business: How to Enchant Readers and Woo Customers. In case you missed it, you can catch up by listening to part 1 here. In this episode we cover the topics of chapters 7-12. They represent more of the key ingredients for building a magnetic blog: Captivate your readers with your blog openning Inspire with your conclusion Create a flow to hypnotize readers Edit your blog posts Seduce Google to send you traffic Win clients with your blog Listen to the Show: Henneke on Blog to Win Business - Part 2 Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Hope you chomped on some tasty nuggets from this and part 1 of Blog to Win Business that you can use to fuel the growth of your blog! Be sure to check out these resources and further learning opportunities: Enchanting Courses - Here Henneke offers a 12-week e- course and coaching program, Enchanting Business Blogging Enchanting Marketing - Henneke's blog and website Connect with Henneke on Twitter: @HennekeD Blog to Win Business: How to Enchant Readers and Woo Customers (link to Henneke's book page) What's the key takeaway you're going to implement for your blog to win business? //

Henneke Duistermaat of Enchanting Marketing is my guest expert for this episode  as we discuss her new book, Blog to Win Business: How to Enchant Readers and Woo Customers. It's part one of a two-part show because I just couldn't stop talking with her about this little gem of a book! And by little I don't mean light on insightful, proven-to-work, remarkable thinking. It's full of Henneke's real-world experience building her blog and business over about an 18-month period. So whether you're just starting a blog or have been blogging for awhile, this will be one of the most important (and extremely practical) reads to help build a magnetic blog. All the ingredients are inside this kindle book, and for just $4.50 it's a steal! What's more, Henneke includes free downloads/worksheets and a bonus chapter on how to woo clients with emails that get opened, read and clicked. In part one of our conversation we cover the first six chapters: Who are you writing for? Position your blog as an authority Develop a unique voice Generate blog post ideas Write compelling headlines Compose delicious sentences Listen to the Show: Henneke on Blog to Win Business - Part 1 Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes   A bit more about Henneke. She set up Enchanting Marketing to stamp out gobbledygook and make business blogs charming in December 2012. She's a regular contributor to popular marketing blogs such as Copyblogger and KISSmetrics. She's also the author of the kindle book, How to Write Seductive Web Copy (which I also highly recommend!). She's Dutch, lives in the UK and loves biking. In part two, which will be released on or around April 10, 2014 we cover the second half of her book which has to do with how to captivate readers with your blog opening, inspire them with your conclusion and tips on editing your blog posts, plus much more! In addition to grabbing your copy of the book and taking in both episodes of Blog to Win Business with Henneke, be sure to check out these resources and further learning opportunities: Enchanting Courses - Here Henneke

Barry Feldman and Demian Farnworth continue their banter as my headline honcho guests for part two of the show. Part one (episode 34a) of the podcast got things moving, but here in part two the wheels really turned as the honchos revealed what they really believe to be true about writing winning headlines. And it might not be what you expect.   Listen to the Show: Stick Your Neck Out to Write Eyeball Grabbing Headlines (Like the Headline Honchos) - Part 2 Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Show Notes, Links and Resources Greg shared a thought from David Garfinkel's book, Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich: Headlines work (from proven advertising headlines) because the writer has simply lifted the words and phrases from the running chatter already occurring in our subconscious minds Barry: Social media is a great tool to pick up on the language your ideal audience is already using Demian: Will sometimes record client conversations and use their exact words and the language they use in the copy he writes Barry: A great headline could be considered the invitation to a party We discuss the practice of using headline formulas or templates One great resource is Jon Morrow's 52 Headline Hacks (registration required) Barry: You need to take risks and stick your neck out to write great headlines. His axiom on this: "If you're afraid to lay eggs, you're too chicken to be a great marketer." [Tweet that] We can learn a lot from what didn't make a good headline. Look at your email inbox and ask, "why didn't I open these?" Demian: Formulas can be useful to inspire or get you unstuck, but you have to go beyond the template - can't copy and just insert some keywords and expect it's going to perform well Demian's favorite, dog-eared book for headline inspiration: Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples (available on Amazon for about $9) Note: I (Greg) just purchased Caple's book and it has 3 chapters devoted to headlines: Headlines That Attract The Most Readers, Right And Wrong Methods Of Writing Headlines, and Thirty-Five Proven Formulas Fo

This episode of the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews podcast features not one, but two content marketing experts on the topic of headlines. They are Barry Feldman of Feldman Creative and Demian Farnworth, chief copywriter for Copyblogger media a.ka. Headline Honchos! This is part 1 of a 2-part show with the Headline Honchos. We talk about the craft of creating great headlines. See below for show notes covering key discussion points and links to references mentioned in the show. Access the show notes for part 2. Listen to the Show: How to Write Eyeball Grabbing Headlines Like the Headline Honchos - Part 1 Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Show Notes, Links and Resources Hear how Barry attributes headline writing to being a big part of his success as a content marketer. Why Demian digs vacuums, dancing and books. (As revealed on his TheCopyBot personal blog and website.) According to Demian good copywriters (must) have a sense of humor Headlines are forever: content marketers will always need to use and craft great headlines to attract attention to their content. Demian suggests being a relaxed, confident writer because you need to take some risks, be creative and bold in order to stand above the crowd and get noticed. Consistency is key. The point of a headline is to get people to read your (opening) first sentence. It's more important to write for humans than it is to write for the search engines. Headlines are everywhere: blogs, web pages, email subject lines, LinkedIn profiles and status updates, Tweets are headlines, Facebook status updates, etc. Barry shares headlines are hooks...the first thing that gets read, and if you fail they're the only thing that gets read. Your headline is the means of stopping your prospect in his tracks. Demian's blog on 12 Writing Exercises That Will Transform Your Copy Today. Demian says the copywriters job is to clothesline the reader, stopping her in her tracks. A headline is a meaningful (and believable) promise to your reader. Social media has changed the way we think about and write headlines - if you

Ahava Leibtag is my expert guest on this episode to talk about her new book, The Digital Crown: Winning at Content on the Web. Ahava is president of the Aha Media Group and has specialized in content marketing for the healthcare industry. She's well-known as a content marketer and has contributed thought leadership articles to the Content Marketing Institute website. Her book is laid out in four parts, through which she weaves 7 rules for winning at content on the web: PART I: CONTENT IS A CONVERSATION Rule 1: Start with your audience Rule 2: Involve stakeholders early and often PART II: CONTENT FLOATS Rule 3: Keep it iterative Rule 4: Create multidisciplinary content teams PART III: EFFECTIVE CONTENT STRATEGY Rule 5: Make governance central PART IV: CREATING CONTENT: TALKING & LISTENING Rule 6: Workflow that works Rule 7: Invest in professionals Ahava sees content strategy as a system. And systems have rules. Not to bind us up, but to create freedom. When I asked Ahava how long it should take for content marketing success, she shared the best answer to that question I've ever heard! "It takes about the same amount of time to make a baby as it does to create an audience." [Tweet that!] The book also smells really delicious, and it's not only got pictures and illustrations, but they're in bright colors, too! Listen as Ahava shares her vision for making content king - and be sure to stay tuned to the end to hear the "Flower Story."   Listen to the Show: Ahava Leibtag on The Digital Crown Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Connect with Ahava and The Digital Crown Aha Media Group Connect with Ahava Leibtag on LinkedIn @Ahaval on Twitter Book site: TheDigitalCrown (download a free chapter!) Next Up: The Headline Honchos My next show will be with Barry Feldman of Feldman Creative and Demian Farnworth chief copywriter for Copyblogger. We'll be talking about How to Craft Eyeball Grabbing Headlines the Headline Honchos Way! Don't miss it! Subscribe to the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews show in iTunes or Stitcher.

This is the podcast version of the slidecast on 4 Tips for Getting Started (or Restarted) on SlideShare with Todd Wheatland. It is about a 10-minute excerpt of the full show, produced as both a podcast and as a slidecast (audio + visual presentation). You can choose the version that most meets your consumption preference: How to Use SlideShare for B2B Marketing (Ep. 32 Podcast and Show Notes) 4 Tips for Getting Started with Content Marketing on SlideShare (View and listen on SlideShare) Todd Wheatland's 4 Tips for Getting Started on SlideShare (Slidecast embed on B2B Inbound blog) Listen Here: Tips for Getting [Re]Started on SlideShare Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes //

In this episode, I talk with Todd Wheatland, VP of Thought Leadership and Marketing at Kelly Services, and author of The Marketer's Guide to SlideShare: How to Build Your Brand, Generate Leads & Create Opportunities. Todd shares why he believes SlideShare, along with its integration with LinkedIn, offers a powerful tandem for B2B content marketers. Once regarded as a rather benign repository of presentation decks, SlideShare has evolved into a more robust platform for content storytelling, community engagement, awareness building and lead generation. While it is still often overlooked (or misunderstood), Todd points to research by the Content Marketing Institute that indicates nearly 50% of B2B marketers now use SlideShare as part of their content marketing mix. Whether you're just discovering, re-discovering or actively engaging on SlideShare, Todd will help inspire and guide you to a much more productive, integrated, intentional and objective-driven level of SlideShare marketing. Listen Here: Todd Wheatland on SlideShare Marketing Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Tweetables Hear @ToddWheatland share how to do content marketing on SlideShare with @gregelwell (podcast) [Click to Tweet] Use #SlideShare to bring content to people where they are, not just where you wish they were via @ToddWheatland [Click to Tweet] Show Notes of Key Thoughts, Tips & Resources LinkedIn's acquisition of SlideShare (May 2012) is indication of their commitment to be a major player in the content publishing/marketing space. SlideShare has helped LinkedIn become much more visually oriented and content rich, but greatest thing is how the investment in SlideShare is helping to enhance it as a standalone platform. It's the interaction and engagement of the two networks together that is most advantageous to B2B content marketers. A core feature of SlideShare is the player which can be embedded (like YouTube) on any website and used to share any type of document. Marketers should consider using SlideShare in a hybrid way to host content that can be discovere

For this episode, I took the questions from 7 of my former guest experts (produced in episode #30 with Joe Pulizzi) and repurposed them here. I also created a slide deck of the questions and published it to SlideShare as a slidecast (audio and visual presentation wrapped up into one). The experts who asked the questions: Jay Baer - Convince and Convert, Steve Lazuka - Zerys, Mark Levy - Levy Innovation, Doug Kessler - Velocity Partners, Kristi Hines - Kikolani, John Lee Dumas - Entrepreneur On Fire, Bernie Borges - Find and Convert. So, you have a choice. You can listen to this episode as a podcast here and on iTunes/Stitcher or you can head on over to my blog where I've got the slidecast version embedded - you can also watch and listen to the slidecast on its SlideShare page). Choices are good, especially if you want to try and reach a new audience or where your potential audience is consuming and engaging with content. A Little Story about a Big Aha I had some RSS feed issues when I first posted episode episode 31 on Nov. 7. So I took it down,  fixed the issue, republished, but it still didn't post to iTunes. I am publishing this in a new post and will delete the former once everything is working in all the places it should work in. Forgive me if you're getting this content twice. Hoperully now, iTunes users will have it in their subscription list and podcast app. Within the first 24 hours of publishing the Slideshare, slidecast version, it received 768 views. SlideShare emailed me to say they were featuring it on the homepage. Hmmm... You can read more below about my thoughts on repurposing content. Doug Kessler of Velocity Partners (one of my 7 guest experts contributing to this show) commented on the slidecast presentation: "Excellent -- a great way to spin off new content from a strong interview." Watch and/or listen to this show to gain fresh insights from these experts and Joe Pulizzi on doing your best (epic) content marketing, ever. But also consider how you too can involve others in your content marketing, then spin-off that content to multiple mediums and destinations to reach a new and potentially larger audience. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of that effort. Listen to the Podcast Version Here: Epic Content Marketing Questions from the Experts Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of t

Joe Pulizzi is my expert guest to talk about his new book, Epic Content Marketing - How to Tell a Different Story, Break Through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less. As the founder of the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), Joe is without question the world's leading expert and evangelist for not just promoting the category and concept of content marketing, but for deploying it and growing a profitable business with it as well. CMI, a virtual organization formed in 2007, was built on the strategies, principles and processes Joe lays out in a comprehensive, compelling and helpful manner in the book. Content marketing is not just a theory or philosophy, it's a powerful methodology that when understood and practiced has the ability to drive profitable and rapid growth. One needs to look no further than the last two years of Inc. magazine's list of the fastest growing privately held companies for proof. CMI made the list in both 2012 and 2013. For this current year they're listed #468 with a 3 year growth rate of 989%! How's that for the ROO (Return On Objective) of content marketing? In this Expert Interviews Podcast with Joe Pulizzi, you'll hear Joe tell the CMI story, and talk about the business models of content marketing. In very clear and actionable terms, you too will learn how to plan for and deploy a business case for building and growing your business with a content marketing game plan. I ask him about the key concepts throughout the book, and I also bring in many of my past guest experts who ask Joe their own content marketing questions. I'm truly grateful for Jay Baer, Steve Lazuka, Kristi Hines, Doug Kessler, John Lee Dumas, Mark Levy and Bernie Borges who contributed terrific questions that added an extra punch and some good-natured fun to the show. So, stop reading and start listening to the man in Orange talk all things Epic Content Marketing (well not quite everything, you'll have to read the book to get all that!). See below the player for additional notes, resources and links. Listen: Joe Pulizzi on Telling a Different Story with Epic Content Marketing Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on

Steve Lazuka, founder and president of Zerys, the content marketplace is my guest expert. We focus on discussing the growing need for planning and producing higher quality content, and how that can be accomplished through a robust platform and community of specialists in the areas of writing, editing, search optimization, title/headline developers, project managers and more. This is my second reinterview with Steve. Catch the first here: Steve Lazuka on Zerys the Content Marketplace. In this episode we talk about the enhancements and improvements being made to Zerys, which he refers to as Z3. These changes represent a virtual overhaul of the platform to turn it into a super-charged powerhouse for understanding how to more expertly plan, collaborate, create and manage content creation projects. But as Steve indicates, the tool is only as good as the people who use it. There's no such thing as a content vending machine. And nothing great comes easy. Zerys, and the new Z3 when it's released later in the year, is not a content vending machine, but a tool to help make creating great, even epic content as easy as possible. Listen: Steve Lazuka of Zerys on What's New in Z3 Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Show Notes and Links Zerys the Content Marketplace website What's new with Z3 page Steve Lazuka on Zerys the Content Marketplace (earlier podcast) Up Next on the Show As I mentioned on the show with Steve, I'm thrilled to have Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute (one of Inc. magazines 2012 and 2013 fastest growing private companies!) on to talk about his new book, Epic Content Marketing. Don't miss it, there will be some surprising moments. Subscribe in iTunes to get all the shows, or check out Stitcher, the Podcasts App by apple, or simply subscribe via RSS or Email to this page! //

Kristi Hines of Kikolani is my expert guest on this episode on why you should consider a guest blogging strategy, and how to get started. We also chat about her brand new premium content course she's developed: Blog Post Promotion: The Ultimate Course - what's inside it and how it can benefit your blogging goals. You can describe Kristi's writing prowess in any number of ways: freelance writer, ghostwriter, guest blogger, professional writer/blogger and as a regular contributor to top blogs in the online marketing space. Her byline articles appear on Search Engine Journal, Social Media Examiner, KISSmetrics and Problogger to mention just a few. Check out her latest posts page for a portfolio of her outside writing. In this interview, Kristi talks about how she got started in guest blogging, what that's done for building her brand and business, and some key tips for others to follow. Her experience led her to develop the Guest Blogging Survival Guide to help others understand what works best, and what mistakes to avoid. If you want to know how to grow your audience, build authority in your niche or industry, and generate a loyal base of fans and subcribers to your blog, this episode with Kristi on guest blogging and blog post promotion (BPP) is for you! Share on Twitter Click to Tweet: Kristi Hines @kikolani on getting started and surviving as a guest blogger w/ @gregelwell (podcast)   Listen: Kristi Hines on Guest Blogging & BPP Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes   Show notes and key resources Hear how Kristi's efforts to grow an audience for her poetry and photography blog led her to change its focus in 2009 to blog marketing and online marketing. Kristi talks about how commenting on other blogs in her niche led to building awareness for her blog and invitations to guest post. Key insight: don't underestimate the power of engaging and influencing though blog commenting, and the opportunities that may open up for you. We discussed how Leo Babauta of the widely popular Zen Habits blog built the awareness and popularity of hi

Welcome to the second installment of my discussion with Ric Dragon on his fascinating, in-depth book, Social Marketology. It's all about conducting effective social media projects through a process-driven approach. In Part 1 of Social Marketology we covered the first three steps: Envisioning Results, Awakening the Brand and Finding the Fringe. In this episode we discuss: Birds of a Feather (Belonging to a Community), Chasing the Whales (Going for the Influencers), The Ball in Motion (Creating an Action Plan), and Are We There Yet? (Measuring Your Progress). The insights Ric brings in his argument for a process-driven approach (with practical and actionable tips) reflect a scientific approach involving psychology, sociology, research, human behavioral studies, and a framework of institutional process methodologies. These provide a rich educational, historical and operational context from which to build a strategy and action plan with tools and technologies tailored to your needs and goals. We also combine a little artistic expression in the form of the great jazz drummer and orignal member of the Dave Brubeck quartet, Joe Morello playing Take 5 as performed on a 1995 show of Conan O'Brien. Segments of Morello's performance are interspersed between discussion topics in a linear fashion, but also played in it's entirety at the end of the podcast. Get ready to be social marketologized by Ric Dragon! Listen: Ric Dragon - Social Marketology - Part 2 Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Share this Podcast on Twitter Here's @RicDragon on @B2BInbound #podcast talking Social Marketology - Part 2 [Tweet that] A scientific and process-driven approach to #socialmedia via @RicDragon w/ @gregelwell - podcast [Tweet that] A jazzy mix of Morello w/ @DragonSearch Social #Marketology - Only on @B2BInbound podcast [Tweet that] Links and Show Notes Ric Dragon on Social Marketology - Part 1 (podcast) Social Marketology book page Social Marketology Bibliography Template Library for Social Marketology Joe Morello - Take 5 on Conan O'Brien (YouTube) Dragon Search

Not only is Ric Dragon an astute marketer who's brought a process-driven approach to social media marketing, he's also a painter and drummer who believes: "Making art is not that divorced, not that remote from the world of organization and business." And, as any accomplished artist would tell you, the recipe for creating something worthwhile is steeped in passion, research and practice, practice, practice. These too are the traits found in Ric's creation of Social Marketology: Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever. Upon reading the book and prepping for the podcast, it became immediately apparent, one episode wouldn't be sufficient to adequately cover the rich thinking and special goodies Ric has uncovered in the process of making social media - marketology - a reality. And so, with Ric's generous consent, we embarked on a fairly comprehensive journey of Social Marketology that will be published as a two-part podcast mini series, approximately a week apart. I wanted to get a good understanding of 3 key aspects of the book. First, how did Ric, CEO of Dragon Search, and 20+ year veteran of graphic design, web/software development and digital marketing (with a set of Craviotto drums in the back corner of his office) come to write Social Marketology. Secondly, I wanted him to cover, in enough detail, the social media marketing process he's identified as "a fundamental framework that will provide the foundation for any type of (social media) project." And finally, I wanted him to share his thoughts on what he calls "the big five" approaches to social media. This first part covers Ric's approach to learning and pursuing knowledge used in creative efforts (such as composing this book) by going down rabbit holes (more on that below). It will also give you a good overview of the construct of the book including the 7 basic process steps along with the 5 major projects or approaches for doing social media. We then dive a little deeper into the first few steps in the process: Envisioning Results: Focusing on Desired Outcomes, and Awakening the Brand: Humanizing it with Personality and Voice Finding the Fringe: identifying Customer Microsegments I also sought to blend a little musical artistry in between discussion points by inserting portions of a drum solo by Neil Peart of Rush found on YouTube into part one. For part two I'll bring in the great jazz drummer, Joe Morello playing "Take Five" into the mix of our conversation. I thought

Upon notification that DivvyHQ (the spreadsheet-free editorial calendar solution) was about to get an overhaul, I invited it's co-founder and CEO, Brody Dorland to come back on the show and explain what the next chapter of this web-based tool was all about. It was back in April of this year that we hooked up via Skype and chatted for this podcast about this really sleek and useful content planning tool. And, don't be alarmed, there's nothing wrong with the current version of Divvy, it's just that it's about to get a whole lot better. A Divvy 2.0 was something on the minds of co-founders Dorland and Brock Stechman back in April when we talked on episode #10. It was really just a matter of securing the necessary funding to make it happen. Dundee Venture Capital along with Digital Sandbox KC (look out Silicon Valley here comes Silicon Prairie!) both stepped up to the plate to help turn the vision of a bigger and badder Divvy, a soon to be released reality. (You can learn more about their fund raising process here.) By the way, pictured above, that's Brock on the left and Brody to the right. There's also something peculiar (don't you think) about two business partners whose first names have the exact same number of letters and both begin with "BRO." Wonder if they go around calling out to each other, "Hey Bro!"? The plan is to give attendees of Content Marketing World 2013 the first introduction of the new and improved software. And that makes sense as it was at CMW back in September 2011 that marked its first, official launch into the world of, well, content marketing. If you go, I hear they're are handing out free T-shirts. I'll take an XL, please. Episode with Brody Dorland - Listening Options: Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Show Notes, Topics Discussed and Links The DivvyHQ website Things learned from users and some bumps in the road Overview of DivvyHQ and how it helps content marketers Funding from Dundee Venture Capital and a grant from Digital Sandbox KC Kansas City rivals Silicon Valley as the Silicon Prairie Details on some spe

My guest expert for this episode is Mitch Joel, President of Twist Image – one of the largest independent Digital Marketing agencies in North America. Marketing Magazine dubbed him the "Rock Star of Digital Marketing" and called him, "one of North America's leading digital visionaries." Mitch speaks frequently to diverse groups like Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Nestle, Procter and Gamble, Unilever and has shared the stage with former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, Malcolm Gladwell, Anthony Robbins, Tom Peters and Dr. Phil. Mitch is a regular columnist for the Harvard Business Review, The Huffington Post and other magazines and newspapers. His first book, Six Pixels of Separation (published by Grand Central Publishing - Hachette Book Group), named after his successful Blog and Podcast is a business and marketing bestseller. His latest book, CTRL ALT Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends on it is the subject of our conversation. Show Segments Bernie Borges returns for another social business correspondent segment: Data Driven Marketing. Plus an update on executive level participation in social business (and media). Follow Find and Convert on Twitter! I share my new 30-second show promo which I prepared to air on The Feed podcast by Libsyn (my media host). Ever try and condense the value of what you offer down to a crisp half-a-minute? It's hard! But a worthwhile exercise for any marketer to undertake. Whether you are talking to others about your blog, business, product or service, take the time to craft a 30-second pitch. So the next time someone asks, "What is that (thing you do) all about (and why should I care?) you'll have a great response! Here's mine as shared on the show: Interview with Mitch Joel on Ctrl Alt Delete begins at the 13 minute mark. Episode with Mitch Joel - Listening Options: Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Share on Twitter On the latest B2BInbound podcast @mitchjoel talks about movements & triggers for an employable future [Tweet that] Show Notes Liste

My guest expert for this show is entrepreneur, NY Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, new media innovator and consultant, Joel Comm. In addition to Twitter Power 2.0, the theme of this interview, Joel is also the author of The AdSense Code, Stories from the World’s Most Successful Entrepreneurs and KaChing: How to Run an Online Business that Pays and Pays. As I mention in the intro, quite often I'll ask questions of a guest expert in an interview and have a pretty good idea of what the response is going to be, but not with Joel. He surprised me - in a good way. You'll just have to listen to get a sense of his thinking and mindset when it comes to using social media, 3rd party apps and much more - including what he meant by saying, "I'm pregnant!" This is one of my favorite guest interviews. Joel is a warm, geniuine, authentic, organic kind of guy with a down-to-earth, what-you-see-is-what-you-get approach. He believes authenticity is a cornerstone of succeeding in business of any flavor. And, as you'll hear Joel state with regards to Twitter or marketing in general: "It's not about B2B or B2C, it's about Me to You marketing." I couldn't agree more! Show Segments Social Business Correspondent, Bernie Borges of Find and Convert continues his series of what it takes to become a social business with the 5th characteristic of a social business: Investment in Social Technology - just after the intro Feature expert interview with Joel Comm on Twitter Power and M2Y Marketing begins at the 12m 20sec mark. Bonus segment with Matt Clark of TweetPages on developing brand consistency through custom social media designs immediately following the Joel Comm segment. (Matt has designed Joel's Twitter background, Facebook cover and other branded elements). Episode with Joel Comm - Listening Options: Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Show Notes, Tweetables and Resources Listen as Joel and I talk about how much things have changed with Twitter since the "early days." Features, branding, 3rd party apps and more have kept Twitter interesting and rel

Jeff Coon, Creative Director and Partner at Stream Creative is my featured expert for this episode on creating compelling, user-centric designs that work hand in glove with content marketing. Stream Creative is a Milwaukee-based inbound marketing and design agency. Jeff is joined by Art Director Partners Steve James and Brian Brinkman. And their talented design and digital marketing team includes Jason James, Holly Hirsch, Monica Madsen and Mary Jo Preston. A Gold HubSpot Partner, Stream Creative's specialties include all things digital and inbound marketing, a full range of creative and multi-media services, web design and development and social media. I've had the pleasure of knowing Jeff and the team there, and working with them on numerous client engagements. This episode is about Jeff's thinking on creating compelling designs for websites and other environments such as for mobile and social media that complement the inbound and content marketing strategies of the brand, plus the needs and desires of customers. When done right, it can result in a one + one = three type impact. First up is Bernie Borges of Find and Convert, another fine digital marketing agency and HubSpot Certified Partner for the Social Business Correspondent segment. This one is on the third characteristic of becoming a social business: Employee Branding. Learn why it's so critical to involve employees, especially those with maven-like skills as active, social business participants. Episode with Jeff Coon- Listening Options: Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Show Notes, Tweetables and Resources Tweetable: Hear Jeff Coon of @streamcreative talk about designing in a #contentmarketing world on the @B2BInbound podcast [Tweet that] Jeff shares his thoughts on the importance of both a brand- and user-centric design process Why doing a visual audit and developing persona profiles is key for a website re-design or new design project Why brands should focus on establishing their overall digital marketing strategy along with their creative and design plan at the same time W

Jay Baer, author of the new book Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help not Hype joins me this week to discuss how to build long-term trust and kinship with inherently useful marketing. Published on June 27, 2013, Youtility quickly debuted at #3 on the New York Times best seller list. Jay is president of Convince & Convert, a social media and content marketing firm that works with major brands. His Convince & Convert blog is ranked as the world's #1 content marketing resource by the Content Marketing Institute. And, he has a top-rated podcast on iTunes called, Social Pros. Jay's also an acclaimed keynote speaker, and, as you'll hear in this podcast, carries some notable credentials for cookin' up some amazing backyard eats! Marketing in the form of Youtility is massively useful marketing. So valuable in fact, that even though provided for free, people would pay you to get their hands on it. Now that's lovable marketing! The most important question Jay's book and this podcast seeks to answer is this: "How does your company win in today's media-fractured, hyper-competitive, always-on and passive-aggressive marketplace?" Marketing is upside down. Let Jay help right your marketing ship and reset your course with a Youtility-based marketing mindset! Also included with this episode is another segment with Bernie Borges on Social Business: Marketing is not a department! Bernie's segment begins in the first part of the show and the discussion with Jay begins at the 13-minute mark. WARNING: Faux & Authentic Forms of Lightning Bolts Used in This Production! (Please be careful when operating machinery while listening to this podcast.)   Episode with Jay Baer - Listening Options: Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (new window will open). Alternatively, click any of the links below the player. There are also a variety of smartphone apps including the Podcasts App or Stitcher to access this and the complete lineup of shows from the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast on your mobile device. Listen to Podcast in New Window Listen or Subscribe in iTunes Show Notes, Tweetables & Resources Learn why top-of-mind and frame-of-mind approaches to marketing are no longer all that effective, and how marketers can leverage friend-of-mind awareness through Youtility to breakthrough. Tweetable: Listen as @jaybaer shares what friend-of-mine awareness means to useful marketi

This is my interview with Help Scout's inbound marketing strategist and content creator, Gregory Ciotti. It is the second podcast interview in the series on content marketing. The first episode was with Doug Kessler of London-based Velocity Partners on Building a Great Content Brand. Help Scout provides help desk software tailored to small business. As a scrappy start up in a marketplace with entrenched competition like Zendesk and Desk.com (now owned by Salesforce), Greg has led Help Scout to generate nearly 100,000 unique visits and experience over a 600% growth in leads since August 2012. Rather than competing on share of wallet, Help Scout took a strategic and organic approach involving content marketing via blogging and longer forms of content positioned as downloadable help guides. Greg believed opportunity existed for Help Scout to attract and win over their target market buyer persona, "Help Desk Heidi" by publishing in-depth, robust and well-researched content on a consistent basis. Greg and I discuss the strategy and process used to develop, publish and promote this authoritative content. And how and why he focused on customer service and the associated topics of customer loyalty and customer experience. We also discuss Greg's insights and experience with guest blogging on high-traffic sites like Copyblogger, Lifehacker and others with tips on how to find and maximize these opportunities to expand awareness and increase subscriptions to your own content. Introducing: The Social Business Correspondent Segment Also, with this episode, I'm excited to kick-off a regular segment of the B2B Inbound Expert Interviews Podcast with Bernie Borges of Find and Convert. Bernie is the founder and CEO of Find and Convert, a digital marketing agency based in Tampa, Florida. Bernie and I met at an inbound conference a number of years ago and have maintained a close on- and off-line relationship ever since. Bernie's segment will focus on helping us better understand social business, why it matters to the entire organization, and how businesses both small and large can leverage it for greater success in today's always-on, socially converged and connected economy. In this segment of the Social Business Correspondent, Bernie shares the first of five characteristics of a true, social business: Executive level support. How to Listen to this Podcast: Listen to this podcast by using the Libsyn player below or by clicking the orange "Play" headphone button to the left (n

This episode with Doug Kessler of Velocity Partners kicks off a series of podcasts on content marketing for B2Bs. In January of 2013 Doug published a blog article called Crap: The Single Biggest Threat to B2B Content Marketing with an embedded deck posted on Slideshare (see below). The message went viral and continues to generate buzz and resonance with marketers who know all too well how challenging it can be to get noticed among the deluge of content, good and bad. Going beyond content crap to build a great content brand is the focus of our discussion. You will learn about the story behind the Crap and what it felt like for Doug and team to see it go viral. Doug shares the principle of atomization and how they used it in Crap and other campaigns to leverage a core message across multiple mediums. We then discuss some of the key details inside the deck and why the biggest threat to content marketing is content marketing, and how to survive the deluge of content all marketers must compete with today. Doug shares 6 principles of building a great content brand and goes into detail on a couple of the most important ones: be the buyer and passion. Listen, Subscribe or Download this Podcast: Play in new window | Subscribe in iTunes Pimp this Podcast on Twitter Wouldn't your Twitter followers think you're awesome by letting them know about how they can avoid the content marketing Crap deluge - and survive it? You bet your arse they would! Just use this handy-dandy click to tweet feature below (opens new window with pre-populated tweet and a link to this page, Yes, you can modify it if you want to clean it up some, but really why would you?): Cut the Crap out of #contentmarketing w/ @dougkessler on the @B2BInbound #podcast. [Click to Tweet] Hear @dougkessler on building a great content brand w/ @gregelwell #B2B #contentmarketing. [Click to Tweet] How to survive #contentmarketing crap and build a great content brand via @dougkessler #podcast [Click to Tweet] Crap went viral, but a great #B2B content brand needs more via @dougkessler #podcast [Click to Tweet]  Crap - The Content Marketing Deluge Crap. The Content Marketing Deluge. from Velocity Partners Show Notes and References The Story of Crap Going Viral, Ripples and Lessons Blog on Velocity Partners that kicked things off on January 10, 2013: Crap: The Single Biggest Threat to B2B Content Marketing Velocity blog on February 14, 2013 that told what happened with Crap going viral: Behind the Crap: What it