Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

In Episode #433, Eric and Neil discuss how to quickly find the most popular blogs in a niche and list the top websites that will help you find them. Tune in to find out the most reliable and useful tool to date. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Quickly Find the Most Popular Blogs in a Niche 00:35 – Buzzsumo shows the most shared content and links to content 00:55 – SimilarWeb shows you which posts are similar to yours and the ones that get the most traffic 01:03 – Ahrefs is great for looking at content as well and they will find things you can’t find with Buzzsumo 01:35 – Google search is still one of the most useful ways to find popular blogs 01:57 – Search through different communities like Reddit 02:37 – Marketing School is giving away 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 02:52 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your FREE copy 02:57 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Blogs that are constantly shared are the ones that are the most popular and credible in their respective niche. Good ol’ Google search still does the job for finding the most popular blogs. More people are engaged in different communities and/or forums, so they usually share what they follow. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode #432, Eric and Neil discuss how to secure your website. Tune in to learn why a two-factor authentication for your website is better and the importance of backing up your website for security reasons. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Secure Your Website 00:33 – HTTPS is a certificate that can secure your website and there are multiple versions of it 00:55 – Get an SSL certificate 01:08 – One of Eric’s friends switched from HTTP to HTTPS and their traffic dropped 01:48 – Have a two-factor authentication for your website 02:05 – LastPass helps, too 02:21 – Make sure you are constantly checking your website 02:41 – For blogs, use VaultPress 02:55 – For hosting, make sure you’re using a great host 03:15 – Backup your sites 03:39 – Marketing School is giving away 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 03:46 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your FREE copy 03:50 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: An SSL certificate and HTTPS can make your site more secure. Be careful with your login credentials—use difficult passwords. Always backup your sites. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode #431, Eric and Neil discuss 7 WordPress plugins you ought to use. Tune in and take note of the plugins that you need for your WordPress site—especially if it is the face of your business. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: 7 WordPress Plugins You Ought to Use 00:35 – First tool is the Yoast SEO plugin 00:41 – It will give you the foundational tool 00:52 – Second tool is VaultPress so that you can backup your blog, especially if it’s your business 01:10 – Have a tool for content upgrades like Thrive Leads and OptinMonster 01:33 – Breadcrumbs NavXT can be added to your WordPress theme 01:45 – Fifth is to have a plugin checklist like WP Blog Checklist 02:13 – Sixth: check out Comments Not Replied To so you won’t miss out on any comments 02:27 – Seventh is a cache plugin to manage your blog speed 03:05 – Marketing School is giving away 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 03:13 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your FREE copy 03:17 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: A SEO plugin will be the foundation of your WordPress website. Content upgrades helps your site attain more and more leads. Maximize different plugins that are available for WordPress, they are made for a reason! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #430, Eric and Neil discuss how to generate more YouTube search traffic. Tune in to learn how you can revamp your videos to attract more traffic and why your watch time is important. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Generate More YouTube Search Traffic 00:35 – Use TubeBuddy and VidIQ—TubeBuddy will give you ideas on what tags you should use for your YouTube videos 01:11 – Upload your transcript or the captions for your videos to boost your ranking 01:32 – Think about how you can rank for great titles 01:50 – You have to understand your audience 02:00 – Use amazing images for your CTR 02;34 – YouTube wants people to stay longer on their platform so consider your watch time 03:02 – Marketing School is giving away 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 03:22 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your FREE copy 03:26 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Know your TOP keywords for your videos. If you can upload your own transcript, do it—it’ll help your ranking. Play around with watch time and make sure that people are staying around to watch your videos. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode #429, Eric and Neil discuss 7 tips for increasing engagement with your blog. Tune in to learn how you can boost your viewer’s engagement levels and hook them so they have to keep coming back for more.  Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: 7 Tips for Increasing Engagement with Your Blog 00:35 – First is to write your blog in a conversational tone by using “you” and “I” 00:54 – People become more engaged and they will probably leave comments 01:00 – Add a live chat button to your blog 01:26 – Third is to wrap up your blog post with a conclusion 01:36 – Most readers will read your conclusion first before reading the whole blog 01:44 – Fourth is adding different types of content 02:00 – Some read on their mobile while others on their computer 02:13 – Fifth is to respond to comments in your blog 02:30 – Connect social media channels with Edgar 03:08 – Seventh is to do a content upgrade with Thrive, Hello Bar, OptinMonster 04:00 – There are different content upgrades available at Leadpages 04:15 – Marketing School is giving away 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 04:26 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your copy 04:28 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Writing in a conversational tone will engage your readers making them more likely to comment. Use social media platforms to increase your blog’s reach. Have a catchy conclusion, most readers read it first anyway. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode #428, Eric and Neil discuss how to correctly use live chat on your website. Tune in to learn how you can target the right people using live chat and convert them into sales. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Correctly Use Live Chat on Your Website 00:51 – Live chat isn’t just about talking to your website visitors, it can actually detect potential customers 01:34 – Segment your audience and only show the live chat option—it’s your best bet 01:50 – Intercom is doing well for live chat 02:00 – Eric just switched to Drift which has the ability to set appointments for people 02:47 – The appointment setting becomes a revenue generating tool 02:58 – Drift Enterprise costs $2K a month, but they have the another version 03:38 – Eric’s clients like Drift 03:50 – Just make sure you’re not showing your live chat to the wrong people or you’re wasting money 04:31 – “You can’t hit everyone” 04:35 – Marketing School is giving away a free 90-day FREE trial to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 04:45 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to get your FREE trial 04:50 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Only target those who will likely convert to sales when it comes to the live chat feature. If you’re talking to the wrong people, you’re just wasting time and money. Live chat can become an income generating tool if used well. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode #427, Eric and Neil discuss if should you hire an agency for link building. Tune in to learn if it’s worth it to hire a great agency to do link building for you OR if you’re better off doing it in-house. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Should You Hire an Agency for Link Building? 00:33 – Neil ran an agency with link building in the past and Eric’s agency is currently handling link building 00:48 – Most people don’t have proper connections and use templates that don’t work 01:01 – “Links are a very dangerous thing” 01:12 – Link building is the same as doing outreach when it comes to sales 01:50 – Pitchbox is an SEO outreach tool; if you’re using it, it’s better to hire an agency 02:20 – If you’re looking for good links, find the right agency 02:24 – Ask for samples first to see if the links are good 02:32 – If you want to do it in-house, hire someone who knows the processes well 02:40 – If you decide to go with an agency, make sure that you’re not charged per link 02:53 – Make sure you’re paying a reasonable price 03:11 – Track reports regarding your link building 03:40 – Marketing School is giving away a 90-day free trial to Crazy Egg, which is a visual analytics tool 03:52 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway to learn more about your FREE trial 03:58 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Link building isn’t easy and will hurt your ranking if it’s not done right. Before committing to an agency, ask for samples of links to check if they are providing great links. If you’re going to do link building in-house, choose someone who knows the processes by heart. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode #426, Eric and Neil discuss how to spy on your competition. Tune in to discover the tools that will help you see what your competitors are up to, how you can compete, and ways you can replicate their strategies. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Spy on Your Competition 00:38 – Ahrefs is a great tool to use 01:22 – SEMrush will show you phrases your competitors are bidding on for pay-per-click 01:40 – It will give you an idea of whether you should also be bidding on those keywords 02:14 – Adbeat goes deeper on ads and spend trends over time 02:41 – BuiltWith will show you everything that your competitors are using 03:07 – SimilarWeb will show you top categories, traffic trends and the breakdown of the traffic of a website 03:45 – SpyFu and iSpionage are great tools 03:50 – iSpionage shows the keyword efficiency index 04:42 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 04:56 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 04:59 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Leverage the tools that will help you become BETTER than your competitors. Track to see if your strategies are working or if you’re just wasting your money. Spying on your competitors is healthy for a business. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode #425, Eric and Neil discuss how much you should spend on content promotion. Tune in to discover just how little you need to promote your content. And, if you prefer to spend nothing at all, the alternative methods you can employ to get your content out there! Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How Much Should You Spend on Content Promotion? 00:37 – Eric asked Larry Kim of Wordstream, who is well-versed in paid advertising 00:58 – Larry said that every time he publishes content, he’ll try to find unicorns that have high engagement 01:11 – He’s pushing $50 for every published piece of content 01:39 – For Neil, content promotion is 50% of the time spent writing the content and the other 50% of the time is for promotion 01:52 – At least half of the time should always be spent on content promotion 01:57 – You can spend time or spend money on promotion 02:00 – You can boost traffic from different social media sites 02:20 – If you don’t want to spend money, you can promote your content by going through Google for similarly related content 02:35 – Email the people who tweeted your competitor's’ content and ask if they can share yours too 03:17 – If you’re just starting out, it is easier to reach out to people 03:33 – Make sure that your content is good 03:47 – A Dollar a Day Strategy by Dennis Yu of BlitzMetrics can you help you too 04:19 – Check your analytics and insights to create a more targeted audience 04:38 – Content marketing works if you’re promoting it 05:08 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 05:27 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 05:31 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: For every piece of content you publish, you should spend half your time PROMOTING it. Your content marketing won’t work if you’re not promoting it—it simply won’t reach people. Even with just a dollar, you can push your content on Facebook. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode #424, Eric and Neil discuss what part of your funnel you should focus on. Tune in to learn the different parts of a funnel, how to find your weakness, and the actions you can take to make sure your funnel is running (and converting) smoothly. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: What Part of Your Funnel Should You Focus On? 00:40 – Top of the Funnel (ToFu): the traffic that you’re trying to target; which is usually a much larger audience 00:48 – Middle of the Funnel (MoFu): people who have viewed your website or availed of your services 01:02 – Bottom of the Funnel (BoFu): returning customers or those who are close to purchasing 01:24 – If you don’t have a lot of visitors, focus on the top of the funnel 01:27 – If you have a lot of visitors but don’t have much conversion, work on your analytics to see where the drop off is—it’s either the middle or bottom of the funnel 01:43 – You can check it out using Mixpanel and/or Kissmetrics 01:50 – Focus on optimizing that part by doing A/B testing or surveys 02:12 – Eric shares an experiment of how they bring people through an entire funnel 02:16 – Eric did a case study for SaaS companies 02:45 – When you bring people through the funnel, the journey needs to be consistent 03:05 – The journey is a story as well 03;19 – Digital Marketer and Chris Von Wilpert have some good points on funnels 04:06 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription to Crazy Egg which is a visual analytics tool 04:15 – Go to SingleGrain.com/giveaway for multiple entries 03:50 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Figure out the part of your funnel where people fall off, then create a strategy to improve your performance. Employ tests or experiments to make sure you’re on the right track. Create a consistent journey for your funnel. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.