Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

In Episode #314, Eric and Neil discuss 3 simple ways to save money on SEO using PPC. Tune in to learn the importance of knowing the right keywords to use in SEO so you won’t end up wasting money or time. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: 3 Simple Ways to Save Money on SEO Using PPC 00:38 – Everyone looks at pay-per-click as an expense but it’s not a bad expense 00:49 – From an SEO perspective, it takes a long time 01:00 – The first way to save money is to target the right keywords 01:05 – You can use Google Keyword Planner, UberSuggest or Keyword.io 01:11 – “Volume isn’t everything if people don’t purchase from those keywords—no matter how many visitors you get, it’s useless” 01:19 – With PPC, you can test out words and phrases and when you see conversion, start targeting from organic search perspective 01:35 – If you want to scale, use AdWords Editor to move things faster 02:00 – If you have a brand keyword, a competitor can start to categorize you as the brand owner 02:48 – Focus your SEO first on non-seasonal based terms 03:10 – It costs the same time and money with seasonal-based keywords 03:22 – Go to Google Trends, type the terms and make sure it’s not in the seasonality 03:38 – After the terms get consistent traffic all year round, then go for the seasonal terms 04:03 – More consistent income is better than the income that goes up and down over a few months 04:15 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: PPC is an expense, but it is NOT a bad expense—test if it’s right for you. While SEO can be cheaper, it takes time and testing to see which works best. If you have a brand keyword, keep it, as a competitor will start to see you as the brand owner. 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 #313, Eric and Neil discuss how to do SEO for small businesses with less than $1000 a month. Tune in to learn how you can still do SEO effectively—even with a small budget—and why you shouldn’t believe everything that Google tells you. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Do SEO for Small Businesses With Less Than $1000 a Month 00:35 – You can’t focus on everything 00:40 – Try to have your site on WordPress so you can have Yoast and not worry too much about on-page SEO 00:48 – Neil sticks to content creation and building links around the content 00:55 – Neil uses Ahrefs 01:01 – Put in your competitor’s URL and click on the top pages that will show you the pages your competitor gets the most traffic 01:29 – Look at that page and try to create a better version on your website 01:38 – Find the people that are linked out to the page and reach out to them 02:00 – Reaching out works, but it’s a long-term play 02:08 – Keep it simple 02:34 – “Don’t believe everything that Google says” 02:58 – When you only have $1000 a month, you can’t go really fast 03:10 – You can also use BuzzSumo which is similar to Ahrefs 03:26 – You can find a journalist who can write content at JustReachOut which is a PR tool 03:48 – For link outreach, you can use Pitchbox and MixMax 04:03 – You have to make sure that you stay consistent with your SEO 04:22 – Consistency will give people the impression that you’re starting to build your flywheel 04:33 – Scripted allows you to buy content at scale 04:53 – Upwork and ProBlogger also have people you can hire to make content for you 05:16 – Scripted is like a marketplace 05:37 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: There are ways to work on your SEO while on a conservative budget. SEO results takes time so you have to be patient. Leverage free and affordable tools that you can use to make your SEO work successfully. 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 #312, Eric and Neil discuss how to create an experimental culture in your marketing department. Tune in to find out how Eric and Neil do experiments with their respective teams and how it boosted engagement and a sense of value and pride for team members to be a part of the experimentation. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Create an Experimental Culture in Your Marketing Department 00:38 – Twitter was running .2 tests per week when they were still struggling 01:02 – After that, their usual growth skyrocketed 01:12 – Jeff Bezos of Amazon also brought tons of experiments that helped them boost quickly 01:17 – Driving experiments for the company or marketing department is really important 01:26 – Treat your experiment as a product 01:37 – Eric runs experiment meetings with his company, Single Grain 01:49 – Every week, someone is required to bring in new ideas 02:33 – You can use Trello to write in your experiments 02:43 – There should be a well-thought idea and a plan as well as data to back up the plan 02:58 – Neil enforces the culture to everyone until they fully adapt to it 03:06 – Neil also believes that no opinions that are wrong or right 03:13 – Just because you are doing marketing longer, does NOT mean you have better ideas 03:33 – It is a weekly process for Neil’s team 03:49 – Neil encourages testing and gives a pat on the back to who has the best idea 04:04 – Once you start with testing, people will love it 04:15 – The team will feel good that they’re making progress 04:34 – Eric tried to incentivize the person with the best idea, but now they’re having a monthly celebration 05:07 – One of the mistakes that Eric made with the experiment was that people were voting just by raising their hands—they shifted this to automated voting 05:43 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Engage everyone on the team in regards to the experiments and make sure that ideas are well-thought and planned. Your team will have a sense of engagement and responsibility when they are included in the experimental process. Incentivizing isn’t always beneficial for everyone—find what motivates your team. 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 #311, Eric and Neil discuss the marketing tasks they do daily. Tune in to know what Eric and Neil do every day and how these habits contribute to their success. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: The Marketing Tasks Eric and Neil Do Every Day 00:36 – The big thing that Neil does is post on social media 00:49 – Neil also responds to comments from Social Web and Social Profiles 00:59 – Neil looks into Google Console to track posts that are declining in views and clicks 01:07 – He will then update those posts and content and they will go back to where they were 01:27 – Eric is trying to work on the business more 01:44 – Eric is working on creating content 01:58 – Eric also checks his Google Console and track his posts’ ranking 02:33 – You do NOT have to do exactly what Eric and Neil are doing 02:35 – Eric also has a lot of one-on-one time with the team to see where he can help 02:48 – Eric checks the interns campaigns and coaches them if needed 03:09 – Neil reads marketing blogs and keeps himself updated on the industry trends 03:15 – Neil also responds to Quora’s questions 03:54 – The biggest hack for Eric is listening to marketing podcasts daily 04:04 – Eric recommends listening to Growth Everywhere and Digital Marketing Podcast 04:21 – There’s so much consumption you can do but you need to produce, too 04:48 – Eric and Neil both try to continue to level up and build a flywheel that continues to go 05:12 – Build all the pieces, hire the right people, put in the right processes and start to build the flywheel 05:20 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Keep yourself updated in the industry that you’re in. Tracking your post’s analytics does not have to be done daily, but needs to be checked constantly to assess if you need to update. Learning is useless without application. 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 #310, Eric and Neil discuss how to rank in Google image search. Tune in to learn how Google can recognize your images more easily and how to adjust for Google’s limitations to BOOST your ranking. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Rank in Google Image Search 00:40 – If you are in consumer-based industry, you can generate a lot of traction from Google image search 01:00 – Image filing should be restricted to what you’re trying to rank for 01:06 – If it’s a car, use all tags to describe to Google what your image is about 01:57 – You can also use a long description which is similar to all tags, but longer 02:31 – If you’re always ranked over time, make sure you’re surrounded with text as Google uses text to figure out what the image is about 02:40 – In the next couple of years, Google’s AI might be able to identify which is which 03:06 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: How well you rank on Google image searches will depend on the industry. Google will know what your image is about if you describe it well in text. Google’s AI will probably improve in the future and won’t require as much text to recognize an image. 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 #309, Eric and Neil discuss how to get tons of views on your LinkedIn updates. Tune in to know the number of views Eric and Neil received on their first LinkedIn update and why you should leverage LinkedIn NOW. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: How to Get Tons of Views on Your LinkedIn Updates 00:38 – You can now write longer-form LinkedIn content now 00:55 – Eric has around 6K connections in LinkedIn and when he wrote about longer-form LinkedIn updates, he got a thousand views in just 10 minutes 01:10 – There were also 2nd degree views in LinkedIn 01:23 – A simple text update can get you tons of views 01:34 – Neil has also tested LinkedIn updates 01:44 – He got 232K views, 280 likes and 151 comments on his first update 01:57 – Neil learned that the more generic your update, the better off you are 02:28 – It comes down to how many views your content is getting by the right type of people that can potentially generate income—so be specific 02:48 – One guy reached out to Eric when he posted an update asking Eric if he can work for him 03:04 – There are also paid advertising managers who approached Eric 03:11 – One from Dropbox has reach out to Eric as well 03:33 – There’s a lot of potential with LinkedIn updates 03:54 – Go use LinkedIn now while only a few people are into it and leverage it 04:04 – AdWords is not restricting LinkedIn yet, so now is a good time to use it 04:14 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Take advantage of LinkedIn while it is not as saturated as other platforms. Posting specific LinkedIn updates can target the RIGHT people who are possible sale leads. LinkedIn updates can also help you connect with people who can become a part of your network. 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 #307, Eric and Neil discuss where you can hire great developers. Tune in to learn how you can find great developers at a much cheaper rate WITHOUT compromising on value and efficiency. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Where Can You Hire Great Developers? 00:42 – Eric and Neil both tried Toptal which is not a bad place, but quite expensive 00:51 – The best company for Neil is Crossover which is based in Texas 00:58 – Their team of great developers are usually overseas 01:02 – The labor is cheaper and they’re well educated 01:08 – They have the software to know which is the best of the best 01:30 – They offer 30 days of free development 01:55 – It is quite cheap 02:09 – Eric currently has 2 developers 02:14 – One is based in Singapore and the other one is in Lithuania 02:26 – The developers are well-versed and get things done 02:56 – Eric found them in CodePen’s job board 03:20 – Eric has used Crew and Andela 03:40 – Andela hires developers from other countries so you will get them cheaper 03:44 – They have a strong vetting process 04:20 – Engineers and developers may not work well right away, but they should over time (once you find the amazing ones) 04:40 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription of Sniply which allows you to overlay CTA or forms over social links that you’re sharing 04:57 – Subscribe, rate and review Marketing School 05:00 – Text MARKETINGSCHOOL to 33444 05:18 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: There are a lot of great developers overseas that will cost you way less than in the USA. Go to a website where developers usually lounge around—like forums and message boards. It may take you a few tries before you find the excellent engineers and developers that you need. 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 #306, Eric and Neil discuss where you can hire great designers. Tune in to hear an exhaustive list of where you can find fantastic designers and view their work. Or, if you are designer and are just needing some inspiration, Eric and Neil will tell you where to go.  Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Where Can You Hire Great Designers? 00:32 – Eric uses Dribbble and looks at people’s portfolios 00:42 – You can easily search for what you’re looking for, like an infographic 00:50 – Look for the aesthetic that you like 01:08 – You can also reach out to people who have designed for your competition 01:12– You can use LinkedIn to find this 01:36 – Neil uses 99designs where designers compete for a job 01:53 – Behance is also a platform where designers’ portfolios are available to view 02:02 – Visually is a good place for infographics 02:13 – Some designers post their designs on Pinterest 02:26 – Go to Product Hunt and type “landing pages”, then find a design that you can use as inspiration 02:40 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription of Sniply which allows you to overlay CTA or forms over social links that you’re sharing 03:01 – Subscribe, rate and review Marketing School 03:05 – Text MARKETINGSCHOOL to 33444 03:23 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Designers’ portfolios are a great way to understand a designer’s style and their medium. Take advantage of the websites where designers post their work for free. You can also find great inspiration online if you’re not keen on getting a designer. 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 #305, Eric and Neil discuss why you should clean your email list. Tune in to learn what tools you can use to help you manage your email lists and the benefits of making this a TOP priority—including saving you money! Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Why You Should Clean Your Email List 00:40 – Neil’s email is a mess and uses everything from Infusionsoft to Maropost to Mailgun 01:02 – They’re trying to figure which one will work well 01:19 – “If you don’t clear your list, your deliverability goes through the shitter” 01:24 – No one will get your emails 01:56 – Neil would clean the list, look at the most active subscribers and start sending emails to them 02:05 – Neil uses ConvertKit combined with Infusionsoft as their main mail service solution 02:30 – If you don’t clean your list up and you have a lot of inactive subscribers, you will be paying more 02:53 – Cleaning your email list is also saving you money 03:01 – Have a workflow using Drip or Infusionsoft 03:05 – Have a re-engagement sequence in place 03:40 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription of Sniply which allows you to overlay CTA or forms over social links that you’re sharing 04:06 – Subscribe, rate and review Marketing School 04:10 – Text MARKETINGSCHOOL to 33444 04:30 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Cleaning your email list directly equates to lowering your expenses and minimizing waste. Create a workflow for your email subscribers, especially when it comes to creating an re-engagement sequence. If you don’t manage your email well, your subscribers may not end up not getting any of your emails. 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 #304, Eric and Neil discuss where you can hire great writers. Tune in to learn how you can easily find great writers in your space and why hiring a full-time writer may work as a disadvantage to you.  Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:27 – Today’s topic: Where Can You Hire Great Writers? 00:46 – Eric and Neil both use Problogger religiously for finding their writers 01:05 – It’s cheap to put a job posting and there’s a lot of great people you can meet there 01:12 – Neil checks his competitors’ blogs and reaches out to some of the writers 01:22 – They usually accept any writing gig 01:30 – Don’t hire full-time writers because the ROI isn’t there 01:37 – People get burned out, so find someone who will write for you just a couple of times a week 01:51 – Find the most popular writers in your space based on comments and social shares 01:56 – Social shares mean they’re driving traffic and comments mean they’re engaging the audience 02:07 – If you’re doing audio and video podcast, go to Rev and have them transcribe podcast episodes 02:55 – Marketing School is giving away a free 1 year subscription of Sniply which allows you to overlay CTA or forms over social links that you’re sharing 03:07 – Subscribe, rate and review Marketing School 03:12 – Text MARKETINGSCHOOL to 33444 03:33 – That’s it for today’s episode! 3 Key Points: Problogger is a great place to find your next writer. Find great writers in your space based on how many social shares and comments they receive, then offer them something reasonable. Transcribing your audio and video creates another way for your audience to engage with your content. 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.