Marketing SOS

When it comes to starting a new company, what should you focus on?

Our listener question today comes from someone building a new company that offers a slew of digital marketing services. Their question is based around whether they can also offer clients financial services as well.

Can they? Should they?

Let's get into it.

In this episode, a newly minted Director of Marketing is doing an overhaul of his new companies visual identity and recreating their website and marketing collateral.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have much in the way of a team and needs to outsource. But what should he do?

Does he find an agency that can help him or does he look to hire the services of various freelancers?

When it comes to marketing strategy, the Head of Marketing at an organization is usually the one who sets the strategic priorities.

But what happens when you disagree with their approach? Or in this case their lack of one.

Today's listener question features an engineer who believes her company needs a corporate identity and brand guidelines - something the Head of Marketing disagrees with.

Who is right? And what can our engineer do to convince people that this is needed?

Disagreements in a partnership are always a challenge, how you come out of them can really define your business moving forward. In this episode, we have a question from a listener looking for help answering one such partner disagreement - are Facebook and Google marketers just scammers?

Well dear listeners, lets dive in and find out!

When it comes to marketing to specific individuals and industries, it really pays to put yourself in their shoes to learn how to speak, and market to them most effectively.

Today we have a question from a listener who wants to know if all marketing teams are as dysfunctional as theirs.

This listener works in the legal industry and their Chief Marketing Officer seems to care very little about what they are producing as long as a box gets checked.

So you've been given the green light to get some new interns in your marketing department - now what?

What do you give them to do and how do you trust them to take the ball and run with it?

Should you delegate freely? Micromanage? What's the best course of action?

On this episode our dear listener questions features a OBGYN who has poured her own savings into a free app for women to get accurate information, answer questions and track their pregnancies without trying to make a dime off of them.

So how do you market and app, and more importantly can you do it for free?

Let's kick it off in today's episode.

Creating an effective landing page is critical to converting people into paying happy customers.

What do you do if you don't have a clear offer and your company wants multiple products and service to be featured in a landing page?

It's time to dive in and figure out the bigger problem with your company's strategic vision.

One of the downsides of there being so much free content available on the internet is that it's super easy and hard to track plagiarism.

Stealing work, not from coworkers, but from others on the internet and passing it off as your own can make you look great but can also have devastating effects on your reputation and career.

It can also negatively impact your company and its search engine rankings.

So what do you do when you notice a coworker passing off other's work as their own?

Times are extremely challenging for small business owners who are facing a dramatic change in the way they do business and how their customers interact with them.

It is an unprecedented challenge that no one could prepare for.

With the future being so uncertain, this is a critical time to pivot or change the way you do business in order to survive the challenges ahead.

The world of SEO advice is filled with videos and forms full of potential strategies to one up your competition.

When you dive into this world, you'll find 'white hat' strategies, often considered good or friendly to search engines and 'black hat' strategies that are often riskier and frowned upon by search engines..

When you are looking for an edge, is it worth taking the risk and trying one of the 'black hat' techniques in order to get ahead?

Despite working in the marketing field, the terms in each industry can be vastly different. This episode a marketer from the world of big established brands dips their toe into the start up world and is confused by the term Product Market Fit and believes the entrepreneurial process behind it may be inefficient.

If you find yourself in the position of having developed a following or an audience on a platform, inevitably your thoughts will eventually turn to ways you can make some additional income for yourself.

On this episode we explore how one niche dental Instagram page can do just that.

Sometimes in life we find ourselves in positions we don't want to be in. When your down on your luck, between jobs, or stuck in a job you dislike, it can be especially mentally taxing, you feel bad about yourself and it becomes easy to let things slide.

This episode might just give you a little motivation to stay the course and keep working toward your dreams.

It's strange times these days with the world grinding to a halt and economies everywhere on the verge of collapsing. Small business owners that dealt directly with the public are bearing most of the burden. To be quite honest,  many businesses that existed last month, won't be around after this.

So what can they do? They need to pivot their business rapidly, if they can, to weather this storm.

It is never an enviable place to be, when you have a product you believe in but no cash to help you promote it. It does take money to make money but there are methods where you can burn your time or use alternative routes to make cash.

Today's question deals with one such scenario in the Amazon book industry and we explore a couple ways to make the sale with $0.

Dealing with people is tough, especially when you have stakeholders with conflicting opinions. How do you best get everyone thinking the same way and more importantly thinking your way? Tune in to find out.

When you've built an asset like a Facebook page but haven't monetized it, how do you know the value?

On this episode a listener gets an offer to sell a Facebook page but is wondering whether that page they built can be milked for more.

If you don't use it you lose it right? On today's show we help a would-be-marketer prioritize what he should be focusing on after an extended break from the world of marketing.

When joining a new company, how do you get up to speed and relearn marketing? Lets dive in and find out.

The pace of change over the last 20 years in business and marketing as been substantial. Many businesses have been left crippled in the dust unable to keep up with the times.

Occasionally we happen across some businesses that seem to still be surviving despite not using the modern best practices. 

On today's show a listener asks if a website is really required for their business.

While timely, trying to take advantage of a situation may be in poor taste. As a marketer and or a business owner, where do you draw the line on capitalizing on human suffering?

If you were a marketer at the Corona Beer company, what would you do to take advantage of this unprecedented situation?

Sometimes opportunities come along that are conflicting. On one hand they could be lucrative but on the other, something just seems a bit off.

Is this company or person trying to pull a fast one on you or are they just terrible at communicating?

Depending on how your marketing team is structured and where it gets it projects and directions from, all marketing teams need to triage campaigns and practice good project management.

It is too easy for the loudest person to get your attention, meanwhile you have missed deadlines on key projects while juggling tasks and requests coming in through the phone, email, post it notes, drop ins, etc.

Get some tips on the best way to manage the chaos that is the world of Marketing.

We all want to push the easy button and find that magic solution to make use millions of dollars. While I'm sure that button does exist for some people, for the majority of us it isn't so simple.

On today's episode one listener is looking for the best channel to focus on in order to grow sales of their privacy and security product.

Let's dive in!

On the surface, applying for a job is easy - we've all probably done it. But what advice would you have for someone new to the workforce who has never applied for a job before?

If you don't have expertise in a subject, how do you incorporate it into your business? Hire a consultant or agency to help you of course. Without any knowledge of the subject matter, how would you know whether your new partner is treating you right?

On this episode we explore a question from a listener whose client sells B2B products in the form of certifications than can generate $5-$7k annually per certification!

The world of marketing is vast with so many specializations and new innovating techniques seeming to develop every day. So to a newbie to the marketing space, there is an overwhelming amount of information to digest and expertise to be gained. When your in a job with little oversight and direction, how do you best spend your time? Lets dive in.

When you’re marketing in a wholesale business it can be tough to align your marketing and business priorities. While you get sales numbers from your retailers, it’s tough to directly tie your efforts to financial results. You need to adjust your metrics in order prove your digital marketing strategies are moving the needle even if there is no direct through line to sales.

When starting a new business or pivoting to marketing in different ways, it can be very daunting looking at all the potential tactics and strategies you need to take. In this episode we explore how to tackle this overwhelming position and make some forward momentum.

How do you market a product or service when modern methods aren't accessible? Its time to kick it a bit old school and rely on print and face to face interactions.

The way you do anything is the way you do everything. While you can have the best marketing strategies and sales funnels, if your team behind them aren't taken care of you might just be building a house of cards, or at least a high turnover rate. In this episode, I speak with Darren Chait co-founder and COO of Hugo and one of the authors of 10X Culture. We explore how focusing on culture can be one of the key drivers to building a high performing team for years to come. 

Sometimes we carry faulty biases and assumptions with us that can impact how we view situations. On this episode, one private investigator is operating with a false premise that's impacting his marketing strategy.

This is episode 60! Thanks to everyone for listening and helping us out! In this episode we take a question from a restaurateur looking to expand into vegan options but their existing customers are pushing back or going elsewhere.

Luckily there is an easy solution.

Life is short and full of unpredictable paths. One of those paths may put you in front of someone frustrating who also happens to pay you, which is never a good combination.

On this episode we hear from someone who needs help not blowing up in front of their clients.

When entering new markets or trying to capture new sources of revenue, your company will often have to grow in new ways. The saying goes "What got you here, won't get you there." Well this is true in today's episode that features one company looking to expand from being an unknown player working with retailers to trying to capture consumers directly.

Sometimes promotions do just happen but do you really want to leave your destiny in someone else's hands? Don't you want to do everything possible to stack the deck in your favour? In this episode we explore how to best position yourself for future advancement. 

There is nothing more frustrating than seeing the potential for your team or business and not being able to reach it due to bureaucracy and inefficient processes. In this episode we examine how one internal marketing team can transition from chaos to ordered marketing superiority.  

Every business needs a strategy to reach and capture new customers and build relationships. In this episode we explore how a workspace design studio catering to start up companies can reinvent the way it captures new customers.

Switching careers can be a daunting task. There are so many unknowns and its easy for imposter syndrome to take hold. In today's episode I help a listener by giving them actionable advice to achieve their goal of switching into content marketing. Lets go!

There seems be a hurdle that a specific degree or background is required to perform certain tasks. Not True! In this episode we hear from someone who is stuck and needs help learning more about their customers. 

One of the single best ways to generate leads and new business is by demonstrating your authority and expertise in a particular niche.

In this episode we hear from a listener looking for ideas on generating new business for their auto broker client. The answer? Build their authority.

Most of the time marketing involves making sales numbers, and hitting quarterly targets to keep shareholders happy and everyone employed. Occasionally there are roles that have more of an altruistic outcome and can have an huge impact on people's lives.

Unless you really love it, editing can be a painful necessity of any type of online content. The tough part comes down to editing your content in a timely manner without publishing work full of typos, grammatical errors and uneven narrative flows.

This episode I share some tricks of the trade when it comes to editing your own writing.

When it comes to online advertising, one of the best channels to utilize is paid traffic through pay-per-click advertising. Whether its social traffic or the gold standard of Google Ads, paid traffic is always a medium that should be evaluated when its comes to developing your marketing strategy.

This week we explore driving traffic to a low value downloadable product.

Approvals are a way of life in most businesses. Certain industries takes things a step further with regulations and compliance issues that can limit how businesses and marketers operate. So what is a marketing team supposed to do when they find themselves boxed in with red tape?

It’s time to get creative, of course!

The demands of work are always a difficult balancing act. There are dozens of competing priorities, coworkers pulling you in different directions and unclear goals and direction.

What do you do when you are being pulled all over the place and can't keep up with the demands of the job?

On this episode we hear from a listener who is taking over the social media accounts of a local coffee shop. She doesn't have much experience, but knows enough that she wants to rebrand the shop's Instagram page to take it to the next level.

Lets figure out if, and how she should do this.

Facebook and social media can be powerful tools to identify and close sales transactions. Its no wonder these platforms attract professional marketers and companies the world over.

When it comes to selling products in a corporate environment - where is the line? When your sales team has a quota to hit, should they be able to use every tool at their disposal?

In business, it is always a sound practice to drum of revenue wherever you can. When you have already invested in building an asset, like a website, and can find new ways to monetize it - that's a no brainer. Right?

Sometimes pursuing new revenue channels can hurt your bread and butter revenue generator as we discover in this episode.

Remote work is a driving factor for many employees and businesses these days. But is remote work actually superior to working in a traditional office setting? The debate rages on but I throw my perspective into the ring, having done both quite a bit.

This week we hear from a listener who has been freelancing remotely for over a decade and is transitioning back into an office environment. Should she ask up front to work from home? Let’s dive in and find out.

Its rare to enjoy being laid off and rarely do you even know it is coming. Through no fault of your own, your position is being eliminated and you are told to pack your things. While we all like to pretend this will never happen to us, the old adage of ‘you never know’ always holds true. It is good to always prepare for this situation, even if you are an all star performer at your company.

In this episode one listener does know that he is being laid off ahead of time and is looking to make the most of the time he has left.

This episode looks at one of the most popular and fast growing niches in the world today - video game streaming! Whats the best way to grow a streaming audience and become a household name? Its not easy, and it requires a lot of luck but there are some tips in this episode that could just help.

When is the right time to leave your job for seemingly better opportunities? One dedicated marketer is facing this choice and is looking for advice on when the best time to exit their current company is and how best to do it.

The Canadian Cannabis industry may be on the new frontiers in commerce but there is a catch. The way companies are allowed to brand and market themselves is extremely restricted by Health Canada leading many companies scratching their head wondering just how they can get their products and brand out there.

While there are hacks and exceptions to the rule, as well as some creative thinking – in order to scale your business there are two factors that are required. Your Time or your Money.

There is lots of competition in the food blog and YouTube channel space. It can be incredibly difficult to build an audience and grow your following by standing out from the crowd. We’ll explore some strategies on how one such entity can make some small tweaks to see greater success.

We’ve all seen them. Companies that seem to stubbornly still exist despite not embracing the new digital and social economies of the world and relying on their tried and true tactics (or lack of) that served them well in the 70s and 80s. Well times change and if your business doesn’t adapt it will go the way of the dinosaurs.

The equation of more time invested = more money is a culture cornerstone of our society but its been shown that many people labour all hours of the day for very little return. So the equation isn’t always correct- can we rearrange things to decrease time spent while increasing revenue?

There is lots of advice out there on how to excel on social media but the reality is not every hack or piece of advice is relevant to every type of business. The best way to figure out what works? Experiment and measure results.

Most companies are great but some look to take advantage of their employers. When the job description and interviews frame the job one way, but once you’ve signed and start the reality of the job can be very different. How do you know when your employer is trying to pull a fast one on you?

Actors get typecast all the time but the same thing can happen in your professional life. When you demonstrate that you are excellent at one specific skill or discipline, you or others may label you as just that one thing. What to do when you know you are capable of so much more?

Sometimes the stories we tell ourselves help define and shape how we and other perceive us. The problem is when these stories and belief limit us from reaching our full potential and attract new opportunities. Sometimes you just need to shift perspective and attack problems creatively from a different direction.

While many predicted the rise of social media would be the death of email as we know it, email and email marketing continue to thrive and play an important role in most businesses’ and entrepreneurs’ marketing mix.

But it is also more restricted than ever with anti-spam laws and regulations across most areas of the globe. So what is one of our listeners to do when they’ve inherited a large email list that may or may not be properly opted-in?

It’s no easy feat to master a discipline. It takes time and dedication to learn and then further effort of practicing and honing your craft before you can attain the coveted title of ‘Master’.

In this episode a listener is looking for the path to become a Marketing Master in order to learn all the skill necessary to launch their own Marketing agency.

In today’s day and age of digital marketing, there are countless platforms, tactics and strategies companies can implement to try to get more customers and increase their revenue. Despite all of this ‘progress’ one avenue continues to be ever dominate in swaying the minds of consumers – testimonial and referrals.

While I can spend hundreds of dollars convincing you of something, the advice of a well trusted friend can have the same effective – just with zero marketing spend.

But how do you get these testimonials? A listener has written to ask us how to go about getting this coveted recommendation for their company.

When you go into business for yourself and now it is entirely on you to put food on the table, landing that first client is both a dream come true as well as a reality test to see whether you can actually make it on your own. No pressure, its just your ego and financial future in the balance.

In this episode a listener has landed their first big client to do marketing work for and is looking for advice on what to do next.

Its time for me to dust off my magic crystal ball and look into the future to help this episode’s listen predict what the future trends and important disciplines will be in the field of marketing. While there is no such thing as a sure thing, we get into a few areas that will undoubtedly change the way we look at marketing and perhaps even the world.

Marketing is one of those ubiquitous words whose definition seems to change from company to company and person to person. The areas that marketing can cover will differ dramatically at each organization so it comes as no surprise that in this episode a listener is having a marketing identity crisis and is wondering just how much she should care about the activities of another department.

Content Marketing is one of those buzz words you hear thrown around quite a bit, similar to how everyone is always talking about being on the social medias. But what is content marketing exactly and how do you do it?

On this episode I dive in deep and explain to a listener just exactly what content marketing is, how companies are failing at it and what a successful content marketing strategy actually looks like.

Every organization has its pros and cons but some can be categorized based on their size and type. But which is the best to work for?

In this episode I try to answer that question for an impending business school graduate by going over my own experiences with each type or company.

From personal finance to developing marketing campaigns the budget is one of the most important factors in achieving success. While it is important to always try to stick to your original budget estimates, what do you do if your marketing budget is very thin. Can you still get the same level of success you are dreaming of?

On this episode we work with a indie game developer who is looking to stretch every dollar of their modest marketing budget to the get biggest bang for their buck.

Gyms have an interesting revenue model in that they continue to collect money regardless of how much or how little their patrons make use of their facilities.

In this episode we work with a gym marketer who actively wants its customers to make use to new services and classes and it looking for new an creative ways to communicate with new and existing clientele. 

In today’s society we are always looking for the fastest, smartest, most time efficient way to achieve every outcome. We want results yesterday and we don’t enjoy waiting.

I’m guilty of this in almost all aspects of my life but I’ve come to the realization that the best things in life are usually the result of consistent work. On this episode, I try to impart some marketing strategies to a single mother who is looking for a silver bullet marketing hack to jumpstart her business.

There are a few things in life that can dramatically influence your happiness. Unfortunately one of these is your relationship with your boss. A Good boss can help guide you, help you grow in your profession and laude accolades and recommendations your way. On the flip side a bad boss can make your life miserable and have you looking elsewhere for employment.

On this episode, we speak with a listener who has inherited a bad boss with some bad behaviours and the listener has had enough. It is time to jump ship and look for greener pastures. I give them some advice on how best to navigate this tricky transition.

Communication is one of those areas that everyone overlooks because everyone assumes its easy.

‘I send emails and go to meetings and speak the English language, I’m an expert communicator.’

Wrong. This is the foundation of communicating but what can make or break a business is how effectively the other party interprets what you say and how clear your message is, subtexts and all.

On this episode we tackle inter-departmental communication and how important it can be to creating an effective and sustainable workflow, not to mention happy employees

Loyalty is a great thing. Any business would be lucky to build up a constant and loyal following. But what happens when your loyal customers are getting older and you need new customers to inject new life into your business? Is it possible to attract new customers when you’ve neglected them for so long by catering to your shrinking loyal base?

We get an email from a listen who has just that problem as he takes over his parent’s business.

If there is one thing that is constant in life its change. Despite how much you may resist it, change comes for everyone and every business. What you can control is how you react and adapt to that change. Do you embrace it, wrestle with it and come out stronger or do you bury your head in the sand and hope it for the best?

On todays show we answer a listener who needs help convincing his company that they need to adapt to change instead of just being ignorant of it.

In this week’s episode of the show we tackle the age old question of whether you should go to school post-high school or become a full time influencer / social media marketer. While I always recommend entrepreneurial pursuits, we explore why solely following the advice and examples of YouTube ‘millionaires’ and Instagram stars may not be the best long term career strategy.

Whats worse? Seeing postings for entry level marketing jobs that require a ridiculous amount of qualifications to even apply for or the scammy door to door ‘marketing’ jobs that prey on students and new grads? Frankly both are pretty bad and equally frustrating for people looking to get their start in the field of marketing.

It can seem like an impossible area to get started in when these are your only options. But like Harvey Spector would say, its time to great your own third option.

This is the Marketing SOS Show, where I am I going to help YOU with any marketing or business related question or issue you are facing. I am here for you, whatever the problem may be as your Free marketing coach, consultant whatever you want to call it.

Each episode of the show, I’ll be taking one question from the audience and using my years of marketing experience in entrepreneurship, corporate, small business and start up worlds to give you the best answer and advice possible.