Marketing School | Digital Marketing | Online Marketing

In episode #561, Eric and Neil discuss how you can market your business for under $1,000. Tune in to hear how you can market your business for free! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Market Your Business for Less Than $1,000 [00:47] “Hand-to-hand combat” works in the beginning (making interpersonal connections). [01:17] It’s all about using cash flow from your first few deals to invest in basic marketing concepts. [01:43] Find people (via social media) who are unhappy with their marketing service and pitch them. [02:13] Offer free marketing in exchange for their positive testimonials. [02:24] One customer took a screenshot of his analytics and passed that on to other VCs. [02:45] Digital Telepathy did work for big names for free in exchange for having their name on the client’s website. [03:48] Look at Twitter List and Similar Web to get started. [03:57] Hunter.io is good for email marketing. [04:01] You can set up a mail-merge using GMASS. [04:12] There are plenty of free v

In episode #560, Eric and Neil discuss ways that unhappy customers can actually help you grow as a business. Tune in to hear how you can turn failure into future success. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How Unhappy Customers Will Make You Grow - As Long As You Do This [00:55] Eric’s business grew 139% in 2017, but there was an “incident” and they lost 40% of their clients. [01:31] So they called an all-hands meeting and found out why they lost the clients. [01:50] Eric then reached out to the clients to see what their experience had been. [02:02] If you talk to your customers, it will help you figure out what needs to be fixed. [02:26] Neil calls former clients to see why they left and he performs surveys every month for current clients. [03:14] There is a process in place now at Eric’s company to help retain clients. [04:22] You need to do whatever it takes to improve. [04:36] Talking to unhappy customers helps you grow as a business. [05:18] If you please the majority of the cus

In episode #559, Eric and Neil explain when and why you should not hire freelancers. Tune in to hear how the allure of low-priced freelancers may end up costing your company more. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: When You Should NOT Use Freelancers [00:36] When you are looking for someone to do paid ads or an involved marketing activity, ideally this will be a full-time hire that you work with directly. [01:01] Freelancers have a few clients at a time and cannot give you their full focus. [01:25] As you’re trying to scale, you’ll find they won’t move as quickly as they want. [02:06] Because you are paying for their time, try to use time-trackers like HubStaff that takes screenshots of what your freelancers are doing. [02:54] As you start growing, freelancers will sometimes take your trade secrets and use them with other clients. [03:40] Freelancers are cheaper than employees, but it may hurt you in the long run. [04:02] Is it cost or is it price that is important to you? [04:15] If

In episode #558, Eric and Neil explain why newsletters are dying out and how chatbots are the next big thing. Tune in to hear how to leverage your chatbots for better results. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How Newsletters Are Dead: You Should Do this Instead [00:45] Eric and Neil still have newsletters, but engagement is dropping. [01:01] It’s harder to get results because it can get filtered out or lost in the shuffle with the tons of emails everyone gets everyday. [01:26] You need to come up with new ways to connect. [01:38] Build up communities via social media and other outlets. [01:54] YouTube and chatbots have been great outlets for Eric and his clients. [02:11] Alex Becker does email a lot, but he is focused on building up his messenger subscribership. [02:36] Though newsletters are unpopular, they are still effective. [02:45] Eric and Neil have been moving towards shifting this message to chatbots. [03:15] Growth Everywhere added the Facebook Messenger App and they have

In episode #557, Eric and Neil discuss what they learned by putting a lot of money into YouTube Advertising. Tune in to hear killer tips for marketing yourself or your business on YouTube. Time-Stamped Show Notes:   [00:27] Today’s Topic: What We Learned by Spending $11K on YouTube Advertising [00:36] $11K is an arbitrary number. Chances are they have spent more than $100,000. [01:20] Eric found that when he started running ads on YouTube, his subscriber count doubled. [01:50] Neil did a test where he turned off his paid ads in early January. [02:18] His suggested video count continued to grow. [02:45] In general, it was higher than when he started ads. [03:06] He is trying to boost viewership and branding. [03:42] Most people run ads for views, but Neil was aiming to gain subscribers. [04:06] Tai Lopez is a great example of what to do using social media and YouTube. [05:15] He now has the most popular cryptocurrency-based podcast on a certain streaming service. [06:10] If you build your brand,

In episode #556, Eric and Neil lay out five hacks that will help you increase your sales. Tune in to hear how you can convert more clicks into customers. Time-Stamped Show Notes:  [00:27] Today’s Topic: 5 Creative Ad Hacks That Will Double Your Sales [00:35] Hack #1: Use video re-marketing ads. [00:54] Create a video ad that shows what people will get when they purchase your service or product. [01:15] Hack #2: Use Facebook Analytics. [01:52] You will see diminishing returns on paid Facebook ads. [02:20] Agora is a great site that broke down the difference between 7, 8, and 9-figure earners. [02:39] Hack #3: You need to have upsells and downsells. [02:56] Hack #4: If you are able to consolidate your ads through one Page Post ID, it will help bring your CPCs and CPAs down. [04:03] Hack #5: Use the rule of 7: if people see you seven times, they are more likely to convert into customers. [05:10] Neil flooded the market with different types of ads on different platforms and he converted a large numbe

In episode #555, Eric and Neil discuss ways in which marketing blockchain companies is like being in the Wild West. Tune in to hear their thoughts on successfully navigating this new technology. Time-Stamped Show Notes:   [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Market a Blockchain Company [00:47] One of the blockchain companies Eric is working with is very traditional. [00:51] They are doing media buys on a site with a lot of traffic, drive people to the landing page, and then get them on the email list. Then, they use a chat program, Telegram. It’s a high-level funnel. [01:34] The marketing is still very traditional. [01:42] It reminds Eric of the Wild West, because it’s new territory and people are getting paid in new currency. [02:16] Most people aren’t using traditional channels. [02:46] Banner ads and press aren’t doing much anymore. [03:03] Celebrity endorsements are passe. [03:15] You need to be focusing on the technology. [03:33] While it may be easier to raise money on the blockchain, that doesn’t

In episode #554, Eric and Neil share some of their daily habits that they believe contribute to their success. Tune in to hear some great tips for being productive!  Time-Stamped Show Notes:   [00:27] Today’s Topic: Daily Habits Shared by the World's Most Successful Marketers [00:36] You have to continuously learn, because things are always changing. [00:42] Eric is always checking Feedly to keep abreast of issues and changes in marketing. [01:30] Neil, one of the world’s most successful marketers, likes to make to-do lists and break things down into daily tasks. [01:42] He finds he learns the most from events and meetups. [02:15] Eric learned some vital techniques from the book The One Thing. [02:20] He uses Evernote to organize his to-do lists. He puts one thing at the top as the one major thing he absolutely must get done that day. [02:57] The tool that Neil looks at every day: Google Analytics. [03:20] He uses GA because it helps him see issues before they are even publicly announced. [03:4

In episode #553, Eric and Neil reveal some important things that big agencies won’t tell you. Tune in to hear what you should know before signing on to work with a major marketing agency. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: What Most Marketing Agencies Won't Tell You [00:37] There are good and bad clients. [00:45] They measure this using the labor efficiency ratio. [01:04] When the whales are profitable, you are going to spend more time on that client. [01:24] Most agencies are pitching a dream, but they aren’t always able to deliver. [02:10] When you go to Chipotle or Taco Bell, you’re expecting the same thing every time. [02:20] When you have an agency with hundreds of clients, you are looking to deliver the same experience every time, to everyone. [02:32] Eric recommends that you actually have an in-house marketing person to have a laser focus on your goals. [03:12] Maybe start with an agency, then hire someone full-time, then consider using an agency again. [03:32] When you are st

In episode #552, Eric and Neil explain how you can get the best marketing tactics from other marketers. Tune in to hear how you can learn the latest techniques and get ahead.  Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How You Can Get the World's Top Marketers to Share Their Secrets with You [00:36] Once people start to share a tactic, it starts to get over-used. [01:00] So how do you learn about great tactics without becoming one of many using the same technique? [01:24] Neil thinks marketers like to party, spend money, and talk themselves up. [02:25] The creator of Growthhackers.com created the site because he wanted to have a community to share tips. [02:52] Marketers are going to try to outdo each other; by putting together a panel or roundtable, you will learn great techniques because they will all spill the beans just to impress each other. [03:36] You also want to share your tactics with others in order to get information back. [03:55] Neil likes to share tactics that work, but are kind

In episode #551, Eric and Neil lay out what makes a 7-figure business, 8-figure business, and 9-figure business. Tune in to hear great tips about how to gradually scale up your company. Time-Stamped Show Notes:   [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Difference Between 7-, 8- and 9-Figure Businesses [00:46] 7-figure businesses want a return on investment. [01:00] You want a 5:1 return, on average. [01:15] 8-figure businesses want to break even on their ad spend. [01:53] 9-figure businesses are willing to lose money at first. [02:13] They know the worth of a return customer down the road. [02:30] To compete, you need to outspend and have a funnel that converts very well. [03:00] “He who spends the most to acquire a customer, wins.” [03:58] Russell Brunson may lose money on the initial sale, because of his skill at setting up funnels he will recoup that money in the end. [04:30] It's hard to build a big business, unless you are willing to lose money up front. [04:45] You have to have the stomach for losing m

In episode #550, Eric and Neil briefly lay out seven important stats you need to track. Tune in to hear what you should absolutely be checking in on every week. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Marketers Checklist_7 Stats You Need to Check Every Single Week [00:38] #1: Check week over week search engine traffic. [00:59] Make sure you haven’t been affected by a Google update or penalty. 5 or 6% is a big change. [01:42] #2: Check cost per acquisition. [02:20] Look at gross profit LTB and fully loaded cap. [03:00] If you are not improving your LTB, you can’t compete. [03:25] #4: Check critical conversion rates [03:45] It can make a massive impact on your business. [03:56] #5: Check international traffic and conversion numbers. [04:15] When it’s big enough, consider translating to increase conversions. [04:50] If you don’t check, you won’t know where to expand! [05:00] #6: Track organic keywords. [05:05] Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to track. [05:30] You need to know which keywords wi

In episode #549 (a special episode for you!), Eric and Neil re-visit a live Marketing School show they did. Tune in to hear their number 1 SEO tip – as well as how they make their personal lives work in terms of being an entrepreneur.  Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Marketing School Live: The #1 SEO Tip to Skyrocket Your Brand [00:32] Today is a re-broadcast of a previous live episode. [01:05] Content marketing has led both Eric and Neil to all their other marketing techniques. [01:30] Use content as the framework for building a strong link profile. [01:52] Quicksprout was getting 850,000 hits per month. [02:12] Now, NeilPatel.com is getting the same amount of hits using content marketing. [02:38] In Brazil, they are getting fewer visitors than their competitors because they are newer to that market. [03:00] Use Google Analytics to determine which one of your pages is the most successful. [04:12] Neil’s girlfriend doesn’t like him working all the time, but they try to work around

In episode #548, Eric and Neil discuss what Bitcoin has taught them about marketing. Tune in to hear how you can leverage trends for success. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: What Bitcoin Can Teach You about Marketing [00:45] Everyone is talking about bitcoin. [01:10] Bitcoin is an explosive trend right now. [01:44] If you can leverage a sexy topic and sell products around it, you can make a TON of money. [02:50] 3D printing stock exploded because it was trending for a time. [03:18] Ride the wave! Always take advantage of any product or technique’s popularity. [03:33] 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is a great resource for understanding how to ride the wave. [04:15] Keep in mind, once everyone has caught onto the popular, buzzworthy, trend, it won’t last. What goes up, must come down. [04:55] Time it right and always be early to the trend. [05:40] Be patient and shoot for long-term goals. [06:15] If you believe in something, stay the course until you achieve success. [06:38] Bitc

In episode #547, Eric and Neil explain the best way to set and achieve your goals. Tune in to hear the easiest way to make sure your company succeeds.  Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Achieve Your Goals in 2018 [00:35] Eric recommends having a structure where you are operating off the Scaling Up Methodology or the Traction method. [01:20] Work backwards from your goal to determine the steps to success. [02:00] The main reason people don’t achieve their goals, is because they set their bar too high or their goal is too big. [02:30] Break your goal into smaller goals with small steps (“bite-sized, daily tasks”). [03:22] The ONE Thing is a great resource to help you set your goals. [04:26] IBM salespeople would crush quotas because their goals were set really low. [04:57] Neil finds that when he achieves small tasks, he can see how it will or won’t help him achieve his ultimate goal. [05:20] Better to waste a few hours than a whole month. [05:36] 15Five is a great tool that E

In episode #546, Eric and Neil talk about what shady marketers do and how you can succeed in spite of them. Tune in to hear how Eric and Neil earn good will with their marketing techniques.  Time-Stamped Show Notes:   [00:27] Today’s Topic: How You Can Compete with the Shady Marketers Without Breaking the Rules [01:05] Shady is: bending the rules, using unethical techniques, or avenues that aren’t on the up and up. [01:32] Facebook has always been big on skin care advertisers. Unfortunately, they offer free trials that aren’t actually free. [02:00] Blackhat SEO’ers would create link wheels, where they would take a web 2.0 properties and link them to each other. [02:34] Instead of making spammy articles, what if you linked all your guest posts together? [02:51] Thinking long term is key to your success, even when learning from shady techniques. [03:36] Yes, the shady marketers may be beating you right now, but they won’t be around forever. [03:53] Affiliate marketers will burn your brand if they hav

In episode #545, Eric and Neil discuss how to access influential people in your space. Tune in to hear some tips on reaching out to people, getting their attention, and building a relationship. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Get Access to Influential People [00:35] First and foremost, start a podcast! [00:50] Have a unique spin on what you’re doing. [01:32] When Eric started, he would spend six hours per week on the podcast only to get 9-30 downloads per day. [02:07] However, it helped Eric to build his network. [02:26] Interviewing people will make it a little harder to build a business relationship after the fact. [03:14] If you don’t get respect, you can’t call on people for favors. [03:30] Offer your services to people to gain respect. [04:28] People often offer to work for free just to make a connection. [05:28] Figure out a person’s interests to work a better angle to establish a relationship. [06:22] A YouTube marketer offered Neil a way to gain more viewers. [07:

In episode #544, Eric and Neil describe the best marketing campaigns they have seen. Tune in to hear some innovating marketing ideas!  Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Cleverest Marketing Campaigns that We Have Seen [01:00] A lot of the YouTube marketers are creating very emotional stories, using them as ads, and making millions of dollars per month. [01:22] Billy Gene used a “Wolf of Wall Street” parody that proved so effective, it reached people in Brazil. [02:06] Eric saw a very effective Lyft ad while watching YouTube videos. [02:25] Lyft was able to evoke emotion based on a true life story about a survivor of the Vegas hotel shooting. [02:55] They leveraged an emotional event to market their business. [03:52] Re-market videos on YouTube on Facebook: show people what their lives will be like if they use your product or services. [05:00] If you are pitching based on emotion and that doesn’t work, re-market them using logic. [05:21] Full Story shows people what they can do wit

In episode #543, Eric and Neil discuss what makes an entrepreneur tick. Tune in to hear how you can think like a successful entrepreneur.  Time-Stamped Show Notes: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How Successful Entrepreneurs Think [00:42] When Jeff Bezos started Amazon, he was 30 years old. [00:56] He was a stock trader before he quit to start Amazon. [01:12] He started with selling books and branched out from there. [02:00] People are always looking for profits, but he was unconcerned. [02:22] Jeff Bezos was able to think in the long term, which helped him achieve success. [03:06] All billionaire entrepreneurs are similar in that they are awkward, but believe they can do whatever they want. [03:55] Elon Musk made a $170 million exit from PayPal, but he still had to live with a friend, because he bet it all on his next venture. [05:02] The most common principle that you need to learn is that you’re going to make mistakes. [05:14] Successful entrepreneurs learn from mistakes. [06:52] If you can think like

In episode #542, Eric and Neil explain the reality of overnight success. Tune in to hear why being an overnight success may not be the key to long-term success.  Time-Stamped Show Notes:  [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Become an Overnight Success [00:36] There is no such thing as an overnight success. [01:37] Elon Musk just kept working on what he found interesting for years, but was still considered an overnight success. [02:06] Eric worked for years to get where he is. 2017 wasn’t a great year, but 2018 is looking better. [02:29] Jeremy Lin, the basketball player, was considered an overnight success, but he is not a household name. [03:12] He kept working until he began to overage 18 points per game. [03:27] The only overnight successes are people who have pulled off crazy stunts, but they are forgotten about fairly easily. [03:55] Gambit, right out the gate did 30 million in revenue and tanked the following year. [04:50] The results from hard work last longer than recognition from stunts. [05:3