Marketing Without the Marketing: Recent Episodes
Michael Boezi
Marketing does not have to be pushy, aggressive, and sales-y. Respectful, ethical marketing strategies are more in line with the expectations of consumers anyway.
Hosted by Michael Boezi of Control Mouse Media, LLC https://controlmousemedia.com
Launching new music today (3/13) has me contemplating the future of this podcast. Should I keep going or would you rather just “Read Me Out?” Give a listen and let me know. The song is now in all streaming platforms:
- Streaming Links: https://michaelboezi.com/read-me-out
- Support: https://michaelboezi.com/support
Intro/outro excerpted from: Read Me Out | Michael BoeziRelease date: 3/13/2024; lyrics and music by Michael Boezi
&© 2024 Control Mouse Media, LLC, Boston, MA. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable copyright laws.
ISRC: QZU4R2300007 / UPC: 064837267951 / Artist IPI: 1126697636 (ASCAP)
Published March 13, 2024 by Michael Boezi
The post Read Me Out…? appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Of the major platforms, there are only three that are motivated to help you put you in front of new people right now. Given how difficult is is to build an audience, should you accept the help and try one of them? The post The Only Three Platforms That Will Help You with Organic Reach appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
If you hire an outside agency or freelancer to create or publish content, are they up on how to manage and protect your IP? Here's a cautionary tale that comes up far too frequently in my work with clients. The post Maintaining Control of Your IP appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Good or bad, transitions are the interesting parts of life. And I'm definitely in a transitional period at the moment. With that, here's an announcement... The post I’m Leaving appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Ugh, It's Hard to Watch, Isn't It?
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
The nuances matter. Even if you're genuine about it, are you unintentionally signaling that you're not trustworthy? I hope not. I also explain why I haven't been publishing as many episodes lately. The post A Discount Is Not a Gift appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
The NBA is back as of last week, and it got me thinking about a metaphor that we can apply to our own work. What's your style of play? The post 2 Ways to Get 3 Points appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
When someone sends you an unsolicited email, do you owe them a response? The post Right to a Response appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
My blog can't be this great, can it? If I were to listen to the lies of scammers, I might start to believe that my blog is a must-read. I sincerely doubt that's true though. The post I Love Your Blog Post appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
I do not deserve your attention. I have to earn it, just like anyone else... crawling over the broken glass of algorithms.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
I describe my work as creating "The Digital Representation of You." In 200 episodes of this podcast, in my client work, and my new project, Consider the Source, I am rooting for your best ideas to make a positive impact on the world. The post The Digital Representation of You (Episode 200) appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
There are 3 different types of quizzes that you can use in marketing. Let's look at the practical uses of each type and how to set goals, choose question types, and deliver meaningful results. The post Three Marketing Quiz Types and Their Applications appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
How to Ruin a Good Customer Relationship in One Foolproof Step!
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Social media is a lie. It promises a podium. But instead, it hires you to be unpaid labor. Can you still get something out of it? Sure, but we have to see through the misconceptions to find a smart strategy. The post No One Cares About Us appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Like anything in content marketing, a marketing quiz has to be well-designed, well-constructed, and well-presented in order to be effective. Here are the 3 steps to create an effective marketing quiz. The post Designing the Perfect Quiz for Lead Generation appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Scroll through LinkedIn, and it's cringe after cringe. A never-ending stack of performative, self-aggrandizing humble brags. It's done in earnest, I'm sure. But in expressing our genuine excitement, is it coming off the wrong way? Let's audit my feed. The post LinkedIn Is a Tough Scroll appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
It takes years to build a trusted relationship with a customer. It takes one bad decision to lose it all in a split-second. The post How to Ruin a Good Customer Relationship appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
A successful marketing quiz serves the user first and foremost. How do we design a quiz to solve a customer issue and think beyond just generating leads? The post Four Principles of an Effective Marketing Quiz appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
People like to talk about themselves. Let them. If you can open the conversation, you can start building the trust that you need to ultimately lead a customer to choose you. The post Why Quizzes Are Good for Content Marketing appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
There's one question you can ask to find out if your messaging is getting through. I call this The Ambient Awareness Test. The post The Ambient Awareness Test appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
There's one question you can ask to find out if your messaging is getting through. I call this The Ambient Awareness Test.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
How will we get our good ideas across if we are turning people off in the way we present ourselves to the world? Are we inadvertently giving people the wrong impression? The post Stop Mimicking What Marketers Do appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Marketers have ruined marketing. So why do we fall into mimicking their bad habits and tactics?
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
You don't need my help. You don't need anyone's help.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Your "media fit" is at the intersection of 1) what you can produce and 2) where your audience congregates. Given that, what's the best platform for you and your brand? The post Finding Your Media Fit appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Listen now | Finding the right "media fit" is just as important as the content we produce and share. Miss the mark, and it's one-and-done – an opportunity squandered. Let's do a quick audit. Show Notes / Links from the Episode My new project: Consider the Source (a video overview)
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Speaking with clarity and empathy works. Here's a great example of that: How Jessica Valenti changed my mind about cancel culture. The post How to Change My Mind appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Listen now | Jessica Valenti changed my mind about cancel culture. How? By speaking with clarity and empathy. Links from the episode: The People ‘Cancel Culture’ Forgot by Jessica Valenti in her Substack newsletter, All in Her Head An overview of my new project:
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
If we want to create positive change in the world, it will take strong ideas expressed with clarity and empathy. To that end, I'm launching a new project called "Consider the Source" that audits the way we consume, share, and produce media. The post Consider the Source: Extending the Scope of this Show appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
With a little planning up front, you can use your podcast to generate an audiobook: A new format you can sell for minimal ancillary effort. The post Using a Podcast to Create an Audiobook appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
It feels like a chance to reset. How will that affect our media diet - what we consume, what we share, and what we produce? The post Turning the Page appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
In promoting your podcast, it pays to be efficient. Automation is a key part of this, in syndication, social promotion, and email marketing. Here's how to get set up. The post Promoting and Syndicating Your Podcast appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Launching a podcast is different than a blog. Here's how to do a proper launch to take advantage of Apple's "New & Noteworthy" category. The post Setting Up and Launching Your Podcast appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Anyone can start a podcast. What would yours be like? Let's take a look at what it would take to get started, including a show concept and format, a USB mic, and free recording software. The post Scripting and Recording Your Podcast appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Podcasting offers the ability to create a virtual "rolling book tour" to find new readers and turn them into fans. It's simple to set up and run this strategy, even if you've never worked with audio before. Here's an overview. The post Podcasting as a Strategy for Writers appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Creating positive change is a marketing problem as much as anything. We need to be able to express our ideals with clarity and empathy, so that they are understood at an elemental level. In my lifetime, the left has been terrible at this – and political battles are often lost before they even begin.
That's why it's worth examining the phrase, Black Lives Matter. Not only to appreciate its precision and power, but to learn lessons about how to create better messaging for future progressive movements.
—
In the coming months, I intend to spend more time on issues like this. My contention that in today's world, We Need Marketing More Than Ever. I've refocused my efforts on unpacking the language in search of clarity around our the ideas we put into the world.
Yes, this counts as marketing. You might be trying to start a small business, release an album, organize a community event, or even find employment. Whatever you are trying to achieve – it's likely to require marketing. Not what we think of as marketing, but instead a careful distillation delivered with empathy and an understanding of who's on the receiving end of the message. Respectful and genuine.
Good ideas rarely catch fire on their own. They have to be well-articulated, battle-tested, honed, and reworked until we get them right. It's challenging work, but it's worth it. And to me, that's the fun part.
As I said a few weeks ago in Now We Know, the culture is ours. We get to create it. Let's focus our efforts, put in the work, and speak up for our ideas. Those who stand against progress have no chance against us once we gain momentum.
I invite you to follow along here in my Patreon community, where I share exclusive episodes and a new experiment with workshopping unfinished works. Could be cool. We'll see.
—
Note: The attached audio is Episode 182 of my podcast, Marketing Without the Marketing. Subscribe in your preferred pod player or join me on Patreon to get exclusive episodes not released to the public.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Looking at it through a media lens, Black Lives Matter is precise and powerful as a slogan. It's direct, efficient, and airtight as an assertion. Let's unpack the phrase to understand why it works so well. The post Why Black Lives Matter Is Such a Powerful Slogan appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
It feels good to celebrate, with good reason. But record turnout revealed something about the coming challenges we face as a culture. The post Now We Know appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
My hat's off to all of you who shoved aside intentional roadblocks to make your voice heard. Whatever happens tomorrow, thank you all the same. The post What Happens Tomorrow? appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
You don't need my help. You don't need anyone's help. The post Don’t Take My Advice appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
A self-audit is not a bad thing to do, whether you are starting a business, freelancing, or seeking a job. The post Empathy, Energy, and Ethics appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
If we want to make change in the world, our best ideas need to be expressed with clarity, empathy, and a genuine desire to form a real connection. The post We Need Marketing More Than Ever appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
After a hiatus, I relaunch Marketing Without the Marketing with a new format, new focus, and new flavor. The post Refocusing When Focusing Is Difficult appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Social Strategy 201: Beyond the Basics
Free organic reach is a thing of the past. All the major social media platforms are pay-to-play now. Facebook and the other platforms make it very easy to run ads, with the promise of exposure to a targeted audience. Sounds great, right?
You'll find this to be an incredible waste of money unless you have a strategy in place before you start.
I'm not against running ads, I just want to be smart and strategic about it. In Episode 171, I go over:
The two particular cases where it really makes sense to run Facebook Ads.
The required set up you need to do before you run your Facebook Ad (or boost a post).
Fair warning: I hate Facebook. You probably do too. If it disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn’t miss it at all. But it’s a tool like any other – and for some, it’s still the best way to reach an audience. So let’s hold our noses and see if we can make something of it.
Show Notes / Links from the Episode
This segment is a part of a 20-lesson series: Content Marketing 201: Beyond the Basics
Here's a more in-depth look at Creating a Pathway to Purchase: Web Strategy 201
I did a deeper dive in Episode 64 on Facebook Ads for Business: Taking Your Strategy to the Next Level
I devoted a whole episode to Twitter Ads for Business: An Underrated Marketing Strategy
And a consideration around Pinterest for Business: Are You Missing an Opportunity?
Rethink our social interactions by Listening, Asking, Interacting: Social Strategy 201
Refining and getting more effective with Measurement and Iteration: Social Strategy 201
Where You Can Find Me:
I'm on Twitter way too much: https://twitter.com/mboezi
My LinkedIn profile: https://linkedin.com/in/mboezi
My Patreon page: https://patreon.com/mboezi
Book a session with me: https://controlmousemedia.com/strategy
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
175 episodes is a long run. With all that's going on, it's safe to say that someone other than me should have the microphone. So I'll be closing up shop for awhile. Here's my reasoning, and a look into the foggy future. The post Closing Up Shop appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Time is running out! Perceived urgency can be a strong motivator to make a purchase. Here's how we can carefully use urgency as a strategy, and why this is an advantage for small businesses over larger competitors. The post Creating Urgency: Online Store Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
When a customer is ready to make a purchase, there are only two strategies you can use to gently influence them to complete the sale: Scarcity and urgency. Here's a rundown of all the ways to use SCARCITY to up your conversion rates. The post Employing Scarcity: Online Store Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Your online store is the last and most important point in the customer's journey. In the first episode of this 3-part mini-series, I cover how to set up your store site, optimize product pages, and gather the data you need to make smart strategic adjustments. The post Making the Sale: Online Store Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
There are two cases where it really makes sense to run a Facebook Ad. But it cannot be a standalone strategy. Let's look at what needs to be set up before you start running ads or boosting posts, so that you don't spend your money on useless "eyeballs." The post When to Use Facebook Ads: Social Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Many of our favorite small businesses will not survive the pandemic. Now is the time to help our friends and neighbors who run small businesses, or we may lose them forever. Here are a few things we can do to help them weather the storm. The post How to Support Small Businesses During the Coronavirus Crisis appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Writers, musicians, artists, and freelancers: I am offering a free Zoom session to help you set up a Patreon, Medium, Substack, or another way to "turn on" a revenue channel.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
The pandemic is having a huge impact on small businesses, including my own. Here are a few specific strategies to weather a prolonged downturn, and an offer to use what expertise and experience I have to help you directly, one-to-one, for free. The post How Small Businesses Can Survive the Coronavirus Crisis appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
In Episode 168, I question the concept of getting a large social media following. Large numbers of "eyeballs" often don't do us much good compared to the tight connections of smaller groups to cultivate an ardent community of supporters. The post Small Groups vs. Large Followings: Social Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Domain scammers have upped their game. I encountered a new variant of the Domain Name Expiration Scam recently. Episode 167 is about how to spot this new strategy and what to do if you are targeted. The post Domain Renewal Scams: How to Avoid Them appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
By treating our marketing efforts like an experiment, we can set metrics, collect data, analyze the results, and then make the necessary adjustments. Episode 166 is about how to put a simple plan in action to get better results from your social campaigns. The post Measurement and Iteration: Social Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
The algorithms are working against us now. Episode 165 offers two strategies to adapt to the new, more restrictive world of social media marketing: How to do an end-run around the algorithms, and three steps to lean into what is still the best part of social. The post Rethinking Our Social Media Interactions: Social Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
The glory days of social are over. Free organic reach is a thing of the past. What used to work is no longer effective. So, are there still ways for us to use social media to build relationships with an audience without having to pay-to-play? Of course there are. The post Social Is Not What It Used to Be: Social Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Email marketing is one of the most important tools for any small business. Can we come up with something other than "email newsletter" to call it, though? The post No One Wants to Read an Email Newsletter appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Your business is at risk if you don't have ownership of one of your most important assets: Your audience. While a Facebook Page is convenient for connecting with customers, what happens when your account gets hacked, deactivated, or deleted? This happened to a client of mine. The post Your Facebook Page Has Been Hacked appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
You can't do good email marketing without maintaining a clean email list. Good list hygiene not only helps you save money, but it also helps you increase your open rate and click rate. The post List Hygiene and Maintenance: Email Marketing 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Automation is key to today's email marketing. Let's take a look some more advanced automation techniques for when you are ready to go beyond a basic email newsletter strategy: RSS-based sequences and nurture sequences. The post Intermediate Automation: Email Marketing 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Adding a little bit of automation to your email marketing strategy can help nurture "cold" leads without a lot of extra hands-on effort. Let's look at two basic automations when you're just getting started: Welcome sequences and follow-up sequences. The post Basic Automation: Email Marketing 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Good list segmentation in email marketing lies at the intersection of what's meaningful to your audience vs. what's important to you. If it's one or the other, it won't work as effectively. In practice, there are 3 distinct ways to segment your email list. The post List Segmentation Strategies: Email Marketing 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Participation is a signal. When you are a part of the community that you aim to serve, it shows that you're invested. That it's important to you. That you care. Not only is it a way to develop trust, but it can also help you see emerging trends in your sector. The post Be a Part of the Community You Serve appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Have you noticed that social media is not as effective anymore? That your website traffic is down? That people aren't opening your email newsletters as much? Content marketing has changed - a lot - over the past 5 years alone. The post Content Marketing Has Changed appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Repurposing content is one of the best ways to get more out of your blog as a small business. With some careful planning up front, you can think a few steps ahead and save yourself time - while building a set of content as a valuable business asset. The post Repurposing Content: Blog Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Are you famous? Have I heard of you before? Most of us don't have the luxury of being able to answer "yes" to these questions. In a world where attention gets more and more scarce, what can we do to overcome this - without resorting to cheap stunts? The post Are You Famous? appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Building anticipation is a terrific technique for getting readers back to your site. Producing a blog series is a great way to achieve this. It has the added benefit of an SEO boost around one of Google's strongest ranking factors as well. There are two strategies that I use. The post Building Anticipation: Blog Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
It's worth highlighting ethical business practices since they are often the exception to the rule. This week's episode breaks from the regular format of the show and presents a story from an experience I had last weekend. The post A Simple Example of Ethical Business Practices appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Each post you publish is an opportunity to get found by a future customer. Let Google help you. Optimizing for search is one of the best things you can do for your business blog, and it should only take an extra 5-10 minutes for each post. Episode 151 goes step-by-step through my SEO Treatment Plan. The post Optimizing for Search: Blog Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Aggressive marketing tactics might have been effective in the past, but today's consumers are more savvy. They see right through the lies, deception, and whitewashing. Ethical marketing is the only way to set yourself apart - to treat your customers with respect. The post Ethical Marketing Is Not an Oxymoron appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
A recent article in the New York Times showcased some high-profile influencers and celebrities using Instagram for blogging. It begs the question: With people connecting on mega-platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter - is blogging still worth it? Could Instagram ever replace blogging? The post Using Instagram for Blogging appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
What happens when a visitor arrives at your site? Do you have a pathway set up to guide them from that first visit through dozens of points of contact until they become a customer? If this isn't all set up in advance - Web, blog, social, email, and online store - there's little point in getting traffic to your site. The post Creating a Pathway to Purchase: Web Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Google Plus is shutting down on April 2, 2019. Here's a quick overview of how (and why) to download all your data before it disappears forever. The post Google Plus Is Shutting Down: What You Need to Know appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
We are obsessed with getting traffic to our websites. I want to challenge that concept, because let's face it - random traffic doesn't do that much for you. Web Strategy 201 is getting beyond just "traffic" as a goal and making your site much more active in the sales process. The post Beyond Getting Traffic: Web Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Competition on the Web is tough. You can't just hang your shingle and expect people to show up. A basic website isn't good enough anymore - it needs to function as a PATHWAY for prospective customers. Here's how to make your website carry more of the sales load for you. The post More Than Just a Showroom: Web Strategy 201 appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Have you noticed that some of the basic strategies behind your website, blog, social, and email marketing have started to lose some of their effect? That's because content marketing is now mainstream, with everyone relying on the same set of tactics. Time to level up with Content Marketing 201. The post Content Marketing 201: Beyond the Basics appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
The promise of the Internet has been ruined by advertising. There is no article you can read, video you can view, or social feed you can scroll through without being interrupted by some advertiser's desperate attempt to steal your attention. Every time I experience this, I feel like I've been Rickrolled. The post The Internet Is One Big Rickroll Now appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
People don't mean to diminish your work, but that's exactly what they are doing when they use this one insidious little word. It undervalues your expertise and experience by making it sound simple - as a way to sell you on doing something, paying you less than you're worth, or not paying you at all. The post The One Word That Diminishes Your Work appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
A solid marketing plan has three stages, depending on the growth cycle of the business. In the season finale of Marketing Without the Marketing, I take a look back at the past year and how this has influenced my most recent projects. The post Build, Connect, Optimize: The Three Stages of Good Marketing appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
SEO always starts with a simple query. But it doesn't end when the user finds your site. For SEO to be truly effective, we need to set up a pathway to serve the user more than once so we can build trust over time. And of course, this needs to be set up and ready to go before the first visit. The post SEO and the User Pathway appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Yes, keywords are important to SEO. But when you boil it down, SEO is about providing relevant, useful content to your human users. Google is able to measure what happens once the user gets to your site. Is it a good experience, or are there things you could be doing better in serving your users? The post SEO Is More Than Keywords appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Google's Web crawlers are assessing your website with every interaction. Are people getting what they need from your site? It turns out that when it comes to SEO, what's good for humans is good for robots. Let's look at some of the biggest factors that affect your ranking and how they are in tune with the human side of marketing. The post SEO: Write for Humans First, Robots Second appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
What is Google looking for in your content? While they are famously secretive about their search algorithms, Google reveals important clues with each major update. Let's take a look at the key search factors and how to apply them to your SEO strategy. The post SEO: Understanding the Google Algorithm appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
People are at the heart of your SEO efforts. So let's look past the keywords, page rank, and site traffic for a second and focus on the real point of SEO - connecting with your potential customers. SEO is about building the apparatus to find the people who are already out there asking for your help - and the pathway to deliver that help. The post SEO Is About Serving People (not Google) appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
SEO helps you tackle one of the most difficult parts of any business - finding new potential customers. What's more is that Google will help you do this for free. Episode 135 is an overview of why it's worth the effort to learn even just a little bit of SEO so you can take advantage of its marketing power. The post SEO Is a Key Part of Any Marketing Strategy appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Teaching is how we form a connection with a future customer. SEO is simply a signal that someone wants to learn - with a distinct data "signature" that offers clues about what they want to know. From there, it's up to us to use that data to put ourselves in the best position to answer that question. Episode 134 is an overview of how to do that. The post What Is SEO and How to Unlock Its Power appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
SEO is one of the most important factors in any marketing strategy, so it's worth the effort to learn the basics. It doesn't have to be complicated, and anyone can learn it. Episode 133 is an introduction to my approach to SEO, and the start of a new series to teach you all the nuances of a good, sound SEO strategy. The post SEO: A Different Approach appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
The new season kicks off with a reset to zero! Let's look at how creativity and business go together, and how you can rethink your own approach to your current project, job, or business. The post The Power of Zero appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
The challenges you face in starting a business are different than any other thing you'll do in your career. Episode 131 is a summary of my 10-part series about the early days of my small business - my strategies, successes, and mistakes - so that you have somewhat of a roadmap in your own journey. The post Charting Your Own Path appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
If your business involves teaching or training, then you are in a good position to create "knowledge products" out of your expertise. Whether you sell these "outputs" or use them for customer acquisition, a little planning up front can help you work towards something bigger in your content strategy. The post Productizing Your Knowledge appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Email is your conversion instrument. It's 40 times more effective than social media in this regard, so building your email list is one of the most important things you can do for your business. It pays to get started early, with a plan for segmentation and some simple automation as well. The post Building Your Email List appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Have you ever thought about starting a podcast? It's a great marketing tool, which is why I'm a big proponent of podcasting. Let's take a look at the criteria for deciding whether or not it could be a good strategy for your business in particular. The post Producing a Podcast: Pros and Cons appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Cornerstone content supercharges your efficiency. It not only carries some the sales load, but it's good for SEO too. With a little investment of time up front, it can pay dividends for years to come. Let's look at why cornerstone content is so important, what it can do for your business, and a simple guide for how to get started. The post Creating Effective Cornerstone Content appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
What is GDPR and how does it affect email marketing lists? Here's an overview, with a practical way to be GDPR-compliant but not have to lose all of your subscribers. If you haven't done this already, it's not too late - but it's time to take action so that you avoid a potential claim (and hefty fines). The post GDPR and Email Marketing: A Simple Set-Up Guide appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
We all start out scared. But in order to be successful, you have to learn how to quiet the voice of fear in your head. It takes time, but making the fear disappear puts you in a position of power. You make better decisions, attract better customers, and produce better outcomes. The post Making the Fear Disappear appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
In the early days of a new business, structure is critical. Otherwise, how can you be sure that you are spending time on the right things - and that you are building something that your customers want? Episode 124 is about testing your initial assumptions to make sure you're on the right track. The post Surviving the First Few Months of a New Business appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Pinterest is often overlooked for business purposes. That's a shame. Because Pinterest functions more like a "personal utility," there's potentially more alignment between a consumer's goals and your business solution. Wouldn't it be nice to have your message welcomed instead of avoided? The post Why Pinterest Is on the Rise appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
What makes a great mentor, and more importantly, how do you know who will be the best mentor for you in particular? Here's a rundown of the key things to look for - and key things to avoid. The post Finding Mentors and Models appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
The sooner you start interacting with and learning about your audience, the better. This starts on Day 1 of your new business - it's too important to let it wait. A side benefit is that it gives you a system and structure for creating worthwhile content to serve your audience. Let's take a look at exactly how to do that. The post Day 1 of Your New Business appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
There's so much to learn when you are starting a business, and the challenges that you will face are as unique as your own fingerprints. It will be up to you to chart your own path, but it helps to have a map. That's why I created this 10-part series, taking you through my process as I built my own business. The post So You Want to Start a Business? appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Mark Zuckerberg has vowed to fix the ills that have plagued Facebook over the past 18 months. There are 5 reasons why his plan won't work. The post Fixing Facebook: Why the Current Plan Will Fail appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
In the season premiere of Marketing Without the Marketing, we jump right into how the upcoming Facebook algorithm change is going to affect YOU as a small business owner. There are 3 big ramifications, and 3 things you can do to prepare yourself. The post Facebook Zero: What It Means for Small Businesses appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
You can draw people in with your creativity. Or you can repel them with annoying ads. We have a choice, and my strong belief is that the storytellers and artists will win, while the aggressors and interruptors will lose. Let's commit to making every interaction with your audience either educate, inspire, enlighten, or entertain. The post Creativity Is a Business Imperative appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
If we look at advertising like pollution, could we make the worst offenders pay a price for making us suffer bad ads? In this week's episode, I explore the concept of Advertising Offset Credits and the cost of aggressive, self-serving advertising. The post Advertising Offset Credits: Calculating the Cost of Ad Pollution appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
There are some big changes coming to Facebook. Continuing the thread from last week's episode, here is some speculation on how this might affect the Facebook Ad platform and a major change to the News Feed that Facebook is currently testing outside of the U.S. The post More Speculation About Facebook’s Future appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
As the harsh spotlight illuminates dark posts, Russian ads and who-know-what-else, expect a backlash against Facebook. It may come in the form of regulations or user revolt, but it's going to change Facebook a lot. It's not a matter of if, but when. So if you use Facebook to promote your business or connect with customers, what can you do to prepare yourself? The post Facebook Is Headed for Trouble: The Coming Storm appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Acceleration is something that most entrepreneurs seek, but often find to be out of reach. My guest this week is Kelly Roach, a former Fortune 500 executive who has an amazing story of career acceleration - both in her corporate career and in running her own agency. Kelly shares her story, along with strategies that you can apply to your own business. The post From Adversity to Acceleration: Business Growth Strategies from Kelly Roach appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Do you have someone creating content for you? A writer, designer, video producer, or developer? If so, you want to make sure that you have clear ownership of the rights to that content. Episode 112 is about the risks of not having an IP clause in your vendor contracts. The post How to Make Sure You Actually Own the Rights to Your Content appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
You can't force me to be loyal - that's something you have to earn. Yet you see companies use a variety of methods to lock us in or make it difficult to leave. These cheap, short-term tactics may guarantee today's revenue, but they will never add up to tomorrow's loyalty. The post The Customer Is Always Free to Go appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Signing a contract is often a big commitment for a client, and I want them to feel like the investment is low-risk. Here's my counterintuitive approach to writing a contract that is clear and simple, fair to both sides, and starts from a point of mutual trust. The post Contracts Are Not a Trap appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Everyone advises to bill by the project (not by the hour) when you run a consulting business. In the 4 years that I've been doing it, I've found that the opposite is true. But it requires a few important principles to make sure that the exchange of value works - for both sides. The post Hourly Rate vs. Project Rate: Which Is Most Fair for Both Sides? appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Conventional wisdom is to ask for the sale early and often. With today's consumers, it turns out that the opposite is true. Exhibiting a little patience and providing a lot of upfront value gets you away from the icky parts of self-promotion - and it's more effective too. The post When to Ask for the Sale: Not Early and Often appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
It may seem counterintuitive, but the NDA request is always a red flag to me. Mistrust is not a good starting point for any relationship - plus it betrays a lack of self-confidence in your ability to execute. Is this really the message you wish to convey? Let's take a deeper look at Non-Disclosure Agreements: Pros and Cons. The post Non-Disclosure Agreements: Mistrust Is Not a Good Starting Point appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
We tend to overvalue our own ideas - I do it too. But it's always the execution that counts. This week's episode is about how to pick the right idea to bank on, how to develop it with continuous customer input, and how to assess whether or not the idea is actually succeeding. The post Execution Is Everything In Business appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
In short, running a good content strategy is a huge time investment. It takes a lot of effort, and let's face it - it takes a long time to start seeing results. The only way to make it worth it is to treat everything you produce as if it's a renewable asset. The post Creating Content as a Business Asset appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Twitter is the best social platform for connecting with people you DON'T know already, making it a critical tool for finding new potential customers. So, why is it still not taken seriously? Episode 106 is about making a shift in mindset so that you can up your game and get more out of Twitter. The post Tweeting Is Believing, Tweeting Out Is Not appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
If your plan is just to start "getting the word out there" by posting to Facebook or Twitter - stop now. The outcomes will never be worth the time you put into it. You need a complete content strategy in order to make social media worthwhile. Here's a simple way to adjust your approach - and the three advantages to doing so. The post Social Media Cannot Exist in a Vacuum appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
One of my favorite quotes is, "If you're not measuring, you're not marketing." This has never been more true than it is today. What worked yesterday is not guaranteed to work tomorrow. Learn, measure, and iterate so that you can continue to optimize your marketing efforts. The post Marketing and the Experimental Mindset appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Marketing often feels "icky" to small business owners, solo entrepreneurs, authors, and other creatives. When you ARE your brand, you don't want to be a self-promoter. Soft-touch marketing is the answer - not only does it feel better, but in light of today's consumer behavior, it's also more effective too. The post Soft-Touch Marketing Is More Respectful - and More Effective appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Forging real connections with real customers take real effort. Every business owner knows this. So why do we behave differently when we get online? Why do we take social connections less seriously, and look for the SEO tricks and other quick fixes? The post Stop Looking for Shortcuts appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Marketing should not be a one-time spend to get a one-time result. If you think of it as an investment instead, today's "spend" can continue to pay off years from now. Here's how to focus on the two most important investments you can make in your business. The post Marketing Is an Investment, Not a Cost appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
When you set out to create something, do it to create a resource. Then it doesn't matter if organic growth is slow. You'll be creating a reusable business asset: That's content strategy in a nutshell. Episode 100 of this podcast is dedicated to you and your next big milestone. I am not special: You can do it too! The post Episode 100: I Am Not Special appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
It's a shame when you see great art go unnoticed. I got sick of seeing creatives fail, so I wanted to do something about it. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how and why I created a comprehensive online course to help writers, musicians, and visual artists. The post I Am Tired of Seeing Creatives Fail appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Marketing automation sounds robotic and impersonal. In fact, it can be a more welcoming and personal way to nurture a lead into a customer, by focusing on THEIR specific needs and interests. You have a much better chance at making a connection, while lightening your workload as well. The post Marketing Automation: A Case Example appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Consistency is one of the best ways to earn trust. So in your content strategy, a "toe in the water" approach isn't going to cut it. You simply have to commit to being consistent. That means that you're going to have to love the process - not just the results. Are you up for that? The post Consistency in Content Strategy appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
If your business depends on having an audience, you have to stand back a little and let it evolve naturally. You have fight your own impatience, get comfortable with not having control, learn to relish the indirect benefits, and ultimately, play the long game. The post Be In It for the Long Game appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Rather than looking solely at traditional business metrics, what if we made decisions based on earning trust instead? Episode 95 is about the limitations of ROI in trying to measure your content marketing efforts, and how to focus instead on getting to the Threshold of Trust. The post How Do You Measure Trust? appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Generosity works. When you serve, you earn the right to serve again. Over time, you earn enough trust to ask for the sale. This used to be hard to scale, but not anymore. It starts with a genuine desire to help, and as I've learned - what you get in return might surprise you. The post The Service Disposition appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Movies often portray success in business as a cut-throat, relentless climb to the top. Someone has to lose in order for you to win. That's just not the case anymore, if it was ever true at all. Here's what the principles of content marketing taught me about today's business world. The post Business Isn’t “Just Business” appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Introducing a new 16-part series about counterintuitive business lessons that I've learned from my mentors and the mistakes I've made. It turns out that the same nuances that work in running a good content strategy also work in running a business as well. The post What Content Strategy Teaches You About Business appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Once a podcast reaches a certain level, it's time to at least consider getting sponsorships. Let's look at the positives and negatives in monetizing a podcast - and how it applies to this show in particular. The post Podcast Sponsorships: Your Opinion appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
I often produce little mini-series within this podcast. This structured way of writing is how I prefer to work, because it keeps me on track. It's good for my audience too - and I have the data to back that up. So, would this method work for you? Let's take a look. The post How a Mini-Series Can Help Your Content Strategy appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
In today's world, the selling process really is about teaching. Here's my method to streamline the process of creating a online course that you can use for customer acquisition, customer on-boarding, or just to "productize" your knowledge and create a new revenue stream. The post Repurposing Content to Create an Online Course appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
If you're not repurposing blog content for your social posts, you are missing a huge opportunity to save time and effort. In this week's episode, I cover how to reuse the meta description, the post excerpt, and the post content itself so you can streamline your social media activities. The post Repurposing Content: The Downstream Method appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Have you ever thought about writing a book, but can't find the time? In this week's episode, I lay out my entire blog-to-book process - from planning to execution. It allows you to achieve two goals at the same time: Completing a large project and building an audience while you do it. The post Repurposing Content: The Upstream Method appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Marketing is getting highly personalized. Each channel is its own community, which means that one "message" won't cut it anymore. Let's look at the ways this affects how you repurpose content across different channels, in different contexts. The post Repurposing Content Across Different Contexts appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Are you repurposing blog posts into email newsletters? This and other strategies for making more than one use out of your content can make you much more efficient. Here's how to do it safely and effectively. The post Repurposing Content Across Different Formats appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Are you making multiple uses of blog posts, press releases, and emails to customers? With a little planning up front, content strategy helps you think a few steps ahead and save yourself valuable time - while building a set of content as a business asset. The post Repurposing Content Is a Part of Any Content Strategy appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
In building your business, are you always feeling behind? Like you can never live up to the countless stories of success? Maybe it's time to stop setting impossible standards. Here's one small change in perspective that can shorten your goal horizon. The post Picking Better Models for Your Business appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Time for a gut check. You're producing content, you're sharing on social. But stop and ask yourself as objectively as you can: Is your content good enough that YOU would share it (if it wasn't your own)? Let's look at why and how people share, so that it can inform your content strategy. The post How to Make Your Content More Shareable appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Have you been reposting your blog content on Medium? It's a great way to extend your reach, and with Medium's new "Import a Story" feature, it's incredibly easy - and 100% safe for SEO. In this week's episode, I give a quick overview of how to incorporate this into your content strategy. The post How to Syndicate Content Safely on Medium appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Duplicate content is bad for SEO - or is it? Content syndication, done properly, is not only safe - but encouraged. There are 4 methods for syndicating content, two of which I endorse for a clean and effective content strategy. The post Content Syndication: Safe SEO Practices for Your Blog appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Do you like to be sold to? I don't. "Push marketing" can only generate awareness. While awareness is important, it's only Step 1. Trust comes when you try to teach your customers instead - bring some value to them instead of just pushing product on them. The post The Four Principles of Teaching Your Customers appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
When you educate your customers, you can lead them to a better, more informed purchasing decision. One that they feel good about - and one that sticks. That means that you are an educator. In running your content strategy, can you think like a teacher? The post Producing Content to Educate Your Customers appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
In the Web's pay-per-click model, you get what you pay for. A race to the bottom. The result has been fake news, click bait, and creepy ad bots. I've had enough, and it appears that Ev Williams has, too. Will he have the courage to make Medium (and Twitter, for that matter) better than just "an extension of a broken system"? The post A New Direction for Medium: Can Ev Williams Save the Web? appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Social media for business is more than just Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In the season finale of "Marketing Without the Marketing," I give a top-level blueprint of a cohesive social media strategy that maximizes impact and efficiency. The post The Social Media Strategy Series: Wrap-Up appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Data-driven marketing is becoming a must-have, even for small businesses. Here's a brief case study of the Starbucks Star Rewards Program - and how to apply the lessons to your own business. The post Know Your Customer: Using Data-Driven Marketing appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
The principles of event marketing can be applied to small businesses of all types. In my interview with event producer Louie La Vella, we look at some counterintuitive strategies involving live video (including Facebook Live), affiliate marketing, and influencer marketing. The post Challenging Conventional Wisdom in Content Marketing: Interview with Louie La Vella appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Here's a brief preview of what's to come in future episodes, including two new series that get into the more advanced aspects of content strategy. The post On the Horizon: A Preview appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
While LinkedIn Pulse is a low-commitment way to get started with blogging for business, you really need a strategy to get the most out of it. Here are two distinct game plans for you to consider: Which one is worth the time investment? The post LinkedIn Pulse for Business: Baseline Strategies for Personal Branding appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
In your marketing, does what you say about yourself match what your customers say about you? If it doesn't, you may have a trust problem - and you may not get a second chance to repair the damage. The post You Only Have to Tell Me One Lie appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Have you tried using Periscope for business - or any other live video app? There are a lot of advantages for brands, and companies are getting really creative with it. Let's have a look at whether or not live video will be a good strategy for you and your business. The post Periscope for Business: Using Live Video as a Marketing Strategy appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
While I was attending a conference last week, I had a realization about Twitter and why it's still an important platform for business purposes - despite all of the talk of its decline. There's one aspect in particular that Twitter does better than anyone, and they seem to be doubling down on it. The post Twitter and Its Persistent Superpower appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
With organic reach down to 9% or lower, Facebook has become purely a pay-to-play platform for businesses. Facebook Groups are the exception, and may be one of the most powerful marketing tools available. Here's my strategy for how to build and nurture an audience of super-fans. The post Facebook Groups for Business: A New Approach to Marketing appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Social media is a great starting point to drive awareness of your business, but let's face it - there's a ton of noise out there. One strategy that can help: Twitter Ads. If you haven't tried ads yet as a part of your content strategy, here's a quick guide to getting started. The post Twitter Ads for Business: An Underrated Marketing Strategy appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
There are no shortcuts in building a business. That's why those insidious "instant success" stories are dangerous to real, working businesses. Here is one of those stories - and my reaction to it. The post Hope Is Not a Marketing Plan appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Medium has a ready-made audience and a algorithmic feed mechanism to get you in front of an audience that's different than your own blog. Here's how to coordinate the two - your blog and Medium - into a coordinated and effective strategy. The post Medium for Business: The Benefits of Social Blogging appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
A lot of businesses are using Facebook - but not a lot of them are using Facebook Ads. With the right strategy, you can get a huge awareness boost for your product or service, targeted to the right audience. Listen to the episode for some starter strategies and other considerations. The post Facebook Ads for Business: Taking Your Social Strategy to the Next Level appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Pinterest is still one of the most popular social media platforms, and it has been evolving into a great marketing tool for small businesses. Here's a "starter strategy" to get you up and running and taking advantage of their new business-friendly features. The post Pinterest for Business: Are You Missing an Opportunity? appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Pausing to say thank you for listening to "Marketing Without the Marketing." I'll be back next week with a brand new episode. The post Pausing to Say Thank You appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Instagram and Snapchat are each powerful social platforms that can help you construct a visual narrative around you or your business. But each have specific limitations as well. Here's a quick comparison so you can make a decision for your business. The post Instagram Stories vs. Snapchat for Business appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
"Should I be on Snapchat?" It's one of the most frequent questions I get from small business owners. There's a lot of excitement about this new and unique platform--and a lot of hype. Let's look at the considerations so you can make a good decision for your business. The post Snapchat for Business: How to Nurture Your Audience appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Instagram is evolving quickly, and becoming more and more business-friendly with analytics, ads, and more. But is Instagram right for your business? In Part 6 of the Social Media Strategy Series, I look at some of the factors to consider and offer some basic strategies to get started. The post Instagram for Business: Brand Storytelling with Images appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
Your audience will come to you. Give them time. It’s not going to happen all at once, so be patient. Social media & blogging can be done in a pull fashion rather than aggressive, self-serving push tactics. Treat your audience with respect and let them make the decision when to buy from you.
Given the opportunity that we have to connect with our audience, it drives me crazy that people abuse the privilege. Think of all the aggressive tactics you see every day: Pop-up ads (let me read the damn article!); TV commercials juiced by 6-12 dB (stop screaming at me!); and auto-DMs on Twitter. Everyone's just deploying robots to interrupt us, yell at us, and expect us to actually like them? With me, you are having the opposite effect. I think less of you, I will never buy from you, and I will speak ill of you to my friends and followers.
Then there are the lies, the whitewashing, and the spin. Just tell us the truth. The real truth, not some dressed up half-truth.
I'm going to find out anyway from checking in with my peers your current and/or former customers. They're going to tell me like it is. And guess what? If that doesn't match up with what you say about yourself, then I'm going to think less of you as well.
In other words, there's no hiding in today's world. So how about we start our relationship brand to consumer on strong footing? Why don't we start with honesty, and see where it goes?
Or you can try to force your priorities on me. Go for the quick sale. Maintain your short-term thinking. If that's working for you, good for you. But in today's world, powered by the network, word-of-mouth scales. Is that going to be a long-term asset to you or a risk? It's your call.
—
In this week’s episode, I take a short break from my Social Media Strategy Series to talk about how to rise above the noise with honesty and integrity.
The post Respect Your Audience appeared first on Control Mouse Media, LLC.
YouTube is still the king of video, despite powerful challenges from Facebook and Snapchat. In Part 5 of the Social Media Strategy Series, I talk about how YouTube might fit into your overall content strategy, including how to monetize the platform.
The post YouTube for Business: Where the World Goes to Learn appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Google Plus is still an important part of your content strategy. If for nothing else, it can help improve your search rankings. Here s an overview of my strategy to get a simple SEO boost with a minimum amount of effort.
The post Google Plus for Business: Why It Still Matters to Your Content Strategy appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Just because today's Facebook is an advertising platform doesn't mean that it's the only method to get success out of the platform. Let's look at how Facebook's algorithm works and how to optimize for as much "organic reach" as you can get without paying for ads.
The post Facebook for Business: Optimizing for Organic Reach appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
LinkedIn is the focus of this week s episode of The Social Media Strategy Series. Are you getting the most out of the platform, or are you still treating it like an online resume? Now that LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, should that change your strategy with the platform?
The post LinkedIn for Business: Taking It to the Next Level appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Is Twitter right for your business? Only you can decide whether or not it's worth the effort. But to help you make a good business decision, here's a rundown of the strategies that I use as a part of my own content strategy.
The post Twitter for Business: Is It Right For You? appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Social media marketing is an optimization problem. You want to focus on the right activities, in the right channels, to maximize your impact. But none of this will happen without the right content. There are three considerations in finding the balance between 1) what you can produce, and 2) what your audience wants.
The post Social Media Marketing: Choosing the Right Content appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Getting the most out of your social media marketing efforts starts with channel selection. In this episode, let s look at my four basic criteria for picking the right channels for your business.
The post Social Media Marketing: 4 Strategies for Channel Selection appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
The goal of content strategy is to do much more than drive awareness. It s about creating a narrative and making sure that all of your content is contributing to that narrative. It's also about planning smart so that you can actually create your content with that in mind.
The post It’s Not Content Strategy Without Planning appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
In celebration of my 50th episode, I d like help those of you who are thinking of launching your own podcast. This episode serves as an overview of my experience so far. I share a quick timeline of my launch plan, stats and rankings, strategies and tactics, and successes and failures. Hope that it helps you!
The post Episode 50: How to Get to 50 Episodes appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
The world of work is changing quickly. It doesn t matter if you re an employer or employee, starting your own business, or freelancing. Everything s different, from the way we work to our expectations of what work should be. Katy Tynan talks about the trends and how they will affect your career.
The post How to Find Your Superpower and Focus on the Right Stuff: Interview with Katy Tynan appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
If you re still deriding social media as a shallow waste of time, it s time to get with it. Other businesses are getting a lot out of it, forming real relationships with real customers. Are you leaving this opportunity to your competitors, or is it time to start taking your strategy seriously?
The post Taking Your Social Media Strategy Seriously appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Today's consumers are savvy. Before a purchase, they're going to research you, read reviews, and ask their friends about you. They're going to make determinations about you even before the first "touch." Are you set up to influence the process? Let's take a look.
The post Me as a Customer appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
How do you behave as a consumer? What's your evaluation process for a new product or service? Looking at your own process may offer some insight into how you present your offer to your customers and prospective customers.
The post You as a Customer appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Word-of-mouth marketing can happen on its own, but you don't want to leave it to chance. Here's how to make your customers are a part of your overall content strategy.
The post Converting Your Customers Into Advocates appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
It's a missed opportunity if you don't give your customers a seat at the table early on. First, if the customer has no effect on product development, you'll probably get the product wrong. Also, the right customers have the potential to be your best sales reps, if you handle it right.
The post Getting Your Customers Involved appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Not all customers are created equal. There are some that your business can t live without, and there are others who are more trouble than they're worth. Are you selecting the right customers the one who provide more value than they extract?
The post Picking the Right Customers appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
There's no milestone more important to your business than finding the first person who will actually pay you. This episode is about really focusing on whom you are trying to serve and making your content work towards the singular goal of earning your first customer.
The post Finding Your First Customer appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Small business owners are extremely busy, so one of the single biggest things you can do to impact your business is to become more efficient with your content strategy. Here s how to treat your content as an investment in a reusable business asset, saving you time in the process.
The post How Content Strategy Makes You More Efficient appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
How can brick and mortar businesses make the most of social media? On this week s episode, I interview Laura Nunemaker about her specific strategies for offline businesses, clever cross-promotion opportunities, and careful automation to help make you more efficient.
The post Social Media Strategy for Brick and Mortar Businesses: Interview with Laura Nunemaker appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Why are you waiting for permission? Walk straight past the Gatekeeper and connect with your audience directly. There s nothing holding you back anymore, and there are no excuses. Your audience is your greatest business asset it shifts the power in your favor.
The post New Opportunities in a Post-Gatekeeper World appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
The right information, delivered at the right time, is powerful. The opposite is true, too. Get it right, and your posts are not just welcome but even anticipated!
The post Timing and Frequency in Content Strategy appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
How do you get media coverage for your business? On this week s episode, I interview Chris Well about his strategy for how to build your media kit, identify the right outlets, craft the perfect pitch, and set up a series of appearances that can help boost your authority.
The post How to Get Publicity and Other Media Coverage: Interview with Chris Well appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
When you re seen as an authority, it opens up all sorts of possibilities to you. Trust in you builds, which accumulates as an asset for you and your business. The value you create sticks with you, and can even transfer to your next business, your next project, or your next job.
The post Building Your Online Authority appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Getting found and getting heard are a huge challenge in today s world. Here s how to set yourself up to be searchable and discoverable so that you have a better shot at it. Smart tactics with no tricks.
The post Optimizing Your Content for Searchability and Discoverability appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
A story is at the root of trust, and a good content strategy gives your brand advocates the language to use on your behalf. Since it s more believable in their hands, you should be doing all you can to make it easier for them.
The post How to Create Brand Advocates appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
This week's episode is about two new projects for 2016. I also ask a favor: For those of you who are writers, musicians, or visual artists, I invite you to talk about how the Web and social media has affected you and your creative business.
The post Teaching and Learning appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
I wasn t going to post this week, but I couldn't stop myself. Lately I ve been overwhelmed by gratitude. Thank you to all my listeners - I really appreciate your support!
The post Thank You, Internet appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Looking back at the first 30 episodes of this podcast, I have an epiphany about what content marketing is really about. It s an antidote to the lies, micro-lies, and lies of omission that marketers have forcing on us for years.
The post Running Your Business the Right Way appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Content marketing is about shifting from you talking about you to customers talking to other customers about you. It s a lot of work at first, but the only way to see rapid, self-replicating growth.
The post Content Strategy Planning for Small Business Owners appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Articulating your solution in your customers own language is a much more powerful way to connect than just throwing me-first marketing-speak at them. First, you have to know your audience.
The post Differentiating Yourself as a Small Business appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Building an audience is difficult. But the rules have changed, and they are in your favor now. In this episode, I make a case for why your business needs a cohesive content strategy.
The post Why Do Small Businesses Need a Content Strategy? appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
You can t have content marketing take over your life - you just need it to deliver meaningful results for you and your business. Here s how to focus on the one or two social media channels that will yield the best results for you.
The post Social Media Marketing: Choosing Your Channel appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Social media is easy enough for anyone to use, but getting the nuances down is the challenging part. Once you get it, you ll be building awareness, attracting the right people, and engaging in valuable discussions.
The post Social Media Marketing: Making Real Connections appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
This week s episode gives an overview of how to optimize your post image, post title, and post meta so that people are more likely to click on the links you share.
The post Improving Your Click-Through Rate (CTR) appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Building trust is the ultimate goal of content marketing. Here s how to move up the payment scale, from attention to advocacy to earning and keeping a loyal customer.
The post Finding the Influencers in Your Audience appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Just like in traditional selling, you can t just march in unannounced and ask for the sale. You have to do the work and prove yourself first. Content marketing is no different.
The post Unlocking the Power of Content Marketing appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe
Building an audience is difficult, which is why it s so valuable. Organic growth takes time, but if you are willing to do the work, you can create perhaps your most valuable business asset.
The post An Audience Is Your Greatest Asset appeared first on Control Mouse Media.
Get full access to Consider the Source at mboezi.substack.com/subscribe