Endless Coffee Cup: Recent Episodes
Matt Bailey
Endless Coffee Cup is a discussion of marketing news, culture, and media for our complex digital lifestyle. With a wide range of marketing topics, we bring insights beyond the headlines, and a challenge to "ask why." Hosted by Matt Bailey, CEO & Founder of SiteLogic.
We dive deep into the art of effective communication. Our guest, Monique Russell, is an expert in teaching, training, speaking, and coaching individuals to communicate more effectively at work and at home. With her wealth of experience, Monique focuses on helping leaders keep top talent engaged, fulfilled, and motivated. She shares insights on how to connect with others, understand communication styles, delegate effectively, and navigate intercultural communication. We discuss the challenges teachers face in implementing comprehensive communication instruction, and how debate clubs in schools can help develop critical thinking skills. One of the key takeaways from our episode is the importance of being comfortable with discomfort. Monique explores how addressing internal noise, such as fear of judgment, can dramatically enhance communication effectiveness. Grab a cup of coffee and join the conversation! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Beyond the Algorithm: Navigating the Mental Health Aspect of Social Media Marketing
Meg Casebolt, author of 'Social Slowdown' joins me to discuss the pressures faced by creators and consumers alike.
FOMO The constant need to stay ahead of trends and conform to the algorithm, combined with the distractions and interruptions of social media notifications, can take a toll on focus and productivity. We also explore the addictive nature of social media, the craving for dopamine and novelty experiences, and the surface-level conversations it often promotes. Real Conversations In contrast, our love for podcasts stems from their ability to foster deeper conversations, exploration of various topics, and more nuanced perspectives. We feature real stories from content creators and business owners who have reevaluated their social media strategies, discuss the pitfalls of focusing solely on vanity metrics, and the importance of aligning your business model with your desired content and audience behavior. It is OK to press pause? Join us as we navigate the ever-changing landscape of social media, question its effectiveness in achieving specific goals, and explore alternative strategies for reaching your target audience. It's time for a social slowdown on the Endless Coffee Cup podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Endless Coffee Cup, Matt Bailey and guest Jennifer Radke tackled the topic of certifications in marketing and social media. Here are 3 key takeaways from the conversation: - Social media management requires specific platform knowledge and clear communication skills, along with a strategic approach. Assigning tasks to an intern or focusing solely on frequency rather than message can hinder growth and maturity. - Data is crucial for decision-making, but marketers need to use language that appeals to C Suite goals beyond vanity metrics like likes and views. Clear definitions of key metrics can avoid confusion and ensure accurate reporting. - Certification provides a common vocabulary and standards of practice for marketers, enabling better communication and uniformity in language understood by a wider population. Certification processes use psychometrics to ensure fairness and accuracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Google v Publishers In this episode, we delve into the ongoing competition between publishers and bloggers, focusing on Google's role in this dynamic relationship. Google's new AI-driven results will use publisher-based content, but not deliver those visits to publisher websites. We discuss how publishers are now beginning to understand the importance of giving readers what they desire. However, resistance to change persists within some publishing houses. To combat high labor costs, many publishers are turning to AI as a productivity tool. AI can be utilized to personalize content and provide hyper-focused information to users. It enables the creation of personalized publications or apps that cater to specific interests or niches. But how do we balance hyper-personalization with the need for community and broader interests? That's a key question we explore, discussing privacy regulations, consent for tracking and data collection, and the role of customer data platforms in managing consent and personalization. As we navigate the complexities of ad revenue and subscriber revenue, we discuss the challenges publishers face in implementing paywalls without compromising user experience. Throughout the episode, we emphasize the need for publishers to prioritize the reader experience over ad revenue. We share personal frustrations with excessive ads on mobile devices and reflect on the evolution of publishing, from traditional book publishing to niche areas with tailored publications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"How Can You have Work-Life Balance and Be Successful As An Entrepreneur? I was asked this question when interviewed by a publication for Father's day. They asked for "wisdom from an inspirational dad." Well, Socrates said, “the only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing.” I would say that quote best describes my role attempting to integrate my role as a father into my professional endeavors. There have been a lot of hard lessons along the way, and I am still learning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So why don't we emphasize learning history, especially in this fast-moving, ever-changing world of digital media? I am amazed at how many people who are excited about Metaverse, but have never heard about Second Life. Without history, without the context of history and the lessons we learn, then all new technology is in a vacuum - absent of any lessons we can learn from the past! The more our culture uses and relies on social platforms, the more we need to have a deeper understanding of the impact and past lessons of these platforms. Until then, we will be always be "users." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The ability to stand in front of people and relate data, information, a pitch, or any type of persuasive content is one of the most highly prized skills in an organization. Yet this valuable and prized skill is not taught! Yes, it can be learned and it can be improved. Speaking in front of others does not have to be a scary experience! However, for some reason, marketers - the ones that study audiences and develop creative, emotionally connected messages to motivate action...when they present internally, default to a left-bran presentation of charts, graphs, and data tables. How does this marketing-ability change so dramatically when resenting in-house? Matt presents the 4 levels of reporting data and information and how marketers can not only improve their credibility, but also their effectiveness when communicating to managers and the C-suite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
My good friend, Mohtab Arabiat had the amazing opportunity to manage one of the world's biggest events. Still named Expo 2020, it was delayed for a year (for obvious reasons) and took place for 6 months from October 2021 to March 2022, drawing more than 24 million visitors to the expo, and an equal 24 million to the online portal! Mohtab managed the social media team, and they produced an average of 200 content posts a week! That's 28/day - a rate of more than 1 post per hour for 6 months! And that's just the start of the amazing stories from this event. Listen in to hear the challenges of managing, marketing, and producing the social media content for a long-term, worldwide event.
Expo 2020 Dubai
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Question are the best tool we have for accessing information, yet this skill is most likely the most underutilized and under-valued skill of all. Why? Because questions can be bothersome. Questioning can be perceived as subversive, and questions create accountability. Let's face it: Questioning is dangerous! In organizations where questions are discouraged, poorer decisions are made, and there is less accountability. Questions lead to discovery, they lead to improvement, they lead to understanding. Developing a skill in question-asking naturally creates an atmosphere of testing, curiosity, and value. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The beauty of America has always been its cultural diversity. There is much that we can learn from each other and celebrate among each other. Gabriella Alcantara-Diaz joins me at the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage month to discuss the evolving, culturally diverse landscape. The Hispanic community is becoming increasingly affluent, which has significant implications in economic growth, lifestyle preferences, entrepreneurs, and community identity. Gabriella shares her exciting #CultureRunsDeep campaign which highlights the impact culture in Latin communities, small businesses, and corporate openness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Barry Schwartz has been reporting on search and search engines since 2003, and is one of the most recognizable personalities in the industry. As the founder of Search Engine Roundtable, he's developed a reputation for his in-depth reporting of all things search. When looking for anything about Google or search technology, you'll find Barry's articles. Barry and I met at the SES conferences in the early 2000's and it was a fun conversation to catch up and get his perspective on the SEO industry, Google, and the major changes over the past 20 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this single shot episode, Matt compares the popularity and emphasis on trends to the skills that are in demand, and have always been in demand. Both employers and job seekers can build powerful, sustainable marketing teams when they focus on the essential skills, rather than the current or "next" tactic. In this episode, Matt brings his #5 skill, Business Acumen I share a few examples of how business acumen and marketing principles are critical to success. Too many times, we equate "digital marketing knowledge" with experience, or even basic business knowledge! But the two couldn't be further apart. My best analysts were ones that focused on increasing profitability – not visits. They looked for things that inhibited the user experience and tied them to revenue and profitability, not engagement. They understood that what happens in the CRM was just as critical to business success as the SEO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Government communications and public information has a lot in common with marketing, as it aims to inform, educate and persuade the public. In this delightful conversation with National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) president, Tabitha Clark, we explore the role of communicators in local governments. It's a different form, but still marketing as they must create, distribute, and measure the content they produce for the press, the public, and private industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A website is never done. This is the disconnect between website development and marketing. Your agency or designer may want to sign off and say it is done, but in reality – it should always be tested, improved, and adapted to your audience. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on sales, leads, registrations – whatever your goal. The skill of User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) – are not only a critical skill now but will be in great demand in the future as more people in more places rely on digital interfaces to conduct nearly all of their affairs online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Let's Get Nice! Dave Delaney, CEO of FutureForth, joins the show to discuss his book, the ROI of Nice. Dave conducts training and workshops at companies around the world, enhancing communication and workplace happiness - by teaching how to be nice. Dave gives us his NICE method for managing or working within teams, and we debate the work from home, return to office, and hybrid options in light of efficiency and teamwork. For listeners of the Endless Coffee Cup Podcast, use the discount code: NICECOFFEE to download Dave's book for FREE, The ROI of Being Nice at www.nicemethod.us, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At the beginning of each analytics training, I ask the group their questions about analytics, and the answers are surprising similar:
What data is important?
Can I trust the data?
How do I turn data into actions or insights?
How can we get past basic reports and find something meaningful?
What surprises me even more is that these are very foundational questions about analytics. So, what is involved in becoming a data-centric organization? What skills do marketers need to excel at analytics? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Professed "Space Nerd," Izzy House joins the podcast to talk about the exciting realm of space and how she is working with companies to tell their stories to the public. We maybe know a tiny fraction of what is happening in space, as the launches get the media attention, but Izzy helps to market the research, development, manufacturing, and medical breakthroughs that are happening as a result of space exploration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We examine the recent changes and moves within Google Search Ads, from changing keyword targeting to automatic Smart Ads to dealing with recommended "upgrades" to the account. We look at what real account improvements involve and compare these to Google's recommendations. There is some Google bashing, but it is also countered by the honest appraisal that Paid Search Ads is still one of the most effective methods of reaching a targeting audience! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Writing is one of the fundamental skills of human communication. Online, writers are challenged by the unavoidable nuances digital media. Content must be concise, arranged for speedy consumption, and presented to impatient users and search engine spiders. Do you want to guarantee yourself a skill that'll never go out of style? Sharpen your writing skills to create quality content that answers questions, guides action, and persuades . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Long time friends Matt Bailey and Greg Jarboe are partnering on an upcoming book from Wiley, "Digital Marketing Fundamentals: OMCP's Official Guide to OMCA Certification." The core of the book is defining each area of digital marketing and outlining the critical skills and knowledge necessary to achieve the OMCA Certification. Of course, when Matt and Greg get together, there are no lack of stories, statistics, and sarcasm. Enjoy part 3 as Greg and Matt wrap up this series by covering social media marketing analytics and KPI's, social selling, social media advertising and Part 3 of "Defining Social Media Marketing" covers:
Social Commerce and China's astounding numbers
Single's Day
Reputation Management & Crisis Communications
US Air Force and Social Media Response
Elon and Twitter, again
Social Media Advertising
YouTube ad campaigns
Social Media audience targeting
Social Media marketing analytics
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this series, I am explaining the 7 digital media skills that will never go out of style. I am doing this series, as there are many job postings that focus on the applicant knowing tactics. However, when looking at the purpose of the tactics, the skills are what enable people to adopt, refine, and adapt tactics according to the need. Knowing how to do this requires skills that are beyond the tactical application and are based in strategic maturity. The first digital marketing skill that’ll never go out of style is digital and media literacy. Or, as I like to call it, Media Maturity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Long time friends Matt Bailey and Greg Jarboe are partnering on an upcoming book from Wiley, "Digital Marketing Fundamentals: OMCP's Official Guide to OMCA Certification." The core of the book is defining each area of digital marketing and outlining the critical skills and knowledge necessary to achieve the OMCA Certification. Of course, when Matt and Greg get together, there are no lack of stories, statistics, and sarcasm. Enjoy part 2 of this delightful romp through our modern social media age. Part 2 of "Defining Social Media Marketing" covers:
Kim Kardashian
Social Media as a content distribution platform
History of Social Media channels
Loss of distinctive characteristics among platforms
WordPress and Blogging
Connected TV and YouTube
Ted Turner and old movies
Elon Musk and Twitter
Donald Trump and TikTok
Creating your own platform and using social media marketing to build it!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this single shot episode, Matt compares the popularity and emphasis on trends to the skills that are in demand, and have always been in demand. Both employers and job seekers can build powerful, sustainable marketing teams when they focus on the essential skills, rather than the current or "next" tactic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Long time friends Matt Bailey and Greg Jarboe are partnering on an upcoming book from Wiley, "Digital Marketing Fundamentals: OMCP's Official Guide to OMCA Certification. As a major part of digital marketing, social media becomes the most difficult to define. Greg and Matt discuss the definitive practices in social media, and define the difference between core skills and changing tactics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We live in a (digital) world of fakes, frauds, and filters. From inflated user counts, to clickbait headlines and filtered influencers, how can we know what is true? Growing up, we said that we "had to see it to believe it." Later it became "trust, but verify." Unfortunately, in this age the mantra is "assume everything is false, until proven otherwise." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Podcasting enables voices to be heard. Podcasting is naturally anti-establishment, as it enables under-represented peoples to be heard. Though this medium, listeners can easily access a variety of viewpoints, sources, and opinions without restriction. In many cases, podcasts offer alternative views than are presented in traditional news and entertainment media. The stories and information provided are from those actually living the life, directly experiencing oppression, or presenting a specific cultural context. This type of content rarely makes the "Big Media," but provides immediate, personal access to the listeners. Get the real stories from those living them. Drs. Nolan Higdon and Nicholas Baham III connect contemporary podcasting to the broader history of the use of radio technology in the service of anti-colonial struggle and revolution. By organizing the book’s analysis of decolonization through podcasting via three distinct activities—interrogation and critique, counter-narrative, and call to action—the authors create a lens through which they analyze and evaluate the decolonizing potential of new podcasts. The book also critiques the threat to the decolonizing efforts of some modern podcasts by the growing phenomena of surveillance capitalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the single shot episodes, Matt will respond to listener questions, comment on past guests, and bring up news beyond the headlines. In this single shot episode, Matt talks about online engagement, the nature of podcasting as a medium, and answers a listener questions about podcasting in both personal and data terms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nolan Higdon and Mickey Huff are the featured guests as they bring us commentary on their new book, "Let's Agree to Disagree: A Critical Thinking Guide to Communication, Conflict Management and Critical Media Literacy." The book is part textbook, part guidebook, and full of inspirational examples of people who made an effort to listen, learn, and create communication rather than disagree and walk away. Huff and Hidgon challenge us to step away from these external forces, develop critical thinking skills, and engage with others. By providing examples and clear steps to create dialogue, they show us that our democracy is dependent upon the everyday citizenry to engage and understand. We must participate to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I sit down for virtual coffee with LeTip CEO, Kim Marie Branch-Petit to discuss the value of networking. If I could point to one piece of advice that I would give to any business, entrepreneur, salesperson, student - or anyone who wants to further their career, it's to build a network. Networking tends to be dismissed, as we have social networks that can extend your reach all over the world. However, there is a value to getting to know a group of people and building relationships with mentors, coaches, co-workers, and others who can provide a substantial boost to your career. But, you have to be willing to put in the meantime commitment that is needed. The three words that will ring in my head forever. People do business with people that they like, know, and trust. Actively building a network of trusted people that you can help and can help you is one of the most important things that you can do for your career. Don't dismiss an opportunity to build a life-long friendship that may also come back to help you someday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For any business professional, burnout can be just around the corner. There are many warning signs, but we seem to be able to suppress them, ignore them, and make excuses. Dr. Tomi Mitchell walks us through some of those signs, which can’t be ignored. Not only will burnout reduce your productivity, but it will also affect your performance, your attitude, and relationships. Recognize burnout early, and you can avoid it and the bigger problems that come as a result. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt interviews Adjunct Instructor and PdD student Joshua Nieubuurt about his research into Internet Memes. His research paper, Internet Memes: Leaflet Propaganda of the Digital Age caught our attention. We break down what makes memes so effective, and how they engage our brains on multiple levels. There were some audio connection issues early in the episode, your patience is appreciated! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Starting a business right now is not only a great idea, more people are doing it than ever before! Business Coach, Mary Czarnecki, joins Matt to talk about the changing face of entrepreneurship in these amazing times. Matt and Mary provide practical steps of researching, preparing, and developing your own business. Mary provides the questions that potential start-ups need to ask and the guidance that many of us wish we had when we started. The technology today provides amazing resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs at very low costs, compared with decades past. So if you are thinking about starting up, research what's available to you that will make your life as a business owner easier and more efficient. Then, don't be afraid of failures. You won't be perfect, and that's OK. Jump in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Google removed keyword referral data from analytics in Sept 2013, the SEO industry took a big hit. You can debate about the merits of this move, as many have. I certainly did - I hated it, and still do. What Google did was effectively transform the SEO industry. Without seeing how nuances of wording and phrases affected behavior, it was now a blind strategy to reach the right people with the right content. When I read an article from LongTailUX's Millie Davis, 'Why no one talks about the LongTail anymore'. I was brought back to my happier keyword days. We started up a conversation about the article and it eventually led to this podcast with LongtailUX, Co-founder Andreas Dzumla. Andreas is a former Googler who learned the power of the long tail during his time at Google and applied it to many other businesses. Enjoy this conversation as we extol the amazing world of the long tail and how it can and should be mined for organic rankings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr Augustine Fou, Ad Fraud expert, joins Matt once again to talk about the increasing awareness of ad fraud. Nearly every day there are reports and articles detailing how ad fraud funnels millions of dollars away from publishers and supports everything from hate speech to international espionage. Dr. Fou provides actionable steps that you can take - using your own analytics - to spot fraud and wasteful spending. Sit back as he provides a cold dose of reality that counters the wishful rainbows and unicorns world of programmatic advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Creating Arabic Influencers Meet Rashid Al Awadhi, who is leading New Media Academy in Dubai to transform the Arabic region through digital skills and developing influencers. But it's not the typical "influencer" that you might think. They've developed influencers who are changing the region in areas of women's rights, economics, sport, environment, and many other areas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt brings these observations to Linguist and Educator, Norah Jones, to get an outsider's view of what happens to language when there is no shared meaning or context. Norah introduces educational concepts that are critical to the business success, such as negotiation of meaning. Listen in as we examine the language that is used so flippantly in marketing, and how someone outside of marketing responds to traditional marketing-speak phrases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Long-time agency owners Sue Grabowski and Matt Bailey have a conversation about the work they love. Having owned agencies for more than a decade, they've made mistakes and would change a lot of things. But, what's the one thing neither would change? Going out on their own. So, what does a first time entrepreneur need to know about starting a business and marketing? How about learning to manage what you love instead of actually doing what you love? Sit back with a cup of coffee and listen in. Just a word of warning, you might need to get a few refills in this extended-length conversation! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt talks with Google Ads expert Brad Geddes about the recent changes to Google Ads. Increasingly, advertising is becoming more complex, creating difficult choices for SMB's. Budgets, technology, confusing language, and G4 or Universal?!? Who can handle all of this? This is why we talk to Brad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Many retailers make 50-75% of their revenue in the last 2 weeks of November and first weeks of December. Email is the cornerstone marketing tool for retailers as they ramp up efforts to reach customer, gain new customers, and increase sales. Email Marketing guru Jeanne Jennings shares holiday email marketing practices along with a few tactics that might surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What does it take to build a real-world customer journey? After reading a well-known source that claimed that people "don't just wake up and decide to buy," Matt takes issue with the formulaic and template-driven journey. Because people really do wake up and buy things without traveling the marketer's well-planned journey. Mary Czarnecki joins in to provide practical advice about the development and considerations of building realistic and usable customer journeys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Multiculturalism is not just a good idea in marketing, but good practice in life to understand and relate to the rich experiences brought by other cultures. In marketing, we can be very tone-deaf with messaging if we haven't considered or researched our message with other cultures and their values. Understanding the needs, attitudes, and values of others enables you to create, market, and build a better product for a wider audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg Jarboe joins Matt to talk about the "undervaluing" of SEO. Both long-time experts see search engines providing the bulk of visits to websites through analytics. Yet, despite the evidence, companies are spending more and applying more resources to social media and new unproven platforms! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stéphane Hamel has given data and privacy a lot of thought, If you are concerned about data and privacy issues, then listen in as Stéphane outlines critical ownership issues of data and the consumer expectation of privacy. In the last half of the show, Matt and Stéphane discuss the problems with Google's G4 Analytics rollout and development. Does Google really know their audience?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mary Czarnecki joins me to talk about issues that marketers face. As we both train for the Association of National Advertisers, we see a lot of similar issues in marketing departments across the spectrum. We've found that most of the problems are not unique! In fact, the vast majority of problems, frustrations, and difficulties are universal experiences. So lay back on the couch with a cup of coffee and listen in to a bit of therapy. Things will get better! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Google’s new update hit in May, Core Web Vitals or Page Experience. This update focuses more on technical aspects of the site than content. However, at the same time, Google discontinued AMP, in which publishers had to invest heavily to maintain their presence in the search results. These changes will strain the Google-publisher relationship even further. Even more, because of the technical nature of the update, many businesses are simply unable to do much to accommodate this. Either legacy code that can’t be changed or 3rd party Content Management Systems that all have their own nuances, it is mainly on them to accommodate this update. But is Google's influence waning? Many signs point to an industry that is tired of being forced to react to Google's decisions and whims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
T. Osinubi joins Matt to work through some of these myths, as they attempt to explain the reasoning behind them, and whey they don't work. They make a few attempts to consider why these myths might be still alive, but in the end they do what they do best and provide common sense views about how to optimize and develop websites for rankings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What can we, as modern marketers and advertisers leaning into the 21st century, learn from Ancient philosophy? We have a lot to learn, according to Industrial Philosopher, Christina DiGiacomo. With 20 years in advertising and 10 years studying Practical Philosophy, she brings a fresh approach from history to solving the many issues that we face today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt interviews Mark Schaefer about his recent article, "Emphasis on celebrity over authority is blowing up influencer strategy." Mark explains how influencers are made up of the top tier of celebrities, then the next tier of authorities or content experts. Finally, the "minor leagues" which is made up of aspiring influencers. However, aspiring influencers are adept at curating their celebrity, but not their expertise or authority in any specific content. Will this limit their commercial viability or the ability of an advertiser to find a relevant partner? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt Bailey talks with linguist and educator, Norah Jones about the importance and value of learning to ask questions. Questions enable us to give voice to our curiosity and “tap into humanity.” Unfortunately, in too many environments (home, school, work) we are discouraged from asking questions, as they delay meetings, challenge assumptions, or create additional work. Questions can be seen as disruptive or challenging, yet they create clearer definitions, develop learning and understanding, and enable innovative approaches to solve problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
John Marshall joins Matt to follow up on his previous appearance on Endless Coffee Cup, where he talked about his new book, Free is Bad. They talk about the reception of the book and the prevailing opinions about online privacy. John shares about his upcoming series of videos, “Can I Trust It?” which brings up another line of discussion about the value of trust in the Digital Economy. With social media suffering failures, hacks, scrapes, and investigations weekly, how do you know who or what to trust? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Many in the digital marketing industry think that a formal education is unnecessary. T. Adeola Osinubi not only disagrees with that thought but is also taking action to remedy the situation. In his book, Straight Outta Context, he explains how he was taken in by bad actors who were more than happy to take his money and teach outdated, questionable and even dangerous techniques to gain rankings in Google. It wasn’t until he enrolled into a degree program that he learned the marketing principles, formal approaches, and industry best practices. He now teaches others not to be taken in by the “just Google it” crowd as an alternative to education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt and Ashley evaluate the beginner advertiser experience on Google Ads. Called "Smart Campaigns," new advertisers signing up for Google Ads search ads are being treated to a “training-wheel” experience, according to Matt. Matt and Ashley look at the set-up process through the eyes of a new advertiser and find too many areas where the instructions are unclear, incomplete, or simply unavailable. So why are new advertisers being forced into this format? It has everything to do with Google’s machine learning. To start their Smart Campaign, advertisers must allow Google to make changes to their ad headlines, ad copy, keywords, and keyword matching. Google is striving to make the ad experience purely automated, but it doesn’t seem ready for prime time just yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jason Falls joins Matt to discuss the power of influence in marketing, rather than the emphasis on influencers. Most of what is called influencer marketing misses the mark, according to Jason, as it focuses on the wrong things. Gaining partners that align with your message and your objectives are much more important. Jason points us in the right direction with his 4 methods of creating and measuring influence from his latest book, Winfluence: Reframing Influencer Marketing to Ignite Your Brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg Jarboe joins Matt again to follow-up on their earlier conversation about YouTube’s Secret Sauce. In this episode, they dive into further aspects of creating great content, which is a simple formula: Get better every day. The best advice is to avoid the “silver bullet” mentality (put everything into one video with the intent and purpose to go viral) and to methodically create, assess, learn, and create more. The headlines might be full of overnight sensations and viral stories, but the consistently amazing video producers are ones that have been working hard; perfecting their approach based on analytics, response rates, and feedback. Greg shares stories that will motivate you to find your own story and to tell it with creative flair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join us as Email expert Jeanne Jennings shares her email insights, practical advice for marketers, keys to grow your list and engage your customers. Email is “the rich old grandmother” as Jeanne explains. Far from being a tired and predictable medium, Email is a dynamic nurturing and loyalty-building platform that still provides the best ROI in the business. Even more, it can be optimized to build even more ROI for those who are willing to invest time, effort, and development of their lists. Relevancy is the key to the game, and Email provides a solid basis for any business to grow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Unleash Your Primal Brain Matt interviews Time Ash ahead of the release of his book, “Unleash Your Primal Brain.” Tim Ash is one of the industry’s leading experts on conversion optimization. He has used his education and background in Cognitive Science and Computer Engineering to distinguish his approach. Matt & Tim discuss how evolutionary psychology explains many of the behaviors that users exhibit and how marketers can adapt many of these principles into their campaigns. Seemingly subtle cues can greatly influence people’s choices and behavior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
YouTube is dominated by creators, instructors, and seemingly everyday people. As opposed to major media platforms such as AppleTV, Netflix, Amazon, and others, YouTube has enabled people to create and develop content that is consumed by audiences around the world. How were creators able to grasp and develop this platform, while the brands lagged behind? Even today, only a handful of brands create consistently good content on YouTube and use it effectively in their marketing strategy. Author, lecturer, industry expert Greg Jarboe joins Matt to talk about the power and influence of YouTube. From the beginnings of curated video to the explosion of content that is uploaded every day, Greg provides the essential ingredients to engage and enchant audiences through video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In large part, B2B sellers have not developed virtual selling skills. A recent survey showed that the B2B virtual selling process is broken - but it is not because of the technology! Rather, when virtual presentations remove the sizzle, buyers don't see much substance. In the world of B2B sales, personality, charm, and instincts tend to rule the day and win customer's hearts and minds. However, when forced to move to virtual meetings and presentations, many salespeople have simply fallen flat. Despite the challenges, the inability to transition to a virtual selling format has set back many salespeople, but it isn't because of the technology! A recent eMarketer survey showed that there are some issues with using technology and managing a virtual meeting. Of the top Virtual Selling Mistakes in this list, responsiveness, preparation, presentation skills, and writing skills are noted as being consistent mistakes displayed by sellers. While the pandemic isn't to blame for a lack of these skills, it does expose the B2B sales experience. These issues didn't just appear, but they have become more noticeable and harder to hide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Early this year, Dutch publisher Nederlandse Publieke Omroep stopped using third-party cookies and went to contextual-only advertising on their network of websites. In doing so, they saw a 62% increase in ad revenue compared to the prior year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nolan Higdon, author of The Anatomy of Fake News, joins Matt again to talk about the post-election analysis of clickbait, fake news, and issues of digital literacy. This conversation reaches into many related facets, such as critical thinking, content marketing, ad fraud, and logical fallacies. Listen in to hear why Matt speculates that the “straw-man” fallacy no longer exists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have you ever stopped to think about all of the “free” things that you use every day? Email, Search, Web Browsers, Social Media, Apps, News & Information all cost money, and they have to be paid for somehow. By using these, you are not the customer. The advertiser is the customer, and because of this relationship, the makers of these products answer to the advertisers, not to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are marketers and marketing media ignoring the economic realities of the pandemic? At the time of this recording, the United States unemployment rate is 7.9% with 10.7 million jobs lost since the start of the lockdowns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this podcast, an interview with Nolan Higdon, author of The Anatomy of Fake News. Matt interviews Author Nolan Higdon about his recent book, The Anatomy of FAKE News. In a lively discussion, Nolan covers the historical roots of fake news (further back than you might imagine) and the features of fake news that make it so dangerous. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Keywords are the foundation for digital marketing. They provide in-depth marketing data of searcher intent, word associations, and buying factors. So why is this important tool so overlooked? And why is Google slowly taking keyword data away? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is the Traditional Sales Funnel an Effective Tool in Modern Digital Marketing? Is it it dying because sales and marketing can’t agree? Many marketers are not able to track leads beyond the hand-off to sales, which prevents them from measuring the quality of those leads. Learn how breaking down silos, corporate politics and walled data is critical for the modern selling process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can we trust studies that claim to decode Google? Many SEO companies employ tests and studies to understand the nuances of Google's algorithm. However, are these studies valid or do they have any statistical significance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
My guest is Dr Augustine Fou, an Ad Fraud expert. If you don’t follow his updates and content on LinkedIn, then I highly recommend that you do, as it will simply blow your mind how much ad spend is wasted on bots, inflated views, and networks of fraudulent websites. Grab your coffee, sit back and strap in for this wild ride into the world of ad fraud, some things may shock you, so be careful not to spit out your coffee on your keyboard! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt and Ashley met up and recorded a socially-distanced podcast a few weeks ago. Of course, the conversation turned to the overwhelming amount of fake news surrounding COVID-19. But beyond fake news, there is a substantial problem in people’s ability to discern what is true and what is false information online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Classes are moving online! But is that a good thing? Many are complaining that instructors don’t know how to use the technology, and it might be leaving a bad impression of online/distance learning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does a training manager measure the effectiveness of their training? There are significant obstacles. Most notably competing priorities, lack of data, or simply not knowing where to start. Beyond that, what type of assessments should be used to show that the training was effective? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As the world events have forced us to do business through the internet, the only external personal interaction is through our webcams. In this episode, Stewart Bewley joins Matt to talk about how we can master our personal presence through the webcam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Did you know that there is a part of your brain that makes decisions quicker than your rational, logical thought? Your unconscious mind reacts quickly to stimulus, which then influences our reactions and rational thinking. For years, advertisers have known and realized that there are techniques that tap into the unconscious mind faster and more effectively than traditional, rational approaches. Chances are, you are swayed by neuromarketing techniques nearly every day, and you don’t even realize it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Matt and Ashley discuss Google’s latest major algorithm update, Algorithm Bert. Here’s the interesting part: There is nothing that anyone performing search engine optimization can do to optimize for this algorithm. However, if you have been regularly publishing helpful information to educate your audience and provide helpful content, you’ll probably benefit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Content marketing is a huge buzzword, but what it stands for really isn’t all that new. Strip away the buzz and you have attention-grabbing content. That’s it. As every piece of content, it’s about leveraging marketing channels in a smart and strategic way to make sure that content gets in front of the right people at the right time. So, what is content marketing truly at its core, and why is there so much hype? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Influencer Marketing has heated up over the past years as one of the latest, shiniest objects in marketing. But does it deliver? Matt and Ashley delve into this topic and provide examples of influencer marketing done well and done poorly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
By nature, the majority of business owners are not marketers. As such, many see taking time to think about marketing the same as going to the dentist. In a recent study, 86% of business owners prefer to spend their time on activities other than marketing! Of course, marketing plans go out the window when stuff it’s the fan. As boxer Mike Tyson famously said, “everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.” When things get tight, busy, or stressful, the plan goes out the window and people rely on their intuition. Ashley Schweigert joins Matt to talk about the importance of planning your marketing. Matt & Ashley break down the most important elements of marketing and how business owners can approach marketing with the least amount of pain possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ashley Schweigert returns to talk through the many details of setting up a Google Ads account. From targeting keywords, understanding keyword match types, setting budgets and then dealing with the Quality Score. There is a lot to unpack when it comes to Google Ads, and Matt and Ashley attempt to help people navigate through the confusing layers of setting up a campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kim Krause-Berg joins Matt to talk about recent developments in Accessibility. Past court rulings put websites in the same class as a commercial business; they have to accommodate and provide for anyone to access their store just as much as their website. Fortunately, accessibility is just good business practice. Why would you limit the people that would purchase or access your information? Many times, adding accessible features enhances the experience for all users. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Preparing Marketers for the Age of Automation Michael Stebbins, Chairman of OMCP, joins Matt to discuss the skills of the 21st Century Marketer. Michael brings data from the 2019 OMCP Role Delineation Study conducted earlier this year, as well as interviews with hiring managers. Though the study is not published yet, the finding support the trends that Matt sees in the field: Soft Skills are increasingly in demand! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Longtime associate Ashley Schweigert joins Matt to talk SEO. Recently, Matt ran across a training video that claimed that SEO Best Practices have changed over the years, and he has some dispute with that claim. Join Matt and Ashley as they discuss what HASN'T changed over the years in SEO! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sue and Matt wonder if social media and networking technology has reduced the value - and the effort- of making a good pitch. Especially pitches made through Email and LinkedIn Requests. Matt believes that the bar is so low right now that any personalization or research will pay off dividends. What would the business world look like if every pitch relied on research and personalization rather than default messages, cheesy LinkedIn pick-up lines or obvious mass connection requests? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt is joined by Stewart Bewley of Amplify. Stewart helps people to find their true voice. Stewart talks about the power of speaking with “your true voice” and the confidence that it brings to you as the speaker. With non-verbal being the majority of how we communicate, it is so important to focus our expressions, bodies, and intonation along with the content of what we are speaking. Stewart ends the podcast by walking us through his initial three-step process for speaking: Posture, Breathing, and Voice. I guarantee you’ll want to follow these steps as Stewart presents them, and see for yourself how effective it is! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sue Grabowski joins Matt to discuss how to approach social media. With all of the negative press about social media, trends and attitudes are changing quickly. So, how can businesses react and approach this dynamic, yet volatile channel? Facebook’s changes have exposed social media for what they are - ad platforms! because they have to make money, their product is people. Of course, people’s data is a significant means to target - and get highly targeted! Finally, how do you create a content strategy that incorporates these dynamic changes, but yet provides valuable information to your customers? Sue and Matt explore practical uses of social media and challenges to agencies providing social media services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt and audience favorite Mike Stebbins get together and of course, talk training. The passion to train and help organizations is clear as they their behind-the-scenes stories as trainers. Get a few tricks of the trade and hear how trainers can be effective - beyond their material. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt and Jim discuss the shifting landscapes of technology and how it affects sport marketing. Data has become the new frontier of fan measurement and marketing. They discuss how the fan experience has changed dramatically with the rise of e-sports leagues, immediate video highlights and in-game experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Ben joins Matt again as they discuss something that is very dear to many of us - Music.
How do we value music? Our value of music has changed as the medium of music has changed. From large vinyl records that were difficult to transport to CD’s, MP3’s and now streaming music services, music has become more portable, but less tangible. Because of that, our value of music and how much we are willing to pay has diminished as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt and Ben read through the latest marketing headlines and discuss the reality behind the articles. They point out blatant contradictions from the same writers or publishers and guide you as to how to insulate yourself from over-hyped sensationalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kim and Matt continue the conversation from the last show, as they delve into further testing and usability concepts. While the obstacles to good usability are well documented, Kim and Matt work through the common objections, difficulties and solutions. While suggesting testing plans and constant reviews, they maintain the focus on the bottom line of testing - improved business. It all comes down to making your website easy to use. If it is easy, people will do more and your business will benefit. Sit back and listen to the instruction, the advice and experiences of two people that have been in the website business for over 20 years - each! We’re sure that you’ll learn something that will benefit your business or that you can put into practice - immediately! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the second of four episodes featuring usability guru Kim Krause-Berg, Matt and Kim talk about the types of usability tests and what they are intended to show. You'll hear about the power of a persona walk-thru, be introduced to "heuristics," and learn the value of a task-based test to evaluate your website. Of course, you'll also hear plenty of real-world examples as we go along. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sometimes the simplest of changes can increase your website's effectiveness. Matt Bailey interviews Kim Krause-Berg in the latest installment of his Endless Coffee Cup podcast. Kim is a recognized industry expert on usability testing. In our conversation you'll hear dozens of ideas to improve your online business! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Matt welcomes Jim Kadlecek to the show. Jim teaches Sports Marketing at Mount Union University and has been in the business of sports his entire career. If you have ever been curious about sport is marketed off the field, then this show will be a treat! There is a significant difference in marketing a product that may do well, or may fail miserably. Sports is one of the only products that people are passionate about, regardless of the “success” of the product. So, how do you market a product like this? Even more in-depth, Jim opens up the sports world and shows how the team operations and the profitability of a team comes down to the marketing of the franchise. Even teams that don’t perform well on the field can be successful in reaching fans, selling seats and sponsorships. Grab a cup of coffee and join Matt and Jim in this great discussion on Sports Marketing. The coffee for this podcast is a Costa Rican Tarrazu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt welcomes Jason Bruckner, Social Media Manager at Sanctuary Marketing Group. Matt and Jason share about what makes a great Social Media Campaign. Matt and Jason both share about campaigns they’ve worked on as well as campaigns that have their attention as an example of great execution. They talk about the common elements that come together to develop, define and execute a strategy. They wrap up a discussion about how to working market in the Social Media world, offer different views of content as examples, and look to the future as to “what’s next." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Michael Stebbins of OMCP.org joins Matt again to discuss business ideas, starting businesses and the entrepreneurial world. You'll hear helpful advice and steps to evaluating ideas throughout this podcast, along with a healthy dose of real-life stories and accounts from both Matt and Mike. They cover a lot of ground - everything from how entrepreneurs seer the world, to deciding which ideas to groom. Of course, they cover marketing and how it affects their decisions and views of business opportunities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Holiday Marketing Trends After the billions of dollars spent each day in the 2016 Holiday season, what were the big winners and losers in terms of marketing? It may surprise you. Some older, channels have become incredibly reliable at producing an incredible ROI. Some new channels have not lived up to the promise. In a different format, Matt provided a "single serving" of content, as he is busy working in the studio producing a new SEO course. In getting away from the busy-ness of the course, he sat down to give a wrap-up exclusively for his podcast subscribers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this conversation, Michael and I dig into the competencies required for digital marketing. We discuss training practices, standards, and core skills necessary for this industry. How does one go about developing a standard competency for a young industry? Most of the digital marketing skills have between 15-5 years of accepted skills, and some have yet to be formalized. We discuss the importance of companies assessing employee skills and knowledge in order to enhance their teams and reach their marketing goals. Michael brings up many of the methods of evaluating new hires and what hiring managers seek out in new employees. Have you ever wondered what hiring interview questions have to do with the job? You may be surprised at how seemingly irrelevant questions provide insight into the character and thinking of a new hire. Whether you are a hiring manager, marketing manager, or looking to enhance your personal skills, this conversation will provide insight into the hiring process, knowledge assessments, and more. You can find out more about OMCP Certifications and Training programs at OMCP.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is the first of three podcasts with my friend Michael Stebbins, or "Silicon Valley Guy" as I tend to call him. Mike and I go back many years in the digital marketing industry, and our paths converged years ago. We both have a passion for teaching people, and Mike has pioneered multiple ways to do just that. After his teaching company, MarketMotive, was acquired by SimpliLearn, Mike's new passion is developing a standardized certification for digital marketing competencies. Mike walks us through the difficulties of creating standards for a young industry, especially one that tends to be seen as the "wild west." You can find out more about OMCP (Online Marketing Certified Professional) at OMCP.org. The certification is being used for the digital marketing curriculum at multiple universities, and multiple levels of certification are available for anyone who desires to take the test. In addition, many worldwide brands and Fortune 500 companies have hiring managers on the board off OMCP and consult on the training and certification standards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
My brother Ben joins me again to talk about analytics, testing, and usability. I ask Ben to provide specific "where to start" advice for anyone wishing to improve their business through user experience. We discuss analytics to start, but we move quickly into the areas of user testing. We talk about low-cost, highly efficient methods to improve the website experience, increase conversions, and find problems. The point Ben makes is that most testing does not have to start with analytics, rather it should start by simply working through the website and discovering problems. Of course, we relate plenty of our examples from working together and talk about how the simplest tests provided the greatest amount of results. Those companies didn't need data scientists or Big Data, rather they simply needed to see the experience from the user's point of view. Doing so, drastically increased their revenue. Finally, we leave you with practical steps to take for testing your own business' website. Our infamous "Mom Test," task-based user testing and gathering data are explained for you. As always - thank you so much for listening! Please drop us a line if you have found the podcast to be helpful, inspiring or if we have simply provided a bit of valuable info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, my brother, Ben Bailey, drops by and joins me in a conversation about analytics. Ben is a well-known analyst in his own right. He has consulted with some of the world's biggest brands, as well as with Analytics companies. And (as I tell people) he may be my brother, but he is the best analyst I've ever worked with. The discussion centers around a recent eMarketer survey on measurement and cross-device attribution. This article exposes a dramatic disconnect between marketing priorities and capabilities of both very simple and very complex issues. From simple conversation tracking to complex multi-device matching. Ben brings his perspectives on data, targeting, and Google Analytics. Do you know how much information about you and your browsing behavior is available to companies? Beyond that, Ben informs us of other targeting data, of which you may not be aware, is used to personalize ads and website content specifically for you. We discuss some of the limitations of Google Analytics, but also the benefits of this free service. Ben answers the question of how to know when you've "outgrown" Google Analytics as a service and need to upgrade to a paid analytics solution. If you would like to know more about Ben, you can visit him at 2nd Beach Strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
So - What is Rhetoric? You may have heard politicians dismiss each other’s ideas as “just rhetoric,” but do we really know what rhetoric is? Sue joins me as we explore our rhetorical roots and survey Aristotle’s work. Written more than 2,000 years ago, his book provides a systemized development of persuasion and how to engage an audience. Going back to our college days, we discuss how rhetoric is alive and well today, how it is used in business and politics, and how to understand when it is being employed. Dive in with us as we examine this great work and how it informs marketing and persuasion in today’s marketplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sue joins me again as we explore the modern difficulties of communicating through electronic media. What makes it so difficult and how does it create so many miscommunications? We explore the science behind human communications and how electronic media exploits the worst of communication’s faults. However, we also try to identify means of dealing with electronic communication and overcoming its nuances to make both life and business better. Some of the issues we talk through in this episode:
What is the purpose of Email? How can we use it more effectively?
What expectations do you have of others, and are you setting for yourself?
When is texting for work acceptable?
Who can text you and why?
Of course, the conversation takes another level up as soon as we talk about the place of humor in electronic communication. In a word, no. Finally, we talk through practical steps to improve your communications in email, text, and social media. Hopefully, these steps can help you be more effective and aware of the inherent issues in electronic communication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Matt is on his "UK Speaking Tour.” One of the highlights of his time in the UK is meeting up with one of his best friends in the business, Brian Mathers. Brian is one of the most respected marketing voices in the Scottish business community. He regularly teaches seminars around the country and consults with businesses about their online marketing. Brian spent over 20 years in the Royal Navy. He explains how he translated his experience of navigating submarines to navigating websites and businesses. Just as an aside, the air conditioning in this venue was running a full blast. It makes the sound a bit sketchy, as it may sound like the building is ready to launch at a few points. In this episode, Brian is drinking tea, Matt is drinking the "conference coffee." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt and Sue are often asked to speak to university students and provide career advice. We both found the college experience built a foundation to do many things in life, and not just a single career. Those experiences centered around specific classes or subjects, and we both attribute our love of rhetoric to our professor, Dr. Kim Phipps. We answer frequent questions we receive in this episode, such as:
What is valuable about the college/university experience today?
What skills do two business owners think are the most important?
How did college/university prepare us for what we do today?
How do you know when it is time to go out on your own?
How do you prepare for starting your own business?
We get a little personal in talking through some of our job history, stress of starting a business and how to survive a start-up. Issues of credit, office space, taxes, hiring, making payroll and the wonderful memories of a cat walking in front of the camera during a webinar come up in our start-up experiences. We invite you to listen in on one of our more candid and personal discussions on the subject of owning a business and managing success, failure and personal fulfillment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Words are central to this episode. How words are used, interpreted and abused. Words are powerful influencers and invite us to participate, or words can be repelling - pushing us away. Our discussion starts from Agency practices; the evolving “advertiser” from Mad Men to today. Creative processes, design, and review structures have to change with the commoditization of many typical agency practices. A particular side conversation erupts when we bring up the type of advertising that attempt to be relevant to anyone at any time. For example, we examine attempts by major brands attempting to make themselves relevant as a Mother’s Day option. You may have some to contribute as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shiny Things Headlines dominate the early part of the show, as we begin with a study that reveals that the majority of Fortune 500 marketers are looking for the next “silver bullet” market shifting technology. This serves up the rest of the show as we talk about why people tend to get distracted by shiny things. We then move into one of the shiniest things - the Internet of Things! We also move into how smartphone technology has influenced our behavior, millennial behavior, and parenting behavior. Has technology caused us to disconnect from people while we are connecting to things? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The nature of online marketing has forced a dramatic increase in content. Everyone has become a publisher, as content drives views, shares, and even rankings. But what has this produced? Matt and Sue cover headlines that attempt to assign a value to content, describe reader behavior, and assign responsibility for measurement. A variety of content models are covered, and the discussion ultimately comes down to one important factor - what was the payoff? Did it deliver what the reader wanted? Of course, when two Journalism majors get together, a discussion about the importance of writing will always come up. Any comments about content? Please leave us a note in the comments, or drop us a line through the contact form. We’d love to know what you think! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What makes Marketing Authentic? Matt and Sue attempt to get a handle on the latest buzzword and break it down into how marketers should approach authenticity. Does Authenticity mean accurate? Truthful? Caring? Personal? Let’s dig into the meanings and implications of authenticity. However, this leads us into other areas of marketing and provide some honest introspection on what marketing really is, and what it attempts to do in persuading us to purchase products. Yes, we’re going to get a bit cynical at times, as we are talking about the base elements of marketing and the methods of persuasion that billion-dollar multi-national corporations use to make their products “authentic.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt & Sue talk about how clients and agencies look at activity as a metric, rather than results. The headlines lead us into areas of client expectations and asking better questions about your target market. Matt loses his mind over a headline about "Big Data” which brings us into a discussion about data, customers and customer relationships. Of course, 'Sexy Data’ comes up as the alternative to Big Data and Small Data. What do you think makes data sexy? Referrals, client & customer relationships dominate the rest of the discussion. Why do businesses spend more time on customer acquisition rather than developing the customer relationships that they already have? For this episode, Matt & Sue are both drinking the local “House Blend.” Sue takes cream, Matt drinks it black. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices