Future Steps Creative - Marketing & Website Strategy For Online Entrepreneurs: Recent Episodes
Marlon McPherson
This podcast is about helping creative entrepreneurs and small businesses build their online business brand, their website and do content marketing.
Topics include WordPress & Divi, YouTube video creation, digital design and brand building.
Your host is Marlon McPherson, a Marketer, Designer and Entrepreneur. More details and show notes marlonmcpherson.com
Every business needs processes and systems in place to run properly and make money. If you don’t have proper systems your business may end up getting out of control and running you instead.
This episode talks about the fundamental systems that every business needs in order to be successful.
Ep.77 - Landing Page Vs Website: What Should You Use
For a lot of people, this could be a decision that's hard to make. Not everyone needs a website straight away, and a landing page might be better to start with.
I'll give you my take on which way to go in this episode of Futur Steps Creative.
In this episode, I share some of my favourite tools I use to edit my video podcast to help you choose the best option for you.
Creating online content is one of the best ways to organically drive traffic back to your website. But how can you ensure that you’re doing this effectively?
I have 3 ways that you can get more website visitors directly from your online content and turn them into leads.
In this episode of Future Steps Creative, I’m covering how to get better audio in your videos or podcast.
There’s nothing worse than having to put up with poor-quality audio in podcast episodes or videos s this can be very distracting to the audience and doesn’t provide a great experience.
I’ll share with you some of my top tips to improve your audio straightaway.
Free Podcast Starter Guide:
https://marlonmcpherson.com/podcaststarterguide
The whole point of marketing is to direct potential customers towards your product or service.
In order for this to happen, you need to get website visitors and then convert them into leads.
This episode looks at the two main ways you can generate visitor traffic back to your website and why paid traffic may not be the best place to start.
You can't afford to have the majority of your website visitors leave without a trace. Most people are not yet ready to take action so you want to give them a reason to reach out to you and become a lead.
This episode dives into 4 ways to ensure that you convert more website visitors into leads.
I just wanted to share with you the fact that I discovered yet another way to get content ideas using Canva when I have writer's block.
Cava's Magic Write feature is excellent for coming up with outlines, as well as writing the content for you using AI.
This is the audio from one of my YouTube Videos that you can find here: https://youtu.be/Kw2xMTN_FqM
In the episode, I share how my content marketing strategy works and how I practically manage my production and publishing process.
The free template mentioned is here: https://marlonmcpherson.com/contentmanager/
Let's face it, Artificial intelligence is all the craze right now.
Just like with any new, revolutionary technology, people are divided about what's going to happen and whether to accept it.
This episode explores several ways you can use ChatGPT to help your marketing.
In this episode, I talk about having a single-focus approach to three key aspects of your online business.
Doing this helps you move forward faster instead of stretching your resources and diluting your efforts.
A lot of people want to start online businesses these days, but not everyone is able to effectively run one.
This episode explores whether or not you should stick with being a creator or maybe you have what it takes to carry out all the business operations.
In this episode, I talk about installing free WordPress plugins and what that might mean for your website.
For more information about website strategy and content marketing, visit marlonmcpherson.com
Domain names are an extension of your brand and choosing the right one can be a big deal.
It can get tricky as the most common names are taken and this might force you to become a bit more creative with your domain name of choice.
This episode will give you some tips around how to choose a good domain name even if what you have in mind isn’t available.
Associated post https://marlonmcpherson.com/60
Blog posts are an ideal way to attract and keep more visitors to your website. But, how many do you actually need to begin with?
Let's explore this in today's episode.
Check out the related post here: marlonmcpherson.com/59
I’ve created several websites for myself and others and I have seen some common misconceptions or mistakes around how to approach things, and I want to share some thoughts on this.
When creating a website for a business there are some things to bear in mind so that you can properly plan and get a good outcome.
That's what I'll be covering in this episode.
See the related post here: marlonmcpherson.com/58
All websites are vulnerable to attacks by hackers who can leave malware or wreak havoc in other ways on your website.
In this episode, I share some ways that you can protect your WordPress website from hackers.
Learn more at marlonmcopherson.com
In this post, I touch on the various stages that a customer or client goes through in the buyer's journey or the purchasing lifecycle.
Understanding this can help you improve the way your marketing and sales process work. Applying the principles will help you improve your approach to conversions on or off your website.
If you have a website for your business, the most important thing is that it needs to perform well when it comes to turning visitors into leads or buyers. It’s not about looking pretty, flashy, cool because none of that matters if your website doesn't convert.
So today I’ll be talking about a few ways in which you can optimise your website for the best conversions.
Learn more: https://marlonmcpherson.com/55
Your website is always vulnerable to threats that can either damage your website or take it completely offline. If you are not prepared for this, you could end up losing everything you’ve put lots of hard work and money into.
Today I’m going to talk about keeping up-to-date backups of your website so that you can always go back to a previous version if all else fails.
Learn More Here: https://marlonmcpherson.com/54
One of the biggest struggles with doing online content is to stay consistent. I’m sure a lot of people struggle with this, just as I have in the past. Today I have some tips for you that's helped me and hopefully they can help you be more consistent with your online content as well.
Full show notes: marlonmcpherson.com/53
When starting out with online videos for your business there are some key videos you need to have from the get-go. and, spoiler alert, none of them involve talking about your brand, history or how amazing your company is. People are not that interested in that, what they really need is help!
In this episode of the podcast, I talk about 5 must-have online videos every service-based business should have.
See the full post or show notes here: marlonmcpherson.com/52
Should you do Blog posts, Podcasts, or Videos?
This episode of the podcast talks about what type of online content format you should use for your coaching or service business.
This is important because the format of the content can determine how much reach and engagement you get from your audience.
Check out the full post at marlonmcpherson.com/51
Making online videos for your business or brand is a very effective way to grow an audience and convert more leads.
The challenge is that it can be overwhelming for some people when it comes to video production equipment, so they shy away from it.
In this episode, I talk about what equipment you need to start easily and give you some production tips along the way to make help you get going.
Check out the full notes here: https://marlonmcpherson.com/50
Knowing what type of content to create for your video or podcast audience is really important in order for the content to be effective.
In this episode I go though how you can use several techniques to research and get feedback from your audience in order to come up with new content ideals, every time.
Please see full notes here: https://marlonmcpherson.com/49
In this episode, I will be covering how you can use a professional XLR microphone to record high-quality audio using your smartphone or mobile device.
This is great if you want to record podcast episodes or videos on the go and still get great audio.
You can check out the full episode notes by heading to https://marlonmcpherson.com/48
Also, you can see my list of tools for content creation and my websites in my toolkit here: https://marlonmcpherson.com/tookit
Video marketing is a very powerful way to generate leads and convert more sales online.
If you are doing this you have a competitive advantage over other businesses that shy away from using video.
In this episode, I share the content from a video I recently did on how you can use videos in your business.
Google has decided to rebrand its local business service by changing it's name from Google My Business to Google Business Profile.
Here I share with you my early thoughts on it and how it may affect your business.
If you want to check out more info on this, there is a post from Bright Local that you can look at.
Also you can watch my free training on how to use a Google Business Profile to generate more local leads.
If you have no marketing budget but need a way to attract more clients to your local business, I'll reveal the best way to show up more in Google for local business searches.
This is with Google My Business and I will explain how you can use it to drive more traffic to your website for free.
Ep.44 - Why You Should Grow Your Email List - Email Marketing vs Social Media
We all know that in order to sell products and services, we need to attract the right people who will connect with what we have to offer.
As a result, most entrepreneurs or business owners tend to fall into what is called the social media trap by thinking that in order to get leads and grow their business, they need to focus on social media platforms and grow a following.
With social media platforms being so popular, this approach may feel natural to do, as there are so many people that we could get in front of. That sounds like it makes sense, right?
But here’s the thing, building an audience on social media is not really the most effective way to generate the leads you need.
A better way to do this is to build an email list, and here’s why…
View the full post here
This video shares my website creation process
I’ll be breaking things down into 4 phases which will cover around 20 steps. These are the same steps used when creating a professional website for a client in my WordPress website business, and I also apply them to my own projects.
☞ Full post here: https://marlonmcpherson.com/website-creation-using-wordpress/
This episode covers my YouTube video production process by explaining the 6 step process I use when creating and publishing videos on YouTube.
There's a full post which I have written on this. Here is the snippet from the post:
Working out a system for you to publish your videos can help you work faster and more efficiently, therefore publishing more videos.
Today I’m going to walk you through my step-by-step process for creating and publishing YouTube videos for my online brand.
I find the best approach is to plan the video, create a content outline, do the filming and editing, then upload the video file to YouTube and optimise the information before publishing. Once the video is published, you can then promote it on social media.
Depending on the type of videos you do, you can adjust my process to suit your needs, but the basic principles apply to all types of videos.
View the full post here:
https://marlonmcpherson.com/publishing-videos-on-youtube-my-youtube-video-creation-process/
Today, I'll be taking a look at how to start a solo podcast for your business or brand. And by solo podcast, I'm referring to doing a podcast by yourself with no guests or cohosts. This is the simplest way to start a podcast as you do not have to rely on anyone else to get started, all you have to do is start recording and deliver your message.
Doing a podcast for your business or brand is a great way to drive some amount of discovery, but also to help form a deeper connection with your audience in order for them to get value and intern this helps you to convert more of the right people into leads and sales.
See the full post on marlonmcpherson.com
One of the best ways to get new website visitors and to grow your brand and get leads is to start a blog for your business.
The idea is that you will have lots of content on your website and blog which shows that you are an expert or an authority in your field and by doing this you partner with search engines such as Google, which wants to show relevant content in the search results to its users.
Today, I cover the benefits of blogging for business, why you should start blogging for your business, and provide you with some tips on how you can start a blog today.
More info: https://marlonmcpherson.com/040
This episode dives into the benefits of using Youtube to get your brand discovered online and drive audience growth.
Should you target a niche or go broad.
This episode give's you my point of view on how you position your brand to attract a particular target customer.
If you are a small business owner you may have thought about running ads before.
If you want to maximise your chances of a successful ad campaign you need to understand what you are in for.
This episode covers three things you need to consider before running an online ad.
Shownotes: futurestepscreative.com/037 (coming soon)
This episode explains the differences between branding, marketing and advertising and how you can apply them to your business or organisation.
A lot of people gets confused about whether or not they are the same thing and as a result approach them in the wrong way. The intention of this content is to simplify or demystify these activities for better business development.
Show Note: http://marlonmcpherson.com/035
In this episode, I talk about the best way to convert your website visitor into a lead that you can follow up with them or generate sales.
View the full show notes here: marlonmcpherson.com/034
This is to give you a basic overview of how content marketing works and how you can get started.
- What is content marketing?
- This is where you publish information and resources that answers a need or solves a problem that is being searched for online. Content can be in any format that the end-user is able to consume.
See full show notes https://marlonmcpherson.com/033
See what I think the best organic strategy is when you need to drive leads or visitors to your website.
I cover these throughout this episode:
- WOMA - Word Of Mouth Advertising
- Content Marketing
- Social Media
In this episode I cover the reasons why I use and recommend WordPress for your brand or business website.
Checkout the show notes here: marlonmcpherson.com/031
Setting up your business online has never been more important to do than now. Everyone is having to rely on the internet to do everything because of the pandemic.
This episode of Future Steps Creative is going to help you figure out some of the things that you need to consider when you decide to set up a website for your business.
The assumption is that you already have your business set up, as well as the following:
- Your brand strategy is already in place – target audience, messaging and personality, visual identity
- You want a custom website that’s owned by you (WordPress), NOT a site on a third-party platform such as Wix or Shopify
- You will be working with a website professional (Not DIY)
Show Notes: https://marlonmcpherson.com/030
Ep.29 - How a Minimum Viable Product can help you make more progress.
Links Mentioned:
futurestepsacademy.com
When it comes to setting up a new website, making the choice of what platform to go with can get confusing or complicated especially if its your first time.
In this podcast episode, I talk about some of the pros and cons of using a self hosted platform such as Wix, Squarespace or Weebly, as oppose to using WordPress.
Find out more at marlonmcpherson.com
When you build a website for your business it needs to give you a good return on your investment by generating leads and making sales.
In order to do so you need visitor traffic. The best way I know how is get your site in Google search by doing Content and SEO.
In this episode I share some actionable tips and give you the breakdown on how to rank in Google search.
For more information head to my website https://marlonmcpherson.com
Some inspiration and tips for online entrepreneurs while we go through this corona virus craziness!
Find more information about the show over on my website:
https://marlonmcpherson.com/
Remembering and storing multiple passwords can be tricky.
We have too many to remember with everything now requiring online accounts.
In this episode of FSC I'll run through the way that I deal with this without having to remember every single password.
This episode of the podcast shares some of those obstacles I've been facing as an online entrepreneur.
The post 24 – Stop caring so much about your logo appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
This episode of the podcast shares some of those obstacles I've been facing as an online entrepreneur.
The post 23 – Podcasting tips | how to start your own podcast appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
This episode of the podcast shares some of those obstacles I've been facing as an online entrepreneur.
The post 22 – The Right Steps for Creating and Launching an Online Business appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
This episode of the podcast shares some of those obstacles I've been facing as an online entrepreneur.
The post 21 – Using storytelling to make your content more engaging appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
This episode of the podcast shares some of those obstacles I've been facing as an online entrepreneur.
The post 20 – Audience Hacking – How to get in front of the right audience… fast appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
This episode of the podcast shares some of those obstacles I've been facing as an online entrepreneur.
The post 19 – Email List Nurturing – How to keep your subscribers warm appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
This episode of the podcast shares some of those obstacles I've been facing as an online entrepreneur.
The post 18 – Struggles of an Online Entrepreneur appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post 17 – Overcoming Imposter Syndrome appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post 16 – Create a basic but effective marketing & sales funnel – Simple 3-step funnel appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post 015 – Should You Send Traffic to a Product Page or a Sales Funnel appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post 014 – Creating Customer Avatars or User Profiles appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post 013 – What Type of Content Should You Create appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post 012 – Lead Conversion Funnels Explained appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post 011 – How to set goals and achieve them by breaking down tasks appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post 010 – Do The Work: The key to making progress appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post 009 – Failed by social media | Why you must diversify your platforms appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post FSC008 – Staying organised and keeping on top of tasks appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post FSC007 – 6 Tips for Better Copywriting appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post FSC006 – Website Strategy: 8 Tips for better websites appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post FSC005 – 4 key strategies for online business appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post FSC004 – Branding VS Marketing: What do they mean, what’s the difference? appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post FSC003 – 3 strategies for building your brand online appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
The post FSC002 – How to make money online appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.
Here’s to taking you on my journey and helping you build your own online business that gives you the freedom to earn more and live the life that you want.
This episode talks about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
The post FSC001 – The journey of solo entrepreneur appeared first on Digital marketing & online business strategy for creative entrepreneurs.