Digital Marketing From The Coalface: Recent Episodes
Dave Robinson
Digital marketing advice, tips and opinions from the team at Red Evolution, a UK based digital marketing agency, along with a host of fantastic guests.
The people who make and guest in these shows are actively working on digital marketing campaigns and helping businesses grow.
If you're looking for actionable digital marketing advice delivered using plain English from people at the coalface of digital marketing, business development and sales, this show's for you.
If you want to be a guest on the show simply visit https://fromthecoalface.com and drop us a line.
In this episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface, Dave and Julie return from a brief hiatus to strip away the AI hype. From silly software oversight errors to the critical mechanics of B2B user experience, they once again bring a no-nonsense, practical reality check for business owners, tech leaders, and marketing directors working in the B2B space. Key Takeaways for B2B & Tech Leaders: * The HubSpot AI nuance failure: Dave breaks down a real-world blunder where HubSpot's beta AI tool recommended reaching out to a competitor agency called "Blend" simply because the algorithm read the common noun "blend" in a text snippet. Be aware that AI still drastically struggles with basic context and business logic, so don't put all your trust in its supposed critical 'thinking'. * Google's crackdown on "AI Slop": Bringing up the recent experiment where 1,000 bulk-generated AI blog posts were completely de-indexed by Google within weeks, Julie and Dave discuss why automated content engines are a fast track to search invisibility and why subject matter expertise remains your best SEO asset. * Crafting an authentic B2B tone of voice: Avoid copy-pasted corporate speak when marketing to highly niche and technical audiences. You want to align your brand's vocabulary with the direct communication style of the teams you serve. * How "self-indulgent" forms kill conversions: A single "required field" (like "How did you find us?") at the final stage of checkout can completely halt a transaction. Dave and Julie discuss how to identify and eliminate self-inflicted user experience (UX) friction on your B2B landing pages to keep high-value leads moving forward. * The "pro bono" enterprise sales strategy: Dave shares how Red Evo recently won a highly competitive, 17-page HubSpot development contract by offering a no-obligation discovery session. * IP intelligence & perfect sales timing: Do not dismiss IP-tracking software. Julie and Dave share how using a budget-friendly tool like Leadinfo lets you see major prospects browsing specific pages on your site, helping your outbound sales team time your business's outreach perfectly when quiet deals suddenly warm up.
Listen (or watch!) the episode now to discover how to balance smart software with the irreplaceable human element in B2B marketing.
Feel like the internet is constantly telling you your marketing is out of date?
You aren't alone. This week on Digital Marketing from the Coalface, David and Julie are talking about the exhaustion of "marketing FOMO" and how tech and engineering leaders can focus on the foundations instead of chasing the next shiny object.
We get into the classic debate: should you specialise or generalise? Is niching down a massive risk, or is it the absolute best way to land great clients who actually get what you do?
We're also blocking out the SEO noise to talk about what actually matters with meta descriptions right now (spoiler: please stop using them as a sales pitch). Finally, Julie shares a crazy story about how she accidentally coded a custom app using Claude (despite having zero programming experience) and David explains why moving AI out of the chat window and into your actual daily tools will make your life a whole lot easier.
If you're a busy decision-maker who just wants straight-talking marketing insights, this one is for you. Grab a coffee and hit play!
Let's be brutally honest: if we stripped the logo off your manufacturing or engineering website, would your buyers have any idea who you are? Or are you indistinguishable from your competitors? Pragmatic engineers love to believe that simply listing capabilities like "NDT inspection" or "pressure testing" makes them special. It doesn't. In this episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface, Dave and Julie rip into the boring, copy-paste marketing plaguing the B2B sector. Learn why you need to stop hiding behind your spec sheets and start "derisking" the sale for your buyers by stealing a brilliant psychological safety trick straight from the Lexus playbook. But the controversy doesn't stop at your homepage. We take aim at the search giant itself, asking the million-dollar question: Is Google Ads spending your marketing budget like a drunken sailor? Dave shares a rage-inducing reality check about how Google plays "fast and loose" with your cash, charging for completely irrelevant clicks like "Philippines web design" when you're trying to target UK industrial buyers. If you are tired of blending in and sick of digital ad waste, tune in to fix the leaks and finally give your B2B brand a spine.
Welcome back to another episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface! After a brief hiatus (and a very jet-lagged return from Boston for Julie), we are back to call out the B2B marketing myths wasting your budget. In this episode, we reveal the harsh truth about HubSpot Gold and Platinum Partners. Does that shiny badge actually mean an agency is highly skilled, or are they just excellent at selling software? We explain why partner tiers are not necessarily the mark of competence you might think they are, but are instead purely based on sales volume. We also tackle the rise of 'zero-click search' and the impact of AI overviews. With organic click-through rates roughly halving, we discuss why targeting high-intent queries and producing content with genuine technical depth is your best defence. Plus, we explore the latest "snake oil" in the SEO world: why adding schema markup won't magically fast-track your content into AI chat engines like Perplexity or ChatGPT. Finally, if you manage an engineering or tech website, we break down why outdated "brochure-style" layouts are costing you leads and highlight the essential trust signals you might be missing. Oh, and don't forget to update your privacy policy, there are new GDPR rules regarding complaint handling, and opportunistic scammers are actively targeting businesses with faulty cookie consent bars. Tune in for your regular dose of no-nonsense digital marketing advice!
Did you know that 92% of B2B buyers enter a formal evaluation with a vendor already in mind? In this episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface, Julie and Dave dive deep into the hidden realities of the modern B2B buyer journey. With 70% to 80% of the purchase process completed before a prospect even speaks to a vendor, your website needs to do much more than simply capture leads. We explore why obsessing over B2C-style Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) and button colours is a trap for B2B marketers. Instead, learn why your focus must be on building credibility, offering case studies for social proof, and making the 6 to 10 decision-makers involved in a deal feel completely "safe". The conversation then unpacks a 2024 Forrester Report that proves B2B buyers are making up their minds about your business before you even know they exist. To help you adapt, Julie and Dave explain how to use Google and LinkedIn ads as a rapid "fishing exercise" to test product demand and search volume before committing six months to an organic SEO strategy. We also cover the latest in digital visibility, specifically Google's rollout of separate AI impressions in the UK Search Console. You will learn how to use AI content graders to ensure your writing is specific and "non-commodity," which forces AI search engines to link back to your website rather than just regurgitating your hard work. Finally, Dave and Julie share their own successes and frustrating hallucination failures using tools like Claude to automate tedious daily tasks. Tune in to learn how to adapt your digital strategy for the highly-researched, AI-assisted B2B buyer!
Dave and Julie record with the office doors wide open to enjoy an unusually hot day here in Royal Deeside, where a quick run for cold drinks sparks an unexpected marketing lesson about the "famous brand rule". The discussion flows naturally toward the power of social proof in the B2B space. Unlike world-renowned B2C brands such as Adidas, lesser-known B2B companies must rely heavily on case studies, certifications, and social proof to make buyers feel safe. Discussing the dangers of using confusing, engineering-led product names, Dave and Julie bring up Dyson's intricate model numbers that serve as a perfect illustration of this, as they often leave consumers confused and unable to make an easy choice. In the second half of the episode, the conversation shifts to a deep dive into Google's recent major announcements, including their plan to weave sponsored product ads directly into conversational AI responses. Julie and Dave debate whether this will turn out to be an innovative move, or just an unimaginative reaction to losing search traffic to ad-free platforms like Claude. Julie also touches on the transition from dynamic search ads to AI Max, which aims to offer advertisers more control over their assets, and Google's new focus on tracking "qualified future conversions" to better accommodate long B2B sales cycles. The episode wraps up with some staggering statistics on AI search adoption, noting that AI mode now boasts over one billion monthly users who are typing in increasingly long follow-up queries. And as plugged multiple times throughout the show, be sure to go and listen to the Uncensored CMO podcast to hear the full conversation with Rory Sutherland and Tom Goodwin.
Is Google deliberately obscuring its AI search mechanics to protect its 20-year monopoly? In this episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface, we dive into the smoke and mirrors of the latest Google AI guidelines, which frustratingly claim that nothing has actually changed. We also explore the widening divide between building websites for human journeys versus AI machine crawlers, and try to bridge the gap between marketing strategy and web engineering as we discuss why older, structurally simple websites might perform perfectly fine, while modern JavaScript-heavy, lazy-loading pages can be entirely invisible to AI agents. We also unpack the shift toward headless CMS to resist the heavy load of AI crawlers and deliver lightning-fast web pages, and we contrast human-centric design, which prioritises branding and UI, with agent-centric design that demands clear structure, entities, and metadata. Finally, we cover the topic of deep integration between CRM and Google Ads to track meaningful B2B conversions. The reality of keeping up with AI search is an exhausting marathon, but endurance is key.
Welcome back to this episode of Digital Marketing From the Coalface, where Julie and Dave discuss topics ranging from the power of specific messaging to the changing landscape of online search, before wrapping up with a surprising real-world use case for AI. But first, we dive yet again into the "Search Everywhere" Phenomenon. Digital Marketing strategists have been saying it for months now, Google's dominance is shifting as audiences under 44 are now using five or more platforms to conduct searches. Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and AI overviews are increasingly being used for discovery. We've been using them as well, from finding local restaurants to B2B competitor research, so don't be too quick to discard TikTok as an unfit place to share about your business: your audience might well hang out there. We then proceed to air our grievances with the pricing models of major SaaS platforms like HubSpot and Unbounce, whose business models we have always found questionable. We compare said models to "drug dealers" who hook users with free or cheap starter tiers, only to hit them with massive price leaps (e.g., jumping from £20 to £300+ a month) the moment they need to scale. In a previous podcast episode, we discussed the power of MCP servers, which might well save companies quite a fair amount of money by bypassing certain SaaS services. Standing out in the age of AI is exhausting, and with the rise of AI agents creating an "ever-decreasing circle" of content and Reddit bots speaking to other bots, we highlight why maintaining a unique brand tone of voice is more important than ever. If you want to avoid producing generic "slop," your distinct branding is your best defence.
That is why you should also tap into the power of plain English messaging. Julie discussed a recent piece of research proving that concrete, specific phrases are significantly more memorable than abstract corporate jargon. We dissect a real-world example of an engineering company claiming to be "leveraging our specialist capability", or whatever that means.
Listen now to discover why you need to rethink your website's homepage, re-evaluate where your customers are searching, and maybe even start using AI for, say, your weekend marathon prep!
Are you a CMO or CTO struggling to align your marketing strategy and tech stack with the rapid rise of AI? In this week's episode of Digital Marketing from the Coalface, Dave and Julie unpack three massive shifts disrupting the B2B landscape. First, let us introduce you to "SaaS-mageddon". We explore why major SaaS company share prices have dropped and how AI agents like Anthropic's Claude are fundamentally changing software licensing. By using Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers to seamlessly pull data across platforms like HubSpot, Xero, and Monday, companies, like yours, may drastically reduce the number of expensive SaaS user seats they need. Letting AI handle the "busy work" might be the future of entreprise tech stacks and that could positively impact your software budget. Next, we break down the transition from traditional SEO to Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO). If you think blogging is dead, think again: new research reveals that 62% of AI citations actually come from blog posts. The purpose of content has possibly shifted to attract bots and agents rather than just direct human traffic, but we also explore why user-generated platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and LinkedIn have become the "new backlinks" for Large Language Models, too. Optimising for AI discovery is no longer optional. Finally, we challenge your B2B targeting strategy with this simple question: are you marketing to the buyer or the specifier? Using the construction industry as an analogy, Julie explains why focusing your budget on the transactional buyer (the building contractor) is a waste of money if you aren't influencing the specifier (the architect) who actually dictates which brand must be used...
Welcome back to Digital Marketing from the Coalface, where Dave and Julie tackle the real-world frustrations and shifting landscapes of today's digital marketing. From the relentless stalking of aggressive (and nonsensical) retargeting ads to navigating complex Google Ads recommendations, this episode is packed (we hope) with candid, ground-level insights for marketers trying to cut through the noise and optimise their budgets. We first unpack how relentless ad frequency, like being stalked across the internet by motorcycle mounts or receiving bizarre Amazon recommendations, crosses the line from a helpful nudge into "digital annoyance".
Drawing on our own experience, we discuss how Google representatives often promote automated AI features designed for high-volume B2C campaigns, and why applying these broad algorithms to highly specific, low-volume B2B campaigns can quickly deplete your budget. We also get the opportunity to remind every listener that "don't make me think" is still the ultimate rule in web design. Learn why high-value PPC campaigns require landing pages with strong social proof, a lack of confusing clutter, and exactly one clear call to action.
Welcome to episode 169, where Julie and Dave mull over the catastrophic mistakes engineering and B2B companies make when building their marketing teams, and how to control MarTech chaos. But first, are you searching for a marketer who can handle high-level strategy, SEO, video editing, event management, and... customer complaints? We've got bad news for you... Julie came to this episode prepared and breaks down real-world, absurd job descriptions that demand a "Swiss Army knife" marketer - somebody who is supposed to be good at everything, but is probably a master of none. They explain why expecting one person to handle both strategic planning and tactical implementation across platforms like HubSpot, WordPress, Canva, and Figma is a guaranteed recipe for producing "halfbaked" results and causing high employee turnover. Here's the uncomfortable truth: if you expect a single hire to act as an entire marketing department, and even support office admin, you set both the company and the employee up for inevitable failure.
If you think through your hiring decision, and provide back up from a multi-disciplinary agency with strategic, creative, video, development and content expertise, you end up with the resource you need.
But that's not all Julie and Dave talk about in this episode. They also mention how to tackle the operational nightmare caused by fragmented software systems, overlapping tool functionality, and the dangerous reality of junior employees leaving the company with the keys to vital social media accounts.
Listen to find out how to stop setting your marketing efforts up for failure and start building a strategy that actually works!
Noticing a drop in organic traffic even though your rankings haven't changed? You're not alone. With Google AI overviews now triggering on 48% of all search queries, organic click-through rates are dropping by 61% when these overviews appear. To put it simply, users are getting their answers directly from AI, eliminating the need to click through to your website. In this episode of Digital Marketing from the Coalface, Dave and Julie explore the 2026 remix of the classic debate: Is SEO dead? Together, they dive deep into the necessary pivot towards "search everywhere optimisation". For tech and engineering brands, the goal is no longer just ranking on page one of Google; it is ensuring your brand and products are cited by AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity. So, what are the new rules of content, and how to prevent AI from simply hoovering it up? Might the answer lie in injecting unique company insights, hyper-specific geographic data, and proprietary case studies that AI cannot replicate? Who knows! What about the very real anti-AI content backlash? The discussion also focuses on how to leverage AI for rapid data analysis without producing unreadable, mass-produced content. It's all very confusing, but that's no reason to let AI run wild with your website. You have to start positioning your engineering or tech firm to win in the era of AI search.
Welcome back to Digital Marketing From The Coalface with Dave and Julie. In this episode, we dive deep into the rapidly shifting landscape of AI in search engines and internal operations, hopefully bringing practical insights for businesses trying to stay ahead of the curve. Whether you are navigating high-intent B2B lead generation or looking to streamline your internal tools using AI, this episode covers the tactical realities of digital marketing today. We start by sharing our early thoughts on Otterly.ai, a new tool designed to track how often your brand or website is cited in AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
We also talk about how Google is now experimenting with placing search and shopping ads directly within AI Overviews and "AI Mode". What does this mean for advertisers, and why are ads appearing next to AI snippets showing strong early conversion signals? We try to answer these questions.
We share our experience using Google AI Max and how it failed us miserably. We confirm that B2B ads for niche industries still need human oversight to perform well and not waste budgets away.
And more AI in marketing-related topics!
Listen now to stay ahead of the AI curve in your digital strategy!
Are you selling "global solutions to world-class problems"? If so, please stop. Your marketing messaging is likely confusing your buyers and costing you leads. In this episode of Digital Marketing from the Coalface, Dave and Julie dives into the marketing challenges faced by tech, industrial, and engineering companies. They explore why highly technical companies often fall into the trap of listing off features rather than focusing on the actual outcomes their clients want to buy. If your marketing materials can't pass the "So what?" test, this episode is for you. In this episode, they cover: * The "So What?" Test for Technical Messaging: why relying on jargon and lazy buzzwords like "solutions" is destroying your pitches, and how to effectively position your firm as a "safe pair of hands". * Should Engineers Run Your Marketing?: let's discuss the crucial balance between highly practical engineering teams and marketing professionals. Learn why your best technical minds make incredible subject matter experts, but shouldn't be left alone to run the marketing strategy. * The Myth of the Marketing "Unicorn": Why hiring a single marketing manager to handle strategy, content, paid advertising, and video editing is an impossible expectation. * Navigating Complex B2B Sales Cycles: Why ROI is incredibly difficult to track across an 18-month engineering sales cycle, and the hidden dangers of pausing your marketing budget when times get tough. * AI Workflows for Tech Leaders: Practical tips for using Google's NotebookLM to distil massive technical documents into audio summaries, and how to supercharge Claude using Zapier integrations to automate your inbox and calendar. * Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: A candid chat about navigating intimidating corporate boardrooms, class backgrounds, and dealing with the feeling that you're going to be "found out".
Whether you are an engineering director looking to better understand your marketing department, or a tech CEO trying to refine your company's core message, this episode offers practical, no-nonsense advice to help you communicate your true value. Brought to you by Red Evolution (a proud B Corp in case you missed that part).
In this episode of Digital Marketing from the Coalface, Dave and Julie explore the breathtaking speed at which AI is transforming both marketing strategy and backend technical workflows. Both agree that traditional keyword stuffing is officially a relic of the past as search queiries get longer and more complex and search engines get smarter. But what does transitioning to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) entail, and how do B2B comapnies make sure they get cited by AI engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini? It might be time to learn how to shift focus toward solving specific customer pain points by creating highly authoritative content clusters for niche industrial topics, in order to capture the high-intent audience you dream of turning into loyal customers. Dave and Julie also discuss getting more insight into "zero-click" AI searches by exploring Google Search Console's new filters to measure the true impact of your branded search and reputation. And before this episode comes to an end, they take the time to chat about the technical implementation of AI agents that are rapidly replacing traditional manual workflows. Whether you are mapping out customer intent for LLMs or building the technical infrastructure to automate your business operations, this episode highlights why breaking down the silos between marketing and tech is crucial for the modern engineering firm.
In episode 163 of Digital Marketing from the Coalface, we cut through the online nonsense to explore what marketing actually is, and what it isn't. Fed up with self-proclaimed LinkedIn "gurus" making up their own definitions, we break down the fundamentals to prove that marketing is a strategic process, not just the "colouring in department". So buckle up! In this episode, we cover the official definition and an explanation of the "Marketing Mix" (the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion). Discover why advertising, PR, and branding are actually just subsets of the "promotion" piece of the puzzle and not whatever rubbish you are reading on LinkedIn. We also question why companies run by engineers often get marketing completely back to front by building a clever product first and trying to force it onto an audience, rather than listening to the marketplace to identify a gap.
We also share real-world examples of marketing in action, from a local window cleaner who perfectly tapped into high market demand, to the recent struggles, closures, and brand tarnishing of major Scottish companies.
As usual, we share AI industry updates! We take a quick look at the latest AI news, including ChatGPT's new ad tiers, Claude's clever anti-ad Super Bowl commercial taking a dig at OpenAI, and some frustrating user-experience bugs Dave has experienced with Anthropic's credit system.
Since we're celebrating B-Corp month, we share reflections on a recent B-Corp gathering at the Scottish Parliament and discuss our hopes for building a stronger local B-Corp community to help other businesses balance purpose with profit.
Tune in for an unfiltered, highly practical discussion on business strategy, and make sure to subscribe so you don't miss our next episode, where we'll be tackling the rapidly changing world of keyword research and schema markup for AI search engines.
In this episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface, Dave and Leslie explore the critical shift in how AI models and AI-powered search engines process and index video content. Moving beyond simple metadata, AI models now "tokenise" video, analysing visual frames and audio streams to extract technical data and sentiment. High-fidelity video production is no longer just an "aesthetic choice" but a data integrity requirement to ensure AI accurately interprets complex products and engineering solutions. The discussion also focuses on the strategic risk of "Brand Drift" a phenomenon where AI models, lacking sufficient and up-to-date high-quality data, begin to hallucinate technical specifications or fill knowledge gaps with obsolete data or competitor information. To avoid the pitfall of AI hallucinating facts about your brand, and in order to allow to speak about your business with authority, your business needs to guide and correct the AI narrative about your brand. Relying on video production is a powerful way to feed AI models with plentiful relevant information.
In this episode of Digital Marketing from the Coalface, Dave and Julie explore the counter-intuitive reality of B2B growth: why receiving fewer clicks often signals a healthier strategy than chasing high-volume traffic. They discuss the "Mark Kermode Effect"—a bizarre algorithmic failure where YouTube's AI confused Dave with the famous film critic based on their glasses and grey hair, driving thousands of irrelevant views that immediately bounced. For engineering and tech leaders focused on efficiency, Julie and Dave also dive into practical applications of generative AI in operational workflows. Dave shares his experience using Claude Code to rapidly prototype and update internal resource management software, allowing non-developers to fix issues and run test plans via GitHub. Finally, they look at how NotebookLM is transforming how technical data is consumed, turning dense structural engineering reports on infrastructure into engaging audio summaries.
In the first episode of the year, Julie and Dave unpack the shifting realities of online marketing and business software. They dive into the idea of the "great decoupling," exploring how AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT are disrupting the long-standing relationship between SEO and website traffic. The conversation also takes a critical look at AI-driven advertising, questioning its efficiency—especially for niche B2B markets where, for now, hands-on, manual management still comes out on top.
The episode taps into a common frustration many businesses face: investing heavily in software without seeing meaningful returns. From Red Evo's perspective, technology alone isn't the answer. Julie and Dave make the case for prioritising human experience and expertise over fully automated solutions, emphasising that even the most powerful tools require skilled guidance to deliver real value.
The takeaway? Investing in software is smart—but investing in the expertise needed to use it effectively is smarter.
We finally managed to record a new episode and we promise to properly ressurect the podcast in 2026. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our 2025 recap where we break down the seismic shifts in digital marketing that are actively reshaping how B2B buyers operate in complex sectors, including engineering, tech, renewable energy, and oil and gas.
Discover how tech leaders are leveraging platforms like Claude and Gemini as highly productive coding agents for JavaScript and PHP, sounding boards for strategic planning, and tools for rapidly building minimum viable products (MVPs). We also explain why blocking AI from crawling your site is a strategic mistake, and how doubling down on Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) is the only way to build the brand authority required to survive. We also cover how generalist marketing doesn't work for highly technical B2B industries. We share the results of our own agency's pivot to exclusively serving industrial and tech businesses. Learn why demonstrating deep expertise in your specific niche—whether you manufacture heat exchangers or develop wind farm monitoring software—removes buyer "risk" and helps you win higher-value contracts! Listen to the full episode now to ensure your industrial brand remains visible, authoritative, and profitable in 2026.
More AI chit chat in this eposide and Dave has a rant about fibre to the premises broadband not working very well, then working really well, then not working very well.
In this episode Cam has more thoughts on AI and despite the title, it is moderately interesting. Dave has a rant about the way SaaS businesses lie about pricing and how B2B marketing can and perhaps should be edgy.
In this episode, new boy Cameron/Cam/C tells us why he just doesn't care. We also do some B2B/B2C comparisons and explore the similarities and differences. We think that, given this was Cameron/Cam's first day, he did quite well.
When it came to the time to record this episode Dave was struggling to get enthusiastic. However, Stu beat him into submission, and this is the end result. You can decide if they should have gone to the pub instead.
This week Dave and Stu discuss websites, account based marketing gone wrong and Red Bull.
In this episode, Dave and Stu discuss, among other things, how switched-on businesses use consultants as salespeople—if they can find them. In other words, the day of the order-taker salesperson has, perhaps, gone for good.
In this episode, Dave and Stuart discuss how the nuclear industry got its messaging wrong and how it's addressing that. We also discuss all sorts of subjects tenuously linked to digital marketing.
Well the after party following episide 150 went on, quite literally, for seconds which meant recording this episode was all a bit of a blur. Needless to say Alex rants about AI, in a different way, and Dave does his best to calm him down by taking the p**s.
The big deal with some digital marketing is it's ability to stalk the right audience and only pop up to annoy them, and nobody else. But it's broken and gets it spectacularly wrong. There's also a lot of self congratulatory drivel with this being Episode 150.
Alex tells us about how someone with whom he'd had several conversations and had a meeting on the calendar with them that day sent him a "Hey, we think you're a good fit for what we're selling" message. Such an abysmal fail. We obviously talk about other stuff as well.
Ever had service that felt like the company providing it just couldn't be arsed? We discuss that in this episode. We also thank super fan Amy AGAIN, and recommend the best curry you can have delivered to your house anywhere in the UK, no really, it's simply the best.
Marketing, messaging and signalling are all important aspects of your business. But with digital marketing it's easy to send out all the wrong signals. Also, Dave gets all excited about getting FTTP broadband and super fan Amy gets a namecheck!
As marketing becomes ever more embedded in AI and data are we getting to the point where people think that being able to use the tools is the clever bit? Because it isn't. We also discuss digital stalking and being bombarded with emails from people who want to do all our work for us.
In this episode, ALEX and Dave discuss dishonesty in business (and politics) and get into why playing it safe with your marketing might not be the smartest approach. We also discussed inauthenticity and finished off with a little anecdote about our local council phoning it in.
This week we have a rather nice time discussing faking it till you make it - or not - gated content and why people are so angry all the time. We also wander off and discuss the Chancellors' CV, more fake it till you make it, and whatever else takes our fancy.
It still surprises us how many great businesses are floundering with or even failing to engage with the opportunities presented online. We discuss that as well as the usual politician bashing and drivel.
This week Julie Mitchell-Mehta joins Dave for a chat about digital marketing stuff that's amused us, bemused us and annoyed us. There's the usual unrelated chatter and, thankfully, no Alex.
Marketing seems to attract self proclaimed gurus who spout utter nonsense. Well there's none of that here with these two clueless idiots.
In our first episiode of 2025 we talk about playing it safe, being like all the rest and then just wang on about all sorts of things. In other words, it's more inane drivel from Alex and Dave.
In our final stream of consciousness of 2024, we talk about Google struggling, Alex being rubbish at quizzes and more other stuff than is good for us.
In this episode, we talk about inbound marketing, awful HubSpot sales reps, fantastic HubSpot software, politics and anything else that came into our tiny little heads. Vive La difference!
Rory Sutherland said that we choose certain brands, not because we think they're the best, but because we think they probably won't be sh*t. We loved this idea and talk about it and plenty of other things - some of them marketing related - in this episode of the show. We enjoyed it, we hope you do too.
This episode is excellent and gives a (mostly) non-technical overview of the work of some of our dev team. We talk about things such as being given third-party designs to work with and some of the challenges the devs face in their day-to-day endeavours to create the outcomes our clients need.
Google perhaps means well, but their Ads Platform is now so complex, that following their advice will almost guarantee your bank account empties while your sales pipeline also remains empty. Anyway, Alex has got things to say about that.
We also discussed the pressure agencies are under to deliver, why not assigning enough budget is a false economy, AI - obviously oh and our journey towards BCorp certification.
We got it wrong and an engagement went badly. In this episode we unpick that and discuss why hiring a specialist then telling them what to do is dumb. We also unpick a "12 Steps" type SEO help list we were sent and turn it into plain English.
In this episode, we discuss how easy it is to get online marketing wrong and how to avoid doing that. We also, as usual, wander off into politics and other inane nonsense. If you like listening to Alex and Dave make it up as they go, this is for you. If not, go metal detecting or something.
I some niches it's hard to find meaningful data to help with your content marketing initiatives. It's some thing we come across and in this episode, alongside the usual drivel, we discuss the techniques we deploy. It's way more enjoyable than this p**s poor introduction makes it sound.
This week, amoung all the usual drivel, we discuss the tendency for businesses to create what amounts to digital landfill in their desperate attempt to create "useful content". Also, Dave tells us why he's feeling down in the dumps and Alex, for once, rocks up semi-prepared, with actual notes.
Good agencies really want, and I mean REALLY want, the work they do for you to add tangible value. They want the content they create to rank in searches, they want the videos they produce to pursuade strangers to do business with you, and they want the creative work they do to present the best possible version of your organisation.
If you don't think your agency are doing this, stop wasting their time. Now, I know this sounds blunt but nobody is winning when there's no trust. In this episode, we discuss what makes agencies tick and why trust is vital for success.
This week we're chatting about what a pain it can be to inherit an awful website and digital footprint and have to make do and mend rather than start over and do it properly.
We also talk about customer relationship management systems and why they are so great.
In this episode, we talk about some free tools you absolutely should be using, how to price something that can't be defined and social media moderation. We also talk about the Olympics and some politics, obviously.
We often speak to clients who think they know what they need, but on close inspection don't. We discuss ways to avoid wasting time trying to create a brief when you're unsure what you need. We also discuss Google Search Console data and why it's so wrong - but still useful.
Success online requires stoicism. You're going to succeed sometimes, and you're going to fail sometimes. Expecting to fail and dealing with failure is just part of the digital marketing puzzle and something we're happy to admit to.
We also discuss retainers, PPC, measuring less and lots of other things we deal with at the coalface of digital marketing.
In this episode Alex rambles on a bit but finally makes a good point - we think, you decide. We also discuss being consistent with your content. Then, weirdly, we get into some political chat.
The leaking of confidential documentation from Google has shone a light on the tech giant and suggested they have been economical with the truth about how their search engine works. In this episode, we chew it over looking for real world usable take aways. We talk about some other stuff as well.
If you run a business your website should almost certainly generate enquiries or leads. If it doesn't, this episode of our podcast will give you the high-level guidance you need to turn things around.
We've spoken about the component parts a lot, with this episode we've pulled it all together into a handy guide. We've also got a great blog post on the subject which you can find by Googling "how to build a lead generation website".
If a web page that's been created to generate business gets visitors but doesn't generate enquiries, experiment with it. This is called conversion rate optimisation but in it's most basic form it's simply about altering a page until it resonates with your visitors causing them to take action.
In this episode we talk about this, and other things, in our usual plain English way.
In this episode, Alex illustrates why being stuck on a long train journey with him might become tedious. To be fair, he does share some worthwhile insights about why Google might be treating your website with the kind of contempt normally reserved by Peggy Mitchell towards Pat.
More rants and revelations from Alex and Dave. This week, we discuss, among many other things, businesses that let their half-wit web guy hold them to ransom. If that's you, then stop it, and here's how.
In this week's show we discuss pointless metrics, breaking up, making up and swiping right with new clients. Or something like that.
There's a danger that AI tools are flattering to deceive. Some people seem to think that the ease with which things can be produced is somehow correlated to the quality of those things. However, this podcast isn't about slagging off AI, it's about lots of things, including the way actual people, who are not qualified to make a judgement or decision, are probably responsible for there being so many awful websites out there.
Of course, the conversation quickly descends into the usual drivel.
Once again we're a bit moany in this episode. We understand the top people, the so-called C-Suite, in an organisation are very busy and oh so important. But the thing is, digital output is the the face and voice of their organisations so if they're not involved and they don't understand the why, they're setting themselves up for online failure.
We've just migrated our website to HubSpot and we love it. Other people swear br Craft CMS and some WordPress. But, like our podcast hosts, these are just a bunch of tools. Don't pick a digital partner purely because they can operate some software.
In this episode, as usual, we discuss what's been happening this week at the coalface of digital marketing, including HubSpot and nonsense documents pretending to be about strategy.
After a pitch went wrong, Dave and Alex consoled each other and discussed the lessons learned.
Sometimes businesses change agency, it's all part of the game. The way some agencies deal with this is silly. In this episode of the podcast we mention how an agency that took a client off us shot themselves in the foot and cost the client a lot of money.
In this episode Alex and Dave talk about checking your strategic direction and understanding who you are and who you're for.
Selling seemingly boring products doesn't mean you're doomed to creating a boring website. In this episode Alex and Dave will bore you to tears talking about how not to be boring. It's not boring, honest.
In this week's coalface chat we discuss tenders from an agency perspective and Alex sort of rants on about something dull.
Google and most large organisations wax lyrical about how much they value customers while simultaneaouly being utter rubbish at supporting them. Discussing that got top billing this week as well as lots of other interesting coalface chat.
A great e-book thing dropped into our inbox so we discussed it along with another load of old nonsense about our week at the coalface of digital marketing.
More from Alex and Dave as they discuss their week at the coalface of digital marketing. This week subjects include ITT's and viral videos.
In this episode of the show, Alex shows us all what happens when you take the time to prepare.
In this weeks fireside chat about digital marketing, Alex and Dave discuss rescuing businesses from bad agency experiences and lots of other stuff. We like to think of it as inane chatter at it's absolute best.
More chatter with Alex and Dave as they discuss their week at the coalface of digital marketing. This week we start off with a tail about a poor wee scammer.
This week, and for the next wee while we will try out a different format. We're simply going to chat about our week at the coal face of digital marketing. We'll cover stuff we did with some nice banter and explanations. We hope you enjoy it.
With so many channels available to market your business online it's easy to feel overwhelmed and stick with what you know. But that's a mistake and potentially a costly one.
In this episode Alex and Dave discuss how to avoid being a marketing one trick pony. It's a great episode for marketers and business owners who are in a bit of a marketing rut.
The Google Ads PPC platform is a monster that can gobble up your budget and spit you out with absolutely nothing to show for it. But this is very easy to avoid, and in this episode of the show, we offer some very simple, easy-to-follow advice for getting a return on your PPC investment.
This is a great episode for B2B brands, not so much for B2C's coz that's not our area of expertise. So if you're a marketing manager or CMO of a B2B brand and you are nervous about Google taking your budget without giving you something positive to report back to the board, you'll enjoy it and get some very useful advice.
In this episode, which is episide 100, Alex and Dave have a moan about the garbage people post on their company websites and social media and offer some thoughts on how not to be one of those people.
It's a gentle stroll through the subject with some useful, we think, insights.
The term Revenue Operations, often shortened to RevOps, is well used in the USA and quickly gaining traction here in the UK, but what does it mean?
If you Google it, you'll find lots of stuff, but it's all a bit woolly, so we decided to decipher the code and explain it as only we can. It's a great episode for anyone who wants a very simple overview.
Ask business owners about their CRM and they will either extol the virtues or pull a face. People that pull a face have often tried and failed so in this episode we distil it right down and talk about why a CRM is a low or no-cost option for generating more revenue and should be at the heart of your marketing and sales operations.
If you are a B2B organisation, your website should be generating revenue, if it isn't, you're doing something wrong. In this episode of the show, we discuss how to make sure you're not missing the opportunity to increase revenue as a direct result of your website.
It's a good listen if you're confused about your site's lack of performance.
Alex and Dave take an irreverent look at the murky side of SEO and explain why the missing link or links are preventing your website from reaching its full potential.
It's a relaxing and plain English chat that will give business owners and marketing managers the overview they need about this much-misunderstood and spammy side of web-based revenue generation.
We've rescued enough websites to know there are plenty of have-a-go types out there, and that's putting in politely. But why trust something as important as your website with one of these people or teams in the first place? In this episode, we muse on this general topic and discuss what to do if you're in this situation.
Google's ad platform is a great way to generate business. It's also a great way to waste your marketing budget. In this episode, we discuss doing the former and avoiding the latter.
We've banged on about the importance of trust but make no apologies for banging on about it again. It's at the heart of all good client-agency relationships, and in this episode, we delve a bit deeper into the reasons for needing it and how to develop it.
As usual, Alex patiently puts up with Dave's ramblings. It's a great episode for people with nothing better to do.
Some agencies aren't, well, agencies. They are a man or woman sitting in their pants offshoring work to a low-cost economy while charging you top dollar. If they are and it works, does it matter? In this episode of the show, Alex and both Dave's discuss the subject and investigate the pros and cons.
It's a good listen if you're considering hiring an agency and wondering where the work gets done. It's also a good listen if you just enjoy listening to people talk about digital marketing in plain English.
Nobody cares about your website or your business. So, it's your job to make them care, at least a bit, by telling a compelling story and having a clutter-free website. Unfortunately, too many businesses expect their website's visitors to join the dots and find what they need. They won't.
This is a good episode for people who are perhaps getting website traffic but not getting enquiries.
Somewhat controversially, for a digital agency, we're advising people not to trust a design agency with a website project. In reality, we're saying don't trust a pure design agency because, in our view, you're very unlikely to get the website your business needs.
This is great episode for businesses owners and marketing managers about to embark on a web development project.
It's annoying when your website doesn't appear high in the search results for a search term you think it should rank for. In this episode, Alex and Dave discuss why and provide insights on how to improve things. It's a great episode for business owners and marketing professionals who are getting frustrated by a lack of progress in Google searches.
We believe digital marketing engagements stand a much better chance of succeeding if the CEO gets involved. By that, we don't mean approving every design iteration, and piece of copy requires their approval; we mean at the start when the strategy is being created.
Although CEOs are busy people, we believe smart ones find the time to understand and engage with digital marketing initiatives, and boy do they add tremendous value.
A lot of client-agency relationships deliver incredible growth, but it's still common to hear people say that they're struggling to make their engagement bear fruit. In this episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface, Dave and Alex talk about sure-fire ways of making sure that your agency partners are doing their best work, including advice for setting goals and staying up to date with their work, keeping them on the right track and giving feedback that improves their work.
These are insights from an agency with over 20 years of experience, so if you're looking for advice that come straight from the horse's mouth, you're in the right place!
When a business outgrows its website and decides to redevelop it, there's one mistake that's often made that causes lots of pain, but it's 100% avoidable.
In this episode, Alex and Dave talk about how they jumped in to rescue a site that was doing well but started to crash and burn following a migration to a new content management system or CMS. This organisation weren't alone in making this mistake; it's something we've seen far too often.
You can contact the guys behind this podcast by checking out Red Evolution.
Like any aspect of life, spending money creates an emotional response, and it's no different in business. Hiring an agency to help you grow your business requires a sensible budget; therefore, you'll likely experience certain emotions as a result of that.
Alex and Dave discuss this subject and explore the things businesses might perhaps consider before hiring an agency.
Sometimes you can get tied in knots thinking about how to generate enquiries from your website, so in this show's episode, we go back to basics. It's a great episode for people whose web-based lead gen has gone awry or people who have finally decided to start the process.
Alex and Dave plough through the basics of SEO and the golden rules of web-based lead gen in a fast-paced plain English style - like they always do.
To kick things off in 2023, our first podcast looks at the year ahead and specifically at some of the things we're doing. We discuss content upgrades, ChatGPT, potential agency collaborations, the possibility of joining an agency network, projects, retainers and a few other things. It's a nice easy listen with some useful insights.
In this episode, Alex, Caron, Julie & Dave discuss Google's useful content update. The discussion wanders around a bit but there are some useful, we think, thoughts on the whole "pleasing Google" aspect of digital marketing.
Although we love HubSpot, and we're HubSpot partners, which means we get commission payments, there are problems with the platform and the way some businesses use it. We are regularly contacted by businesses who are paying for but not using the tool effectively and, therefore not getting a good return on their investment.
This is a great episode for people who are not getting the most from their investment and people thinking of buying HubSpot.
Between the revolving door on Number 10 Downing St, the petrol shortage in France and the rocketing price of food in the USA, it's fair to say, we live in interesting times.
So how can you get great value from your marketing budget and persuade the budget holders to cut you some slack?
In this episode, we discuss why cutting back on marketing is not always a good idea.
SEO is often bought and sold as a commodity product, but this approach rarely generates results. To make a real difference, Julie and Alex argue that any work that's undertaken to optimise your website for a search engine has to be part of a larger and more holistic marketing effort. Find out why here.
In this episode Alex, Dave & Julie explain inbound marketing. They discuss the pros and cons and provide some very simple real-world examples of how the inbound methodology generates revenue.
It's a great episode for business owners and marketing managers who need a high-level understanding of how the right strategy can deliver great results.
In this episode Alex, Dave & Julie explain inbound marketing. They discuss the pros and cons and provide some very simple real-world examples of how the inbound methodology generates revenue.
It's a great episode for business owners and marketing managers who need a high-level understanding of how the right strategy can deliver great results.
Marketing, and in particular digital marketing, isn't the only profession where people think they're an expert by osmosis, but sometimes it feels like it.
In this episode of the show, we let off some steam but keep it positive and offer some advice about how a respectful relationship with your agency will yield the best results.
It's a great episode for people who are up their own ar.....no, stop it, David.
Marketing, and in particular digital marketing, isn't the only profession where people think they're an expert by osmosis, but sometimes it feels like it.
In this episode of the show, we let off some steam but keep it positive and offer some advice about how a respectful relationship with your agency will yield the best results.
It's a great episode for people who are up their own ar.....no, stop it, David.
Marketing reports are a mainstay in most engagements. In fact, the majority of agencies produce them on a monthly basis. But what if we told you that most digital marketing reports were a complete waste of paper? In this episode, we dig into the reasons your average marketing report is setting your campaigns back, and how to fix the situation.
Marketing reports are a mainstay in most engagements. In fact, the majority of agencies produce them on a monthly basis. But what if we told you that most digital marketing reports were a complete waste of paper? In this episode, we dig into the reasons your average marketing report is setting your campaigns back, and how to fix the situation.
Sometimes people only think about the costs when considering working with a digital agency. But the benefits of regularly improving your online presence create a business asset that just keeps on giving.
This is a great episode for business owners who know they have a problem with their website and digital output but are nervous about what it will look like working with an agency, and whether that will provide a great return on any investment made.
Sometimes people only think about the costs when considering working with a digital agency. But the benefits of regularly improving your online presence create a business asset that just keeps on giving.
This is a great episode for business owners who know they have a problem with their website and digital output but are nervous about what it will look like working with an agency, and whether that will provide a great return on any investment made.
Effective web content has to tick a lot of boxes. In this episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface, health and wellbeing content strategist Lauretta Ihonor shares her approach to mastering some of the basics.
Redeveloping your website can be a very good business move, but there are some aspects that, if you get them wrong, will bite you and bite you hard.
In this show episode, Alex, Dave, and Diana discuss website redevelopment. It's the first time Diana has joined the team for a podcast, and it's a great episode for anyone considering redeveloping their website to generate more business from search.
Experience has shown us that some agencies will, sadly, sell their client the software solution that earns them the best commission or badge of (in) competence.
In this episode, Alex and Dave discuss the merits or otherwise of agencies who chase the badges of authority and/or monthly recurring revenue irrespective of what their customers actually need.
SEO continues to perplex many business owners and marketing professionals. In this episode of the show, we answer the question, what is SEO?
We talk about the importance of the wind being in the right direction, the need for a full moon and the fact you have to be willing to sacrifice your firstborn.
To the uninitiated, hiring a digital marketing agency can seem expensive. In this episode, Alex and Dave talk about how to build your own digital marketing team and what that's likely to cost.
It's a good episode for people who recognise they need to IP their online game but are unsure about the best way forward.
LinkedIn Pulse, or whatever they are calling it now, is a LinkedIn platform for publishing articles. From The Coalface listener, Peter Henderson of IT support specialists Pysis.net asked us how Google viewed these articles, so in this episode of the show, Alex and Dave explore the subject.
It's a great episode for people thinking of publishing articles on LinkedIn and outlines what we think are the main benefits.
The secret to marketing your business successfully is, as Bryony said in Episode 65, consistency. To do that, you either need to create your own marketing team or work with an agency, these are the only two viable options.
In this episode Julie and Dave discuss working with an agency on an ongoing basis, sometimes called a retainer. They discuss the pros and cons...then the pros some more.
It's a great episode for anyone who's finally realised their attempts at marketing have failed spectacularly and it's time to try something else.
You'll find no end of SEO advice on the web. But a lot of it's out of date. Google are forever tinkering with their search algorithms and tactics that worked 5 years (or 5 months) ago could now land your site in hot water.
To help you navigate the ins and outs of sustainable SEO, we've compiled a short list of 6 tactics you definitely shouldn't try. To be clear, they used to work once, but they now do more harm than good.
There are many ways to spend money on digital marketing and, therefore, many ways to waste money.
In this episode, Alex and Dave discuss how to avoid wasting money on digital marketing, so you get more value from the money you do spend. It's a great episode for people debating where to focus their marketing spending and gives some great insights into the typical pitfalls.
There's also some debate about how ridiculous the French numbering system is; we're not sure why.
Bryony is the creator of the Watertight Business Thinking methodology, based on original research in 2005. She has now tested and refined the decision-making frameworks across 3000+ organisations and focused on the needs of established SMEs looking to grow beyond their visionary founder.
Details of the Free book are: watertightmarketing.com/freebook
In this episode Bryony expands on the idea that with marketing you need to start at the end - what do you want people to do, what are you trying to achieve. Just listen to it :)
In this episode of the show, we talked about what makes a website "rubbish". Perhaps surprisingly, this doesn't mean the look and feel, although this can be a factor.
It's a great episode for business owners and marketing managers who need some guidance on deciding what to do about a website that's not delivering leads.
For many business owners, the way Google ranks web pages is confusing. They simply don't understand why their competitors are on page one and they are nowhere to be seen. They simply don't know what Google is doing.
In this episode of the show, Alex and Dave discuss this thorny issue. It's a great listen for people who look at search results and think, what the hell?
In a windswept field in Cornwall, Caron and Dave discuss what a digital marketing agency actually does and, importantly, how to choose one that's right for your organisation.
The recording was interrupted because of an altercation between an owl and a magpie but it's a great listen for people who are nervous about engaging with an agency because they don't really understand what they're buying.
It's also useful if you need help choosing the right team to work with.
AI marketing tools promise to save you heaps of time and money, but do they really live up to these lofty claims? In this episode, Alex and Julie discuss the realities of using several AI marketing tools to setup or run campaigns – as well as discussing the future of the AI marketing trend.
It's not unreasonable for businesses to want to know how much they need to invest in their new website. The thing is, it's not actually that easy to answer.
In this episode of the show, we welcome Red Evo stalwart Rob Harrison into the mix and he, Julie, Alex and Dave discuss the vexed subject of website costs. What, why, how and all that.
In this episode, Julie and Dave discuss what are formally called buyer personas. In normal language, these are customer profiles, and despite often getting a bad press, and being dismissed as marketing flowery speak, they are far from it.
This is a great episode for people who think "everyone is my potential customer".
Authenticity and honesty are crucial to the successful implementation of digital marketing. In this episode, Alex, Julie and Dave talk about doing the right thing and being honest in the way digital marketers work with customers. Even if it means leaving money on the table, being straight down the line makes better long term business sense.
Getting more value from the website visitors you're already getting makes a lot of sense. Many people focus all their efforts on increasing website traffic but could be missing a trick.
AJ Davis, a former Google employee and conversion optimisation expert heads up Experiment Zone - https://experimentzone.com/ - and talks to Alex and Dave about how focusing on your existing visitors can bring rich rewards.
In this episode of the show Kelsey Johnson from AWeber talks about email marketing. It's a great episode for people who need some clear guidance on how to get started with email marketing and avoid the usual pitfalls.
In a previous podcast, with Bob Keiller, we were given a business storytelling masterclass. If you missed it, it's well worth sticking it into your playlist. In this episode, Alex and Dave expand on the subject of storytelling, this time very much in a digital marketing context, eventually. We say eventually because Dave did his usual obtuse rambling intro. It's a great episode if you need some help getting your website content right for your audience.
You can create a great looking website on a shoestring budget by sidestepping the design process. In other words, you buy a ready-made design or template and focus your efforts on your content. In this episode of the show, Alex, Caron, Julie and the two Dave's discuss template websites ably assisted by Lockie the Dog.
If you're a digital marketer and haven't read the book, They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan you're missing a trick, a huge one.
We mention the book a lot in our shows so we decided to reach out and ask Marcus to come and talk to us about how the book came about.
It's a great listen for any digital marketer and in particular anyone involved in content marketing.
John Mellis has been a familiar voice on radio for over 25 years. In this episode of the show, John tells us about his career and how he's now helping businesses start and run their own podcast.
It's a great show for organisations interested in starting a podcast as part of their business growth strategy.
Here at Red Evolution, we're all about inbound marketing but we're not anti outbound. In this fascinating episode of the show, Dan Englander from Sales Schema talks about taking a systematic approach to outbound marketing that actually works.
In this, the 50th, episode of the show Caron, Julie, Alex and Dave discuss how to save a fortune by testing your business idea before spending any money.
It's a great episode if you're about to make an investment in your existing or new business.
In this fascinating episode of the show, former Fifth Ring CEO Clif Collier talks about how brand has perhaps become lost in a sea of mediocrity and me too digital marketing.
In this episode Alex, Julie and Dave talk about how Julie became a digital marketer. This episode isn't just a careers lesson, it's a great insight into how marketing has morphed into digital marketing but has it changed that much?
In this episode of the show, Alex and Dave shoot the breeze on the challenges of generating business from your website. It's an episode for people who want a big picture overview and a great starting point if you've been tasked with getting a website to actually deliver.
In this episode of the show, we explore business storytelling with the master, Bob Keiller.
For many Bob needs no introduction, for those who don't know him we can't recommend this episode of the show highly enough.
Storytelling is such a vital component of digital marketing and in this show, you'll learn from the best.
Not sure how to come up with a content marketing strategy that delivers results? We’re sitting down with Kelly Gilmour-Grassam - director of Manchester-based content marketing agency Making You Content - to peel back the curtain and show you how to plan, write, publish and market content that generates plenty of leads for your business.
Most marketers understand the importance of blogging but based on the popularity of a blog post on our website lots of people are confused about the purpose of a blog.
In this episode, we discuss blogs and their purpose.
Buying a tool like HubSpot or Pardot is a shrewd move. These platforms help to get the maximum return on digital marketing spending. But the software alone won't do this, you need a team or partner.
In this episode of the show Alex & Dave explore the reasons why working with a partner agency makes sense.
In this episode, Alex and Dave bust 5 common digital marketing myths starting with the idea that simply having a website is enough to succeed online.
People in business want to succeed, they have the will to win, but that's not enough. To succeed you need to have the will to do the work required to win, not the same thing.
In this episode Caron, Julie and Dave discuss this idea.
Using plain English makes business sense and in this episode of the show, Alex and Dave discuss some common content cockups and how to avoid them.
It's a great show for people who lack confidence when it comes to writing content, offering some great tips and advice on some fantastic tools.
Have you ever considered going Headless? In this episode of the show, Julie and Dave talk about the tool used to manage website content, the content management system or CMS. They mostly avoid geek-speak and provide some much-needed clarity on this important and much-misunderstood aspect of digital marketing.
From apprentice TV cameraman to video strategist, Elliot Hornell is truly an expert in his field. In this episode, Elliot and Dave discuss a strategy first approach to video. If you're aware that you need to be using video as part of business growth but just not sure where to start, do not miss this episode of the show.
As we launch ourselves headlong into a new year it's tempting to bite off more than you can chew. In this episode of the show, we discuss some evergreen digital marketing baby steps guaranteed to build the right foundation for growth.
Social media can play a role in your business growth plans but don't use the random acts of social approach, create a plan. In this episode Julie and Dave, but mainly Julie, provide some essential guidance on using social media effectively.
In this episode Alex talks about his journey to becoming a digital marketing expert, but don't worry, we talk about interesting stuff as well.
In this episode, we let off a bit of steam because the contents of our bladders sometimes boil over when we see what some so-called experts do to people's (websites) businesses.
Following on from the last podcast about keywords, in this one we're talking about how to use them effectively as part of your lead generation activity.
If you're confused about keywords, what they are and how to find them, this episode of the show is for you.
In this episode, we discuss the three main aspects of having and running a website that you need to get right for the site to work for your business.
In this show, we discuss website audits and why they make sense even if you've just had your website redesigned.
In this episode, Bruce Skinner returns to talk about his structured approach to business growth. It's another long one but has some great advice and help for new and expanding businesses.
With SEO, PPC, social media and email. marketing to think about, It's hard to know how you should allocate and spend your marketing budget. Rules like the 80/20 or 70/20/10 split rarely hold up to close scrutiny, so we're offering some no-nonsense advice based on our own experience.
Has gated content had its day as a way of coercing people to give you their contact details? Alex and Dave chat it through and come to a conclusion. It's a great episode for people thinking about creating a campaign around gated content.
If you're in marketing you will have heard of Hubspot, but what is it? In this episode of the show we explain and discuss the platform in plain English minus the sales pitch you get from Hubspot. We love Hubspot and have been using it since 2015 so it's a proper from the coalface opinion piece.
In this episode of the show, we talk about some quick wins to improve your website's performance. These tips might just help you to secure more leads!
There's often a belief that securing more business from your website requires more traffic or website visitors, not so.
It's likely if your website is getting visitors there are things you could do to convert more of them into enquiries.
This podcast tells you how.
Unless you've got an in-house team getting your digital marketing right depends on finding the right agency. In this podcast, Julie and Dave guide you through the process of doing that.
We see too many websites built by pure web design agencies fail because of a design-first approach. The way your looks is only part of the puzzle of online success so in this podcast we discuss why using a web design agency might be a bad idea.
The relationship between digital marketing and content is well established but many people find content creation challenging. This podcast is ideal for people who need a helping hand.
There are some free and subscription tools we couldn't live without. In this episode of the show, we tell what they are and what they do - in plain English. It's a great listen for seasoned marketers who want to refresh their tech stack or people looking for some tips on tools that get the job done.
Too many businesses build a website as a vanity project. Your website isn't for you, it's for your customers so build it for them.
In this show, we talk about what we've learned about creating a podcast. It's a great listen for business owners who are thinking about joining the podcast revolution.
Having discussed the cost of digital marketing in the last episode, in this episode of the show we discuss the cost of not doing digital marketing. Alex was in the red corner and Dave was in the blue.
If you're in the market to buy digital marketing services but you really haven't a clue what it costs, this one is for you.
Stuart Harrison from business development consultancy Solar Flare chats to Dave about the much-misunderstood connections between BD, Sales & Marketing.
Alex, Julie & Dave discuss the vexed question of how long it should take for digital marketing to start working. This is a great episode for businesses just starting out on their digital journey but there's plenty of insights for seasoned pros as well.
In this episode, guest Mike Watson and Dave Robinson discuss how Low Code platforms make it possible for non-coders to create digital tools that can create revenue and improve how your business runs. What, no geeks!?
SiteBulb is a great piece of software that helps marketing teams find issues causing search marketing issues. In this show, we chat with Head of Marketing, Geoff Kennedy.
Julie and Dave discuss traditional marketing and digital marketing to find the main differences and decide there aren't that many.
Alex and Dave discuss competitor analysis, the process of unpicking your competitors' websites and Alex gets into trouble, again, for using jargon.
Alex, Julie & Dave talk about the dark arts of link building. We peel back its cloak and find it's naked underneath.
In this episode Alex, Julie & Dave discuss what to expect when you start working with a digital marketing agency. It's Julie's first podcast!
Alex & Dave talk about using paid search tools such as Google Ads. A useful listen for people who want to avoid wasting money!
Alex & Dave discuss "re-platforming" and do some myth-busting on the subject of moving or redeveloping your website.
In this episode, Dave chats with Bruce Skinner, CEO of Alto a Managed Services & Security Provider (we think).
Alex & Dave explain why digital marketing types bang on about content. Worth a listen if you're creating your own content stratregy.
Alex & Dave discuss the best approach to choosing a digital marketing partner, impartially of course!
Dave & Alex discuss and demystify the process of getting website visitors and generating enquiries from search and social.
Alex and Dave discuss the digital marketing big picture and Alex gets into trouble with Dave for using jargon!