Behind The Madness: Recent Episodes
Method
A podcast helping companies grow with marketing strategies, automation and time-saving tips and creative solutions.
Marcus picks James's brain on his knowledge of buyer personas in this latest episode of Behind the Madness. What is a buyer persona and why do you need one, or more? James explains how to start compiling this incredibly important piece of information and who should be involved in it's conception.
Is print media as effective as it used to be? We spoke to Scott, owner and founder of Vue Media, to discuss the exciting new possibilities in video brochures. As a marketing tool, it could do more to engage your key customers than you realise. Dive into the ground-breaking brochures that are revolutionising video marketing.
Come behind the madness for your top up of wellbeing advice. This week James sat down with the owner of For The Love of Lemons, Ayesha Shahid, who told us exactly how that extra takeaway is affecting our productivity. Ayesha shares her years of nutrition coaching experience, and dives into the science behind good diet and hydration. If you're lacking for energy, or are getting way too stressed out, there are some easy yet hugely impactful changes to be made.
With Ayesha and James' shared history of dietary problems, they know a thing or two about becoming happier and healthier through diet changes. So, when life gives you For the Love of Lemons, you sit back and tune into Behind the Madness.
In this episode of Behind the Madness James and Jamie delve deep into the marketing ideals and strip the process to make it more understandable. Everything from lecturers throwing foam balls to ridiculous Instagram reels. They talk about how being authentic and helpful is key and demystify the processes into non-scary terminology.
"Failing to plan is planning to fail" is a quote that rings true for this week's episode as James and Jamie pull the curtain back on systems and processes! How to create, when to implement and why they are a real business growth hack to fuel success.
If thinking less but achieving more sounds good to you then this one is not to be missed, systems and processes can streamline your workflow and declutter your brain - often leading to great efficiency with better results. So, you know the drill...headphones on, feet up and let's get into the madness
Behind the Madness is back - this episode's focus is well-being! Mainstream modern-day society sees a lack of sleep, working all hours, no social life and sole focus on business ventures as badges of honour but unfortunately, most people are getting it wrong. Some of the most successful people in the world prioritise themselves, knowing that for their business to perform that they need to be at the top of their game.
Jamie's previous experience has been in the health industry so he and James talk about how to incorporate healthier habits into the working day, as well as the 5 areas to balance the scales and fuel not only you but your business too!
Feet up, headphones in...it's time for some madness
Behind the Madness teams up with HubSpot as James and Sean discuss the best sales tips to help your business increase sales by offering your customers a world-class experience. This is not one to miss, if you're looking to grow your business and generate more sales then tune in to this quick-witted, simplified approach to sales and lead generation.
Join James and Sean now - feet up, headphones on and enjoy!
This week on Behind the Madness, James and co talk about teams and how improving collaborations can greatly improve customer satisfaction and experience. Sales and marketing working together help align marketing campaigns, improve products and brand retention by utilising sales teams' customer-facing experiences combined with marketing departments' data and research.
Understanding your customer more to allow you to help them more is what every business strives for, by creating a friendly bridge between departments means you will have the best resources and data in your mission.
Plug in, sit back and enjoy the episode!
James and co this week are joined by Claire, who as a Mum and entrepreneur has a lot to juggle including her social media presence - so what does Claire think of short-form video? Well, this episode is all about how important content like Instagram Reels is, how best to approach them, and some top tips from Claire on how to make them work for you and your brand!
If Reels, TikTok or YouTube shorts is something you're looking to implement in your marketing strategy (and you should be) then this one is for you. Sit back, pop your headphones in and enjoy!
Would you like to come on the podcast? Reach out and let's make it happen https://www.instagram.com/hello_method/
Claire Stenson: https://www.instagram.com/clairestenson_cs/
Upskilling is pivotal to ensuring you and your team deliver the best for your customers, which will subsequently grow your business! We are often too busy and don't make time for learning and raising our game - this normally doesn't appear to be a problem in the short term but it also isn't smart or effective long term.
In today's episode, it's double trouble with James and Jamie talking about the importance of upskilling, the power of learning and how a better you will result in a better business!
Comment on what your biggest business challenge is right now?
Brands need to stay up to date and align with their target audience, these are two of the reasons we tore up the Method blueprint and came back with something stronger and more personal!
James and co open up about the importance of the Method brand, what it stands for and why we wanted to freshen things up - so this one is for you but about us, because growth in business is at our core and therefore, leading the way is a must.
If you're thinking of pivoting, yep like Ross in Friends, or rebranding your appearance then pull up a seat and enjoy the madness!
Share with a friend who needs the madness in their life
James, Paul and Jamie cover the importance of keeping your brain active. Many successful CEOs have hobbies to keep their brains in that active state. Replacing work-related thoughts with a mentally stimulating hobby, is one of the most productive and mentally refreshing things you can do.
Running a business can feel like you’re juggling plates 24/7. And now that our working world can be far easier accessed from our personal world, importance of a work/life balance is prevalent now more than ever. As a business owner, protecting your mental wellbeing at work is a vital factor of your business running smoothly.
So, mastering your time management and allowing yourself some breathing space really is a fundamental aspect of running a business - and after adopting some of these useful habits, the benefits will speak for themselves.
Automation and being smarter with your day-to-day processes are key to reducing time spent on boring, repetitive tasks, as well as opening up time to focus on more important, growth targeted areas!
Join James for a sit down all about automation and how you can utilise it to optimise how you work. Learn to build businesses that are smarter, more time conscious and that save on resources. So, you know the drill - headphones in for 15 mins to fuel much, much more!
Enjoy everyone
Behind the madness is back and this time we've got a Q&A all-around Social Media, whether you're starting out or looking to grow then this one is for you!
James puts Method's social media manager on the spot with questions on how social media works, how to utilise it for your business and ways to "win" on socials.
This episode is short, sharp and to the point so pull up a chair, pop in your headphones and enjoy a candid chat about social media, happy listening!!
Building a brand that is popular, long-term and most importantly connects a business to their audience is a higher priority than ever before!
If you're a business owner, part of a marketing team or an entrepreneur in a startup then this one is to help guide you through the noise and lay the foundations to building a long-term business through the power of brand!!
James, Paul and Jamie share some of their favourite brands - while exploring why, as customers, we connect and love certain brands more than others!
Have a listen and share the love by tagging your favourite brands!
Business is ever-evolving, both online and off!! James, Paul and Jamie are back with episode 15 to discuss what's changed and what hasn't. Aimed at helping business owners and entrepreneurs shape their businesses in 2022 to deliver the growth we are all after.
We talk social media, personalisation, short-form video and even a bit on the metaverse to help you keep up with the pace of business in today's ever-changing world! So pop in your headphones, sit back and enjoy the episode! If there are any topics you want us to chat about then DM us on Instagram and we will get talking.
Don't forget to smash that like button and subscribe
Welcome back to another episode, this week sees James talk through business strategy and how business owners, entrepreneurs and department heads can map out theirs.
James is joined by Paul and Jamie for a collaborative conversation that lays out what a strategy is and importantly the key areas to include...
Buyer personas and SMART goals are two of those pivotal ingredients as they help you to pinpoint who you're aiming to help and your desired outcomes, keeping you focussed and ensuring your decision making is customer-centric.
Enjoy the episode and drop any comments below or let us know if you'd like to join James for an episode
Tune in to episode 13 to map out your next big business idea and get the cogs moving!
James talks through the all-important steps to taking a concept from thought to a real, breathing business by building solid foundations and pivotally validating your idea to ensure that you create the best possible offer for your customers without wasting time or money!
2022 will see more side hustles, business startups and new product launches happening than ever, so James lays out a roadmap of key areas to help you build a better and smarter business. Our top takeaway would be the importance of a minimal viable product (MVP) and the benefits creating one brings, we'd love to hear your takeaways from episode 13!
To go with this we've created a library of free business tools to help supercharge your idea- https://www.hellomethod.co.uk/growth-tools/
The life of a business owner is 24/7, 365 but making the conscious effort to step out of your business and allow your body and mind to reflect is hugely beneficial for both you and your company's success!
In this episode of Behind the madness, James looks at how business owners, like himself, can embrace the Christmas period as an opportunity to hit reset, recharge their batteries and even develop greater daily habits to be more efficient in the year ahead!
Packed full of micro-habits and tools as simple as the new "focus" feature on iPhone IOS 15, this one is geared to be easy to implement whilst helping supercharge your output in your personal and business life!
Enjoy listening and have a very Merry Christmas!
Today's topic - Adapting as a business owner to the speed of change we live in.
We're a small business, and as such, we have the ability to change direction very quickly. We don't need multiple strategy meetings to decide what we should be doing, we can go on a mixture of gut experience and data. And with the speed of change due to the tech advances, since COVID-19, this has really helped us to stay agile. We're lucky that we've always been a remote agency, so we've already built up good practices around how to use tech and software.
All our growth tools: https://www.hellomethod.co.uk/growth-tools/
James' new microphone: https://www.bluemic.com/en-gb/products/yeticaster/
Our podcasting software: https://www.descript.com
HubSpot Demo: https://resources.hellomethod.co.uk/hubspot-demo
ClickUp: https://clickup.com/
On Behind the Madness today we discuss HubSpot and our experience with it over the last 5 years! James talks through how as a business owner it has helped him organise systems, manage prospects and clients whilst helping a string of other people do the same. Fundamentally, this episode is a candid, conversational opinion on HubSpot and how Method has adopted its tools to grow and better the business by helping more people!
As a small business, the team often have to wear many different hats on a daily basis, something all business owners know about, HubSpot is flexible enough to adapt with yourself to the task or "hat" that is needed there and then!
The episode discusses key questions surrounding HubSpot, from its price to its daily benefits. After using HubSpot for 5 years now, we haven't questioned our decision and have actually adopted more of the platform as we've grown.
With so many CRM, social media marketing, email marketing and website building options out there it is easy to get lost with confusion, in under 15 minutes James will save you hours of search and research. Enjoy and we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Book a HubSpot demo: https://resources.hellomethod.co.uk/hubspot-demo
All our growth tools: https://www.hellomethod.co.uk/growth-tools/
HubSpot have just released a new product that will change the way your website could work.
The new CMS Hub Starter package is set to challenge WordPress and also allows you to personalise your site to your contacts. At a price point that will make WordPress shudder HubSpot CMS Hub Starter lets you have up to 15 web pages and make them super personal to the user.
Welcoming the visitor onto a landing with their name is sure to get their attention and you can direct users dependant on their place in the lifecycle stage, whether a prospect, subscriber, customer or evangelist they will appreciate the customisation.
Separating content to specifically aim it at the user, as a customer has already bought from you, let them see the next stage, upsell or cross-sell, they don't need the sales blurb again like a new visitor will need. This also allows the user to see that their needs are being met and really that's really what we want.
Pro and enterprise priced packages were prohibitive for some, the new starter package gives access to all to help build their sites.
It seamlessly works with the HubSpot ecosystem making the integration easy.
As a HubSpot Platinum Partner, we are more than happy to guide you through this new product with a demo.
Book a HubSpot Demo
The evolution of social media has come to demand a far more complex skillset than a simple posting schedule. Method Designs youngest team member and social media manager Jamie Rymer jumps onto our podcast, ‘Into The Madness’ with friend and Method CEO James Roberts to explore every essential detail a brand manager needs to know about social media communications; This podcast aims to enable businesses to strategise their own unique, current, effective successfully and informed approach to social media communications. From metrics to mission statements, new platforms and app features, Jamie gives us the complete 411 on the who, what, where, why and when to post pictures, reels, blogs or tweets.
Come say hello on our social accounts:
Relatable and educational, this episode of Behind The Madness explores how reinventing a business model, to adapt to today's everchanging virtual world can provide new opportunities for success as opposed to obstacles to endure. Featuring Independent, Stratford-upon-Avon based start-up The Little Gin Company, Method CEO James discusses with the founders Emma and Nicola how they innovated laterally when lockdown came into full force this year. Launching virtual tasting sessions and cocktail making events, providing clients with a bespoke package of premium gins and mixers, TLGC bottled up their own blend of fun, pouring enthusiasm into their online Zoom parties, to repurpose the way they offered up their delicious drinks.
Little Gin Company live: http://thelittlegincompany.com
Method as ever live: https://www.hellomethod.co.uk
Chat to James - https://www.hellomethod.co.uk/team/james-roberts/
Having great systems and processes in place help us smash our goals targeting business growth by splitting complex tasks into manageable actions! In this mini-podcast, James talks about how everyday processes can be improved with the right tools freeing up your precious time, improving productivity and reducing costs.
With James in the red corner, in support of WordPress, and Alex In the blue stating his claims in support of Hubspot, these two battle it out by to see which product is the best fit for you.
Some of the discussions include:
- Free Vs Paid
- Open source Vs System as a Service (SAAS)
- Security
- Updates
After a short break, Method’s owner and founder James Roberts, returns to our airwaves for his latest episode of ‘Behind The Madness’.
Focussing on the psychology behind the principal drivers influencing sales and engagement with customers, James discusses the importance of fully appreciating your typical personas and making the necessary changes to meet their individual requirements; It’s a relatively simple science when you know-how!
In this conversation, we are digging a little deeper and exploring ways that you can use LinkedIn to research prospective customers and reach out in ways that are professional and welcome to almost everyone. We don’t think that LinkedIn – or any other business tool – works well in isolation, so you’ll find the discussion also touches on the strategic context and the tools and techniques that you will need to apply to turn receptive contacts into new business.
If you’re tired of hearing about get-rich-quick schemes that are based on automated spamming of people through LinkedIn, you’ll enjoy hearing James and Philip pointing out the fundamental flaws with that approach and considering altogether more ethical, personal and successful ideas for using LinkedIn in your marketing and sales.
With more remote working within businesses, and home working to become the new normal going forward, we wanted to talk about the tools we have built up to work together and help our small team operate to the best ability.
These tools are not only designed for just growth agencies, but for any business, these apps alone are useful but put them together, and you can really increase your productivity and growth!
The Tools:
- Slack - https://slack.com
- Wrike - https://www.wrike.com
- HubSpot - https://www.hubspot.com
- Aircall - https://aircall.io
There is no ignoring the current situation in the world with the Coronavirus. Here in the UK, the advice is to stay at home, so most businesses are now having to transfer to remote teams and get to grips with this new way of working.
We are lucky in that we have been work remotely for an extended period of time, so the switch for us hasn’t been too taxing, albeit apart from the children running around during conference calls, but this is something we need to embrace and get used too.
Let’s take the central question: “Should we continue our marketing?”
In short Yes
In this episode, we lay out some strategies and actions you can easily take today to improve your digital marketing.
As mentioned here are the links referenced in the podcast:
Our Growth Tools
Our NEW website audit tool
An example lead generator