Spark Live presented by Spark Marketer: Recent Episodes
Spark Marketer
Want to learn how to market your home service business, without wading through all the “bull” marketers are famous for? Spark Live is for you.
This weekly show features Taylor Hill and Carter Harkins, the co-founders of the balls-to-the-wall, no “bull” marketing company, Spark Marketer. Taylor and Carter have years of experience helping home service businesses across the country use the digital landscape to their advantage.
Each episode, they’ll tackle another topic designed to demystify modern marketing and make you a force to be reckoned with in your local market. Because no one should be kept in the dark about their marketing.
In this final (for now - see below!) episode of Spark Live, Taylor and Carter discuss how to reach who your customers actually are and not who you think they are.
Check it out!
And if you haven't heard, Spark Marketer has become FutureNow Marketing.
See more at https://futurenowmarketing.com.
So in the immortal words of Porky Pig, "That's All Folks!"
But don't worry! Taylor and Carter will be back soon as they work out the finer details in a rebranded show to continue to deliver actionable, relevant, and impactful insights to help your business. We'll talk more about the latest in AI and marketing technology as the space continues to evolve.
Thanks for listening to Spark Live over the past few years! We hope you've learned a thing or two and applied it to your own business.
Until next time!
Most people are familiar with Google & Facebook as a form for reaching your audience. But have you considered YouTube? If not, you might after listening in to this episode.
Thanks for listening!
Digital security is an often overlooked, but it is a vital tool to keeping your business protected. In our latest episode, we go into detail about the best practices for website and password security!
If you are wondering if you digital security is strong enough to stand up to clever hackers, listen in!
Thanks for listening!
Get ready for a Q&A! This week, we're exploring the world of AI tools, "made-up" companies in GBP, and the differences between Google searches and AI-powered searches.
Thanks for listening!
AI has taken the world by a storm and its capabilities continue to grow by leaps and bounds. In our recent Spark Live episode we talk about the effect of AI on customer experience.
Thanks for listening!
Responding to negative reviews is crucial for several reasons: maintaining a positive brand image, improving customer satisfaction, and fostering trust!
In this episode we discuss effective strategies for navigating negative review response.
Thanks for listening!
Today we're talking about The 2024 Local Consumer Review Survey!
Understanding consumer behavior is essential for brand success. The competitive online review landscape shapes reputations significantly.
We'll discuss how consumers interact with business reviews, the importance of various review elements, and how they compare to personal recommendations.
Thanks for listening!
Today we're talking about User-Generated Content (UGC). Discover how real, customer-created content is reshaping brand trust, enhancing engagement, and setting new trends in the digital realm.
- Learn how brands like GoPro and Starbucks are turning customer stories into powerful endorsements.
- Get actionable insights to leverage UGC in boosting your SEO and embracing authenticity.
Thanks for listening!
This week's show focuses on the impact of voice search on SEO. We talk about the role of AI tools in optimizing mobile SEO, local SEO strategies, content adjustments for voice searches, and upcoming trends that could influence SEO strategies. These topics are crucial for anyone looking to stay ahead in digital marketing!
Thanks for listening!
This week's show is all about mastering mobile optimization with AI tools. 📱✨What's in store?
-The scoop on mobile optimization's impact on SEO.
-Top AI tools to enhance your site's mobile experience.
.....and more!
Thanks for listening!
Live from Nashville, TN at the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Expo! Carter and Taylor speak about why now is the time to be elevating your business with AI. Tune in for more info!
When the cats are away, the mice will play! Carter & Taylor are traveling in Dallas this week, but Tom & Alyssa of Spark Marketer have a great show planned for you. Get ready to dive into paid advertising analytics and optimization!
We cover key metrics, effective tracking strategies, and practical tips to maximize your ad performance.
Thanks for listening!
In our most recent episode, we explore the key areas of paid advertising, including search engine and social media ads, effective targeting strategies, and budgeting techniques like CPC and CPA. We also touch on creating impactful ads and the importance of ethical practices. You don't want to miss this!
Happy listening!
Despite all the shiny new marketing "hack" tactics out there, email marketing is still a viable way to communicate with both potential and past customers. But email marketing is more than just spamming your whole list with salesy emails. That's a big no-no. In this episode, we talk about ways to improve not only how many people open your email, but to get more people to click and take action.
Thanks for your support, and happy listening!
Carter and Taylor are coming back Puerto Rico where they attended Lindemann U along side many other industry professionals. They are ready to talk about what they learned, and answer any questions that came up there!
Thanks for listening!
This week, we continue the conversation on email marketing. We cover a wealth of topics from crafting compelling content, ensuring your emails shine on every device, to the secrets of personalization and much more.
Thanks for listening!
In our latest episode we cover the ins and outs of crafting and managing an effective email list.
Tune in for tips and tricks to take your email marketing to new heights!
Thanks for listening!
You've got questions, we've got answers!
In this episode we cover questions like:
- I want to text my customers with a special offer. What do I need for that?
- Is direct mail still effective?
- Looking into 2024, what do you see that you think everyone should be aware of?
- Looking back, what was the biggest lesson of 2023?
.......and more!
Thanks for listening!
In our latest episode, we delved into the essentials of crafting an effective content marketing plan, sharing insights and strategies to enhance your digital presence.
This episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Tune in and let's spice up your content game together!
Thanks for listening!
This week, we're talking about Infographics. We dive into how infographics, the visual storytellers of the digital age, can transform complex information into engaging graphics that resonate with your audience.
Listen in while we discuss the importance of infographics in conveying your message with clarity and impact!
Thanks for listening!
This week on Spark Live, we explore why you should create informative videos and tutorials.
- 💡 Uncover the game-changing impact of informative videos.
- 🌐 Get practical tips for creating compelling content.
- 🤝 Strengthen community bonds through engaging tutorials.
Tune in to take your content to new heights!
Thanks for listening!
You've got questions, we've got answers!
In this episode we cover common questions like:
- Is it okay to use my gmail address as my main company email?
- What’s an example of someone using ChatGPT for a really good result?
- AI feels like cotton candy: looks great, but no substance. What’s your take?
- Are the new AI-powered chat bots ready for the real world yet?
.......and more!
Thanks for listening!
This week, Carter and Taylor continue the conversation on Blogging. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to come up with content for your blog.
Tune in to this episode of Spark Live to discover the best content to write about for your business.
Taylor and Carter are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a digital marketing company that helps home service businesses get discovered by customers in their area.
Thanks for listening!
Creating content for a blog is a big commitment.
Listen to this episode of Spark Live to discover if it's the secret sauce to spicing up your online presence and customer connections!
Thanks for listening!
You've got questions, we've got answers!
In this episode we cover common questions like:
- I know I should be doing videos for my business, but how do I get more comfortable in front of a camera?
- How do I take better photos that tell the full story of what we do?
- Do you have any tips on getting my techs to ask for reviews?
- How does call tracking work? Do I need anything to do it?
- What's the best way to get photos and videos to my marketing company?
.......and more!
Thanks for listening!
Looking to build a strong online presence and attract customers? 👉 Cue content marketing.
So what IS content marketing?
Listen to this episode of Spark Live to learn how to create and distribute valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a target audience.
Thanks for listening!
-Taylor and Carter
Have you ever tried posting on your company's social media pages but didn't get the results you'd hoped for? You're not alone. It's tough to do and results don't happen overnight.
So how do you manage and grow your social media presence in a way that won't cause you more frustration?
Listen to this episode of Spark Live to get a plan in place for how to grow and manage your social media presence.
Thanks for listening!
-Taylor and Carter
Knowing which platform(s) to focus on is only half the battle. The next step is knowing how to create content that's engaging for your audience. Listen to this episode as Taylor and Carter dive into some actionable steps toward creating social media content.
Thanks for listening!
Does it ever feel like the list of "must-have" social media platforms gets larger every year? It can feel overwhelming with limited time and so many different options.
But how do you choose which platforms to be active on and which to ignore?
You can start by listening to this episode as we discuss how to choose the right social media platforms!
Thanks for listening!
You've got questions, we've got answers!
In this episode we cover common questions like:
- How can I turn off marketing when I have too much work coming in?
- Where should I concentrate my marketing? Or, should I go after everything?
- Can you explain the difference between SEO, SEM, and OTT marketing?
- How do we actually track our marketing results?
- And More!
Thanks for listening!
Social media is still a core part of any modern marketing strategy and likely will remain for the foreseeable future. It allows you to build your brand and connect with your community.
If you're neglecting your social media channels, it can have a negative impact on your business' perception to potential customers.
There's no better time than now to brush up on your social media skills. No matter if you're doing it yourself or hiring for a role in your business, this is the episode for you!
Thanks for listening!
How you respond to reviews, especially the bad ones, can go a long way toward turning a negative into a positive.
But even for positive reviews from your customers, it's still best practice to respond to those as well.
In this episode of Spark Live, Taylor and Carter go into ways you can professionally respond to reviews to bring in more business.
Thanks for listening!
Getting more reviews for your business is a common challenge, especially among local service business companies. However, this is unlikely to change anytime soon with how important they are for your online reputation.
Listen now to learn three ways to get more reviews for your business.
Thanks for listening!
———————————————————————
🔔 Subscribe for weekly Spark Live videos and more! ⤵️
https://www.youtube.com/@SparkMarketer?sub_confirmation=1
You can also visit us on our:
🌐 Website: https://sparkmarketer.com/
📷 Instagram: http://instagram.com/sparkmarketer
👍 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sparkmarketer
🤝 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/spark-marketer
📚 Resource Center: https://resources.sparkmarketer.com/
🎧 Podcast page: https://sparkmarketer.com/spark-live/
This week, the guys are answering yourquestions about marketing! They talk about everything from Google Business to ChatGPT.
Taylor and Carter are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a digital marketing company that helps home service businesses get discovered by customers in their area.
Don't miss this episode!
This week, Carter and Taylor continue the conversation on Reputation Management. Managing and responding to reviews is a key aspect of online reputation management.
Tune in as we give you a step-by-step guide on how we guide our clients through this process!
Taylor and Carter are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a digital marketing company that helps home service businesses get discovered by customers in their area.
Thanks for listening!
Reputation Management is all about monitoring, managing, and influencing how your business is perceived by others. Listen as Carter and Taylor talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of Reputation Management.
Taylor and Carter are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a digital marketing company that helps home service businesses get discovered by customers in their area.
Thanks for listening!
Setting up and optimizing a Google Business Profile is a key aspect of local SEO; listen as Carter and Taylor talk about how to guide clients through this process!
Taylor and Carter are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a digital marketing company that helps home service businesses get discovered by customers in their area.
Thanks for listening!
This week, the guys are answering yourquestions about marketing! They talk about everything from proactive marketing strategy to online privacy.
Taylor and Carter are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a digital marketing company that helps home service businesses get discovered by customers in their area.
Don't miss this episode!
Claiming and managing local business listings is a crucial step in your local SEO strategy; listen as Taylor and Carter break down a step-by-step guide!
Taylor and Carter are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a digital marketing company that helps home service businesses get discovered by customers in their area.
Thanks for listening!
Interested in what makes some companies show up in search results while others don't? Maybe you want to know why your company doesn't show as often in Google versus a competiter?
Listen as Taylor and Carter continue the discussion on optimization, this week focusing on website content, the portion that your customers are seeing and engaging with.
Taylor and Carter are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a digital marketing company that helps home service businesses get discovered by customers in their area.
Thanks for listening!
Interested in what makes some companies show up in search results while others don't? Maybe you want to know why your company doesn't show as often in Google versus a competiter?
The answer could be local SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Listen as Taylor and Carter lay out some of the basics of SEO for businesses who serve customers in their local areas.
Taylor and Carter are the co-founders of Spark Marketer, a digital marketing company that helps home service businesses get found by customers in their area.
Thanks for listening!
This week on Spark Live, Spark Marketer co-founders Carter Harkins and Taylor Hill are here to talk about mobile-responsive design and the user esperience. User experience should be at forefront of your website design.
Listen as they explain everything you should consider.
This week, the guys are answering yourquestions about marketing! They talk about everything from Google's changes to Artificial Intelligence's impact.
Don't miss this episode!
What is a USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? It's a distinctive and compelling feature or benefit that sets a product, service, or brand apart from its competitors in the marketplace.
On this week's episode of Spark Live, Spark Marketer co-founders Taylor Hill and Carter Harkins talk about what that means, and how it can affect your business...for the better!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
This week, Taylor Hill and Carter Harkins talk about the things you should consider before creating your logo and tagline. Remember this 1 simple mantra: Keep. It. Simple.
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
How do you create a strong brand identity? It's more than just coming up with a logo and a name!
Listen to this episode to learn what goes into your brand's identity.
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Carter and Taylor talk about the future of marketing and other questions in this month's Q&A!
We discuss topics like AI, Google Maps, Google Ads, Bing, and more!
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Taylor and Carter are not only the co-hosts of Spark Live, but they're also the two faces of the Spark Marketer brand. Many business owners they talk to are also the face of their own businesses.
In this episode, they talk about how to market yourself as the business owner and the face of the company brand.
If you're a small business owner, you won't want to miss this one! Especially if you're also the face of your company's brand.
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
In this episode, Taylor and Carter discuss three ways marketing for a home service business is different than other types of businesses.
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Taylor and Carter give three of the top ways a home service business can stand out. No matter if you're in a hyper-competitive market or not, learning how to stand out to your customers (in a good way) is always beneficial.
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Taylor and Carter talk about what to do if (when) the phones stop ringing in your business, the most difficult part of marketing today, ChatGPT, and more from the live Q&A!
And a first on this show: they disagreed on a topic?! 😳 Keep watching to find out what they disagreed on!
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
On this episode of Spark Live, Taylor and Carter discuss 5 of the most important things consumers said about reviews in the most recent 2023 BrightLocal survey. They discuss specifically what home service companies need to know when it comes to reviews and how their customers are using the different review platforms.
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Our brains programmed themselves to keep us alive.
However, that doesn't always mean keeping us happy, content, optimistic, etc.
Our brains are focused on the negative to constantly be on the lookout for threats.
But today, this survival technique works a bit against us. Keep listening as we discuss how the real problem you're facing could actually be your mindset and more about how this plays into marketing, business, reviews, and more!
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Change is one of the few constants in business and in life. In this episode, Taylor and Carter talk about several questions when it comes to change.
They discuss:
- Why is change so hard
- What do we gain when we refuse to change
- What do we gain when we embrace change
- Is there a danger in changing?
- Is change rooted in mindset or culture
- How to embrace change
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Do you know your customers trust you?
Or do you think they trust you?
The space between this thinking and knowing trust is called the trust gap.
It's part of the job of a business owner to close this trust gap to know for sure you've earned the trust of your customers.
But how do you do it?
In this episode, Taylor and Carter give 6 ways to build trust with your customers.
They're joined by special guest, Jerry Isenhour of CVC Success Group as he discusses how he's shifted his coaching to be less about "sales training" and more about increasing trust with the customer.
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
As much as we wish it wasn't the case, dealing with customer complaints comes with the territory when running any business. It's human nature to feel attacked and get defensive when someone complains about something as important to you as your business.
But knowing how to de-escalate and effectively manage complaints is more than just a business skill. It's a life skill.
On this episode of Spark Live, Carter and Taylor cover how to effectively handle complaints and how to create a processfor dealing with them that fits your business and your life.
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
You may be familiar with the term “Guerilla warfare” which conjures up images of unconventional fighting tactics against a larger, more traditional foe.
Guerilla marketing isn’t this combative.
But it can help you win the fight for your customer's attention by using creative tactics to raise brand awareness and engagement.
Taylor and Carter discuss:
- What is guerilla marketing
- Famous examples of guerilla marketing
- And more!
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
People trust people they know.
We know this isn't exactly groundbreaking info.
But it’s no wonder referral programs continue to be a tried and true method for companies of all sizes to effectively find new customers from existing sources.
But how do you set one up? Where do you start?
We cover how to create a referral program on this episode of Spark Live.
Specifically:
Referrals come from both customers and professionals
The four steps:
Define the program
Design the program
Deploy it
Deliver what you promised
That's it! Now you've got a great framework to implement your own referral program in your business!
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
ChatGPT is all the rage so far this year! We're here to break down what ChatGPT is and what it means for your business.
Taylor and Carter discussed:
- What all the hoopla is about in regard to ChatGPT and AI
- Will ChatGPT change the world?
- Will ChatGPT change your business?
- The best ways for a small business to use ChatGPT
- And what ChatGPT cannot do well
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com. We'd love to hear from you!
On this episode of Spark Live, Carter and Taylor were back answering your questions!
They covered:
- "When everything is equal, what sets you (your business) apart?"
- "Is everyone (seasonal businesses heavy in fall and winter) slowing down?"
- "What can we cut back on to save money during slow times?" (And no marketing isn't one of them!)
- "What is AIO?"
Thanks for listening!
P.S. If you enjoy Spark Live, please consider leaving us a review! It means we're delivering the right value to you as a listener and helps us identify where we need to improve. For other comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com.
On this episode of Spark Live, we’re bringing back our resident ads expert, Dave Scribani, to talk about Google Ads (with a little Facebook ads talk) and what you need to know in 2023. We cover answers to these questions:
- "The phones aren't ringing, should we run Google Ads?"
- "How do I know if I am ready to dive into the ads world?"
- "I want to run ads but my business is not doing well. What should I do?"
- "What are some great things Google Ads (and Facebook ads) can do for my business?"
As well as getting his recommendation for display ads vs search ads.
You won't want to miss it!
P.S. If you enjoy Spark Live, please consider leaving us a review! It means we're delivering the right value to you as a listener and helps us identify where we need to improve. For other comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com.
Like most questions in the marketing world, the answer is “it depends.”
But we swear this isn’t a cop-out answer!
SEO isn’t something as black and white as, say, your business’ P&L statement or balance sheet.
There are many factors that determine how fast you can see SEO results.
Taylor and Carter talk about:
- Your goals and expectations
- Your starting point
- Where you're located
- The competition in the area
- BONUS: What's the first thing to do if you are in need of a quick win to drum up business?
Thanks for listening!
P.S. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com.
It’s easy to get caught up in all the hype and buzz surrounding new technologies.
But is that shiny new piece of technology helping you to solve an actual problem?
Or is it just a bunch of bells and whistles with no actual substance to do anything useful?
On this episode of Spark Live, Taylor and Carter talk about 5 points to consider when you're looking at adding new technology to your business.
They covered:
- How to make sure the technology solves an actual problem
- KISS - Keep It (the technology) Simple Stupid
- How to make sure the technology is versatile
- Do they (the people involved) actually understand your industry?
- What type of support is available?
Thanks for listening!
P.S. If you enjoy Spark Live, please consider leaving us a review! It means we're delivering the right value to you as a listener and helps us identify where we need to improve. For other comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com.
At this time of year, there's a renewed focus on goals, resolutions, and intentions.
Truth is, the story we tell ourselves gets forgotten. So what's your story for 2023? We've all got one we tell ourselves. It's being written each day, month, and year.
But is it helping you or holding you back?
In this episode of Spark Live, Taylor talks about ways to self-identify your story and how it gets reflected in your business.
Happy New Year! December 2022's Q&A is here.
Questions/topics we covered: 1. "How do I know if I'm doing the right things with my marketing?"
Compare your numbers (revenue, sales, and other KPIs you've set for your business) to 2019, not 2020/2021. The mindset was different in those years than now.
- "How do I create a more secure password?"
Carter goes over the proven password formula we've used here to keep our logins more secure. NOTE: to see the password formula Carter talks about, check out the timestamped YouTube video: https://youtu.be/4nj6LvrOEPQ?t=806
Thanks for listening!
What's new with Facebook and Facebook ads? We're glad you asked!
In this episode we've got a special guest - our very own Facebook expert, Dave Scribani.
We talked with him about Facebook ads (and organic) and what you need to know going into 2023.
We covered:
- What's the difference between Facebook ads and Facebook organic content?
- How many people actually see your organic Facebook and Instagram content
- Is organic reach declining?
- How much do Facebook ads cost? And is the cost increasing?
- And more!
For questions or suggestions for future shows, email us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com!
Thanks for listening!
P.S. Check out our Resource Center for info on other marketing topics: https://resources.sparkmarketer.com/
Photos and videos are useful for attracting attention. They work especially great if you're in a visual industry, like fashion or travel.
But how can you use visual marketing for a home service business? Listen to this episode to find out!
We cover:
- How many businesses are investing in visuals
- What we mean by 'multimedia' and the scale from simple to complex examples
- What YellowPages has to do with today's marketing
- How to approach content creation
- And the ROI for visual marketing strategies
Thanks for listening!
For other marketing resources for home service businesses, check out resources.sparkmarketer.com!
If you search “SEO Advice for small businesses” you’ll get around 25,000,000 results.
With this much info out there, it can be difficult to know what’s true and what’s BS.
Lucky for you, we’re breaking down some bad advice around SEO on the Internet you can ignore (and what you should do instead).
We’ll talk about:
👵 What to do with old content on your website
📜 How the length of a page impacts its rank
✍️ If you should put keywords in every page heading
🏞️ How alt text in images should actually be used
☠️ How much you should worry about “toxic” links
After this Spark Live, you’ll know the correct way to deal with these 5 pieces of bad SEO advice.
In this episode of Spark Live, we caught up a bit on some housekeeping notes, announcements, and answers to some questions!
First off, congratulations to Taylor for becoming a Business Made Simple Certified Coach. 👏🎉
Second, our Customer Engine software is now going to be called CustomerMatic. Everything else is the same! Just a name change. Carter shares the story in this episode.
Taylor also goes into things to keep in mind with how different business owners think about their business and how they see marketing specifically. How does marketing fit in with your business? Is it something you nurture or neglect?
Thanks for listening!
-Taylor and Carter
P.S. If you enjoy Spark Live, please consider leaving us a review! It means we're delivering the right value to you as a listener and helps us identify where we need to improve. For comments, questions, or ideas for topics, please reach us at sparklive@sparkmarketer.com.
In this episode of Spark Live, we talked about creating relevant blog posts for both your audience and Google. Plus a list of 6 types of blog posts you can start creating for your business today.
We discussed:
- Do you really need a blog post?
- How to find good topics to write about
- Using stories to connect with your reader
- Six Example Types of Blog Posts
- The Expert Post
- The List-Based Post
- The "Best-of" Post
- The Newsjacking Post
- The Infographic Post
- The How-to Post
Thanks for listening!
P.S. If you enjoy Spark Live, please consider leaving us a review! It means we're delivering the right value to you as a listener and helps us identify where we need to improve.
Running a chimney service company during the fall burning season is a challenge, to say the least. Our special guest this week, Lou Curley of Lou Curley's Chimney Service, talked about how automation changed his business for the better and what life was like before he started using it.
Hear from Lou and Carter as they unpack how to use automation in your business, no matter the season.
Lou Curley is the owner of Lou Curley’s Chimney Service serving the Philadelphia, PA area. He’s a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) Master Sweep®, National Fireplace Institute Master Hearth Specialist, Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician (CDET)® Certified, and has all three F.I.R.E certifications. Lou is also serving on the CSIA volunteer Board of Directors.
You won't want to miss this one!
We had some great questions for this month's Q&A!
We covered:
“I know I should be doing videos for my business, but how do I get more comfortable in front of a camera?”
“How do I take better photos that tell the full story of what we do?”
“Do you have any tips on getting my techs to ask for reviews?”
“How does call tracking work? Do I need anything to do it?”
Thanks for listening!
The Internet and negativity go hand-in-hand. It’s easier for online trolls to hide behind a screen spewing comments they’d dare not make in person.
It’s especially tough for anyone representing a business or brand. Fair or not, poor responses impact not only you but everyone in that business.
In this episode of Spark Live, we discussed 5 ways to deal with negative comments on social media.
We discussed:
- Why you must address negative comments
- What to do if you see the same comments over and over again
- Why waiting too long to respond can actually hurt you
- What to do with your emotions
- When you should report people’s comments
If you’re tired of negative comments on social media, listen now to learn how to deal with them.
Thanks for listening!
Mark Stoner is the President of Ashbusters Chimney Service, CSIA Master Sweep®, and past President of the Chimney Safety Institute of America. Mark is also the "Poppy" of Poppy & Peep, a micro-chocolate factory in Nashville, TN, and the author of Blue Collar Gold: How To Build A Service Business From The Dirt Up.
We discussed:
- How Mark realized SEO was something he needed to try
- What Mark was doing before SEO
- How long it took him to realize the old Yellowpages (remember those?!) were a waste of money
- How long it took Mark to see results from SEO
- And more!
Thanks for listening!
We discussed:
- What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- SEO strategies
- The different services within SEO (technical, research, content)
- Benefits of good SEO
- How to budget for SEO
- And more!
Thanks for listening!
Online video consumption is changing and growing. How can you use it effectively right now? Tune in for this discussion and find out!
We discussed:
- What percent of consumers watch videos to learn about the brand
- Why consumers watch videos (and how to use this in your own videos)
- How important production value is
- How long your videos should be
- And more!
Thanks for listening!
-Taylor and Carter
Online video consumption is changing and growing. How can you use it effectively right now? Tune in for this discussion and find out!
We discussed:
- What percent of consumers watch videos to learn about the brand
- Why consumers watch videos (and how to use this in your own videos)
- How important production value is
- How long your videos should be
- And more!
Thanks for listening!
-Taylor and Carter
Time for September's Q&A!
We discussed these questions:
"Do you need a website or is it enough to have a Google Business Profile?"
"I got a couple of emails from you all this month. Can you talk about how someone can get into an email account?"
"Can you talk more about ADA Compliance?"
"Why do you all recommend the BBB for trust factor and why is trust important these days?"
"Are directories important to be in online?
I’m tired of asking for reviews. Is it really that important?"
"Can you tell me what the top three things I should be paying attention to?"
Thanks for listening!
Time for September's Q&A!
We discussed these questions:
"Do you need a website or is it enough to have a Google Business Profile?"
"I got a couple of emails from you all this month. Can you talk about how someone can get into an email account?"
"Can you talk more about ADA Compliance?"
"Why do you all recommend the BBB for trust factor and why is trust important these days?"
"Are directories important to be in online?
I’m tired of asking for reviews. Is it really that important?"
"Can you tell me what the top three things I should be paying attention to?"
Thanks for listening!
The last thing you want to do after spending money on new leads is the Customer Service Rep (CSR) blowing the sale once they get on the phone.
But Marketing isn’t just the initial sale. Or getting leads.
Failing to prepare the customer to be a customer for life instead of a one-time transaction is also a failure in Marketing.
This week we bring in a special guest, Brandi Biswell, to discuss how to get your CSRs involved (and excited) in the Marketing of your company.
Brandi is an expert when it comes to office management, CSR training, and human resources. She’s a Certified Coach for Service Titan and trainer with CVC Success Group. Brandi was recently awarded the NCSG Friendship Award in recognition of her contributions and friendship to others in the chimney industry.
We discussed:
- The real value of a great CSR
- How office processes help or hinder the office team
- What functions of marketing CSRs can do in their daily job
- When a company should hire their first CSR
- Marketing automation
- And more!
If you think your CSRs don't impact your marketing, we encourage you to listen to this Spark Live!
The last thing you want to do after spending money on new leads is the Customer Service Rep (CSR) blowing the sale once they get on the phone.
But Marketing isn’t just the initial sale. Or getting leads.
Failing to prepare the customer to be a customer for life instead of a one-time transaction is also a failure in Marketing.
This week we bring in a special guest, Brandi Biswell, to discuss how to get your CSRs involved (and excited) in the Marketing of your company.
Brandi is an expert when it comes to office management, CSR training, and human resources. She’s a Certified Coach for Service Titan and trainer with CVC Success Group. Brandi was recently awarded the NCSG Friendship Award in recognition of her contributions and friendship to others in the chimney industry.
We discussed:
- The real value of a great CSR
- How office processes help or hinder the office team
- What functions of marketing CSRs can do in their daily job
- When a company should hire their first CSR
- Marketing automation
- And more!
If you think your CSRs don't impact your marketing, we encourage you to listen to this Spark Live!
“E.A.T.”
“Y.M.Y.L”
No, these aren’t audibles being yelled by the quarterback before the ball is snapped in football.
Google recently updated the quality raters guidelines for SEO and content purposes for E-A-T and YMYL sites.
These stand for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness and Your Money or Your Life sites.
We discussed:
- What an EAT type site is
- What a YMYL site is and isn’t
- What you need to know about them
- What characteristics can lower your quality rating
- BONUS: Tidbits on Google Business Profile, Google Ads, Organic, and what you need to focus on right now
After watching this Live, you’ll understand how important EAT and YMYL sites are to your website and what to know about Google’s 2022 Update.
“E.A.T.”
“Y.M.Y.L”
No, these aren’t audibles being yelled by the quarterback before the ball is snapped in football.
Google recently updated the quality raters guidelines for SEO and content purposes for E-A-T and YMYL sites.
These stand for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness and Your Money or Your Life sites.
We discussed:
- What an EAT type site is
- What a YMYL site is and isn’t
- What you need to know about them
- What characteristics can lower your quality rating
- BONUS: Tidbits on Google Business Profile, Google Ads, Organic, and what you need to focus on right now
After watching this Live, you’ll understand how important EAT and YMYL sites are to your website and what to know about Google’s 2022 Update.
Do you ever use alt text?
No, we’re not talking about the "alt" key on your keyboard (for you PC users).
We’re talking about a way to help make your website more accessible and better understood by both people and search engines.
We discussed:
- What exactly is alt text (alternative text)
- How you know what your alt text is
- Why alt text is important
- How to know if you have good alt text
After listening to this Spark Live, you’ll understand how important alt text is to your website and what benefits it offers users.
We opened the floor and answered your questions!
We discussed these questions: * “What’s going on with Google Business Profile? I’ve lost reviews and people tell me they do the review but I don’t see them.” * “Every time I turn around there is a new social thing I need to be on. The newest one is BeReal. Really?” * “Why is SEO so expensive when it’s referred to as organic and organic is free?” * “I get emails that tell me I’m not showing up online or could be showing up better. When I look, I’m there so is there anything to these emails?” * and more!
Don't miss this episode!
When you search SEO (Search Engine Optimization) you’ll find a bunch of articles that will tell you exactly how to do it. They are filled with simplistic instructions and hacks that might work for a few days or weeks but they won’t work for long.
Why is the top organic spot important? After all, the ads and map listing is above organic listings these days and you have to scroll down the page to find it.
Answer: The top organic spot still accounts for over 50% of clicks on the average page. That’s a lot of clicks to lose and there are multiple companies competing for that same spot. This is why SEO services cost what it costs. (5k monthly fees are the norm in 2021)
The hacks no longer work because of the competition. When everyone is applying the same hack, then the hack loses its luster and they aren’t good enough to make a difference anymore.
Jaso Khoo said this: “Really, if anyone can find and apply hacks and shortcuts in seconds, without experience, everyone can. The quickest way to blend into the crowd is to do the same thing as the crowd, and you have virtually no chance of standing out.”
SEO revolves around these 3 things:
-
Links (Link Building & referring domains)
-
Content (Content development & content marketing)
-
Technical (Technical SEO)
If you are doing SEO yourself for your business then concentrate on the things you are really good at. If you’re great at websites, then the technical SEO might be what you need to do more of. Great writer? Then do more content marketing and creation. If you are a local social butterfly and love making connections then contacting people for links might be your best contribution to SEO. The hard fact is that most people are not strong in all 3 so do what you are strong in.
If you work with an agency, hopefully they have specialists in these categories that can either do, facilitate, or manage your SEO.
The reality of SEO is it is a frustratingly complex topic that takes consistency of work over time to make a real and lasting impact and that can’t be done with short-cuts and hacks.
We’ve looked at quite a few websites over the years as co-owners of Spark Marketer.
And one thing is certain:
Not all websites are created equal.
This week on Spark Live, we’re going to talk about 4 of the biggest mistakes we see website designers make when it comes to marketing for chimney and other home service companies.
Here’s 4 few hints. We’ll cover:
Logo
Fonts
Paragraphs
CTA’s
After watching this week’s Spark Live, you won’t look at other websites the same again!
We covered:
- Why Chuck is so open to testing new marketing strategies
- How Chuck allocates his budget for testing
- A time when something Chuck thought was going to be great but then failed
- Some things Chuck tested that were winners in hismarket
- The number 1 mistake Chuck sees companies make when testing marketing strategies
- And more!
After listening to this episode, you’ll gain valuable insight from someone who's been there and done that when it comes to testing strategies to grow his business.
Chuck is the President of Winston’s Chimney Service in Fairfax, VA. He is also currently the president of the Mid-Atlantic Chimney Association and the President Emeritus of The Chimney Safety Institute of America, (CSIA). Chuck holds contractor’s licenses in MD, DC, and VA and is a F.I.R.E. Certified Inspector.
This week we’re back taking your questions in a Live Q&A!Some common questions we’ll cover: “Does ‘Local Search’ mean ‘SEO’?” “What exactly is a landing page?” “Is there a way to call back a customer you miss on the phone before they go to the next business?”️ “I heard Google doesn’t care about bad reviews. Is that right?” “What are LSA’s (Local Services Ads)?” “What’s the #1 mistake you see made on websites?”
How do you feel when you read a bad review someone left for your business?
We’re guessing incensed or at least irritated, right?
It hurts when you read something negative about something as close to you as your business.
Especially when they are only telling their side of the story.
But believe it or not, there are ways to use a bad review from a customer to turn things in your favor.
Join us tomorrow as we cover ways to take advantage of a bad review.
We’ll cover:
How reviews can show how you respond to negativity
How reviews can highlight areas of your business that actually need improving
How engaging with customers proactively can mitigate issues
Bonus: How a strong brand can elicit empathy from outlier negative comments
Privacy and data go hand in hand. As privacy laws change, there’s renewed focus on first party data vs third party data. Transparency and trust are crucial as more people become aware of how their data is being used by businesses.
The definitions of first party data and third party data
The challenges when it comes to collecting first party data
How you use first party data
What zero party data is and how it’s different
How personalizarion plays into first party data
And more!
No one likes spam.
Email spam, hacked site spam, link spam, spammy looking sites, the list goes on.
But if you like the canned spam food, to each their own
Since 2018, Google’s AI-based spam-prevention system, SpamBrain, has been working to identify and remove hacked spam across the web.
Join us as we talk more about this system and what it means for you.
We’ll cover:
What SpamBrain does
What percentage of searches are spam-free thanks to SpamBrain
How SpamBrain deals with online harassment
What you need to know about spam and SpamBrain
And more!
After watching this Live, you’ll know more about how spam is being combated with Google’s AI-based system, SpamBrain.
This week Taylor is on the road so Carter will be solo taking your questions for a LIVE Q & A session!
All my new customers come directly from my GBP and Facebook page. It’s been that way for a while now. Do I really need a website anymore?”
“I was told tracking numbers are bad for your SEO. Is that true?”
“Is Yelp the Devil’s Spawn? Am I selling my soul if I work with them?”
“How do I optimize my images? Is it really necessary?”
“I know what search optimization is. But what is conversion optimization?”
Whatever your questions are, Carter's here to answer them!
Don't leave Carter hanging out all alone!
Last week we talked about automation in the workplace and some of the benefits of implementing it in the office.
This week we’re speaking with special guest, Linda Roydhouse, to talk about ways automation changed her business.
Linda is among the best at implementing and using automation we’ve ever seen.
She’s the perfect person to ask your questions when it comes to using automation in your business.
We’ll cover:
What specific things she automated off her plate
How long it took to get everything set up
How much time was saved with automation
Was it worth the cost of the automation in the workplace
Reducing waste and being efficienct are critical when running a business. Nothing highlights this more than when times get tough.
But how can you be more efficient without incurring additional manpower costs?
One way is through automation.
Particularly workplace automation.
We’ll cover:
What automation is
What tasks can (and probably should) be automated
How much it costs to implement automation
Examples of office automation any business can use
And more!
You might be wondering to yourself, “Taylor and Carter sure are talking a lot about images and visual search.”
And you would be correct!
We have talked a lot about visuals recently.
But for good reason.
Images play a huge role in marketing, especially with how Google has prioritized them in mobile and improved their image AI.
But what steps do you need to take as a business to take advantage of this?
Find out tomorrow at 3pm CDT!
We’ll cover:
How do images get you more conversions AKA calls and jobs
What does the “ideal” image look like going forward
Ways to future-proof for visual search
And more!
After watching this Live, you’ll know more about how images can lead to more jobs and some ways to futureproof your company in visual searches.
Now’s your chance! This week we’re featuring special guest Amanda Law with Amanda Law Photography. She’s a photographer specializing in business and personal branding photos with 10 years professional experience.
With Google getting better and better at knowing what your photos are, it’s the perfect time to jump in and get your visual strategy in place.
We’ll cover:
✅ The importance of getting the visuals right
✅ What happens if you have poor visuals online
✅ When and why to hire a professional
✅ And more!
Are images the future of Google Search? They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Google has clearly taken this to heart and has increased the space for images in search over the past 5 years.
But what does this mean for you and your business going forward? That’s exactly what we’re digging into on this week’s Spark Live.
We’ll cover:
✅ What kinds of images Google loves
✅ Where Google gets their images results
✅ The role images play in your Google Business Profile
✅ And more!
Last week we went over some really interesting stats around customer review trends – but there’s still more to cover. So, if you didn’t catch last week’s Spark Live, watch the replay and make sure to join us this week.
We’ll cover:
✅ How much responding to reviews impacts consumer decisions
✅ The minimum star rating consumers will accept in a business
✅ Just how important recency of reviews is to consumers
✅ And more!
It’s no secret that reviews matter, but what’s the latest on how consumers use and write reviews? We’re going deep on this week’s Spark Live with stats from BrightLocal’s latest Consumer Review Survey. It’s part one of our review trend series, and you don’t wanna miss it!
We’ll cover:
✅ How many consumers used the internet to find a local business last year
✅ How often consumers read online reviews for local business
✅ What factors influence a consumer’s decision to leave a review
✅ And more!
As a local business, you can’t ignore local search. Changes and trends in local search can have a big impact on business. That’s why on this week’s Spark Live, we’re going to go over what you need to know about local in 2022.
We’ll cover:
✅ The most unexpected thing in local during 2021
✅ The 3 main drivers for local search in 2022
✅ The biggest 2021 takeaway local
experts think you should know
✅ And more!
We’ve been talking a lot about automation, and you might be thinking, “I’ve got enough on my plate without adding more automation tools and dashboards to the mix. So, how do I incorporate automation?” Well, it all starts with consolidating the business functions and insights you can into one dashboard – and that’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Spark Live. We’ll cover:
✅ What can be consolidated and how
✅ How consolidating things into one dashboard provides better
insight into what is and isn’t working
✅ The consolidation options out there and the pros and cons of each
✅ And more!
Taylor and
Carter have years of experience helping home service businesses use the digital
landscape to their advantage. They provide clients with specialized marketing
strategies such as website upgrades, increased social media presence, targeted
advertising campaigns, and more. With clients nationwide across different home service
industries, Taylor and Carter’s excellent track record speaks for itself!
After
watching this Live, you’ll know your options for consolidation, so you can make
the best decision for your business and budget. Taylor and Carter are here to
provide the expertise to help…you won’t want to miss it!
Last week we talked about what you probably shouldn’t automate in your business. This week, we’re talking about what you could and should automate.
We’ll cover:
✅ The top 9 things you could and should automate in your business
✅ How automation can help you meet customer expectations
✅ How automation can help business
✅ And more!
Taylor and
Carter have years of experience helping home service businesses use the digital
landscape to their advantage. They provide clients with specialized marketing
strategies such as website upgrades, increased social media presence, targeted
advertising campaigns, and more. With clients nationwide across different home
service industries, Taylor and Carter’s excellent track record speaks for
itself!
After
watching this Live, you’ll be ready to start implementing automation in your
business for the benefit of you and your customers. Taylor and Carter are here
to provide the expertise to help…you won’t want to miss it!
Hey, we’ll be the first to tell you automation can be helpful when scaling a business. But there are some things you probably shouldn’t automate. What are they? Find out on this week’s Spark Live.
We’ll cover:
✅ Why automation isn’t a silver bullet
✅ What things in your business should always include a
human-to-human interaction
✅ The #1 question you should ask yourself when determining what to
automate
✅ And more!
How many customers can you afford to lose while still staying in business? 😱 Knowing your numbers is a must for all business owners, but this is one number we can bet you haven’t thought about before.
On this week’s Spark Live, we’re going to cover:
✅ Why you should know this magic number
✅ How to figure it out
✅ How this number can influence marketing decisions
✅ And more!
If there’s one thing that’s obvious as soon as you have your first relationship, first job, or first child, it’s that we all have different communication styles and preferences. Well, your customers and potential customers are no different.
The question is: Should you expect consumers to communicate with you the way you want them to or is it your responsibility to meet them where they are? That’s exactly what we’re digging into on this week’s Spark Live.
We’ll cover:
✅ Which new methods of communication modern customers seem to prefer
✅ How to determine what your potential customers will do if you don’t offer them their preferred communication method
✅ How to monitor and manage communication
As marketing nerds, we pay attention to every Google update out there. But there was one update at the tail end of last year that made big waves: the Vicinity update. Find out what it is and what it means for you on this week’s Spark Live.
We’ll go over:
✅ The main focus of the Vicinity update
✅ Who is seeing and will continue to see the biggest drop in rankings
✅ What you’ll LOVE about the Vicinity update
✅ And more!
We all know Google’s a big fan of changes, but the recent change of Google My Business (GMB) to Google Business Profile (GBP) came as a surprise to everyone in the marketing world. Aside from requiring us all to learn a new name, what will this change bring? Find out on this week’s Spark Live.
We’ll go over:
✅ What hasn’t changed
✅ What has changed (or is changing)
✅ What might change
✅ Plus, what all this means for service businesses specifically
Okay, so SEO isn’t working or hasn’t worked for your business. What gives? Well, on this week’s Spark Live, we’re going to explain just why that might be.
We’ll go over:
✅ What goes into SEO (and doing it right)
✅ Why SEO isn’t a once and done thing
✅ How important SEO is for organic traffic (+ how important organic traffic is for your biz!)
✅ If Ads are a substitute for SEO
✅ And 5 things your SEO company may be getting wrong
If we had a dime for every time we were asked to make a website rank #1, well, we’d be on a beach somewhere. But while ranking #1 is great, there’s actually something called position zero that gets even more eyes on it than ranking position #1. What is position zero and whose content lands there? Find out on this week’s Spark Live.
We’ll go over:
✅ What position zero looks like in search results
✅ Just how many clicks and eyeballs position zero gets
✅ Why earning position zero isn’t as straightforward and beneficial as you might think
✅ And more!
It’s time to face it: voice search isn’t going anywhere. But does it really matter for local service businesses and contractors? That’s exactly what we’re digging into on this week’s Spark Live.
We’ll go over:
✅ Just how much consumers are using voice search
✅ What they’re using voice search for
✅ Why you need to consider voice search when working on your marketing strategy
✅ And more!
Taylor and Carter have years of experience helping home service businesses use the digital landscape to their advantage. They provide clients with specialized marketing strategies such as website upgrades, increased social media presence, targeted advertising campaigns, and more. With clients nationwide across different home service industries, Taylor and Carter’s excellent track record speaks for itself!
After this Live, you’ll have a better understanding of why voice search matters for local businesses and what you should do about it. Taylor and Carter are here to provide the expertise to help…you won’t want to miss it!
-
They way we think customers get to our website.
-
Search for a product or service on a search engine (Google, Bing)
-
Go to Facebook organic and click on the link to the website
-
Is this true?
-
Yes
-
And No
-
How else do they get there?
-
Referred through Facebook
- Referred through Next Door or other local and neighborhood sites and apps
- Ads (Google, Facebook, IG, Messenger, etc.)
- Word of mouth
- Billboards
-
Reviews
-
Truth is, it’s normally a combination or two or more
a multichannel approach to sales that focus on providing seamless customer experience whether the client is shopping online from a mobile device, a laptop, desktop, or in a brick-and-mortar store. ... Even when in-store, they will still go online to continue their research.
Okay, I get it from a retail shopping point of view but I’m a home service guy. Why should I care?
There are a few things in the definition we’d like to point out.
-
Seamless customer experience
-
Does your website, trucks, uniforms, invoices, messaging, etc. reflect the same seamless customer experience you would like your customer to have?
-
Mobile device, a laptop, desktop
-
When consumers are online do they see the same messaging, colors, design, logo across multiple devices (responsive design) and platforms? (FB, Insta, TikTok, website, trucks, billboards, etc.)
-
Continue their research
-
When conducting research what will they see across platforms, on reviews on multiple platforms, are your listings consistent across the web, are you paying attention to what is being said about you and your company?
Omnichannel Marketing is more than going into a store and shopping the prices on Amazon. It is about consistency in branding, messaging, and your customers journey in every place they might find you online and off.
Why is it so important?
- You want to be remembered (recall)
- You want to be noticed
- You want to be known
- You want to be the peoples choice
Consistency is key in omnichannel marketing
Let’s start with Original Images.
- People want to see who will be coming to their house to do the work
- They want to know it’s someone in their community
- They want to see what YOU do, how YOU do it and why they should hire YOU.
- Stock photos are slick and out of touch and should only be used if;
-
- You have no other option (no photos what so ever)
- Your pictures are so bad that _______ (fill in the blank)
- You don’t own a camera, or a smart phone (almost impossible!)
If a picture paints a 1000 words then how many does a video paint?
- Videos are just moving pictures
- Lets you get your message out on many platforms and usable many times
- Keeps you at the forefront of your competition
- Shows your personality (or lack of one…)
- Gives you multiple opportunities to shine in your community
The bottomline is…
- If you’re not using video and original pictures you are not putting your best foot forward.
- If you’re not using video and original pictures you are falling behind in marketing because Google, Facebook and all the rest love original pictures and video
- If you’re not using video and original pictures your letting your competition get in front of you because they are using video and original pictures in their marketing efforts
- If you’re not using video and original pictures maybe it’s time to rethink your reasoning and start doing it now that you know you really should.
What is a Chatbot?
- It is a computer program that simulates and processes human conversation
- It allows humans to interact with digital devices as if they were communicating with a real person
- It is programed to work independently from a human operator
Why use a chatbot when you can just talk to people?
- They are available 24/7
- They can generate more conversations
- They can handle multiple conversations at the same time (You know from all those inquiries)
- They are consistent - no mood swings and never sick
- They can collect and analyze data
- They can help you personilze conversations with customers
- They speak multiple languages
- They can automate many processes
- They can be deployed across many channels
-
- Slack
- Messenger
- Text, etc…
- And finally, as more and more consumers become accustomed to chatbots, they will become increasingly crucial for a positive customer experience
How to get started with chatbots
- Start with setting up your Facebook chatbot. This will give you a great intro and let you see how a chatbot can work for you when you’re not around to answer every channel.
What exactly is conversational marketing?
- People want to talk to people
-
- Consumers have a question, 82% want an “immediate” response
- facilitates a personal & instant connection between marketers and customers
- This form of marketing is available across multiple channels
- It allows brands to meet customers on their terms: on the devices, platforms and time schedules that suit the customer not the business
What are some ways your business can facilitate conversational marketing?
- Chatbots
- Personalized videos
- Personalized emails
- Virtual selling assistants
- Automation
The challenges conversational marketing bring to a service business
- All the platforms that need to be monitored
- How do you pritorize platforms and phone calls?
- Hiring the right people for this position
- Using automation in a smart intelligent way
- Technology
Who writes the guidelines?
- Quality Raters write the guidelines. Google’s quality raters are a team of anywhere from 10–100k people that Google has hired. They determine how well Google’s search results solve a user’s needs.
-
- Google uses their feedback to help understand the impact of algorithmic tweaks.
The document has three main sections:
- Page Quality Rating Guidelines – This section explains the main factors that quality raters should look for in the search results. These include the purpose of the page, E‑A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) signals, content quality, ownership of a website, and the website’s reputation.
- Understanding Mobile User Needs –This section breaks down how Google views mobile interaction.
- Needs Met Rating Guidelines – This scale evaluates how well a search result solves mobile user needs.
The high points that matter!
- Pay attention to what other sites say about you
- Address positive and negative reviews (we have talked about this for years!)
- Show off your expertise
- Clarify who is responsible for information on the page
- Keep your About Us page updated and current
- Add extra E A T signals for Your Money or Your Life sites
-
- Health + fitness
- Safety
- Shopping
- Finance
- Government or law
- News
- Groups of people (specialized groups like disability, nationality, veterans)
- College
- Jobs
- Ensure your website clicks work deeper into the site
-
- Test your interactive content. Use any tools or calculators on your site and make sure they work.
- Watch embedded videos. Videos are a common source of UX issues. Make sure any video embeds play as expected and don’t negatively impact the user experience in other ways.
- Go through your checkout. Add products to your cart and go through the checkout process to ensure everything works as expected.
- Avoid low quality practices
-
- Overly shocking or exaggerated post titles (when the page title elicits a click but then still leaves the user confused).
- Copied main content or scraped content This isn’t to be confused with syndicated content, which Google says is OK if done correctly.
- Make sure ads don’t distract from the content.
- Make your 404 pages informative
- Pay attention to keyword intent and freshness
What Google really wants
- Its algorithm to reward high-quality content and avoid malicious or thin content.
- High-quality content isn’t content that just “looks good”; it also needs to be helpful.
- Site reputation doesn’t stop at the site level—off-page factors play a bigger role in Google’s algorithm than you might think.
Bottom line: These guides are written by real people, which should make you feel a little bit better about the rules and guidelines.
What is marketing analytics? * Marketing analytics is a set of technologies and methods used to transform raw data into marketing insights. * The goal of marketing analytics is to maximize ROI from an enterprise’s marketing initiatives. * Marketing analytics encompasses tools for planning, managing, and evaluating these efforts across every channel.
Establishing the KPI’s for your business
- Marketers use established business metrics, and sometimes create new KPIs, to measure the success of their organizations’ marketing initiatives. They include:
-
- CTR
- ROI
- ROAS
- Profitability segmented by demographic
- Churn rate
- Customer lifetime value
- Customer satisfaction
- Public perception
Benefits of marketing analytics
- Analytics makes advertising more effective and automates many rote tasks
- Marketing analytics helps stakeholders achieve a comprehensive view across all marketing channels, such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, email marketing, and social media.
- Analytics can clarify the big picture, as well as dig down into more granular marketing trends.
- Marketing analytics tools improve lead generation by providing the insights needed to optimize advertising efforts and target the most profitable consumers. Better leads generate more sales and improved ROI.
- Marketing analytics provides insights into customer behavior and preferences. Businesses can then tailor their marketing initiatives to meet the needs of individual consumers.
- Marketing analytics enables real-time decision support as well as proactive management.
- Modern analytics tools make it easy for stakeholders to analyze data as it comes in, so marketing can be adjusted as required by changing trends, and they also allow businesses to use predictive analytics to anticipate those trends rather than react to them.
If it’s so important why doesn’t everyone take advantage of marketing analytics?
- It can be challenging at times.
-
- Centralizing the information can be hard coming from multiple sources
- Businesses lack of analytics experience and understanding
- Analytics cannot answer revenue questions when revenue is separate from analytic data
- Marketing analytics are different in different industries (KPI’s, Goals, etc.)
- Data collection concerns
How to use marketing analytics
- Make it a point to understand the goals of the company and how analytics can help you reach those goals.
- Identify the KPI’s to watch for the designated goals
- Understand search marketing
-
- Website
- Google Ads, Bing Ads, etc.
- SEO
- Facebook Ads, etc.
- Social Media will have different goals and KPI’s
-
- Use the platform’s analytics to drill down further
- Email will also have different goals and KPI’s
-
- Most of these platforms also have analytics
Most of these can be brought together with Google Analytics so you can see them in one place. AND it’s free!
When you rely on Facebook to market your business and communicate with customers, getting thrown in Facebook ‘Jail’ can be more than just an inconvenience. So…
✅ How do you stay out of Facebook Jail?
✅ What can you do if you find yourself in Facebook Jail?
✅ How do you know what you did to land there, so you can avoid it in the future?
We’re covering all that and more on this week’s Spark Live.
-
When should you do a website review? (every 6 months or…)
-
Have you changed (added or removed) services?
- Have you fired, hired, lost, or found new staff?
-
Did you rebrand the logo? Use a different logo on a truck wrap, etc.?
-
What should you review?
-
The words! How long has it been since you actually “read” the site?
-
The pictures. Are they up to date?
- The videos. Do you have them, are they current, do they need to be redone?
-
The testimonials. Are they current? Do you have better ones now to use?
-
When to think about a refresh or redo
-
Are you seeing other sites in your area that look newer and more inviting?
- Is your phone number in a prominent position? (Upper right hand side of header)
- Do you have testimonials in a prominent position on the homepage?
- Do you have a nice team picture on the homepage?
- Is your website really slow?
- Do you look at your website and hate it?
-
Are customers and/or employees telling you it sucks!?
-
What’s the difference between a refresh and a redo?
-
Refresh uses the same logo, colors, and theme and reworks, adds, and subtracts to give you an updated modern look and feel.
-
Redo normally has new branding, colors, and a totally different look and feel.
-
What to be aware of when you do a redo with a different company.
-
301 redirects for SEO purposes.
94% of consumers have used a business information site to find information about a local business in the last 12 months. Why?
- To find new local businesses to consider (66%)
- Find businesses they have heard about but never used before (66%)
- To find information on a business they have used before (48%)
What are the most commonly used sources of business information?
- 1) Google (89%)
- 2) Facebook (48%)
- 3) Yelp (32%)
- 4) Instagram (32%)
- 5) Siri (18%)
- 11% of consumers used Waze, 15% used Google Home, and 18% Siri (which uses Google for its broad search results, and Apple Maps for local information). This means that a grand total of 91% of consumers used the Google search engine for local business information. You can find the entire breakdown here: https://www.brightlocal.com/research/business-listings-trust-report/
85% of consumers found incorrect or incomplete information on a business listing in the last year. In addition, 77% saw conflicting information on a business across different online directories. 75% of consumers contacted or visited a business but it didn’t offer the product or service that it said it did online. The reason this is so important is;
- Finding incorrect information on a business listing would stop 63% of consumers from using that business.
- Only 8% of consumers said they definitely wouldn’t be stopped from using a business due to incorrect listings.
What to make sure is correct.
- Phone number (66%)
- Address (60%)
- Business name
- Opening hours
- Photos - 45% of consumers say that poor-quality or outdated photos would damage their trust.
42% would call the business if the contact details were wrong online, while 20% would look elsewhere online to check the address. But, 39% would either jump ship to an alternative business or give up their search entirely.
In the past 12 months, 81% of consumers visited a business that said online it was open, but that was actually closed due to the pandemic. 76% of consumers arrived at a business too early or late because its opening hours were wrong online.
Impact of Local Business Listings
- 87% clicked through to a website from a business listing
- 86% clicked through to find the website no longer there or the link was broken
- 80% contacted the business through the listing but never got a response from the business
- 72% called a wrong number that was associated with the business online
- 64% visited the wrong location because the address was wrong
- 63% tried to reach a business through social channels and never got a response
In Summary: Keep your local business listings up to date and correct. Especially around holidays when people forget to update that information.
Everyone loves a good story – think Star Wars, LOTR (Lord of the Rings, for you non-nerds), Harry Potter. But does storytelling really have a place in our sales and marketing? Yup. Find out why on this week’s Spark Live.
You’ll learn:
✅ Why stories have been so powerful over the course of existence
✅ Why using logic and reason to appeal to customers and prospects is a mistake
✅ How stories can be a powerful agent of change in your marketing and sales
✅ And more!
If you’ve been thinking about starting a referral marketing campaign, but you’re unsure how to make it work for your business, then you’ll want to join us on this week’s Spark Live. We’ll cover all the basics, like:
✅ What three things you should know about referral marketing before you get started
✅ The two approaches to choose from
✅ How to figure out what your program will look like + how to get the most bang for your buck
✅ How to spread the word about your referral program
✅ And more!
On this week’s Spark Live, we’re dishing out a little tough love and talking about four reasons (that have nothing to do with price) why customers might stop doing business with you.
You’ll learn:
✅ What every business should understand about customer service
✅ Four things that can turn customers off, and how to make sure they’re not showing up in your business
✅ The importance of setting realistic expectations
✅ And more!
Customer service doesn’t only affect the retention of the consumer but affects the retention of employees as well and being aware of customer service statistics can help you stay ahead of the game. People want to work for companies that respect their customers and their employees. Don’t let something like a poor interaction with those who frequent your online store or brick-and-mortar property come between you, your reputation, or your business’s success.
A positive experience with your company is good for everyone involved and you can certainly enjoy the experience, too.
If you’ve had a fake review, raise your hand. Everyone’s hand should be up because fake reviews are everywhere – and they’re enraging. You work so hard on your online reputation and review score, and then someone comes along and leaves you a fake review. And the worst part is, while these platforms make it easy to leave a fake review, they make it hard to remove one. But in this week’s Spark Live, you’ll learn just what to do when you get a fake review.
Map spam…it’s like selfies on Instagram – annoying, but plentiful. Could map spam be hurting your business? How do you spot it? And is there anything you can do to stop it? Find out on this week’s Spark Live.
You’ll learn:
✅ What map spam is and how to spot it
✅ How map spam can impact your business
✅ What you can do to fight it
✅ And more!
If you’ve spent any time with us or you’re a client of ours, you know how we feel about having a robust GMB (Google My Business) profile: It’s vital. That’s where your reviews, hours, phone number, website, and posts live. But is there more to GMB? Is there anything else you could be doing to make your GMB profile stand out? Find out on this week’s Spark Live.
You’ll learn:
✅ What new features you could and should be using
✅ Why and how a robust GMB profile can bring you more leads
✅ How to make your business’s GMB profile stand out
✅ And more!
If you shatter a mirror, you’ll have 7 years of bad luck. Don’t step on a crack or you’ll break your mother’s back. Raw eagle eggs will give you superpowers. There are a lot of myths out there, but some of them aren’t as laughable or obvious as the ones above. And some could be costing you money and stressing you out. So, let’s bust those myths on this week’s Spark Live
This week we’re digging into some of the latest customer service stats and discussing what they mean for your business.
You’ll learn the answers to these questions:
✅ How likely are consumers to share their bad customer service experiences vs their good ones?
✅ What percentage of customers say they have stopped doing business with a brand due to poor customer service?
✅ For every complaint you hear about, how many other unhappy customers might you have?
✅ How many positive experiences does it take to make up for one unresolved negative experience?
✅ How much of the relationship will the customer manage themselves before interacting with a human?
Having more video of your business would be great for your website and social media, but scheduling a professional shoot requires time and money that you’d rather not spend right now. If only there was a way to do it yourself and do it well
What’s more fun than going live? Going live from the road – and that’s exactly what we’re doing! This week, we’ll be at the CSIA Homecoming event, something we’ve really been looking forward to. It’s going to be a great time of learning and sharing with our favorite folks. But just because you can’t make it, doesn’t mean you have to miss out.
I’m slammed with business and booked out further than I’d like to be. Should I still be marketing my business? Taylor and Carter get this question a lot, and the answer may seem counterintuitive - so, they’ve decided to dig into it on this week’s Spark Live.
Okay, what’s the deal? How do you know if your Google Ads (formerly AdWords) are really working? How do you know if they’re worth the money you’re pouring into them? Is the company you’re paying to manage your ads really doing a good job? Should you be doing them yourself? Find out on this week’s Spark Live.
When you think about things that impact marketing, you may think of things like your website, truck wraps, ads, and budget. But the training and skill level of your team can also impact your marketing. Find out how in this week’s Spark Live episode.
Word of mouth travels fast, especially online, so it’s more important than ever to know what people are saying about your business. But how do you keep track of it all? How do you get them to lift you up online rather than tear you down? This can make or break your business, so make sure you tune into this week’s Spark Live episode to learn more.
Nextdoor. Facebook groups. Message boards. Are they really worth the time and effort? You betcha. Find out how on this week’s Spark Live, where we’ll be dishing out some of our favorite tips for using micro sites like these to grow your business and engage with your community.
Data collection is an important part of the digital marketing landscape, but the new technologies, platforms, and laws lead to constant changes that can be hard to keep up with. It’s important to understand digital privacy and what happens to your data. Find out in this week’s Spark Live episode.
Business owners are always looking for the most efficient ways to get things done….work smarter and not harder, right? Well, there’s one simple practice that can immediately save you valuable time, money, and effort. Find out in this week’s Spark Live episode.
Chances are, you’re not the only one in your service area that can do what you do. So, what one thing can give you a competitive advantage and make your company stand out as the best choice for customers? Find out in this week’s Spark Live.
Social media is full of advertisements for all sorts of different businesses, products, and services. In the home service industry, advertising on Facebook is one of the most effective ways to bring in new customers and start earning more. Simply put, you’re missing out if you aren’t using Facebook ads to your company’s advantage. Find out more on this week’s Spark Live episode.
When it comes to marketing, “hell hath no fury like a customer scorned”. Unhappy customers can tarnish your business through word of mouth and online reviews, which can ruin your reputation. It’s important that you and your employees know how to deal with unhappy customers and fix the situation. Find out how on this week’s Spark Live episode.
You know how marketing helps your clients, but do you know how your marketing helps YOUR business? Well, marketing can really help in your hiring process. Bringing on the best possible employees helps to build a solid company culture while also providing a competitive advantage. Find out more on this week’s Spark Live episode.
Marketing, that’s something you outsource, right? Well, kinda. But the truth is, your marketing partner is just one part of your marketing. Find out what role your team plays and how you can turn them into lean, mean marketing machines in this week’s Spark Live.
Stop obsessing over ranking and obsess over THIS instead!
As a local business owner, you know that having visibility on search engines is important. But, should you really obsess over rankings or are there more important things to focus on? Find out in this week’s Spark Live.
Want more customers? Wow the ones you’ve got!
Most marketing has a cost associated with it. But if you do things right, your customers will do a lot of the marketing for you for free. How do you make your customer your best marketer? We’ll tell you in this week’s Spark Live.
Want to build your business? Work SMARTer, not harder. The key to steadily growing your business without the switchbacks is to have goals to aim for. But not all goals are created equal — what you need are SMART goals. SMART goals will give you clarity and direction, and help you hit your goals and grow your business faster.
Having a clear plan and budget for your marketing will lead to more tangible results and bring in more customers than blindly throwing money at different marketing services and hoping something works. A budget will help you maximize your valuable dollars spent, and it shows you what is and isn’t working so you can make necessary changes. Spend smarter to bring in more customers!
If you haven't figured it out yet, no marketing is really free! There are always tradeoffs; time, education, trial and error, time away from what you should be focused on in your business, etc. That old saying, "you get what you pay for" is true. At the same time, what do you pay for first? Then what? Great burning questions and we have some answers!
Google is one of, if not the most common methods that people use to find businesses and service providers. Business owners are always trying to appear at the top of the results, but it’s not just enough to show up in the Google search engine….you need to have a thorough Google My Business (GMB) listing.
Tune in to make sure you are not making the one mistake on your website that might be a business killer!
Reviews left by customers online are one of, if not the most important benchmarks of a company’s reputation! They can make or break your business. In short, reviews are one of the few constants in the online marketing world.
Ever wonder if you're really getting what you pay for when it comes to your marketing? If so, this is the perfect place for you to get some invaluable information so you can rest assured you're not wasting those marketing dollars!
Don't forget to build your brand right where you are! Join us to discover the top 5 brand awareness strategies you should be investing in right in the communities you serve.
What if we told you the secret weapon to marketing your business was right in front of you the whole time?
Join us and discover what you have at your fingertips that can boost your marketing efforts.
Marketing is not effective unless it captures the mind of your customer. Join us to learn the tips and tricks we’ve picked up while marketing for home service businesses all over the country.