Change … not the kind rattling around in your pocket.
We’re talking about the kind of change that keeps you up at night. The kind that makes you wonder why, for all your marketing efforts, not enough folks are finding and doing business with you.
What can you, the small business owner, do about it?
For starters, start thinking like a media company, because that’s the first step to reaping the huge rewards that come from content marketing. And it can work for any small business.
Yes, even yours.
In this episode Brian and I discuss:
- How to construct a solid small business online content strategy
- Why a laser-focus always beats mass marketing
- The single word that can bring endless paying customers to your doorstep
- Why the Local – Mobile – Social mantra will change your business
- What Brian would do if he were starting a service business from scratch today
Hit the flash player below to listen now:
Other listening options:
- Click here to download the mp3 | 51.4 MB | 42:43
- Click here to subscribe via iTunes
- Click here for the RSS feed (non iTunes)
Want to discover the smartest ways to mix social media, content marketing, and SEO? We’ve got you covered with Internet Marketing for Smart People. It’s a FREE 20-part course and email newsletter that delivers the techniques and strategies you need to know as an online marketer.
About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s Chief Copywriter and Resident Recluse.
Reader Comments (28)
Brian:
Say. Wasn’t the radio shows previously hosted on Wednesdays? Have you changed the date?
I’m glad you have expanded a bit on content marketing.
Examples? Sometimes the audience will get your point about content marketing – akin to Zen enlightenment. One day, the cosmic light bulb will ring.
I like it when you guys mention Mobile marketing. Now we have many prepaid cell phone plans…unlimited everything with no contracts…at much less cost.
I love how you shared personal stories and also spent some time on small business needs.
Great show today. Yellow pages? Isn’t there online versions today?
Randy
Many. The one I use is called Google. 😉
We moved the show back one day this week due to travel and also to get yesterday’s post out before the show. I’m thinking Thursday might be a better permanent day though, because it lets us set the stage with more written content first.
Brian, did you think about putting all these interviews inside a nice downlodable package? 🙂
Great point about using a laser focus, especially since Google is moving to personalize search more with the introduction of Hotpot mobile reviews being integrated with Places.
More here: http://www.socialmediacommando.com/mobile/google-places-hotpot
Seeing Groupon as email…it is so easy to overlook that and not realize that in essence, it is just that. Well, it is more than email but stripped bare, at the heart of Groupon is email. I love the fact about how Brian got extra work when you were starting out.
Thanks for this show guys!
I’m finding it a challenge to being laser focused about being laser focused. I know the market and people that I want to target, but am shying away from it even though I know it’s the best route to go.
It’s not on iTunes yet…why not?
I’ve noticed podcasts can take anywhere between 3 minutes and 3 hours to get over to iTunes…
Thanks Robert. It’s downloading to my iPod right now. Looks like it’s gonna be really good (as usual).
Can’t say it enough…love what you all are doing with the show! Also, Brian, totally cool to hear your marketing advice for a real estate agent who’s say, just starting out. Real Estate’s been my niche and well as I’m sure you know, there’s TONS of room for improvement (IMHO).
You are dead on about having a laser focus. It’s hard for a small business to decide what to include in their marketing plans and what not to. It’s hard enough to run the day-to-day for a small business let alone market it. I see too many small business owners trying many things at once, without focus, without measuring results, only to get frustrated. Love the show and will be back for more.
I have an web marketing agency and am struggling with this whole laser focus thing.
Within web marketing there are actually several distinct disciplines that are deep and complex in their own right.
SEO
Written Content Production (Blogging & Journalism)
Video / Audio Content Production
Conversion and Testing
Social
Analytics
Creative Design
How can an agency NOT have an expertise in each of the above areas. When a client comes to you, a lot of times they need the whole enchilada and want to deal with one agency, not several, to get what they want.
Any advice?
I personally think it’s rare that a client needs all those things in one project, but my advice would be to line a great network of people you can outsource to (preferably local), and hire them. this would be a great advantage to working in a co-working environment where these kinds of people just happen to be up the hallway.
i listened to your podcast for the first time yesterday – good stuff ! i am looking forward to learning more everyday now while turning my screwdriver at work ( full time tech – part time blogger- all day podcast listener)
Hey guys
Enjoyed the podcast – it made the ride on public transport to go recover my stolen car more bearable!
To answer one of your questions: What is a best boy (on a film set)? A best boy is the first assistant to a guy called the Key Grip. The Key grip is like the head of operations in charge of getting the film sets how they are supposed to look prior to start of lighting set up and then filming (positioning scenary, positioning props, that kind of thing).
So if anyone asks that question again – the best boy is part of the crew that constructs the sets.
HTH
paul
I made this broadcast required listening for our team. We teach a handful of private clients how to do what you taught here… how to “be the media.” We have a restaurant group that is selling co-promotions on their blogs, partnerships on their huge hyper local e-mail list and even on traditional marketing (think door knockers!) and pursuing a highly hyper local, community centric focus with their media.
We believe this idea works for car dealerships, boutique shops, furniture stores and so much more in a hyper local sense. We are also excited about launching several hyper local media sites in the Deep South to supplement for those businesses that can’t or won’t do it for themselves (with a full scale media perspective as you described early in the show). Many businesses are willing to support our indy effort to do it for them and where we provide them a partnership/sponsor voice. We’re using phone area codes instead of zip codes in our more rural version of urban life… ha.
Really good stuff… Thanks for sharing it.
I enjoyed this post and podcast – but I DON’T approve. I just spent 20 hours writing a chapter (in “Kicking Life’s Ass!”) about media’s influence on us – and why they can all go to hell. Unfortunately, I was (is?) one of them for a long time – over a decade. I’ve tried to influence people’s minds so they purchase my schlock. You guys are into this for your livlihood. I definitely don’t approve someone being so serious about it.
Well, even though I do it – I don’t approve.
Anybody with me? LOL. Read the book – you’ll get the idea.
“Many businesses are willing to support our indy effort to do it for them and where we provide them a partnership/sponsor voice. ” I agreee with you
They certainly don’t call it Marketing “Media” for nothing!
It’s really interesting to compare my clients that have embraced market as “lifestyle,” always on top of the latest trends, vs. those who arrive at the party a little later, full of apprehension. Once the stragglers get with the program, they can’t remember how they got by before!?!
Speaking of the Yellow Pages, the Los Angeles area has been inundated with YP.com advertising. I’m curious if they’re really going to be able to make an impact?
Looks interesting. Popular tendency would really be to do mass marketing. It’s like shooting with an automatic long gun(or whatever you call that thing that can shoots several bullets per second). The more bullets come out, the more hits. But studies have shown that for somebody to be able to build an empire you have to start with a target market. Better to make your mark first and mark it should. The arrow should adhere to the mark first before letting go of another round.
i thought there were some good points in this podcast, but i am wondering: brian says that ppc is kind of dead, but if you are running a good content marketing hub, the end goal is basically the click. on copyblogger, a lot of the premium services are converted by the use of ads on the site.
in order to create the content, it costs time, which is money. therefore ppc is not such a deviation from this strategy.
Great Show! Thank You Robert and Brian!
The “What You Did…What You Would Do Different” part is very cool! Funny thing, my first client is a Realtor and the advice you gave is exactly what I am trying to get him to embrace. It goes against conventional thinking, but it has great flow from a credibility and content marketing perspective – not to mention ‘standing out from the crowd’.
Thank, once again a stellar show!
Theresa
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