Traffic And Leads Podcast

Amy Hart (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-hart-b91580172/), a former nurse of 25 years, has since started her own life coaching business. With 3 different certifications, Amy focuses on helping women in their lives who have lost their sense of peace and fulfillment. Through her courses and through sessions with Amy, she aims to help these women find what they want to do, and help them achieve the goals that they have yet to put into motion. Together, Amy and I talk about the struggle that businesses owners face, and what sort of things she can do to help people that may be in a similar position. Let’s get started!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* What causes chaos among business owners. Amy touches on the fact that starting your own business is very overwhelming, and that it takes all of your own energy, even when you’re not present at your place of work. It’s challenging to turn your brain off and focus on other areas of your life, and Amy works to help remind people of how important is it to focus on other things. It’s okay to be super busy! However, you need to keep your mindset in check, so you don’t experience that sensation of being incredibly overwhelmed.
* Amy reminds us that our thoughts create our reality. If you allow yourself to get overwhelmed and practice the idea that you’ll never be able to accomplish what you want, you’ll create that reality. If you change your thinking, and pivot towards something more positive that you can do, your mind will create this reality of peace and fulfillment. You’ll be doing what you want to do, and you’ll be doing it in a positive way.
* Amy gives us some of her best tips and pointers. We all have neural pathways in your brain (Amy enjoys calling them “freeways”) that have been created over the years of thinking. If you tell yourself that you won’t think about something and focus on positive thoughts, but you don’t practice that, you’ll never achieve it. Create things like a mantra, or a system that you can follow, to make sure you’re following through on these thoughts you’re creating.
* Speaking of mantras, Amy explains what a mantra can be. For most people, they assume that a mantra is something you say to yourself in the mirror over and over again or something you write down on a sticky note and place where you can see it every day. Amy, instead, explains that mantras can be anything you want them to be. Something simple that you can remind yourself of in any given situation where you might need it is a mantra.
* Amy explains the benefits of getting a life coach, explaining that coaching is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself. It’s different from therapy, which focuses on your past and how that has affected you today. Coaching, she explains, is all about the forward movement, and creating and achieving what you want. There are tons of different coaches out there doing different things, and in the end, all they want to do is help people figure out what their goal is.
* Amy also explains the hesitance around getting a life coach, saying that there’s a lot of ignorance about what it is. It’s a vague thing that sounds very intangible, and it’s very expensive. However, the investment that you make is the buy-in that you need to see it through. Achieving your goal can be done with the help of a coach, and if you haven’t done it already on your own, it’s simply because you haven’t had the help of someone else to see past the barriers you’ve set down for yourself.
* Amy touches on the concept of peace and fulfillment, stating that everyone as a definition of what that means for their life. There are so many people trying to fill themselves with something that they haven’t been able to find before, and Amy points out that what women are searching for is often within them.

The Power of Facebook Live

The Iron Triangle of Digital Marketing

Meg Kerns (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-kerns/) is our special guest on today's episode of Traffic and Leads Podcast (https://trafficandleadspodcast.com). A digital marketer herself, Meg works with her agency MOKUp Media (https://www.mokupmedia.com/) to help small businesses move forward with their digital presences. A big fan of social media, Instagram in particular, Meg has all the details about the new wave of LinkedIn updates, and why business owners should be hopping on this opportunity sooner rather than later. Let’s get started!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* How Meg uses LinkedIn to its full potential. She knows about finding your audience and knowing where your audience is hanging out. Often, she finds that the businesses that are still struggling with social media are on LinkedIn. That’s where they connect, and talk, and post their business-related content. It takes some extra social listening to see what’s going on, and they’re usually just waiting for help from someone like Meg.
* Meg reviews the changes that are upcoming for LinkedIn. Before, it sort of acted as an online resume, where people could post their experience in the business world. Now, people are using LinkedIn to have conversations that pertain to their businesses. They’re sharing things that they’re looking for, they’re hiring, and they’re showing different pieces of their company during events. Additionally, you can now upload PDF files that people can both see and use, something that wasn’t an option before. They’re pushing it farther to enable the curation of more content.
* Another new thing recently added to LinkedIn, Meg explains, is the use of tags! With both tags and a blurb about the company on your page, you can showcase what you’re all about, while also using these tags to reach out to your intended audience from the get-go. Exciting news also comes in the form of the beta version of LinkedIn Live, which is expected to work like Facebook Live!
* Meg talks about when to use your business page, versus your personal pages. Meg explains that she needs to use the company page a little more, but she uses her personal page due to getting more interactions. People are more willing to interact with a person, as opposed to a business. Smaller businesses also do better with personal pages as opposed to bigger businesses who can use brand names to connect. From your personal, you can send a message, comment on people’s content, and share content. It all helps to increase awareness for your business!
* Meg then tells us about her personal challenge! Throughout the month of March, Meg created and posted a video every single day on LinkedIn. She got the idea from Alexa Skills Briefings and wanted to take another piece she created and use them in a video format. It played out amazingly well, and every time she posted a video, she connected with viewers in the comments.
* Meg explains the concept of “LinkedIn Lions”. These are people that are open networkers on the site. They mark it on their profile and will connect with and reach out to anyone on the website. These people generally don’t reach out to Meg for conversations and instead will throw information and expect a response. It’s something to consider.
* Lastly, Meg explains that the best way to connect is sharing content. If you’re doing that and doing it the way that your audience wants to see it, then they’re doing to react to it. It doesn’t matter how many connections you have—if your content is gold, you’re going to get engagements and interactions.

Lindsey Anderson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneclicklindsey) known as One-Click Lindsey is the host and guest on today's episode of Traffic and Leads Podcast (http://trafficandleadspodcast.com/). Today, She is talking about how to build trust online. That’s extremely important to me in my digital marketing journey. As business owners, it can be hard to sell your products to people who are weary of marketers in general. We tend to hide what we do, just to ensure that people that talk to us can treat us like they would anyone else, without fear of us pressuring them into buying something that they think they don’t need.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* How to become a trusted marketer! Anyone can be anything online, and because of that, it puts legitimate business owners at a disadvantage. Due to people pretending to be things that they aren’t, business owners aren’t trusted until they’ve proven that they can and should be. One one hand, it’s smart, seeing as how technology can lead to a breakdown of trust. People don’t need to meet face to face anymore in order to see things get done. However, technology can also help build trust as well, and it’s important to know how to get that job done.
* After going over a passage from the book Unscripted by MJ DeMarco, it’s important to know what “bro marketing” is. Far from what you might imagine, bro marketing stands for Boiler Room Operations marketing. The entire process is about selling marketing secrets with a landing page full of fake testimonials. It’s corrupted entrepreneurship, due to making people think it’s all right to sell worthless products in order to make money. When you waste your money, that’s when you know you’ve been duped by a “bro marketer”.
* That’s why it’s important to build trust! Going slow and offering products that people want to buy is the best way to connect with those people, while also effectively making sales. Gone are the days of creating a funnel that Facebook ads connect through, with people you barely interact with. Traffic and Leads encourage people to use Facebook Live and to be genuine in their marketing. You need to help people before they can earn your trust, and that’s a process that should be taken seriously.
* If you’re hoping for automation and not doing much more than creating a Facebook ad that works, and emails that could make things work, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Digital marketing works. I’ve built an entire lifestyle on it! Plenty of clients I’ve had can say the very same. It just takes hard work, and it takes something that people want to buy. Additionally, it takes people being able to find and speak to their audience.
* It’s important to know that there’s no such thing as a magical email sequence or a magical Facebook ad that’ll get you where you want to be. The ad can generate engagement and comments, but once they go into the email system, you could find yourself at a dead end. To ensure maximum engagement between you as the business owner and interested clients, you should consider putting out your calendar. That way, people can actually talk to you and engage with you in a private conversation. Making sure you can connect with them is important in the long run.
* Lastly, I need to stress how important it is that you change your thinking! Know that digital marketing works, but also understand that there’s no magic bullet that’ll give you all the results you need. It takes time and effort to get something done. People do want that information, and they want to be coached on how to do this. Indulge, and let yourself interact with people on a personal level.

Kirk Deis (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirkdeis/) is our special guest on today's episode of Traffic and Leads Podcast (https://trafficandleadspodcast.com). The founder and CEO of two companies, Kirk understands the importance of strengthening your relationships with your clients. Through trial and error, and an approach that doesn’t overcrowd his clients with messages, Kirk has a strong handle on what it takes to be a good business owner, and a good digital marketer in the process. Let’s get started!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* The companies that Kirk started! The first is a digital ad agency, called TreeHouse 51. The second is a startup that allows you to diagnose site issues with just one click, entitled Bug Squasher. Kirk also tells us about how Bug Squasher got started, recalling an incident with a client that made him wish there was technology in place that allowed people to check for bugs without putting them on the spot. For the first two weeks, Bug Squasher is free. Afterward, prices start at just $29.99 a month for full usage!
* Kirk tells us some of the best secrets when it comes to traffic and lead generation. What he’s found to be successful in investing in people and relationships. They have clients from all around the country, and the majority of the clients they bring in don’t come from marketing as much as they come from clients giving referrals. Kirk also explains the importance of having a solid onboarding process that doesn’t end when you bring clients on. Enforce the relationships, check in on them and let them know about new trends. Additionally, never underestimate the value of free!
* Kirk also explains that part of the process is asking for reviews. However, the important part of the process is asking for the reviews in a specific point in the relationship. Don’t do it at the beginning—you haven’t been proven or tested yet, and you want to keep this as human as possible. Do work, have a success story happen, and have something happen that they’re really excited about. Then, after a big milestone, ask them how things are going, and ask for the review.
* Kirk explains the importance that this plays in the overall digital marketing process. Kirk uses digital media to enforce relationships—by avoiding meetings and using videos to reach out to clients, they can upsell and find success. Kirk also explains his policy on meetings, stating that usually, they’re used when there’s something wrong with communication, or the process in general. There’s nothing that you can’t just email that they can’t explain, Kirk says.
* When it comes to relationships with clients, Kirk warns that you don’t want to become annoying. Don’t send things just to send things—very rarely do people ever want to sign up for meetings. As long as you’re touching base with a report or a status, then there’s no need for meetings. It’s important that you let them know that they’re getting their money’s worth with you, and they need to see that you’re creating value and getting the job done.
* Lastly, Kirk explains that truthfully, there’s no difference between his agency and any other agency out there when it comes to the skills they can do. There are only 200 things you can do to your website, after all. However, when you work with Kirk, you’re going to get the product and the experience. It’s going to make you excited to work with them and go through the process. Everything they do is backed on data, so they’re big believers in knowing what to do, and how to do it.

Cori Wamsley (https://www.coriwamsley.com/) is our special guest on today's episode of Traffic and Leads Podcast. She is an author herself, as well as a writing coach and book editor, Cori knows what it’s like to go about writing your very first book. Additionally, she also knows how to construct a book that you can be proud of. Together, she and I talk about her background in being a writer, the kind of things you can expect to work on if she’s your book coach, and some of the best tips for the beginning. Let’s get started!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* What is it that Cori can do for business owners! Being able to help them write books in 3 months is certainly a start, and Cori explains why business owners should be able to write a book. On top of helping you with credibility, a book gives you a chance to say a lot about a topic that you’re an expert on. Additionally, this book can work as a lead magnet, bringing people back to what you do for business as well as giving them valuable information.
* Cori talks to me about why people should write a book, even if they work in a niche field of marketing. If you’re someone who specializes in a very specific field, you’re the perfect person to write a book! Let your personality shine through topics that you think will be dry and boring. Let people know what you’re all about, and let yourself be fun and informative! And remember that everyone’s experience is very difficult, so your book might not appeal to everyone. Don’t let that stop you!
* Cori talks to us about the prices when it comes to publishing a book. It doesn’t have to be expensive unless you want it to be, she explains, and you don’t need to hire a writing coach for the whole process either. Most importantly, you need to plan the book up front and put your money towards a good editor. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that the cover of your book is done by a good graphic designer because people do judge a book by its cover.
* When it comes to editing, Cori explains the different kinds of editors that you can collaborate with. Sometimes, you just need a proofreader, which is the quickest version of an editor. The one Cori prefers, however, is a copyedit. They make sure that everything looks clean, sounds good, and they tighten up phrasing and unnecessary words to ensure you’ve got the best copy you can.
* Cori gives advice on how to get started on actually writing a book! Anyone who’s been in the business world is no stranger to writing, whether it be through a blog or through bullet points during meetings. Go through and see what you have. See what you can put in the book, and write around what you can’t. You need a topic, first and foremost, and after you have an outline, you can begin your book journey. Cori also mentions the importance of a good title and explains that often, they’ll come through random phrases that authors write offhand.
* Lastly, Cori talks to us about what a book coach does. When she coaches people, she gives them certain things that she expects to see back. Additionally, she reviews their materials for them before they’re handed over to an editor. She gives insight from a professional point of view and allows clients to adjust their writing with that mindset. It’s good for someone who’s never written a book before to get feedback in order to let them know if they’re on the right track, of it, you need to shake things up.

Vin Clancy (https://vinclancy.com/) is our special guest on today's episode of Traffic and Leads Podcast. Vin knows some of the best ways to gain more traffic and leads towards your businesses revolve around growth hacks. He’s been in this business for a while, and currently, he helps small businesses grow their business through the cheat codes of the internet. Let’s get started!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* What you can expect when you read Vin’s book, Ace the Game. Different from his first book, Vin explains that this book sort of focuses on techniques that have worked for him, and how they could help his audience as well. It’s a collection from the best growth hackers in the world, with a couple of his own sprinkled into the mix.
* Vin tells us about one of the most powerful growth hacks that exist in his book! The most powerful way to get meetings and startups happening in Silicon Valley, Vin says, is through LinkedIn automation. He tells us about LinkedHelper, a software that allows you to input your target market. Through that information, it’ll find all of those people who work in those fields, and through the day, it’ll automatically connect with those people. If they accept, you can send them the first message, and this process done every day helps create more leads, and more conversations in your inbox.
* Vin tells us what makes a good LinkedIn message. While it’s true that you want to be vulnerable, different, and honest about what you’re saying, you need to also make sure that what you’re writing about is something people want to know. Balance those important traits with bringing exceptional information to your market, and bring the best new marketing strategies as often as you can.
* Vin gives us another growth hack from his book, stating that most people don’t know that your visitors can be identified. By using a combination of Lead Feeder and Drip, you can insert a couple of lines of code into your website that identifies everyone that visits. These codes grab their name, company, and email address, and using Drip, you can enroll those people into an email sequence. Next thing you know, you’re ready for cold outreach!
* When it comes to the number one hack in marketing, Vin gives us some backstory on the e-commerce world. It seems easy to master, but it’s very hard to source products and get ahead of the competition that is so well established. The best growth hack for marketing online is what’s called one click upsell. Popularized by click funnels, this method appears when people are online shopping. Once they add something to their cart, they’re offered something similar on the next screen for purchase as well. With one click, they can purchase this product, or deny the offer. Overall, it’s very successful and increases the average basket size.
* Lastly, Vin gives us some hacks for a Facebook group. Using a software called Grytics, Vin explains that in order to make sure your group is top ranked, you need active members. By posting and addressing the members to see who is active, you can then go in and use Gryptics to remove the inactive members of the group, making it easier to find people who want to use what you’re offering. This is a good reason to never buy fake followers, Vin warns.

Neil Thompson is our guest on today's episode of Traffic and Leads Podcast. When it comes to the world of digital marketing, some people are still just starting out. It’s a fast-paced environment to live in, and being able to handle your own against some of the best is important if you want to succeed. That’s where Neil Thompson comes in. Neil is just starting out in the world of digital marketing, and through the success, he’s found today, he can speak first hand on the struggles of dipping your toes into this environment. His company, Teach the Geek (https://teachthegeek.com/), has helped many people just like him, and this week, Neil talks to us about how he can help you get comfortable with public speaking, as well as encouraging others to ask for and seek help when they need it. Let’s get started!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* How Neil got into digital marketing! With his product, Teach the Geek, Neil invites people just like him to conquer their fears of public speaking. With a background in engineering, science, and the STEM community, Neil would often find himself overwhelmed with the number of presentations he’d have to do in a week. Creating a product to not only help himself but help others in the same position, gave him a better quality of life at work!
* Neil tells us about when he first developed the product, and the struggles he faced along the way. Without knowing what to do after creating the idea, and no background in marketing or sales, Neil tried to do things on his own. Nothing was really working out, however, and so, Neil turned to the internet, trying his hand at things like webinars and Facebook groups.
* Following the suggestion that he try webinars, Neil hired VAs to help him set one up, inviting his friends and family to join him on YouTube Live. When the time came, however, no one showed up. The show must go on, Neil said, and he still went through with the presentation. However, after watching it back, Neil discovered an error with his slides, and the webinar footage was still unusable. That’s when he knew he needed professional help.
* From there, Neil tells us about hiring a marketing agency to help him with branding and marketing. They gave him a plan and a strategy on what to do going forward. Additionally, Neil explains that they were big on setting him up with a social media strategy, introducing him to new accounts across the board. With events planned on teaching his course and getting new hires, Neil found success with this agency. Currently, Neil also has a YouTube channel where he interviews people in the STEM field!
* Neil tells us about how hiring the agency was the right idea. Playing to your strengths is important, but being able to recognize your weaknesses is important as well. Neil wonders if Teach the Geek would’ve taken off sooner if he had hired the agency earlier on, but going through what he did is a good lesson, both to himself and to fellow people who’re just dipping their toes into the marketing game.
* Lastly, Neil talks to us about the future of Teach the Geek. Currently, it’s an online course aimed towards individuals. In the future, however, he’d like to move into companies! Giving keynote speeches, workshops, and offering the course to people who work in the company is something Neil is looking forward to. Neil never wants to be an employee again, and Teach the Geek is giving him the opportunity he needs.

Jason Hsiao (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonhsiao) is our special guest on today's episode of Traffic and Leads podcast. Creator and video editor at Animoto (https://animoto.com/), a software designed to help small businesses owners create professional looking video content, Jason has all the inside tricks that beginners are looking for when it comes to breaking into the world of video. From getting started, to finding the most interesting content to work with, Jason can get you ready for the world of video, while skipping the live aspect for those who prefer to keep things more narrative. Let’s get started!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* All about Jason, and Animoto! Software that’s been around for 10 years now, Jason explains that Animoto allows you to upload videos that can then be transformed into professional looking pieces of content. They have free plans, as well as a tier paid system, that works for small businesses owners working on a smaller budget than large companies.
* Jason explains how powerful social media is, and why video content is important. Animoto can help you achieve the things you see on social media all the time—whether it’s an overview video, a list video, or a demo, you can create top tier graphics, text designs, swipe effects, and more. Anything you see big companies doing, Animoto can help you do the very same.
* Jason talks about the hype revolving around Facebook Live. Now that it’s been around for over a year, a lot of people think it’s better to go live for the sake of going live. However, Facebook’s algorithm favors content that’s engaging, and that people are paying attention to. If you don’t have a reason to go live, you’re better off producing a candid video. That way, you can control the content you’re creating, and do with it what you want.
* Jason explains how to make a video that people will watch. The team at Animoto have been studying nonstop for years what it takes to get people engaged, and there’s not a checklist of items that you can run down in order to guarantee success. Mostly, you need to remember that a video is a form of communication, and you need to be regularly communicating with your audience. Think about the outlets you have—blogging, email, etc.—and think about what you need to inspire and educate your audience.
* Additionally, Jason talks about a video from the point of view of a salesperson and marketer. Think about how you can bring people along that customer journey through your content, and how you can start getting them to convert to whatever your offer is. Jason explains that save the best for first, instead of last, and insists that putting the most interesting content in the first second of the video is what will bring people in. Things need to be short to keep up with the shrinking attention span of the public, so get your message across as effectively as you can, in as little time as you can.
* Jason talks to us about the biggest mistakes people make in the video, starting with the length of the content created. People who are just getting started tend to make things too long, and Jason challenges them to cut their video time in half while maintaining the same message. When a video starts, 100% of your audience will be there, and the amount will decrease as the video plays. Every second count, so give them your best stuff right off the bat!
* Jason also discusses the anxiety that can come with video. People think things need to over the top in order to get see. However, Jason reminds people that we’re living in an age of over information, and misinformation. People want the truth, to establish a sense of authenticity and foster trust between yourself and your audience. Giving them good content is more important than putting on a high budget show.

Brendan Kane (https://onemillionfollowers.com/) is our special guest on today's episode of Traffic and Leads Podcast. A digital marketer and business strategist, Brendan’s been in the game for over 15 years and is here to share some of his amazing expertise with us. A recent author of the amazing book One Million Followers: How I Built A Massive Social Following in 30 Days, Brendan has worked out a technique that ensures success to the people that follow it. Let’s get started!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* How Brendan got involved in the digital marketing world! He’s touched every aspect of digital marketing over the years and has worked with a multitude of people across the board. He’s been able to build technology platforms for big brands around the world, and for high list celebrities as well. This success was, and still is, amazing, but brought the question of how he would be able to give a small business the same treatment of success. Can his systems be applied to a smaller scale project? The answer: yes!
* Brendan tells us about how his book idea got started, insisting that the question posed gave him the idea to create a system for small businesses. However, it’s important to note that he didn’t come up with the idea of gaining a lot of social media followers overnight—this was an idea that was 3 and a half years in the making.
* There are different processes for people to engage in your content, and if you want to generate a large social audience, Brendan explains that you need to understand that audience. You’ll need to guess what content will work, perhaps analyze the content from your competitor’s in order to see what they’re doing and generate something of your own. Don’t invest too much time in one specific direction!
* As you post, Brendan encourages you to look through what kinds of comments and shares the content you’ve created is garnering during the time that you post it at. Leverage that as a research tool, and from there, you can use advertisement systems to control certain variables (like who you’re marketing to and the products that they buy). This helps you understand how your content is performing under certain circumstances.
* Brendan addresses the idea of fake followers, explaining that the ones he gained were real people. It’s easy for people to follow you—the real element is how you foster that connection and relationship with them when they follow you. What you do with the followers proves your longevity and your ability to sell to them. You can build up a good engagement rate on social media through testing, and seeing what works and what doesn’t.
* Brendan then talks about ‘vanity likes’, explaining that the message he’s trying to put out with his book isn’t about gaining followers. Rather, it’s about the value of information and the testing process that you go through to gain these followers. It’s about teaching it and using it to generate likes, earn followers, and gain leads. In fact, there are instances that this system can generate some success in building audiences around the world. The best part? You don’t need money in order to test the content and scale that you’re trying to reach!
* Lastly, Brendan talks to us about the biggest misconception with social media. He says that most people assume you can just create content blindly, put it out there, and hope for the best. The reality is that with the power social media gives us, success can be quickly gained. It lets you seed your content to an audience when you don’t even have an audience, and the advertising process lets you reach a large number of people in a short amount of time. Quality content is the key.