Performance Delivered

AI Personas Explained: The Secret to Better SaaS Messaging

Steffen Horst — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 20:18:36 +0000

AI has made content creation faster than ever — but for most B2B SaaS teams, it has also made messaging more generic, not more effective.

In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets to Marketing Success, host Steffen Horst is joined by Christopher Silvestri, Founder of Conversion Alchemy, to break down how SaaS companies can use AI personas, synthetic research, and AI-assisted workflows without losing clarity, differentiation, or brand voice.

They explore why most messaging problems are not copy problems, but clarity problems, and why AI should be treated as an input system rather than an output shortcut. The conversation covers how to ground AI personas in real customer research, how to structure messaging frameworks that scale across teams, and where human judgment remains essential.

This episode is especially relevant for B2B SaaS marketers, founders, product leaders, and growth teams navigating the intersection of AI, positioning, and go-to-market strategy.

Key Topics Covered:

Why AI tools do not fix messaging problems
The difference between prompting and context engineering
How to build AI personas based on real customer data
Common mistakes SaaS teams make with AI-generated copy
What a real AI-assisted messaging system looks like
How to scale brand-consistent messaging without losing nuance
The future of synthetic research in SaaS go-to-market teams

🔗 Learn more about Christopher Silvestri: https://conversionalchemy.net

🔗 Learn more about Symphonic Digital: https://www.symphonicdigital.com

Subscribe to Performance Delivered for weekly conversations on performance marketing, AI strategy, and scalable growth.

Building a Brand That Moves People with Natasha Nikolaeva, Founder of StretchIt

Steffen Horst — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:10:38 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered, host Steffen Horst speaks with Natasha Nikolaeva, founder of StretchIt, a leading wellness app and workplace platform helping people improve flexibility, mobility, and mindfulness through movement.

Natasha shares her journey from practicing corporate law to becoming a wellness entrepreneur — and how she turned a personal struggle with back pain into a purpose-driven business that empowers people and organizations to move, feel better, and thrive.

She reveals how StretchIt grew from an Instagram community into a global digital brand, the strategies behind its early marketing success, and how it continues to innovate in both the consumer and corporate wellness space.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

How Natasha turned her personal wellness journey into a purpose-driven business.
The early marketing strategies that helped StretchIt gain global traction.
Why consistency and community were key to building long-term engagement.
The shift from consumer fitness to workplace wellness — and what Natasha learned entering the B2B market.
How StretchIt uses competitions, challenges, and personalization to boost retention.
The metrics that truly matter when scaling an app-based wellness business.
How purpose, storytelling, and product design drive user trust and brand growth.

CONNECT WITH OUR HOST & GUEST

🎙️ HOST: Steffen Horst – Host, Performance Delivered Podcast
🔗 LinkedIn:Steffen Horst

👩‍💼 GUEST: Natasha Nikolaeva – Founder, StretchIt
🌐 Website: stretchitapp.com
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-nikolaeva-b108b92/
📱 Instagram: @stretchitapp

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro: From law to wellness entrepreneurship
01:20 – The spark behind StretchIt and Natasha’s personal story
03:30 – Building an app before launch and early marketing prep
05:00 – Instagram as the foundation for brand awareness
07:00 – Launching globally through community engagement
09:15 – Positioning StretchIt in a crowded wellness market
12:00 – Expanding from flexibility training to workplace wellness
13:50 – The shift to B2B and offline marketing strategies
15:00 – How StretchIt keeps users and employees engaged
17:50 – Retention strategies and the upcoming AI Coach feature
19:40 – The key business metrics that drive StretchIt’s growth
21:50 – How engagement differs between consumers and corporate users
24:40 – The power of small, consistent movement habits
25:30 – Where to connect and learn more about StretchIt

The views and opinions expressed on the Performance Delivered podcast are solely those of the host and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and all rights of ownership and reproduction are retained. © 2025

AI Meets PR: How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Media, Credibility, and Brand Visibility

Steffen Horst — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:46:00 +0000

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how audiences search, discover, and engage with information — and that means PR is evolving, too. In this episode, Jackson Wightman joins Steffen Horst to unpack how AI is reshaping media visibility, credibility, and the future of public relations.

From Google’s shrinking search dominance to the rise of AI-driven “answer engines,” Jackson explains why earned media now plays a critical role in what AI surfaces and how brands can adapt before the landscape becomes fully commercialized.

He also shares actionable steps for PR pros and brands to monitor their AI presence, tailor campaigns to different AI engines, and build true authority in the new era of intelligent search.

Trust as a Growth Driver in B2B: Insights from Kristin Oelke

Steffen Horst — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 18:19:50 +0000

Trust is one of the most overlooked yet powerful drivers of business growth. In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success, host Stefan Horst speaks with Kristin Oelke, founder of Bright Rock Services and author of Trust: Unlocking B2B Growth in Today’s AI World.

Kristin shares why trust erosion is the hidden growth killer, how companies can uncover blind spots, and what leaders can do to embed trust into every part of their business strategy.

If you’re in B2B marketing, sales, or leadership, this conversation shows why building a strong “trust profile” is no longer optional—it’s your competitive advantage.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why trust erosion is often the biggest unseen barrier to growth
The role of marketing, sales, and customer success in building a public trust profile
Blind spots leaders face when assuming customers and employees trust them
How to measure trust in meaningful ways with real-time signals
Case studies: how Bright Rock Services helped companies like CIS Group and Feedback Now strengthen their trust profile
How AI is both accelerating outreach and unintentionally eroding trust—and how to navigate that paradox

Connect with Us

Visit symphonicdigital.com
Follow us on X: @SymphonicHQ

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2025.

Human-First SEO Skills in the Age of AI

Steffen Horst — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 19:58:27 +0000

AI is transforming SEO, but the skills that make great marketers remain timeless. In this episode, Steffen Horst sits down with Lindsie Nelson (Symphonic Digital) and Andreas Voniatis (Arteos) to explore how empathy, validation, and adaptability can keep SEO strategies both smart and human-first.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why chasing algorithms is the wrong approach
How empathy sharpens SEO decisions
The value of cross-channel collaboration in AI search
How to validate AI insights with real customer data
The evolving skills SEOs will need to thrive

Featured Guests:

Lindsie Nelson – Head of SEO, Symphonic Digital
Andreas Voniatis – Founder, Arteos

Resources & Links:

Connect with Andreas on LinkedIn or visit Arteos at rtos.ia
Learn more about Symphonic Digital at symphonicdigital.com

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2025.

The Modern CMO Challenge with Karl Van den Bergh

Steffen Horst — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:48:10 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success, host Steffen Horst explores the evolving challenges of the CMO role with Karl Van den Bergh, Chief Marketing Officer at Illumio.

Karl shares insights from his 25+ year career leading marketing, product, and GM roles across startups and billion-dollar tech companies. Together, they unpack:

Why the CMO role is uniquely difficult in today’s business environment
How to build credibility and trust with boards and executive teams
The “Plan on a Page” framework for aligning strategy, execution, and KPIs
Leading with authenticity in campaigns and leadership culture
How AI is transforming marketing workflows and the buyer’s journey

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

01:00 – Karl’s career journey

04:09 – Why the CMO role is uniquely difficult

06:16 – Building credibility and trust

09:00 – The “Plan on a Page” framework

13:30 – Building trust through transparency & authenticity

14:55 – What authenticity looks like in leadership and campaigns

19:30 – How AI is reshaping marketing

23:58 – Driving efficiency and conversion with AI

24:46 – Preparing for the rise of AI agents

27:20 – Why SEO is no longer enough

28:42 – Buyers already using ChatGPT to discover vendors

29:22 – Closing thoughts + how to connect with Karl

👉 Learn more about Illumio: https://www.illumio.com

👉 Learn more about Symphonic Digital: https://symphonicdigital.com

Mastering Positioning & Messaging in the Age of AI with Lori Stout, CMO of Bigleaf Networks

Steffen Horst — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 18:59:16 +0000

📝 Episode Description

In this episode of Performance Delivered – Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success, host Steffen Horst is joined by Lori Stout, CMO of Bigleaf Networks.

Lori shares how marketers can blend AI-driven insights with customer feedback loops to sharpen positioning and messaging in a fast-changing landscape. From leveraging advisory boards and user groups to setting AI guardrails, Lori explains how to keep authenticity at the center of your marketing while using AI to accelerate efficiency and testing.

💡 You’ll learn:

How Bigleaf has incorporated AI since its founding
Why authenticity and warmth in messaging can’t be automated
Practical testing methods for headlines, value props, and campaigns
Which metrics prove that blended AI + customer insights drive impact
When and how often product marketers should revisit positioning

⏱ Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction

[00:10] Positioning & messaging in the AI era

[01:15] Lori’s journey into marketing

[02:18] AI at Bigleaf Networks

[03:26] “Cheating” perception of AI in marketing and schools

[05:18] Balancing AI analysis with direct customer feedback

[07:00] Messaging as a living playbook

[08:11] Accelerating AB testing with AI + traditional tactics

[09:49] Human warmth vs. AI automation

[10:31] Guardrails: prompts, brand voice, human input

[13:19] Training AI with brand docs & guidelines

[15:21] Advisory boards, user groups, and peer reviews

[18:34] AI freeing marketers for higher-impact work

[19:58] Revisiting positioning: frequency & triggers

[21:11] Signals: churn, NPS, competitor moves

[22:30] Testing across dashboards & user journeys

[23:00] Metrics that prove real outcomes

[24:15] Sales team feedback as qualitative insight

[24:27] Closing thoughts & connect with Lori

🔗 Links & Resources

Discover Symphonic Digital: https://www.symphonicdigital.com

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed on the Performance Delivered podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2025.

The Future Is Manual? How AI Is Redefining Paid Search Strategy (Part 2)

Steffen Horst — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 04:47:59 +0000

In part two of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success, host Steffen Horst continues his conversation with marketing experts Navah Hopkins (Microsoft) and Shawn Walker (Symphonic Digital) on how AI is transforming paid search strategy.

They dive into:

When to use AI vs. manual campaign management
How to differentiate your brand when competitors use similar AI tools
Testing AI in new accounts without risking core campaigns
Why clean data and human oversight are essential
Predictive modeling — promise vs. reality
How to plan budgets in an AI-first world

If you missed part one, catch up to hear their discussion on AI’s truly disruptive trends vs. efficiency gains, and predictions for the next 12–24 months in paid search.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

00:11 – Welcome back & episode overview

01:22 – When to plan with AI from day one

03:28 – Differentiation in an AI-driven market

04:34 – Brand positioning and being where competitors aren’t

07:07 – Strategy shifts: reporting, funnel growth & brand control

10:07 – Dunning-Kruger effect in campaign evaluation

12:32 – Trusting AI insights vs. human verification

15:04 – Critical thinking in prompting & data interpretation

18:10 – Predictive modeling: promise vs. reality

22:42 – Budget planning in the AI-first world

26:14 – Accounting for learning periods & runway

27:59 – Focusing spend for better results

29:45 – Targeting by time zone & campaign consolidation

31:47 – Closing thoughts & guest info

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2025.

The Future Is Manual? How AI Is Redefining Paid Search Strategy (Part 1)

Steffen Horst — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 17:00:30 +0000

AI is everywhere—predictive bidding, dynamic creative, campaign forecasting—but is it really replacing human strategy, or just enhancing it?

In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success, host Steffen Horst is joined by two industry leaders: Navah Hopkins, a seasoned strategist now at Microsoft, and Shawn Walker, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at Symphonic Digital.

Together, they unpack how AI is reshaping paid search campaigns—from landing page relevance and creative asset structure to the evolving role of intent and the limits of automation.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation, packed with tactical advice, strategic frameworks, and a few strong opinions on where AI helps—and where it absolutely does not.

What You’ll Learn:

Why AI-first strategies demand high-quality creative and landing pages
How Google and Microsoft interpret site content through AI
The growing importance of behavioral signals over keywords
Where manual intervention still outperforms automation
The real risks of relying too heavily on AI for campaign success
Why collaboration between SEO and PPC teams matters more than ever

Guests:

Navah Hopkins – Microsoft Ads; AI educator, strategist, and digital marketing speaker
Shawn Walker – Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Symphonic Digital

Links & Resources:

🔗 Learn more: https://www.symphonicdigital.com

🐦 Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/symphonichq

Kurt Uhlir on How AI Is Reshaping Marketing Teams

Steffen Horst — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:41:12 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered, host Steffen Horst sits down with Kurt Uhlir, CMO at EZ Home Search and a veteran of more than 80 funding rounds and exits, to explore how AI is redefining modern marketing teams.

From cutting down content production costs to empowering leaders to be more hands-on, Kurt shares how AI isn’t replacing talent—but rather multiplying its impact. Whether you’re managing an in-house team or partnering with agencies, this episode will help you think more strategically about your people, your tools, and your outcomes.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Why AI is a force multiplier, not a job killer
How marketing leaders must evolve beyond strategy and into implementation
Why servant leadership creates space for innovation
The future of SEO: topical authority and semantic search
How to build peer communities that filter out “shiny object syndrome”

⚠️ Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2025.

The End of SEO as We Know It? Rethinking Metrics in the Age of AI

Steffen Horst — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 04:46:56 +0000

Are your SEO metrics stuck in the past? In part two of our AI + SEO series, guest host Ximena Cordon (Head of Marketing at Symphonic Digital) is joined once again by Lindsie Nelson (Head of SEO at Symphonic) and Andreas Voniatis (Founder of Artios) to challenge the way we think about measuring SEO success in an AI-powered world.

With the rise of zero-click search and tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, traditional metrics like CTR and traffic are losing their relevance. In this episode, the trio explores smarter ways to connect SEO to ROI, how to rethink attribution, and why human-first content still matters.

Key Takeaways:

Why zero-click search is shifting how we measure performance
How AI is reshaping the buyer journey and discovery process
The limitations of Google Analytics for modern SEO
New approaches to attribution modeling and ROI tracking
Why content needs to “fight for its life” in AI search
How to present SEO performance to leadership with confidence

Memorable Quotes:

“If you’re optimizing for traffic alone, you’re optimizing for a version of the internet that no longer exists.” – Ximena“AI is picking the winners—and ignoring the rest. Make sure your content earns its place.” – Andreas“It’s not about more clicks. It’s about better clicks.” – Lindsie

Connect with Us:

🔗 Website: https://www.symphonicdigital.com

🐦 X (Twitter): @SymphonicHQ

How to Listen:

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

00:47 – What is zero-click search?

02:00 – AI’s impact on click value and brand awareness

03:42 – Why content must now meet a higher standard

06:00 – Shifting focus from traffic to lead quality

07:59 – What should we actually be measuring?

10:15 – Connecting SEO to ROI

13:08 – Attribution modeling and data limitations

17:41 – Content-based vs. channel-based attribution

21:05 – Why you need CRM integration to prove SEO value

24:00 – How to get leadership buy-in for SEO strategies

25:45 – Should SEO go beyond Google?

27:55 – Final thoughts and takeaways

How to Measure Marketing Effectiveness and Align on KPIs with Grant Johnson

Steffen Horst — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:33:27 +0000

Grant Johnson on How to Measure Marketing Effectiveness and Align on KPIs

Episode of Performance Delivered – Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success

In this episode, Steffen Horst chats with Grant Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer at Chief Outsiders, about how companies—especially mid-market B2B SaaS brands—can better define, measure, and optimize their marketing performance.

Grant shares his Marketing Performance Assessment framework, which helps companies evaluate their effectiveness across three key areas: market presence, brand strength, and pipeline health. With over 20 years in the marketing world and seven exits under his belt, Grant breaks down how to align on KPIs, prove value to leadership, and make data-driven decisions that lead to measurable growth.

🔍 Key topics include:

The problem with vague or shifting KPIs
How to define the right marketing metrics for your team
Using assessments to uncover quick wins and long-term gaps
Why GenAI changes the game—but doesn’t replace strategy
How marketers can respond to pricing pressure from AI adoption
The link between alignment, creative, and consistent pipeline generation

Whether you’re a marketing leader, founder, or agency partner, this episode offers clear advice for improving performance and building trust with the C-suite.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to bring focus, structure, and results to your marketing efforts.

Mission Meets Market: How Customer Understanding Drives Strategic SaaS Marketing with Elizabeth Eberle

Steffen Horst — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:46:16 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered, Steffen Horst is joined by Elizabeth Eberle, SVP of Marketing at Spoiler Alert—a CPG tech company helping brands turn excess inventory into revenue. Elizabeth shares how understanding your customer at a deeper level can transform not only your messaging, but your product and go-to-market strategy.

Whether you’re building a mission-driven brand, launching a SaaS product, or simply trying to better connect with your audience—this episode offers a masterclass in customer empathy, product-market fit, and the real role of marketing in growth.

🔍 In this episode, we discuss:

How to uncover deep customer insights through interviews and behavior tracking
Why marketing must act as the glue between product, sales, and customer success
Using storytelling to drive mission alignment
Real-life examples of turning feedback into product strategy
Balancing corporate goals with user pain points in a way that scales

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2025.

Legacy Brands: How to Conquer New Markets with Daphne Johnson

Steffen Horst — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 16:08:03 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered, Steffen Horst speaks with Daphne Johnson, CEO and Growth Advisor at Daphne, about how legacy brands can successfully conquer new markets. Daphne shares her extensive experience working with Fortune 100 brands like Verizon, American Express, and Yahoo, and discusses foundational strategies such as understanding customer needs, identifying problems worth solving, and leveraging partnerships and technological innovations like AI. Daphne also delves into the importance of competitive analysis, customer interviews, and internal alignment when navigating market expansions. Tune in to gain insights on how legacy brands can adapt and thrive in an evolving marketplace.

Beyond the First Click: Janet Jaiswal on Building Lasting Customer Engagement with AI and Personalization

Steffen Horst — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 18:43:50 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered, host Steffen Horst welcomes Janet Jaiswal, Global VP of Marketing at BlueShift, to unpack what it truly takes to engage customers in today’s competitive B2B SaaS market. With a wealth of experience in senior marketing roles, Janet dives into the strategies that move the needle—from the first interaction to long-term retention.

They explore how AI can proactively reduce churn, why personalized communication drives loyalty, and how to turn everyday customers into powerful brand advocates. Janet also shares actionable tips for collecting and acting on customer feedback that leads to deeper relationships and sustainable growth.

Tune in to hear:
• Why engagement and retention are critical to long-term success
• How AI is transforming customer experience and reducing churn
• The role of data in making personalized communication scalable
• Real-world tactics for turning feedback into growth
• Ways to cultivate brand advocates from your existing customer base

Listen now to future-proof your customer engagement strategy and drive meaningful results.

⸻

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—© 2025.

AI vs Search: What Happened (and What Comes Next)

Steffen Horst — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:39:47 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered, Steffen Horst sits down with Lindsie Nelson and Andreas Voniatis to explore how AI is reshaping the way people discover information—and what it means for marketers.

They break down the real impact of AI on search behavior, why users are shifting from keywords to conversations, and which industries are feeling the change most. From client sentiment to the rise of zero-click searches, this episode unpacks whether SEO is still a growth lever—or now just brand defense.

Tune in to learn:

• Why AI-powered search is changing user behavior
• How generational differences influence adoption
• The evolving role of human-centered content
• What marketers need to stay visible in an AI-first world
• How platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and social are reshaping discovery

Scaling Global Marketing with Colin Clark, Global CMO at Dunlop Protective Footwear

Steffen Horst — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:32:42 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success, host Steffen Horst talks with Colin Clark, Global CMO at Dunlop Protective Footwear. Colin shares his journey from working with brands like the Chicago Cubs and Under Armour to scaling Dunlop’s marketing initiatives globally. He discusses the unique challenges of marketing across 75 countries with a small team, and how Dunlop customizes campaigns for both B2B and B2C segments. Discover how Dunlop leverages partnerships, tests new programs, and tailors campaigns to meet the specific needs of local markets. Colin also shares insights on how Dunlop stays authentic to end users while scaling marketing efforts and introduces innovative product solutions.

Key Takeaways:

• Colin’s Career Journey: From his dream job at the Chicago Cubs to driving global marketing at Dunlop.

• Building Global Campaigns: How Dunlop customizes campaigns by working closely with distributors and retailers in different countries.

• Localization vs. Globalization: The importance of authentic messaging for different regions, including language, product terminology, and cultural differences.

• Dunlop’s Approach to B2B and B2C: How they tailor messages and user journeys for both sectors to effectively engage diverse customer segments.

• Innovative Product Solutions: Dunlop’s introduction of the “sneaker fit” boot to address specific customer pain points, especially for agriculture and construction users.

• Marketing Funnel Strategy: Colin shares how Dunlop focuses on building a strong conversion engine at the bottom of the funnel and gradually moving up to brand awareness with video and user-generated content.

Memorable Quotes:

• “Global campaigns without that local authentication will only get you so far.”

• “We started with the end user’s pain points, and that led us to innovate with products like the sneaker fit boot.”

• “Authenticity is key. Every campaign, even if it’s global, has to resonate at the local level.”

Connect with Colin Clark and Dunlop Protective Footwear:

• Website: dunlopboots.com

• LinkedIn: Colin Clark on LinkedIn

Connect with Symphonic Digital:

• Website: symphonicdigital.com

• X (formerly Twitter): @SymphonicHQ

How to Listen & Subscribe:

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe for more digital marketing insights and to stay updated on our latest episodes!

Timestamps:

• 00:02 - 00:08 — Intro: Performance Delivered with Steffen Horst

• 00:09 - 00:47 — Introducing Colin Clark

• 00:49 - 01:09 — Colin’s Journey with the Chicago Cubs

• 01:10 - 01:46 — Transition to Under Armour and Cal Ripken Baseball

• 02:36 - 03:56 — Global Campaigns: Importance of Localization

• 05:00 - 05:46 — Dunlop’s B2B and B2C Marketing Approach

• 06:46 - 08:11 — Scaling Campaigns Across Countries

• 16:05 - 16:29 — The Dunlop Difference: Sustainability and Innovation

• 22:51 - 23:57 — Video and User-Generated Content in Dunlop’s Strategy

• 23:58 - 24:45 — Outro and Contact Information

Tune in next week for more Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success!

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2024.

Moving Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone: Strategies for Deeper Consumer Connections with Doug Zarkin

Steffen Horst — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 09:53:20 +0000

In this episode, Doug Zarkin shares insights on how brands can deepen their relationship with consumers, moving beyond mere friendship to foster true brand love. He discusses the importance of human empathy in customer service, the brand value equation, and the significance of storytelling in marketing. Doug emphasizes the need for consistency in customer interactions and how understanding consumer insights can lead to more effective marketing strategies.

On this episode, We'll talk about:

Brand Love: The importance of developing a deep, emotional connection with consumers beyond just being friends.
Human-Centric Approach: Treating each customer as unique and ensuring empathetic interactions to enhance customer experience.
Brand Value Equation: Understanding that brand value is derived from the experience divided by price; a greater experience allows for premium pricing.
Storytelling in Marketing: Crafting simple yet emotionally resonant narratives that position the brand as the hero.
Consumer Insights: Utilizing frontline staff interactions to gather insights and understand consumer needs effectively.
Marketing Metrics: The importance of tracking brand health through customer lifetime value, reviews, and store traffic to motivate consumer actions.
Practical Application: Emphasis on hands-on experience in stores to stay connected with the consumer perspective.

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2024.

Growing Small Businesses Through Digital Advertising: A 3-Part Series with Navah Hopkins of Optmyzr (Part 3)

Steffen Horst — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 03:10:42 +0000

Title: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success Part 3

In this episode, we dive into the critical aspects of business operations and advertising strategies. Discover why jumping straight into campaign management can be a costly mistake and learn the essential questions you need to answer before spending your marketing budget. Our guest shares insights on customer value, conversion rates, and the importance of having a solid foundation of business metrics. Plus, we discuss the significance of quality control in lead intake and how to ensure your marketing efforts are effective. Tune in for valuable tips on optimizing your business's advertising approach!

On this episode, We'll talk about:

Minimum KPIs for Advertising: Importance of understanding customer value and lead generation capacity before starting advertising.
Conversion Tracking: The significance of proper conversion tracking, including setting up pixels and connecting CRM systems to ad platforms.
Customer Consent: The necessity of obtaining explicit consent for marketing communications and the importance of transparency in data usage.
Website Usability and Accessibility: The need for websites to be user-friendly and accessible, considering factors like contrast, font choice, and colorblindness.
Data Collection and Decision Making: Emphasis on collecting the right data to inform business decisions and the importance of analyzing outliers in conversion data.
Success Metrics: Defining what constitutes success and failure in campaigns, and the importance of adapting strategies based on performance.
Resources and Engagement: Information on how to connect with the speaker and access further resources related to digital marketing.

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2024.

Growing Small Businesses Through Digital Advertising: A 3-Part Series with Navah Hopkins of Optmyzr (Part 2)

Steffen Horst — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 02:39:46 +0000

Title: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success Part 2

In this episode, join Steffen Horst and digital marketing expert Navar Hopkins in Part 2 of their insightful series on how small businesses can thrive through digital advertising. Discover the essential strategies for effective advertising, explore the latest ad channels like local service ads and DemandGen, and learn how to avoid common pitfalls. With over 15 years of experience, Navar shares her expertise on budget allocation, conversion tracking, and the importance of data-driven decision-making. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your digital marketing game!

On this episode, We'll talk about:

Advertising Strategies: The importance of location targeting and time zone considerations when running ads, particularly in the U.S. market.
Conversion Tracking: The significance of using Google Tag Manager for efficient tracking and how it can improve site speed and diagnostics.
Primary vs. Secondary Conversions: Understanding the difference between primary conversions (which impact reporting and bidding) and secondary conversions (which do not) and how to manage expectations during periods of volatility.
Micro Conversions: The suggestion to incorporate micro conversions if a business is struggling to reach the required number of conversions for effective ad performance.
Community Engagement: Navar Hopkins shares ways to connect with her and learn more about PPC management through various platforms and groups.

The views and opinions expressed on the “Performance Delivered” podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Performance Delivered, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2024.

Growing Small Businesses Through Digital Advertising: A 3-Part Series with Navah Hopkins of Optmyzr (Part 1)

Steffen Horst — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 02:37:49 +0000

Show Notes:

In this episode, we kick off the first part of a special three-part series on how small businesses can grow through digital advertising. In today’s discussion, we dive into Google Search and Performance Max (PMAX) campaigns, exploring how small businesses can maximize their advertising efforts with the power of automation and AI-driven insights.

Joining Steffen, is Navah Hopkins, a brand evangelist at Optmyzr, an award-winning PPC management suite powered by AI and machine learning. Navah brings over 15 years of digital marketing expertise, having worked for major brands like WordStream and NSE Digital. As a passionate innovator and data-driven strategist, Navah offers key insights into how small businesses can navigate the ever-evolving world of digital marketing.

What You’ll Learn in Part 1:

• What is Google PMAX and how it integrates various campaign types

• Why 50+ conversions per 30-day period is essential for PMAX success

• The importance of video content in PMAX campaigns

• How small businesses with budgets under $10,000 can optimize their ad spend

• The role of AI and machine learning in PPC and PMAX campaigns

• Tips for balancing automated control with hands-on campaign management

• Real-world examples of how small businesses can hit conversion goals with limited budgets

Key Takeaways:

• PMAX simplifies campaign management but requires businesses to give up some control over budget allocation.

• Success in PMAX relies heavily on having strong video assets and achieving a minimum of 50 conversions within 30 days.

• Dynamic search ads and strategic secondary conversions can help small businesses with lower ad budgets compete effectively.

• Understanding when to use broad match keywords and maximizing clicks with bid caps can help businesses scale their paid search campaigns.

About Navah Hopkins:

Navah Hopkins is a digital marketing expert and brand evangelist at Optmyzr, a leading PPC management platform. With a background in SEO, SEM, and content strategy, Navah has helped brands of all sizes achieve their advertising goals through innovative AI and automation strategies. In her role, she works closely with product, marketing, and customer success teams to deliver impactful insights and drive business success.

Join Us for Part 2:

In the next episode, we’ll focus on how small businesses should approach advertising to be successful, the various channels available to them, and common pitfalls to avoid.

To learn more about digital marketing for small businesses, visit Symphonic Digital or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @SymphonicHQ.

Digital Marketing Success: Interfunctional Coordination with Dawn Muller, CMO at Vitech

Steffen Horst — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 01:56:38 +0000

In this Performance Delivered episode, Steffen Horst interviews Dawn Muller, CMO at Vitech, about the vital role of inter-functional coordination in achieving digital marketing success. Dawn shares her marketing journey, extensive experience in B2B marketing within the tech and professional services sectors, and her position at Vitech. The conversation explores the concept of market orientation, emphasizing the necessity of customer and competitor focus alongside inter-functional collaboration. Dawn highlights the importance of teamwork between sales and marketing and how organizations can enhance alignment and communication to improve marketing strategies, product development, and customer focus. Practical insights and emerging trends for SaaS companies are also discussed, offering valuable advice for establishing a successful inter-functional coordination framework.

In this episode, we will talk about:

• Introduction to Performance Delivered
• Meet Dawn Muller: CMO at ViTech
• Dawn’s Journey into Marketing
• Defining Interfunctional Coordination
• Ensuring Sales and Marketing Alignment
• Practical Implementation in SaaS Companies
• Future Trends and Recommendations

How to Maximize Your Marketing ROI with Peter Mahoney, CMO at GoTo

Steffen Horst — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 01:50:55 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered, Steffen Horst sits down with Peter Mahoney, CMO at Goto, to explore the intricacies of marketing investments. Peter shares his expert tips on how to determine the right amount to spend on growth and how to prove it’s worth the investment. From understanding essential metrics and the hidden costs of customer acquisition to practical steps for measuring and improving ROI, this episode is packed with actionable insights for startups and established companies.

Show Notes

How much should you invest in growth, and how can you prove it’s worth it?

In this episode, Peter Mahoney, the CMO at Goto, dives into the complex equations and strategic decision-making behind determining marketing investments and their ROI.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The essential metrics every company should track for effective marketing investment.

• Key considerations for startups versus established companies when planning growth strategies.

• The hidden costs in customer acquisition and how to account for them.

• Why awareness might be more important yet difficult to quantify for startups.

• Practical steps for measuring and improving marketing ROI.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Goto

• LinkedIn - Peter Mahoney

Asaf Wolff | Unlock Higher Education: A New Digital Approach

Steffen Horst — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 01:49:43 +0000

In this episode of “Performance Delivered,” Steffen Horst is joined by Asaf Wolff, SVP of Growth and Experience at the University of the People, to discuss the transformative role of marketing automation and technology in student recruitment and global outreach. Discover how Asaf drove a 500% growth in student numbers at the world’s first nonprofit, tuition-free, American-accredited online university. Learn the strategies behind reducing acquisition costs, creating personalized marketing funnels, and ensuring student satisfaction to drive word-of-mouth growth.

Key Takeaways:

• The secret to reducing acquisition costs per student

• How personalized marketing funnels lead to skyrocketing enrollment rates

• Challenges faced during the integration of marketing automation tools

• The pivotal role of student satisfaction in driving word-of-mouth growth

• Strategies for maintaining a consistent brand message across diverse demographics

Mentioned in This Episode:

• University of the People

• Asaf on LinkedIn

Podcast Description:

Join Steffen Horst on “Performance Delivered” as he sits down with Asaf Wolff, SVP of Growth and Experience at the University of the People. Discover how Asaf leveraged marketing automation and technology to revolutionize student recruitment, driving a remarkable 500% growth in student numbers. Gain insights into the strategies that reduced acquisition costs, personalized marketing funnels that boosted enrollment rates, and the challenges faced during tool integration. Learn how maintaining student satisfaction plays a crucial role in word-of-mouth growth and how to maintain a consistent brand message across diverse demographics. Tune in for insider secrets on digital marketing success!

David Stark | Transforming Marketing: AI Meets Human Ingenuity

Steffen Horst — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In the rapidly evolving world of digital marketing, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and human creativity is reshaping the landscape. Are you prepared to harness the power of AI while preserving the invaluable human touch? Dive into this enlightening episode to discover how industry leaders are navigating this dynamic shift.

In this episode, we are joined by David Stark, the Chief Marketing Officer at Openstream. With over 25 years of experience in growth marketing and digital practices, David has worked with top-tier companies like IBM, Stratasys, and 3D Systems. At Openstream, a pioneer in multimodal conversational AI, David shares his insights on the role of digital marketers in the age of AI. Learn how AI is transforming marketing strategies and what it means for the future of human creativity in this field.

We’ll cover:

David's journey from aspiring ad agency professional to CMO of Openstream.
The evolving relationship between AI and human creativity in digital marketing.
Practical use cases for AI in digital marketing, from content creation to demand generation.
Strategies for maintaining the human touch in AI-driven marketing campaigns.
Future skills and knowledge digital marketers need to thrive alongside AI technologies.
And more

Dhiraj Kumar | Mastering the Art of the Challenger Brand

Steffen Horst — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Ever wondered how to stand out in a crowded market? This episode dives into the art of building a challenger brand with insights from an industry expert who has done it time and again.

In this episode of Performance Delivered, we are joined by Dhiraj Kumar, the Chief Marketing Officer at Dashlane, a leading password management platform protecting 2.5 billion credentials. Dhiraj brings a wealth of experience from scaling multibillion-dollar businesses at companies like Facebook, PayPal, and Bluevine. He shares his journey and the strategies he uses to turn Dashlane into a formidable challenger brand in the credential security industry.

We’ll cover:

Dhiraj’s unconventional career path from engineering to marketing.
The critical challenges faced when rebranding Dashlane for business and consumer markets.
Strategies for competing against well-established brands with limited resources.
The importance of having a clear and distinct point of view as a challenger brand.
Tips for hiring the right team to drive a challenger brand forward.
And more

Chris Arden | Transform Your Marketing With AI

Steffen Horst — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Imagine boosting your marketing efficiency without expanding your team. In this episode, we delve into how AI can revolutionize your marketing workflows, making your strategies more effective and streamlined.

In today's episode, I’m thrilled to have Chris Arden, a seasoned fractional CMO who helps early-stage startups develop their go-to-market strategies. With a rich background leading marketing efforts at top companies like Adidas, Puma, and Canyon Bicycles, Chris shares his insights on integrating AI into marketing workflows to achieve outstanding results. Join us as we explore the cutting-edge ways AI is transforming the marketing landscape.

We’ll cover:

Chris’ journey from traditional marketing to becoming a fractional CMO
The game-changing impact of AI on marketing automation and content creation
Practical examples of AI tools enhancing SEO analysis and image creation
How to leverage AI for content repurposing and efficiency
The future of AI in marketing and the balance between automation and human oversight
And more

Benjamin Brown | Overcoming AI Integration Challenges in Business

Steffen Horst — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Are you leveraging AI to streamline your business processes, or is it just another tech trend you’re observing from the sidelines?

In today’s episode, we demystify the integration of AI into less tech-savvy sectors, focusing on substantial benefits over the tech hype.

Joining us today is Benjamin Brown, Vice President at AKASA, a leader in generative AI solutions for healthcare revenue management.

With a rich background spanning from journalism to marketing major AI-powered platforms, Ben shares invaluable insights into marketing AI effectively, ensuring it’s accessible and beneficial to all.

Dan Malgran | Building Marketing from Scratch

Steffen Horst — Tue, 28 May 2024 19:33:37 +0000

Imagine starting a marketing department from scratch in a fast-paced, tech-driven environment.

How do you align a new team with the established rhythm of a thriving company? This episode unveils the highs and lows of building a marketing framework that not only meets but accelerates business objectives.

Welcome to today’s episode, where we explore the intricate dance of establishing and expanding a marketing function within a company. My guest, Dan Malgran, VP of Marketing at Steno, brings a wealth of experience in spearheading marketing initiatives across tech startups and scale-ups.

With a unique perspective on demand generation and strategic advising, Dan shares his journey and insights into creating a marketing department that truly drives growth.

David Howard | Boost Your Agency's Growth with AI-Enabled Strategies

Steffen Horst — Tue, 21 May 2024 12:06:41 +0000

In today's digital age, filling the pipeline is more challenging and critical than ever. But how can agencies leverage the latest in generative AI to not only survive but thrive? Tune in to this episode where David Howard, VP of Marketing at BuzzBoard, dives deep into modern strategies for business growth.

David brings years of experience in pioneering next-generation marketing strategies and building successful teams. With BuzzBoard's AI-driven platform at his disposal, he's here to share how agencies can enhance their customer engagement and pipeline development.

We’ll cover:

The evolution of AI in marketing: how generative AI has reshaped the landscape.
Personalization strategies: finding the balance between effective and excessive personalization.
Building a pipeline: innovative approaches for lead generation and engagement.
Content creation with AI: enhancing outreach with AI-generated, hyper-personalized content.
Future trends in AI and marketing: preparing for what's next in the fast-evolving world of digital marketing.
And more

Rewind - Sean Simon | Drive Performance with Zero and First Party Data

Steffen Horst — Tue, 14 May 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Are you tapping into the full potential of zero and first-party data?

Zero and first-party data are eclipsing third-party data…

When brands use this data strategically, they can drive more sales and acquire more customers because they know exactly who they’re selling to.

But a majority of brands are missing out on this opportunity—are you one of them?

Sean Simon, founder of Cogent, is here to break down how brands can use zero and first-party data to drive performance in media and e-commerce.

We’ll cover:

What happens when third-party data disappears
The difference between zero and first-party data
How brands can capture first-party data in a privacy compliant way
Why brands shouldn’t outsource their first-party data
Untapped resources for zero-party data
And more

Rewind - Daniel Salcedo | How to Use UGC to Actually Drive Sales

Steffen Horst — Tue, 07 May 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Content creators are the entrepreneurs of the future…

And user-generated content has enormous potential in the influencer marketing space…

With user-generated content done right, you can drive exponential conversions…

But many brands don’t understand how to make user-generated content that works.

Daniel Salcedo, the founder of Bolder, is here to give you an inside look at user-generated content.

Listen to learn:

The role of content creators in the marketing funnel
When to use UGC vs influencer marketing
What makes videos work
How to find the right UGC creator for your brand
And more

Rewind - John Harlow | Marketing Strategies for Maximum Conversions

Steffen Horst — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Does your marketing work?

Many companies produce marketing content that looks great but doesn’t get results.

But what is the secret to converting leads with marketing?

And how can you sync your marketing with your financial model?

John Harlow, a seasoned CEO and consulting leader, is here to share a CEO’s view of marketing partnerships.

Listen to learn:

Why you need to reduce leads to grow conversion
How to measure marketing effectiveness
The pros and cons of internal marketing teams vs. agencies
Why great ideas get lost in the execution
How to use consumer data to refine marketing
And more

Rewind - Jim Davis | How Consumer Behavior Can Influence Your Strategies

Steffen Horst — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Consumer behavior can give you powerful insights on your business…

When you analyze the purchase behavior of your best customers…

Your next growth and acquisition strategies become clear…

And you can tailor your marketing to maximize advertising efficiency…

Jim Davis of clothing brand Buck Mason is here to show you how to read consumer purchase behavior so you can drive sales and convert leads into long-term customers.

Listen to learn:

How seasonality affects consumers
When consumers decide vs. when consumers purchase
Why purchase behavior shows you where to invest
And more

Rewind - Tim Luukkonen | Telling a Compelling Story with Marketing Data

Steffen Horst — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 16:12:14 +0000

Are your marketing tactics really converting clients?

Without data, it’s all guesswork.

You might be wasting thousands of dollars on a campaign that doesn’t bring in revenue.

My guest, Tim Luukkonen, is here to fix that.

He’s going to show you how to tell a compelling marketing story with data…

So you can make informed decisions to get prospects through your pipeline.

In this episode, Tim reveals:

The basic data collection systems you need to implement
How to take advantage of data trends
Why some data is more valuable than others
And more.

Rewind - Martin Pazzani | Gain Brand Equity in a Cluttered Market

Steffen Horst — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Too many brands are trying to keep up with competitors and fail to differentiate.

Too many brands are getting lost in the digital clutter.

Don’t be one of the too many brands.

Martin Pazzani is a veteran of the marketing and brand building industry. His experience managing some of the world’s largest and most iconic brands has given him unmatched insight into what works... and what trends to avoid.

This conversation is a must listen for everyone looking to build their brand equity, break through to consumers, and avoid the pitfalls too many brands are falling into today.

Rewind - Bryant Lau | How to Balance B2B and B2C Demands

Steffen Horst — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The B2B sales process is becoming ever more like that of B2C sales. Behind this long-term trend is the understanding that the people behind B2B buying decisions are behaving more and more the way they do as B2C buyers. All of this makes my conversation with Bryant Lau all the timelier and more important for anyone involved in B2B marketing.

Bryant is the Head of Demand at Flockjay, a business services company that both recruits and trains candidates for positions in tech sales and connects them with companies looking to add motivated, diverse members to their sales teams. His role places him squarely between B2C and B2B marketing and sales. Bryant shares his lessons for success in both areas, including:

The structure of a marketing team that incorporates B2B and B2C sales
The differing channel needs of B2B and B2C
How to balance the marketing needs of each
And more

To get the most out of your B2B efforts, you need to better understand B2C marketing, and to better understand that, you need to listen here.

Rewind - Ian Bellais | Increase Closing Rates with Partner Marketing

Steffen Horst — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 16:23:25 +0000

Most companies build a sales team and expect them to self-generate leads; few have an efficient method to feed their sales pipeline.

Today’s guest, Ian Bellais, spearheads the partner marketing efforts as VP of Business Development at Verified First. With over 20 years of experience creating thriving, robust pipelines and revenue streams, Ian shares the power of partner marketing and what it takes to get any company into, and benefiting from, marketing through organizations to their end users in mutually beneficial partnerships, including:

How to structure a partner marketing arrangement
The types of marketing events partners can provide
How to identify partners that will be a great fit
The keys to a healthy partner marketing relationship
And more

Ian has created a system where almost 100% of his company’s pipeline is fed by partner marketing and that results in close rates as high as 65%. Listen in and learn how to boost your own numbers.

Rewind - Brian Border | Collect and Capitalize on Customer Data

Steffen Horst — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Personalizing the customer experience is the smartest way to improve retention, add value, and increase revenue. But how do you collect the right data, and how do you use it intelligently to create highly relevant experiences across the entire customer journey?

Brian Border is the Head of Marketing for JustAnswer, the leader in connecting customers to professional services experts. JustAnswer is revolutionizing the way customer data is collected and used to build robust consumer profiles across their platform and marketing efforts. Using data science, machine learning, paid media, and more, they create relationships with their customers that grow over time. Brian details their approach for anyone wanting to make better use of their customer data efforts, including:

How to extract data from hesitant customers
How to build in-depth profiles
3 recommendations for companies just beginning
And much more

Go beyond the basics and start building better customer relationships.

Rewind - Kathy Dunlay | The Future of B2B Social Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

There is often a lot of uncertainty surrounding social media marketing, especially among B2B companies. There is the time crunch to create content for the various platforms. The pressure to keep up with other brands. And questions about future trends.

Kathy Dunlay helps bring clarity and direction to companies looking to maximize their social media efforts. The Founder of New England Sales & Marketing has over 30 years of strategic marketing experience in the tech and digital spaces. Her firm leverages multi-channel campaigns to generate sales demands and she brings her expertise to answering the big social media marketing questions, including:

How has B2B social marketing evolved
What are the most effective ways to utilize social media for sales
Have we reached the limits of marketing automation
What is next for social media marketing
And more

Kathy’s mantra is “don’t implement other people’s best practices, figure out your own.” Listen now to start figuring out what social marketing efforts are right for you.

Rewind - Lee Wochner | Creating Relevance With Your Ideal Prospect

Steffen Horst — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Your company’s positioning, says Lee Wochner, is what determines your marketing, design elements, and messaging.

Get it right, says the CEO of L.A.-based full-service marketing agency Counterintuity, and positioning can be key to setting your business apart from the competition… not to mention help you refine your target market and spot what you’re doing wrong with your marketing… and ensure you aren’t wasting money on campaigns that don’t work.

We take a deep dive into that, including…

A multi-step strategy to determine if your positioning could be improved
Why your ideal prospect can help you come up with effective positioning
A lesson you can learn from Apple’s early days
How to figure out if your product or company name is sabotaging you
And more

Rewind - Mattan Danino | A Better Way to Measure Marketing Success

Steffen Horst — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Mattan Danino, CEO of WEBITMD, sees a gap in digital marketing services. And he’s passionate about working with small and medium-sized businesses who aren’t served by bigger agencies.

To that end, he strives to provide better results for clients by looking not only at the performance from individual marketing channels but also activities across all channels. He leverages technology to track – and act on – those results, including CRM, advanced automation tools, and more.

He says that helps bridge the gap between the theory of what should work… and what’s actually working.

We discuss that issue in-depth, including…

The importance of KPIs and the right ones to use to measure digital marketing results
How to integrate inbound marketing and sales – automatically
The fatal flaw of the last touch attribution model – and what to do about it
Why a CRM is an essential tool – but not for the reason you might think
And more

Rewind - Wendy Weiss | Quality vs. Quantity in Cold Calling

Steffen Horst — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Part 2 of our two-part series with the Queen of Cold Calling, Wendy Weiss, is here! If you tuned into Part 1, you know what Wendy is all about, but if you didn’t…

Wendy is an author, speaker, sales trainer, and so much more! Wendy’s track record is impressive— she’s recognized as one of the leading authorities on lead generation, cold calling, and new business development.

In this episode, we’ll pick right up where we left off and chat with Wendy about overcoming rejection, why you need to optimize your calling scripts, and…

The structure of a successful call
How you should design your voicemail messages
Should you always follow your script to the letter?
How to know if your script is working
Quality vs. quantity
And more

Rewind - Wendy Weiss | Setting Yourself Up For Cold Calling Success

Steffen Horst — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

It’s part 1 of our special 2-part series! In this episode, we sit down with Wendy Weiss— the Queen of Cold Calling, and an author, speaker, sales trainer, and so much more! Wendy’s track record is impressive— she’s recognized as one of the leading authorities on lead generation, cold calling, and new business development!

Wendy is passionate about helping her clients speed up their sales cycles, reach more prospects directly, and generate more sales revenue. Her impressive client list includes Avon Products, ADT, Sprint, and thousands of entrepreneurs throughout the country.

We’ll chat with Wendy about how cold calling has changed over the years, why you need to have a target audience, as well as…

How to not overthink what you’re going to say— and why a script is important to have
How to micro-target your audience
Why knowing your audience’s pain points is important
What you need to do in order to set yourself up for cold calling success
And more

Rewind - AJ Wilcox | The Easiest Social Network to Go Viral

Steffen Horst — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

LinkedIn is the easiest social network to go viral on, says AJ Wilcox of B2Linked. And that means it has tremendous potential to expand your business’s organic reach. But to make this free marketing method work, you have to take a very specific approach, adds AJ.

In part 1 of this interview, AJ highlighted the advantages of LinkedIn over Facebook and Google, the best ad formats, and why this business-oriented social network isn’t a good advertising fit for every business.

Here in part 2, we expand on the organic side, including how to expand your influence using your personal and company profiles.

The main reason most company LinkedIn profiles don’t much attention or traffic
How the latest LinkedIn update leveled the playing field
The most effective content to post on LinkedIn – and when to post it
What you need to know about how LinkedIn’s algorithm “judges” your new content
And more

Rewind - AJ Wilcox | Secrets of Effective LinkedIn Advertising

Steffen Horst — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Even though LinkedIn advertising can be incredibly effective for certain industries and businesses, not many agencies specialize in serving clients using this social network.

There’s no better authority to speak with than AJ Wilcox, of B2Linked, who, at one point, managed five of LinkedIn’s top 10 ad customers.

Like with many ad networks, being effective on LinkedIn is all about getting quality leads. You should also be able to track what spend gives you what results – and best contributes to your bottom line.

But you’ll have to use different tactics than you would with Google or Facebook ads.

AJ gets into all the details, including…

Why many companies are “priced out” of LinkedIn – and how to figure out if yours is
How to figure out if your audience is on LinkedIn – and if you can target them
The key element of an effective LinkedIn ad campaign that will engage your target market
The minimum amount you need to spend per month to get results
And more

Rewind - Ray Carbonell | Raising Your Digital Profile

Steffen Horst — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Ray Carbonell and the team at Qnary have helped radically change the way we think of thought leadership and reputation management. Ray says thought leadership isn’t about a TED Talk that goes viral… and if you only worry about reputation management when something goes wrong – then you’ve missed a big opportunity.

They show companies in a wide variety of industries how they can use thought leadership to boost engagement with their audience, land new business, and boost recruitment of top-notch new employees.

But they don’t focus on building the brand. Today’s consumers want a more personal connection, and that means building up the online profile of key executives.

We talk about the strategies they implement for their clients, including…

The top 5+ social networks for creating thought leaders from the ground up
Why helping executives build an individual brand actually increases retention
How to use social media to create an exponential boost in audience engagement
What to include in your online bios – and what to leave out
And more

Rewind - Kevin Susman | Commercial Innovation, Digital Transformation, & Strategy

Steffen Horst — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Many companies focus on product and forget about the value of brand…

But when you rethink your approach to brand, you can transform your company…

My guest, Kevin Susman, is the VP of Brand and Communications at MATRIXX Software.

In this episode, he’ll share his expertise on commercial innovation, digital transformation, and strategy.

He’ll cover:

The difference between “new” and “innovative”
How brand contributes to the customer experience
What companies miss when they overfocus on product
How a bad customer experience hurts your brand
And more

Rewind - Dorit Baxter | Rebranding for Optimal Performance

Steffen Horst — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Is it time for a rebrand?

Whether you need to refresh outdated content…

Reflect changes in your scale…

Or fix branding mistakes keeping you stagnant…

Getting your rebrand right can impact your bottom line.

My guest Dorit Baxter, Chief Marketing Officer at Connect America, is a marketing professional with 20+ years of experience developing corporate and product brand identities.

Listen to find out:

How you know it’s time for a rebrand
Why your brand impacts performance
The most important steps in the branding process
How to get your team aligned around a rebrand
And more

Rewind - Julie Cohen | Value Pricing & Workplace Culture

Steffen Horst — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Value pricing puts you in charge…

Equalizing the playing field between you and your customer…

But how do you price your services so you and your clients get the best value?

Julie Cohen is the Founder and CEO of Across the Pond, a global creative agency helping tech brands create a better world.

Julie believes that culture is the key to a successful business—and that value pricing establishes a culture that empowers employees.

In this episode, she’ll break down value pricing and reveal how she created an award-winning workplace culture.

Rewind - Rich Guth | Are You Making This SEO Mistake?

Steffen Horst — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

SEO is crucial for driving leads to your website and converting them to clients.

But too many people leave SEO as an afterthought…

And lose clients to sites who put optimization first.

In this episode, Rich Guth reveals why SEO needs to be part of your messaging from the beginning.

Rich is an SEO expert with 25+ years in marketing. Listen to him break down his winning SEO research process—and tell you how to get your site in the top ten results for competitive keywords.

Edward Farley | Developing a Purpose-Led Brand Strategy

Steffen Horst — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can you develop a purpose-led brand strategy?

Ed Farley, Executive Vice President, Senior Strategist at Crosby Marketing Communications, is here to share the importance of a purpose-led brand strategy in today’s environment.

He’ll cover:

Why authenticity is crucial
Creating a consistent message across channels
Building a team that lives your brand’s purpose
Thinking about consumers as your family
The 3 best practices for adopting a purpose-led brand strategy
And more

Lori Bartle | The Fundamentals of Client Leadership

Steffen Horst — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Client leadership is a choice.

And in this episode, Lori Bartle shares why…

Lori is the founder and CEO of Cultivagency, a company that partners with agencies to further develop the mindset, skillset, and operational alignment to advance client leadership.

With a focus on growth-oriented strategic planning, brand development, and brand innovation, Lori has a track record of long-term, highly successful client partnerships among national and international brands.

She’ll share:

How account management has changed over the years
The importance of coaching
The impact of remote work
Creating a successful client leader
And more

Brook Jay | Inside a Hybrid Agency Model

Steffen Horst — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What is the difference between the collective agency model and the traditional agency model—and how can a hybrid model work to your advantage?

I’m joined by Brook Jay, founder and CEO of All Terrain, an independent brand strategy and activation powerhouse.

In this episode, Brook shares her journey of over 25 years of designing memorable consumer experiences for brands that translate into real time ROI.

She’ll also cover how her agency’s model has shifted over time—and her advice for traditional agencies looking to transition to collective or hybrid agencies.

Lucas Ballasy | How Companies Select an Agency

Steffen Horst — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What is the decision making process for companies looking for an agency?

My guest Lucas Ballasy is partner and chief experience officer at Barrel, an agency working with brands to grow their businesses through website design, development, and optimization.

In this episode, he’ll share:

The changes and trends in the process of looking for an agency
Key factors companies consider when selecting an agency
Red flags when talking to a prospect
Navigating various stakeholders
How companies can get clarity on which agencies to choose
And more

Guy Yalif | The Impact of Generative AI on Optimization

Steffen Horst — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

98% of the time, we fail to turn leads into customers…

How can testing personalization driven by AI optimization help?

My guest Guy Yalif is the co-founder of Intellimize, a software that optimizes web experiences for testing, personalization, and AI optimization.

In this episode, he’ll share how generative AI is changing the website experience from an optimization perspective.

He’ll also cover how a website optimization tool can help B2B marketers be more effective.

Tye DeGrange | Inside Partner Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Why should companies consider partner marketing?

Partner marketing is a misunderstood and underappreciated approach…

In this episode, Tye DeGrange, founder and CEO of Round Barn Labs, shares how you can get started with partner marketing.

He’ll cover:

The difference between partner marketing and affiliate marketing
Common mistakes with partner marketing
How to measure the success of partner marketing
Successfully approaching partners and influencers
Can partner marketing work for B2B?
And more

Jeff Loeb | Using ABM as a Growth Strategy

Steffen Horst — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

These days, it’s hard to cut through the content marketing noise…

That’s where ABM comes in.

But what’s the best way for brands to get started using ABM?

In this episode, Jeff Loeb, partner and CMO at Chief Outsiders, is here to share his expertise on ABM.

He’ll cover:

Why companies should use ABM as part of their growth strategy
The components required for an ABM initiative
Finding alignment between sales and marketing
The best way to scope an ABM pilot
And more

Lisette Paras | Storytelling Strategies for Growth

Steffen Horst — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Storytelling is a crucial part of growing a brand…

In this episode, Lisette Paras will share the importance of strategic and steady storytelling---and how brands can begin their storytelling efforts.

Lisette is the president and founder of Gravitate PR, an award-winning public relations firm that transforms high growth technology startups into category leaders.

She’ll cover:

Why PR storytelling has become more personal
Storytelling approaches for different stages of a company
How to measure impact
And more

Bill Williams | Consumer Information vs Insight

Steffen Horst — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can you separate consumer information from insight?

Bill Williams is here to share his perspective on how agencies can better understand consumers.

Bill is the Director of Client Services at The Miller Group, a woman-owned, creatively-led, strategically-driven digital advertising and marketing agency.

He’ll cover:

The importance of asking “why”
Root cause analysis
Why data is a commodity, but insights are precious
Why briefs are crucial
And more

Claire Nance | Strategies for In-Game Advertising

Steffen Horst — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Gaming has never been bigger…

With 1/3 of the global population engaging in gaming, there’s an immense opportunity for marketers to use gaming as a media channel.

In this episode, Claire Nance will cover why marketers should pay attention to gaming as a media channel.

Claire is the Head of Global Communications & Industry Marketing at Activision Blizzard, one of the world’s largest interactive entertainment companies.

She’s here to share her expertise on gaming & advertising, including:

Common misconceptions about gaming audiences
3 ways brands can interact with games
A “player-first” approach to advertising
And more

Ian Stewart | Nurturing an Iconic Brand

Steffen Horst — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What does it mean to be an iconic brand?

And how can marketing teams help an iconic brand evolve over time?

Ian Stewart, a CMO with marketing leadership experience at iconic brands like Coca-Cola, MTV, and Nike, is here to share his expertise.

He’ll cover:

How to nurture iconic brands
Establishing your brand DNA
The meaning of “product first”
Knowing your audience
And more

Tiffany Sauder | Inside a Successful Leadership Change

Steffen Horst — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can you successfully make a leadership change?

When your organization changes its leaders, it’s crucial to communicate the change to clients and team members in the right way…

In this episode, Tiffany Sauder shares her own leadership change story.

As the CEO at Element Three, Tiffany recently implemented a President so she could achieve her goal of spending more time with her family.

She’s here to provide insight on how leaders can prepare for such a change, including:

Communicating the “why” behind the “what”
The most common mistakes about leadership change
Building client confidence in a new leader
Why most agencies don’t have succession plans
And more

Gina Cavallo | Driving Revenue with Sales & Programmatic

Steffen Horst — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What is the best strategy for sales and programmatic?

In this episode, Gina Cavallo, CRO of Audigent, the leading data activation, curation, and identity platform, is here to share her insight.

She’ll also cover:

How to decide if a brand should go in-house
The future of third party cookies
Aligning sales and marketing
The process of driving revenue
And more

Travis Murdock | Making Public Relations Measurable

Steffen Horst — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can you make public relations measurable?

Numbers are a powerful way to demonstrate the value of PR and negotiate for a higher budget…

But is there a way to track PR numbers in the same way you can with digital marketing?

My guest Travis Murdock is the US general manager at Sonus PR, a B2B agency focused on cutting-edge tech.

With 25 years of tech experience in B2B and consumer companies, Travis is on a mission to help entrepreneurs build their brands and tell their stories—and in this episode, he’ll share his expertise with you.

Jacob Ross | The Rise of Hybrid Channels

Steffen Horst — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How has the rise of hybrid channels impacted marketing?

My guest Jacob Ross is the CEO of PebblePost, the world’s leading digital direct mail marketing platform.

In this episode, he’ll share what marketing teams need to know about hybrid channels, including:

Why diversifying channels puts marketers ahead of the crowd
How to convince clients that marketing is worth investing in
The effects of cookies disappearing on the industry
And more

Ellyn Savage | Top Strategies for Scaling

Steffen Horst — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What are the best strategies to scale a team and agency?

My guest Ellyn Savage is the VP of Media at Mindgruve, a global independent digital agency that leads media strategies that help brands identify and acquire new customers.

In this episode, she’ll share her expertise on scaling, including:

Retaining talent in a sustainable way
Developing processes for growth
How to avoid a siloed approach
The top 5 lessons she’s learned on her journey
And more

David Wilson | The Impact of AI on Search

Steffen Horst — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How will the search landscape change in an AI/ChatGPT world?

And what can marketing teams do to succeed as these changes occur?

My guest David Wilson oversees the digital marketing team at Zozimus agency and has over 20 years of digital experience in marketing.

In this episode, he’ll share his thoughts on the relationship between search and AI, analyze how new technology will impact marketing, and weigh in on Bing’s new AI chatbot.

Kevin Lee | How AI Changes the SEO Landscape

Steffen Horst — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can companies dominate SEO in the era of ChatGPT?

My guest Kevin Lee is the Co-Founder of Didit, a fully integrated marketing and communications firm, where he invents marketing technology solutions.

In this episode, he’ll delve into SEO in the AI era, analyzing how the landscape will change and what strategies brands can use to stay on top.

He’ll also share best practices for content teams that leverage AI—and his take on who will win the AI war.

Ashly Knox | Why DTC is No Longer a Brand Identity

Steffen Horst — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

These days, brands can no longer lean on direct-to-consumer as an identity…

With most brands now selling online, direct-to-consumer has become one of many channels that brands can leverage.

My guest Ashly Knox is here to break down this shift and how brands can thrive using DTC as a channel.

The COO and CMO of Henson Shaving, a DTC razor manufacturer based in Canada, Ashly has over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing, working for both global brands and startups alike.

In this episode, he’ll cover the challenges of DTC and the levers brands can pull for customer retention.

Shamir Duverseau | Creating a Framework for Experimentation

Steffen Horst — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

It’s more important than ever to create a framework for experimentation…

Yet why are so many companies behind on using experimentation to improve their digital footprint?

My guest Shamir Duverseau is the Co-Founder of Smart Panda Labs, a company that helps enterprise organizations in the early stages of digital transformation with management and consulting services.

Shamir will cover how you can use experimentation to convert more prospects.

He’ll also share why most companies focus on the wrong phase of the funnel and how you can improve the collaboration between IT and marketing.

Leesa Eichberger | Navigating the Challenges of Remote Work

Steffen Horst — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can we lead through challenging times?

The hybrid/remote work environment has shifted the nature of work over the last few years…

It takes remarkable adaptability to help a team navigate these new challenges and get results.

In this episode, I’m joined by Leesa Eichberger, SVP of corporate marketing at RingCentral.

Leesa will share her wisdom on managing hybrid/remote teams—and how leaders can ensure their people are cared for.

Stephen Cuccio | Funnel Journeys and Contact Scoring

Steffen Horst — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can brands optimize the customer’s journey through the funnel?

And how can brands leverage contact scoring to increase sales?

Stephen Cuccio is here to share his digital marketing expertise.

Stephen is the Vice President of Business Development at AirTank, a full-service design, development, and marketing consultancy with a track record of increasing sales for their clients.

In this episode, he’ll cover:

What is lead nurturing
Top questions to ask a new prospect
Building long-term partnerships with clients
How to approach lead scoring
And more

Trevor Testwuide | Marketing Attribution and Incrementality Measurement

Steffen Horst — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

If you’re not using incrementality, your competitors are…

Trevor Testwuide is here to break down marketing attribution and incrementality measurement.

Trevor is the co-founder and CEO of Measured, the only measurement and optimization platform powered by incrementality.

An expert and pioneer in marketing attribution, Trevor believes incrementality is more effective at last touch for showing brands where to invest.

In this episode, he’ll share how brands can successfully implement incrementality—and why last touch methodology falls short.

Ryan Draving | Why LinkedIn Has the Best Advertising ROI

Steffen Horst — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Why do LinkedIn ads crush Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram for return on advertising spend?

When it comes to B2B social ads, my guest Ryan Draving believes that LinkedIn is the most effective platform—and in this episode he’ll share why.

As the co-founder and head of strategy at The Moving Company, Ryan collaborates with B2B marketing teams to drive MQLs, SQLs, and revenue.

He’ll cover:

Why LinkedIn is a great place for early and mid stage content
How to gain quality leads on LinkedIn
Using LinkedIn for partnerships
AB…Z Testing
And more

Bill Hildebolt | The Key to Working With Influencers

Steffen Horst — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What size influencer should companies work with?

Bill Hildebolt is the CEO of gen.video, a premier performance-based influencer marketing platform that enables creative and video storytelling to drive conversation and inspire e-commerce purchases.

In this episode, he’ll share what brands need to know about working with influencers, including:

The difference between nano, micro, and macro influencers
Why macro influencers are more cost effective
Understanding engagement vs audience
Best approaches to using influencers
And more

Morry Mitrani | Powerful Growth Strategies for TikTok

Steffen Horst — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

TikTok is impossible to ignore…

It’s changing the way people consume content online…

So how can brands use it as a growth strategy?

My guest Morry Mitrani currently leads the growth and marketing team at Citizen. He was the first growth marketing hire at Bumble, where he built the team from early stage to post-IPO.

In this episode, he’ll share what brands need to know about TikTok, including:

Setting up a company profile vs working with creators
What tactics align with the TikTok advertising model
How to brief a content creator (and why scripts don’t work)
What parts of the funnel does TikTok address
The top 3 tips to get started
And more

Christian Jones | The Crossover Between Brand and Performance

Steffen Horst — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can you balance performance and brand to achieve full funnel efficacy?

My guest Christian Jones is the SVP of Marketing and Client Development at Hawthorne Advertising.

He has over 20 years of proven success in marketing, creative, business development and technology.

In this episode, he’ll cover the crossover between brand and performance, including:

Keeping customers engaged with your brand (beyond your product)
Balancing the rational and emotional to create impact
How to ensure ROI on your marketing
And more

Ahin Thomas | The Marketer’s Guide to Revenue Systems

Steffen Horst — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can marketers drive full funnel impact with revenue systems?

My guest Ahin Thomas is the VP of Revenue Operations at LeagueApps.

In this episode, he’ll share his guide to revenue systems, including:

What is revenue operations?
How to determine which campaigns will drive revenue
The model that has the most impact for 98% of companies
And more

Nancy A Shenker | Why Content Writers Should Embrace AI

Steffen Horst — Wed, 31 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Why should content writers embrace AI?

Nancy Shenker, CEO of theONswitch, is here to discuss her new book about AI for writers.

Nancy will share how AI will shape the future of content writing and what today’s writers can do to adapt to this emerging technology.

She’ll cover:

Why AI should be called “assistive intelligence”
The top apps writers should know
The skills writers need to succeed with AI
And more

Carson Morell | Inside Personal Brand Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 24 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Which channels should you leverage to grow your personal brand?

With the right personal brand strategy, you can outpace corporate marketing efforts and see exponential results…

Carson Morell is the co-founder and COO of Arcbound, one of the fastest growing personal branding marketing firms.

In this episode, he’ll break down how you can get started with a personal brand, including:

Where to build your presence
Identifying a message that resonates with your audience
The importance of authenticity
How to create effective content
And more

Kevin Susman | Commercial Innovation, Digital Transformation, & Strategy

Steffen Horst — Wed, 17 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Many companies focus on product and forget about the value of brand…

But when you rethink your approach to brand, you can transform your company…

My guest, Kevin Susman, is the VP of Brand and Communications at MATRIXX Software.

In this episode, he’ll share his expertise on commercial innovation, digital transformation, and strategy.

He’ll cover:

The difference between “new” and “innovative”
How brand contributes to the customer experience
What companies miss when they overfocus on product
How a bad customer experience hurts your brand
And more

Frederick Vallaeys | How Automation Impacts Digital Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 10 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Automation is here to stay…

But how is it impacting the field of digital marketing?

Frederick Vallaeys, co-founding CEO of Optmyzr, the leading and award-winning PPC management platform, is here to share his insight.

He’ll cover:

Why automation is good for advertising
The risks associated with PPC automation
How to maximize your ROI on advertising
Does ChatGPT impact PPC?
Automation layering
And more

Hernan Tagliani | Inside Multicultural Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Is your brand missing out on this growth opportunity?

The US Hispanic population is one of the largest markets today…

It’s time for brands to develop culturally relevant marketing to appeal to this growing demographic…

My guest Hernan Tagliani is the president of The Group Advertising, a multicultural, multidisciplinary advertising and digital marketing agency.

In this episode, he’ll share how he helps brands assure sustainable growth by targeting a more diverse customer base—and break down where executives should start when engaging with the Hispanic market.

Ron Latz | Tech Tips for Lawyers

Steffen Horst — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can you leverage technology automation to improve client service and productivity within your legal business?

Ron Latz, VP of Sales and Customer Success at Mockingbird, is here to share his insight.

At Mockingbird, Ron helps attorneys and law firms maximize revenue growth for digital marketing, advertising, and strategic consulting services.

In this episode, he’ll share the must-know software for attorneys and the best practices for automation workflow.

Armin Molavi | In-House vs Agency Advertising

Steffen Horst — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

When it comes to advertising, should you go in-house or work with an agency?

Armin Molavi, a Strategist-for-Hire with a unique hybrid of brand, digital, and media expertise, is here to weigh in.

He’ll answer the advertising questions brands face, including:

How do you know if you should outsource your advertising?
What are the trends of in-house advertising?
Where should CMOs start with in-house advertising?
How to make hiring decisions
Tips for finding the right agency
And more

Amber Kemmis | Debunking MQL & SQL Goals

Steffen Horst — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we’re debunking MQL and SQL goals and why marketing teams focus on revenue.

My guest Amber Kemmis is the COO at Instrumental Group, a digital marketing and sales innovation agency. Amber is an inbound growth marketing leader with a passion for people, processes, psychology, and driving revenue growth.

She’s here to share her marketing expertise, including:

Why clients shouldn’t focus on SQL
How consumer behavior is changing
Why you need to start benchmarking better
How to identify high-quality leads
The difference between a goal and a KPI
Sales & marketing alignment
And more

Andy Groller | Why a Customer-Centric Approach Yields Results

Steffen Horst — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What is the impact of being a customer-centric agency?

Andy Groller, President and CEO of Dragon360, is here to share the first steps brands can take to become customer-centric—and why this yields results.

At B2B digital marketing agency Dragon360, Andy helps brands solve complex marketing challenges and reach new levels of ROI and growth.

In this episode, he’ll cover:

What it means to be customer-centric from an agency perspective
How to remain customer-centric as you grow in size
The benefits of a customer-centric approach
And more

Graham Riley | Mastering Organic & Paid LinkedIn

Steffen Horst — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Only 1% of LinkedIn users post content…

There’s a high probability your competition isn’t one of them.

That means it’s an incredible advantage to master organic and paid LinkedIn content.

Graham Riley is here to share what most users get wrong about LinkedIn and break down the differences between paid and organic LinkedIn strategies.

Graham is the CEO of Maverrik North America, a full-service LinkedIn Managed Services Agency with a mission to help 1 million businesses find sales success on LinkedIn.

He’ll cover:

Why you need to think of LinkedIn as a networking event
How to optimize your profile
Why you shouldn’t think of LinkedIn as a resume
How to build the right audience (not the biggest audience)
And more

Joel Stevenson | Why a Sales & Marketing Handoff is Crucial

Steffen Horst — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

It’s crucial to establish a proper handoff between marketing and sales…

In this episode, Joel Stevenson shares how.

Joel is the CEO of Yesware, a leader of sales productivity software, and the former GM and founder of Wayfair’s B2B division, which he grew to several hundred million in revenue.

He’ll reveal his top insights about sales and marketing, including:

How the channels that leads use define marketing strategies
Top software for sales and marketing
How to identify when parts of your sales funnel are broken
Why data builds trust between sales & marketing
And more

Soulaima Gourani | Building a Sales Pipeline (With No Marketing Budget)

Steffen Horst — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can you build a sales pipeline without spending a dollar on marketing?

Soulaima Gourani is here to share her journey in founding Happioh, a platform designed to protect people against low-quality meeting hours.

Soulaima will cover the process of building a waiting list and making sales before your software is even released… all without a marketing budget.

She’ll break down:

How to identify and engage with early adopters
How to convince someone to pay for your software
The importance of identifying your ideal user
And more

Robin Wilson | How Social Media Management Changed the World

Steffen Horst — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Social media management has changed the world…

It’s an essential tool to reach your prospects…

But how can you leverage it in the most powerful way?

In this episode, Robin Wilson, co-founder of SCP Agency and EPIC BDC, shares her expertise on social media management.

Robin, who focuses on the automotive industry, pushes the creative and innovative limits to bring her partners cutting edge social media presence and world class business development.

She’ll discuss:

The relationship between social media & digital marketing
Social media narrative-building in the auto industry
How to build traction on social media
The right budget to kickstart a social media page
A strategy for organic posts
The benefits of working with a social media agency
And more

Carol Eversen | How to Execute Account-Based Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Is account-based marketing right for your company?

With this highly-targeted strategy, you can convert more high-value accounts—and waste less time, money, and energy on prospects that aren’t ideal.

Carol Eversen, partner and CMO at Chief Outsiders, is here to share her expertise on account-based marketing.

Carol is a high-impact marketing leader who defines and executes strategies for companies navigating transformation and seeking to grow.

In this episode, she’ll break down how you can use account-based marketing to secure new customers and create new markets for growth.

She’ll also discuss:

Why sales and marketing alignment is crucial
The benefits of account-based marketing in 2023
How companies can decide which ABM program is the right fit
Strategies to measure ABM results
And more

Alan See | Developing a Personal Brand for Maximum Sales

Steffen Horst — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

If you want to grow sales, a personal brand is essential…

Your personal brand builds a rapport with your target audience…

It demonstrates your credibility & helps you stand out in the marketplace…

Alan See, Chief Marketing Officer at AMS Parts, is here to break down your first steps to creating a personal brand that resonates with your target audience.

Alan has been recognized as the American Marketing Association “Marketer of the Year” for content marketing and social media and as one of the “Top 50 Most Influential CMOs on Social Media” by Forbes.

In this episode, Alan shares:

Best practices for LinkedIn networking
How to minimize risk
Strategies for defining your target audience
And more

Tom Meehan | Creating a Unified Commerce Experience with Omnichannel

Steffen Horst — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can you create a unified commerce experience with omnichannel?

Tom Meehan of CONTROLTEK is here to discuss how retail brands can transition from the old omnichannel mindset and ensure that the customer experience is the same across channels.

Tom is a leading loss prevention expert in cybersecurity and information technology, and he wrote the bestselling book Evolution of Retail Asset Protection: Protecting Your Profit in a Digital Age.

In this episode, Tom will share how you can overcome the most common challenges of omnichannel to create the best possible customer experience.

He’ll also cover:

The most important part of having a successful omnichannel business
How risk has changed over the last few years
The impacts of the pandemic on retail & omnichannel
And more

Brian Davidson | Growing an Agency During Inflation

Steffen Horst — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Growing an agency during inflation is a unique challenge…

But with the right approach, you can beat your fears and see your agency thrive…

Brian Davidson of Matchnode is here to share the key things an agency owner should do to ensure they can grow their agency during inflation.

He’ll cover:

Keeping office culture alive in the age of WFH
Dealing with clients who fear recession
Finding talent when salaries are high
How to rightsize your business
Optimizing for profit
And more

Analisa Dominic | Exploring Marketing Strategies & Challenges

Steffen Horst — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Want marketing that gets results?

Analisa Dominic is here to explore marketing strategies and challenges.

She’ll give you the key questions you need to ask when developing a marketing strategy that drives sales.

And we’ll also discuss:

The difference between B2B & B2C strategies
Should sales & marketing be handled by the same person?
How can you analyze what’s working?
What the pandemic has changed about marketing
And more

Christopher Madden | Using Digital Ads to Drive Offline Sales

Steffen Horst — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How can brands use digital ads to drive brick-and-mortar sales?

Driving in-store sales requires different tactics than driving digital sales…

But with the right technique, you can grow your ROI and conversions…

Christopher Madden of Matchnode is here to share his expertise on digital marketing.

In this episode, he’ll cover:

How marketing leaders can facilitate an online/offline strategy
Why QR codes are a popular way to convert prospects
How to analyze if your campaign is working
And more

Mary Ann Pruitt | Demystifying Programmatic Advertising

Steffen Horst — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Is programmatic advertising your next powerful marketing tool?

Programmatic advertising uses AI to automatically place ads…

But many business owners don’t understand how to get the most out of it…

Mary Ann Pruitt is here to demystify programmatic advertising and help you leverage it to reach the audience you want.

Listen to learn:

The role of programmatic advertising in a media plan
Is programmatic advertising better for prospecting or branding?
Should you hire a service provider or go in-house?
And more

Holly Daniels Christensen | How to Create Great Content (Without A Huge Budget)

Steffen Horst — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

When you don’t have a huge budget, great content is essential…

Holly Daniels Christensen knows this well.

She founded her jewelry business, Dune Jewelry & Co, with no money—and propelled it into a worldwide brand.

Holly found that compelling content could generate leads and position her brand as an authority…

And with the right content, you don’t need thousands of dollars to see results.

In this episode, Holly shares her content creation wisdom, including:

How to plan content months in advance
How to get celebrity endorsements (without spending millions)
Content goals for 2023
And more

Karen Schmidt | Building a Successful Brand Narrative

Steffen Horst — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

A clear brand narrative is essential to your bottom line…

But how do you craft a narrative that appeals to consumers?

And how do you keep this brand consistent across channels?

Karen Schmidt is here to give you an inside look at building a successful brand narrative and share how her company, Schmidt Brothers Cutlery, uses a narrative to stand out from the competition.

Fernando Campos | Top Tips for a Successful Amazon Launch

Steffen Horst — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What separates companies that succeed on Amazon from the rest?

When you’re launching a product in a saturated product category, it’s hard to stand out from the competition…

But if you know the right strategies, you can rise to the top…

Fernando Campos, co-founder of MarketplaceOps, is here to share how he helps brands supercharge growth on Amazon.

We’ll cover:

How to get reviews (even when you’re just starting out)
What advertising strategies actually get results?
Pricing your product for a saturated category
And more

Ron Farnum | Start With Strategy–Not Tactics

Steffen Horst — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Want to save time, money, and energy?

When you start with strategy instead of tactics, everything becomes easier.

You can stop wasting time & money trying to find inaccurate solutions…

And all it takes is understanding the problem before you try to solve it.

Ron Farnum is here to share how you can implement strategy in your business—and avoid the common mistakes business owners make when they miss the big picture.

Brad Day | Strategies for Resource-Strapped Small Businesses

Steffen Horst — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What should small businesses focus on when they are not resource-rich?

When resources are scarce, it’s hard to know where to allocate them…

But with the power of alignment and a meaningful brand, it becomes easy…

Brad Day of HELM Boots left a 16-year career at Adidas to enter the startup world…

In this episode, he shares the strategies that led his small direct-to-consumer business to survive the pandemic and become a brand that means something to customers.

Brad will cover:

How to hire top talent (even if you think you can’t afford to)
The power of prioritizing
Why a strong brand doesn’t need expensive marketing
The importance of alignment on small teams
And more

Amy Mierzwinski | Business Development for Endless Opportunities

Steffen Horst — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Business development has changed rapidly over the last two years…

It can be hard to know if you’re making the right moves to grow…

You’re not sure how to get invited for a pitch—or maybe you’re not sure which pitches are even worth your time…

What are the top agencies of today doing to build referral networks that produce an ongoing flow of opportunities?

Amy Mierzwinski of WHITE64 is here to share her expertise on business development—and reveal how you can get new clients without ever having to do a pitch again.

Tim Swindle | Using Online Trends to Create Hit Products

Steffen Horst — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What makes a hit product?

And how do you take your idea from its inception…

To being sold by major retailers?

In this episode, I’m joined by Tim Swindle, a seasoned entrepreneur who has launched multiple companies in the toy, game, and novelty space.

Tim is going to walk you through the process of creating and selling his products.

He’ll also discuss:

How to capitalize on online trends to create hit products
The best strategies for pitching your product to retailers
And more

Elaine Kwon | Retail Trends for Q4 2022

Steffen Horst — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What trends can we expect from Q4 2022?

The holiday season is a crucial opportunity for brands…

You can’t afford to get your approach wrong this year…

But what are the most up-to-date strategies to win sales and stand out in the market?

In this episode, I’m joined by Elaine Kwon for a deep dive into retail trends and expectations for Q4 2022.

We’ll also discuss:

How to create sales without devaluing your brand
The post-pandemic retail landscape
E-commerce growth strategies for 2023
Supply chain updates for Q4
What makes fashion/beauty brands successful online
And more

Sean Simon | Drive Performance with Zero and First Party Data

Steffen Horst — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Are you tapping into the full potential of zero and first-party data?

Zero and first-party data are eclipsing third-party data…

When brands use this data strategically, they can drive more sales and acquire more customers because they know exactly who they’re selling to.

But a majority of brands are missing out on this opportunity—are you one of them?

Sean Simon, founder of Cogent, is here to break down how brands can use zero and first-party data to drive performance in media and e-commerce.

We’ll cover:

What happens when third-party data disappears
The difference between zero and first-party data
How brands can capture first-party data in a privacy compliant way
Why brands shouldn’t outsource their first-party data
Untapped resources for zero-party data
And more

Daniel Salcedo | How to Use UGC to Actually Drive Sales

Steffen Horst — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Content creators are the entrepreneurs of the future…

And user-generated content has enormous potential in the influencer marketing space…

With user-generated content done right, you can drive exponential conversions…

But many brands don’t understand how to make user-generated content that works.

Daniel Salcedo, the founder of Bolder, is here to give you an inside look at user-generated content.

Listen to learn:

The role of content creators in the marketing funnel
When to use UGC vs influencer marketing
What makes videos work
How to find the right UGC creator for your brand
And more

Scott Benedict | Best Practices for Omnichannel

Steffen Horst — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

These days, you NEED to master omnichannel…

But many brands go wrong in their approach…

The thing is, being a leader in physical retail doesn’t guarantee online success.

You need to understand the customer’s path to purchase in the digital world so you can optimize for maximum sales.

Scott Benedict of digital commerce company WhyteSpyder is here to break down best practices for omnichannel.

We’ll also cover:

How brands are adapting to the new challenges of the digital world
What brands get wrong about omnichannel
How eCommerce has changed over the years
Strategies for utilizing consumer data
And more

John Harlow | Marketing Strategies for Maximum Conversions

Steffen Horst — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Does your marketing work?

Many companies produce marketing content that looks great but doesn’t get results.

But what is the secret to converting leads with marketing?

And how can you sync your marketing with your financial model?

John Harlow, a seasoned CEO and consulting leader, is here to share a CEO’s view of marketing partnerships.

Listen to learn:

Why you need to reduce leads to grow conversion
How to measure marketing effectiveness
The pros and cons of internal marketing teams vs. agencies
Why great ideas get lost in the execution
How to use consumer data to refine marketing
And more

Jim Davis | How Consumer Behavior Can Influence Your Strategies

Steffen Horst — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Consumer behavior can give you powerful insights on your business…

When you analyze the purchase behavior of your best customers…

Your next growth and acquisition strategies become clear…

And you can tailor your marketing to maximize advertising efficiency…

Jim Davis of clothing brand Buck Mason is here to show you how to read consumer purchase behavior so you can drive sales and convert leads into long-term customers.

Listen to learn:

How seasonality affects consumers
When consumers decide vs. when consumers purchase
Why purchase behavior shows you where to invest
And more

Dorit Baxter | Rebranding for Optimal Performance

Steffen Horst — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Is it time for a rebrand?

Whether you need to refresh outdated content…

Reflect changes in your scale…

Or fix branding mistakes keeping you stagnant…

Getting your rebrand right can impact your bottom line.

My guest Dorit Baxter, Chief Marketing Officer at Connect America, is a marketing professional with 20+ years of experience developing corporate and product brand identities.

Listen to find out:

How you know it’s time for a rebrand
Why your brand impacts performance
The most important steps in the branding process
How to get your team aligned around a rebrand
And more

Julie Cohen | Value Pricing & Workplace Culture

Steffen Horst — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Value pricing puts you in charge…

Equalizing the playing field between you and your customer…

But how do you price your services so you and your clients get the best value?

Julie Cohen is the Founder and CEO of Across the Pond, a global creative agency helping tech brands create a better world.

Julie believes that culture is the key to a successful business—and that value pricing establishes a culture that empowers employees.

In this episode, she’ll break down value pricing and reveal how she created an award-winning workplace culture.

Tim Luukkonen | Telling a Compelling Story with Marketing Data

Steffen Horst — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Are your marketing tactics really converting clients?

Without data, it’s all guesswork.

You might be wasting thousands of dollars on a campaign that doesn’t bring in revenue.

My guest, Tim Luukkonen, is here to fix that.

He’s going to show you how to tell a compelling marketing story with data…

So you can make informed decisions to get prospects through your pipeline.

In this episode, Tim reveals:

The basic data collection systems you need to implement
How to take advantage of data trends
Why some data is more valuable than others
And more.

Rich Guth | Are You Making This SEO Mistake?

Steffen Horst — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

SEO is crucial for driving leads to your website and converting them to clients.

But too many people leave SEO as an afterthought…

And lose clients to sites who put optimization first.

In this episode, Rich Guth reveals why SEO needs to be part of your messaging from the beginning.

Rich is an SEO expert with 25+ years in marketing. Listen to him break down his winning SEO research process—and tell you how to get your site in the top ten results for competitive keywords.

Rewind - Sam Erdheim | The Number One Way To Get Your Emails Opened

Steffen Horst — Wed, 18 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Email marketing has become so much white noise because too many companies are failing to implement smart strategies.

They don’t know who is on their listservs so they can’t target content
They create content that is too long and detailed
They jump right into the sale before establishing credibility

Sam Erdheim, VP of Marketing at GuidePoint Security, has over two decades of marketing experience. He shares his expertise and what you can do to get your marketing emails opened by the right people.

Get smart, break through the clutter, and let email marketing drive your business success.

Rewind - Jeremy Camilloni | What You Don’t Know About Remote Selling

Steffen Horst — Wed, 11 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Secure more sales meetings while cutting the cost of inhouse sales development reps?

It’s a no-brainer for any company looking to succeed in our increasingly remote work environment.

airSales CEO Jeremy Camilloni has helped businesses crack the code of remote selling and can do the same for you. On this episode, he dives into detail on everything you don’t yet know but need to, including:

How remote selling will save you money
Which parts of your sales team to take remote first
The traits of a successful remote SDR
And more

Listen in to learn about all the advantages of moving to a remote sales model.

Martin Pazzani | Gain Brand Equity in a Cluttered Market

Steffen Horst — Wed, 04 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Too many brands are trying to keep up with competitors and fail to differentiate.

Too many brands are getting lost in the digital clutter.

Don’t be one of the too many brands.

Martin Pazzani is a veteran of the marketing and brand building industry. His experience managing some of the world’s largest and most iconic brands has given him unmatched insight into what works... and what trends to avoid.

This conversation is a must listen for everyone looking to build their brand equity, break through to consumers, and avoid the pitfalls too many brands are falling into today.

Annie Davis | Key Dos and Don’ts of Network Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

We all know the importance of networking and building connections when you are growing your business.

But how can you leverage that network to successfully market your product for you?

Annie Davis, CMO at Legends Boxing, has tapped into their existing client base to help the company grow and franchise gyms nationwide. Member created content is now 99% of Legends’ online marketing.

Get in the ring with Annie and find out how you can get your clients to fight for you.

Sandra Moran | Reach Resistant Buyers with these Marketing Changes

Steffen Horst — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

B2B selling has become increasingly difficult as buyers have become increasingly resistant to outreach and other marketing efforts.

Buyers want to spend less time with vendors and educate themselves before making purchasing decisions.

Companies that don’t evolve with changes in buyer’s behavior will lose out on revenue potential and market share.

Guest Sandra Moran is the CMO at WorkForce Software and a veteran marketer in the B2B and enterprise space. She joins the show to lay out concrete solutions you can implement today in order to meet resistant buyers where they are and help them to see you as the solution to their business problems.

If you want to be on the front foot when marketing to your ideal clients, you need to listen to this episode!

Patrick Ward | Build Your Brand with B2B Influencers

Steffen Horst — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

The role of influencers in marketing is an untapped resource across all B2B industries.

Leveraging these experts and thought leaders to build your brand is a competitive advantage that simply cannot be wasted.

Fortunately, guest Patrick Ward is here to help listeners set up and succeed with B2B influencer partnerships. The VP of Marketing at Rootstrap explains:

How to identify influencers your buyers trust
How to approach and initiate a partnership
How to tap into and optimize their network
And, how to build a roster of in-house influencers to further your reach

Listen now and be the first in your market to exploit the power of B2B influencer marketing.

Deidre Hudson | 4 Pillars for Better Demand Gen

Steffen Horst — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

You would want to have a solid foundation if you were building your house.

The same goes for building your demand gen. If it isn’t solid, your revenue returns will be shaky.

Guest Deidre Hudson is the CMO at Payability, a financing solutions company for ecommerce sellers. She breaks down her 4 Pillars of Digital Demand Generation and how you can build up the right: people, processes, programs, and performance for marketing success.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Who should be your first key hires?
Where do you start your demand gen opportunities?
Which pillar is the most important?

Listen in for these critical insights and more!

Lauren McCormack | 3 Key Elements to Your Demand Gen Engine

Steffen Horst — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Your demand gen engine will determine your business’s success... or failure.

But you don’t need unlimited resources in order to turbocharge your engine’s ROI. There are just three key elements to any winning strategy: People, Tech, and Alignment. Get those right and you’re off to the races.

Lauren McCormack knows how to get these elements dialed in. The VP of Marketing at BuildFire is an award-winning marketer and Marketo Certified Expert. Her strategies will get your demand gen engine up and running in no time.

Don’t miss this game-changing episode!

Dan Wallace-Brewster | How to Master Branding Within the Metaverse

Steffen Horst — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

With all the buzz around the Metaverse, what are the opportunities for your brand to expand and find success in this growing, virtual space?

Luxury and global brands like Gucci and Nike have been early adopters in the Metaverse marketplace. But, with a critical mass of users spending an increasing amount of time, and currency, plugged in and purchasing virtual products, there are endless ways in which smaller brands can monetize their goods and expand their brand awareness.

Dan Wallace-Brewster is the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Scalefast. A pioneer in ecommerce for entertainment and consumer brands, he is the perfect resource to help you understand, and incorporate, the Metaverse into your future brand strategy.

Don’t miss this episode or your chance to get in on this young and exciting market!

David Cunningham | How New Tech Will Improve Digital Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

How can you expand your brand with digital marketing?

What has caused well-known brands to fall out of favor with their target customers?

How can you use digital to accelerate marketing feedback and adapt to your customers?

David Cunningham, President of Brand Partnerships at MySureFit, is a 20-year veteran of some of the biggest names in the apparel industry. He shares lessons and case studies from brands like Ralph Lauren, Nautica, and Burberry. His expertise in both B2B and B2C digital channels will set you up for success in digital marketing and digital customer experience.

Listen in to learn more, and find out how you can start making marketing changes within 48 hours.

Scott King | How to Convert More Prospects

Steffen Horst — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Everyone is looking for better ways to convert – and keep – prospects as customers. In this episode, we are pleased to welcome someone who has valuable insights into just that.

Scott King is the Head of Marketing at Krista Software, an intelligent automation platform company. Scott helps enterprise software companies build better content and tell better value-based stories that create life-long customers. His background in sales and current position in marketing gives him a unique take on the prospect conversion process.

Scott’s approach is all about authenticity, connection, and how marketing can better utilize feedback from sales. Listen in to discover:

Next steps after identifying the target audience
How can marketing build familiarity with prospects
How should sales provide feedback to marketing
And much more

This episode has takeaways for both sales and marketing leaders. And don’t miss his final secret – Why the best product doesn’t always win the deal.

Rewind - Cyndi Thomason | Profit First in Ecommerce

Steffen Horst — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

For everyone out there who sells products and services, we have a special conversation with best-selling author and Master Level Certified Profit First Professional Cyndi Thomason. Cyndi is also the Founder and President of Bookskeep, a worldwide bookkeeping and consulting services company. She knew there had to be a way to help her struggling clients create more cash flow and the Profit First technique became the solution.

From startups to established businesses, no matter which industry you operate in, Profit First has something to improve your company, including:

Understand exactly where your money goes each month
Flipping the formula to set aside profits before expenses
Operating more efficiently
And more

Bookkeeping is often the first thing to go when times get busy. Set up a system that simplifies processes. Start to see results in just a few months. Listen in and learn more about Profit First.

Rewind - Haraldur Thorleifsson | What Contributes to Successful Branding?

Steffen Horst — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Everything a company does influences their brand. Every single touchpoint a company has in the world becomes part of their brand identity. And, with the world becoming increasingly more digital, those touch points are increasingly more digital as well.

You need to think digital first when designing or updating your brand. There are a multitude of technical considerations for digital branding from positioning in digital markets to color differences between physical and digital properties. Haraldur Thorleifsson lives in the digital branding space. He is the Founder of Ueno, an agency that uses tech design and strategy to create brands, products, and experiences for a variety of companies.

Our conversation with Haraldur covers a range of important topics in digital branding, including:

Steps a company must take to outline their brand
How to take an older brand into the digital world
The elements of digital branding that will produce results
Mistakes companies make in their digital branding plans
And more

Whether your company is just beginning to develop their brand, looking to update or solidify an existing brand, or wants to move their brand into a digital space, this episode is a must listen.

Rewind - Jonathan Stark | Stop Trading Time For Money — Optimize Your Labour

Steffen Horst — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Are you tired of stressing over hourly billing for your services? Feeling like your income is limited by the hours in a day? Dread going back to clients for change orders and having to explain why you’re going to be over budget?

There is a better way: Value Based Pricing

Jonathan Stark is on a mission to rid the world of hourly billing. The author and former software developer details how you can stop trading time for money and start optimizing your expertise. He lays out why and how you can start value pricing your services, including:

Which projects work best for value pricing
Why you should look at scope last, not first
How to convince clients on value pricing
And much more

Get control over project creep. Never go over budget on a client again. And set your prices based on what clients are willing to pay, not what it will cost you to complete the work. Listen in now and ditch hourly!

Bryant Lau | How to Balance B2B and B2C Demands

Steffen Horst — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Bryant is the Head of Demand at Flockjay, a business services company that both recruits and trains candidates for positions in tech sales and connects them with companies looking to add motivated, diverse members to their sales teams. His role places him squarely between B2C and B2B marketing and sales. Bryant shares his lessons for success in both areas, including:

The structure of a marketing team that incorporates B2B and B2C sales
The differing channel needs of B2B and B2C
How to balance the marketing needs of each
And more

To get the most out of your B2B efforts, you need to better understand B2C marketing, and to better understand that, you need to listen here.

Scott Logan | How to Generate Exponential Growth

Steffen Horst — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Too often, sales development reps are tied up chasing leads instead of being able to qualify them. The ability to structure the marketing/sales lead generation in a more efficient and effective way is the key to creating the opportunity for exponential growth. A key that Scott Logan holds as the VP of Marketing for Kronologic.

Scott has spent 15 years in both B2B sales AND marketing roles and 7 years building high growth demand gen teams from the bottom up. His experience in both marketing and sales has given him the insights that have led to developing improvements for the lead gen and sales process, insights he shares with listeners, including:

How to establish a feedback loop between sales and marketing
How to break the early-stage sales bottleneck
How to uplevel the skill set of your entire sales team
And more

Scott also shares Kronologic’s Calendar First™ sales engagement methodology. Listeners are invited to try it for themselves and see the difference it can make in removing the pain points of connecting with prospects. Don’t miss out!

Kristen Moore | Aligning Brand and Performance Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

If done correctly, brand marketing can boost the success of your organization’s performance marketing efforts. Educating prospects from the beginning reduces friction in the sales funnel and shortens the time between lead and opportunity. Aligning the work of these two teams, brand marketing and performance marketing, is the smart approach to getting more out of your company’s messaging.

InVia Robotics CMO Kristen Moore joins this episode, bringing over 20 years of experience in marketing within the tech and ecommerce sectors to our conversation on aligning brand and performance marketing. Her important insights include:

Assembling the right marketing talent for alignment
The metrics to show the impact of aligned efforts
Specific team actions to align brand and performance messaging
And much more

Don’t miss out. Start boosting your efforts today!

Carter Severns | Your Recipe for Startup Marketing Success

Steffen Horst — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Trying out a new recipe in the kitchen often requires working with new ingredients, learning new techniques, as well as a healthy dose of trial and error. Sometimes you come away with a delicious meal and sometimes you’re left with lessons of what to do, or not to do, next time.

VP of Marketing at OneDay, and cooking enthusiast, Carter Severns shares his expertise in startup marketing and the similarities to trying something new in the kitchen. Carter began as a marketing team of one and set about creating the company’s entire marketing plan from scratch. As with a new dish, his marketing methods rely heavily on the principles of test, learn, optimize, and repeat. He walks listeners through everything they will need to know about marketing in the startup environment, including:

What you need in your tech stack
Strategic budgeting
How to create the ideal buyer persona
Setting expectations for success
And much more

Understanding that, when beginning something entirely new, not everything will work out is key to Carter’s success. In the kitchen or in the office, it’s important to learn from failures and build on successes. Don’t miss this episode.

Ian Bellais | Increase Closing Rates with Partner Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Most companies build a sales team and expect them to self-generate leads; few have an efficient method to feed their sales pipeline.

Today’s guest, Ian Bellais, spearheads the partner marketing efforts as VP of Business Development at Verified First. With over 20 years of experience creating thriving, robust pipelines and revenue streams, Ian shares the power of partner marketing and what it takes to get any company into, and benefiting from, marketing through organizations to their end users in mutually beneficial partnerships, including:

How to structure a partner marketing arrangement
The types of marketing events partners can provide
How to identify partners that will be a great fit
The keys to a healthy partner marketing relationship
And more

Ian has created a system where almost 100% of his company’s pipeline is fed by partner marketing and that results in close rates as high as 65%. Listen in and learn how to boost your own numbers.

Brian Border | Collect and Capitalize on Customer Data

Steffen Horst — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Brian Border is the Head of Marketing for JustAnswer, the leader in connecting customers to professional services experts. JustAnswer is revolutionizing the way customer data is collected and used to build robust consumer profiles across their platform and marketing efforts. Using data science, machine learning, paid media, and more, they create relationships with their customers that grow over time. Brian details their approach for anyone wanting to make better use of their customer data efforts, including:

How to extract data from hesitant customers
How to build in-depth profiles
3 recommendations for companies just beginning
And much more

Go beyond the basics and start building better customer relationships.

Dirk Schart | Find the Right Go-To-Market Strategies

Steffen Horst — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Going to market with your product, service, or experience is the most important moment in your company’s development. Deciding HOW to get there is critical.

Dirk Schart is the CMO and President of RE’FLEKT. A brand and growth leader and creator of the Tech Circle community, Dirk understands how to bring complex products to the right markets. While most companies only focus on a single lane of the go-to-market highway, Dirk advises startups to have the flexibility and vision to utilize multiple lanes, enabling them to reach the right audience in such a way that they are creating a 10x user experience. This includes:

How to define the go-to lanes of marketing, product, and sales
How to select the correct lane for your business
Determining the right time to switch lanes
And more

Whether you are a large or small company, taking your first or third product to market, this episode is worth a listen.

Kathy Dunlay | The Future of B2B Social Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Kathy Dunlay helps bring clarity and direction to companies looking to maximize their social media efforts. The Founder of New England Sales & Marketing has over 30 years of strategic marketing experience in the tech and digital spaces. Her firm leverages multi-channel campaigns to generate sales demands and she brings her expertise to answering the big social media marketing questions, including:

How has B2B social marketing evolved
What are the most effective ways to utilize social media for sales
Have we reached the limits of marketing automation
What is next for social media marketing
And more

Kathy’s mantra is “don’t implement other people’s best practices, figure out your own.” Listen now to start figuring out what social marketing efforts are right for you.

Angus Robertson | Solutions for the Brand Awareness Problem

Steffen Horst — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Getting your brand awareness to the tipping point will have the greatest impact on future sales.

How to get there can be a mystery. Too many marketing execs focus on sales and demand gen rather than efforts that engage your target market and warm them up before they enter the sales pipeline.

Angus Robertson is the CMO at Chief Outsiders. He helps companies accelerate growth by building their brand awareness in a strategic way that results in a more productive sales pipeline. Angus understands what it means and what it takes to create – and measure – brand awareness, and he shares the key strategies, including:

The different brand awareness needs for startups and established companies
Execution tactics to generate awareness within a target market
His favorite metrics for measuring brand awareness activities
And more

When you have a prospective customer who already knows your brand, your product or service, and your company, they are more inclined to move through the sales pipeline than a prospect who needs to learn about your business at the same time you are attempting to sell to them. Listen in and start introducing your band today!

Jenny Coupe | Smart Steps to Align Sales and Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Marketing success is no longer simply measured by filling the sales pipeline.

Marketing teams are increasingly responsible for revenue generation. Businesses that can align their marketing and sales efforts will succeed, and those whose teams are misaligned will suffer and fail.

How can you ensure alignment and, ultimately, growth? Our guest, VP of Global Revenue Marketing for ActiveCampaign, Jenny Coupe goes in depth on the topic. An expert in the area, Jenny shares insights, examples, and steps you can take now, including:

How to approach sales and marketing alignment
What are the problems an alignment can solve
How to create a common set of metrics to measure the success of the relationship
How to maintain the partnership to create a long-term impact
And more

Make sure your marketing and sales teams understand their common goals and complementary roles and responsibilities. Don’t let misalignment mistakes hold back your business. Listen now!

Daniel Rodriguez | How to Start and Scale Up Your Marketing Team

Steffen Horst — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Where should you start when building out an early-stage marketing team?

What will be the best use of your resources?

And, once you are rolling, how do you know when to scale up?

It’s a mistake to try to emulate a large marketing org from the beginning.

Our guest, Daniel Rodriguez, is an experienced marketing executive and entrepreneur. In both VP of Marketing and CMO roles for startups, Daniel has built multiple, successful marketing teams from the ground up. He knows where to start and what to do next. He joins this episode to share his insights into the process, including:

Which area of marketing needs a 6x headcount and resource allocation
How to leverage outsourced work to create more capacity
Which metrics will determine when it is necessary to bring tasks in-house
And much more

The only way to move an early-stage company from point A to point B is to generate customer demand. Being smart about constructing a marketing team that can generate that demand will determine the success of the company. Listen in and learn how!

Jean-Michel Boujon | The Critical Steps of Brand Building

Steffen Horst — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Many early-stage companies make the mistake of jumping right into performance marketing – using paid advertising to try and generate sales and grab market share. They fail to invest in building their brand first. The result is that their marketing is less effective because there is insufficient brand awareness, reputation, or loyalty to convert potential customers.

Jean-Michel Boujon is a veteran brand builder. The SVP of Global Marketing at Outdoorsy, he has over 16 years of experience and a proven track record of building brands and steering multinational marketing teams. He joins the show to explain and outline how companies need to think and act as they build their brand, including:

Why some brands are perceived stronger than others
What does brand marketing do that performance marketing doesn’t
How to progress from brand persona and voice to messaging
And more

The conversation with Jean-Michel goes from theory to practice to measuring efficacy. A must-listen for anyone involved in business development and marketing success.

Chris Willis | Leverage Expansion Marketing for Greater Sales

Steffen Horst — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Don’t overlook the importance of investing in your expansion sales pipeline.

New business is important for any company, but conversion rates are often low and closing timelines can be drawn out.

Expanding business with existing clients is key to growth, and it requires its own set of considerations and tactics.

In this episode, Chris Willis gives a comprehensive guide to expansion marketing. The CMO at AI content analytics firm Acrolinx, Chris has over 20 years of experience growing tech companies and has focused on optimizing marketing for expansion sales pipelines. His best practices for expanding business with existing customers includes:

A tiered approach to existing client marketing needs
Creating campaigns specific to those top tier customers
Developing “champion enablement” contacts within target orgs
Effectively tracking expansion marketing efforts
And much more

If you are looking to boost sales numbers quickly or want to remain relevant to your existing customer base, you need to listen to this interview with Chris. You’ve got your new sales pipeline flowing, now it’s time to do the same with an expansion sales pipeline.

Dennis Behrman | Build Your Own High-Performance Marketing Team

Steffen Horst — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Whether you are a startup or established company, building your marketing team is the most critical factor in determining success or failure.

Knowing how to build a high-performance team isn’t difficult, and it doesn’t have to be a gamble.

Dennis Behrman is a Vice President of Marketing and Growth with extensive experience creating marketing teams for a variety of different businesses and objectives. He has established a system that is able to consistently find and hire the right people, and in this episode, he explains exactly how it works and how you can use it in your business. Our conversation covers the entire team construction process, including:

The three things you must consider before you start to hire
The key attributes successful team candidates must exhibit
How to conduct high-performance interviews for the best candidates
And much, much more

Whether you are looking to begin to build your marketing team or need to revamp your team’s structure, this interview is for you.

Michael O'Connell | How To Get Better (And Faster) Results with Experiential Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Today on the show we welcome Michael O’Connell, Vice President of Marketing at AnyRoad to talk with us about how to use experiential marketing to create 1st-party data collection for digital marketing. Experiential marketing is when brands use experiences to invite customers to experience the brand.

Michael is a B2B marketing and demand generation professional specializing in leveraging data and results driven marketing technology. He says, “Marketing has changed from when I started. So much more is measurable and trackable, we're trying to add digital-like measurement capabilities to offline experiences.”

Listen as he explains the new approach to using experiential marketing, as well as:

How BIG brands are bonding with customers using live events—and how you can, too
How to motivate customers to show up for in person experiences in a post pandemic era (and why the virtual event isn’t going away)
The three keys to making your next on-ground marketing event more impactful (plus the most important component of any offline experience)
And much more

Keith Hagen | A "Real-Life" Simple Do-It-Yourself Way To Garner Customers’ Insights

Steffen Horst — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this episode of Performance Delivered, we welcome guest Keith Hagen to talk with us about powering incremental improvements with insights.

Keith is the Vice President of Digital Marketing at SelectHub. SelectHub offers a streamlined solution to company stakeholders for enterprise software product evaluation, vendor sourcing, and IT procurement.

Keith says, “getting the customer insights as to what our audience wanted helped us narrow down what we needed to do.” Listen as he shares:

A dirt-cheap, simple do-it-yourself way to garner customer feedback in 2021 - it’s a little bit old school and really pretty simple
How to get better (and faster) insights and make the right incremental improvements to your website
Three sure-fire ways to take your insights to the next level
And much more

Miguel Adao | Make Your Marketing More Compelling

Steffen Horst — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Your ideal B2B customers are inundated with marketing material.

You’re tired of wasting resources on spray-and-pray marketing.

How do you cut through the clutter and get in front of the right people at the right time with the right message?

Miguel Adao joins us on this episode to explain how you can revamp your marketing to better connect with your ideal customers. The Senior Vice President of Marketing at KloudGin is on a mission to bring the emotional power of B2C marketing into the B2B sphere. Our conversation with Miguel goes in depth on a number of actionable steps you can take right now to improve your marketing ROI, including:

Messaging efficiently with cluster marketing
Leveraging success with lookalike customers
Elevating the ecosystem to amplify your message for you
And much more

Listen now and change your marketing strategy from a volume game into a value game.

Kirby Wadsworth | How Selling to The Wrong Customer is Driving Your Customer Service Headaches

Steffen Horst — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of the Performance Delivered Podcast, we talk to Kirby Wadsworth,
Chief Marketing Officer at Ionir. Kirby has more than two decades of marketing leadership in both large enterprises and smaller startups with experience in targeting, segmentation, and ICP.

Today, we’re talking to him about effective ways to approach targeting.

Kirby says, “It doesn’t matter how many leads you generate, it’s how many conversations you start with targeted accounts.”

Listen in as we discuss:

What happens when you are selling to the wrong customer?—(Hint: everything you don't want)
When is the right time for a company to start targeting?
How narrow your targets should be in B2B and how to use the right metrics to find the “magic”
And much more

Stephanie Cox | The Shortcut to Finding the Best MarTech Solutions for You and Your Customers

Steffen Horst — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Today on the show we welcome Stephanie Cox to talk with us about how agencies can benefit from adopting SaaS solutions for their clients.

Stephanie has over 15 years of marketing experience, with companies such as Salesforce and Project Lead the Way. She’s also the host of the REAL Marketer's podcast. Stephanie is the President of Lumavate, a leading no code mobile app platform that enables marketers to quickly publish apps with no code required.

Listen in as we discuss:

The shortcut to finding the best MarTech solutions for your customers
The top 3 questions to ask your customer before making MarTech recommendations
How to benefit from being an early adopter
2 ways to select the top players to partner with
And more

Dan Dillon | The One Best Way to Spend Your Ad Dollars Now

Steffen Horst — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of the Performance Delivered Podcast, we talk to Dan Dillon. He is a strategic marketing and communications executive with over 20 years’ experience in high growth software. Dan serves as the CMO of Reveal Mobile, a company that provides location-based marketing and analytics.

Today we are talking with Dan about geofencing marketing, and location-based advertising to extend retailers’ reach, as well as:

The post pandemic impact on retail shopping—it’s not what you think
The critical element in consumer data sharing
The real value of an in-store visit
His prediction on what the new “big 3” social media platforms will be
And more

Sam Erdheim | The Number One Way To Get Your Emails Opened

Steffen Horst — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of the Performance Delivered Podcast, we talk to Sam Erdheim, VP of Corporate Marketing at GuidePoint Security. Sam has two decades of experience across all facets of marketing and product management for enterprise software companies, with 15 years focused on cybersecurity.

Today we sit down with him to talk about digital marketing in 2021, and:

Directing, differentiating, and solving problems with your content
Hitting the right target with your content every time
Where to get the biggest bang for your buck on social
And more

Charity Araoz | Top-Performing SaaS Marketers - What They Do Differently

Steffen Horst — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of our Performance Delivered Podcast, our guest is Charity Araoz. Referred to as the Warrior of Marketing, Charity has over 20 years of experience, and serves as the Vice President of Marketing at PCS Software, an AI-driven transportation management platform.

The energy, fun, and even the uncertainty in the marketing courses she took in school attracted Charity to the field.

Today on the show she’ll tell us how a transition in 2011 led her to her marketing home. We’ll talk to her about why marketing for SaaS is different from other marketing experiences, as well as:

Blending your SaaS marketing cocktail
Using your product as your call to action
Customer retention vs customer acquisition—where to focus
And more

Kevin O’Connor | 6 Tools for Content Marketing Success

Steffen Horst — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of the Performance Delivered Podcast, our guest is Kevin O'Connor. Kevin is the Marketing Director at Scripted, an online marketplace that connects businesses with freelance writers who write content from blogs to white papers.

Kevin will lead us through the aspects of working with freelance writers to develop a solid content marketing plan. Tune in now to find out…

Which type of writer you need for your project
The key points to include in your content brief
How to measure the success of your content marketing plan
And more

Chris Raniere | The Critical Element Missing In Influencer Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 19 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of the Performance Delivered Podcast, we talk to Chris Raniere of Lumanu, about influencer marketing. Chris has worked in and alongside both billion-dollar organizations and start-ups in B2B and B2C markets, with roles ranging from Director to CEO.

Chris is a returning guest, so we welcome him back to talk about changes in the influencer marketing landscape, as well as,

The friction points for creators and brands
The difficulty in connecting creators with brands
The future of the creator economy
The mission of Lumanu
And more

Gal Borenstein | The Surest Way To Build Digital Trust For Your Brand

Steffen Horst — Wed, 12 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of the Performance Delivered Podcast, we chat with Gal Borenstein, CEO and Founder of the Borenstein Group. Gal is a recognized international digital B2B and B2G branding expert and an accomplished strategist in digital branding, marketing, social media, advertising, online reputation management, and public relations matters.

Gal says, “Trust isn’t something that is given, trust is something that has to be earned, especially in the digital arena.”

Today we talk with him about:

The evolution of branding
The relationship between strategy, connection, and analytics
How to reverse engineer the trust-building process
Aligning your analytics with your customer
And more

Alex Caragiannides | Lead Generation Secrets for LinkedIn

Steffen Horst — Wed, 05 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Our special guest on this week’s episode of the Performance Delivered Podcast is Alex Caragiannides. Alex is the Founder of BSM Vault, the social media and digital marketing agency built to serve real estate agents. He helps real estate professionals build their brand awareness and introduces automation software to solve their problems with the ultimate goal of driving more leads.

We chat about sales funnels focused on nurturing, as well as:

How marketing professionals tend to use LinkedIn in the wrong way
Marketing vs. selling
What you need more than the technical skills
Refining your real estate messaging to serve your ideal clients
And more

Luke Shankula | Digital Marketing Strategies for Mortgage Lenders

Steffen Horst — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Our special guest on this week’s episode of Performance Delivered is Luke Shankula, CEO of Paragon Digital Marketing Group. Luke is a leading mortgage marketing expert who aims to help people systemize their work and go beyond lead generation. Besides running a successful seven-figure mortgage marketing agency, Luke is a Facebook Ad Expert and Mortgage Appointment Generator.

We chat about utilizing Facebook Ads, as well as:

Luke’s start as a mortgage lender
Improving the quality of lending leads
The impact of low-interest rates on the mortgage market
Optimizing more local keywords in your strategies
And more

Dr. Joseph Sallustio | How to Withstand the Rapid Changes in Higher Education

Steffen Horst — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of our Performance Delivered Podcast, we speak with Dr. Joseph Sallustio. He is the Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer at Claremont Lincoln University, a nonprofit Graduate University that provides Master's degree programs online to engage in positive social change. Joe is one of the nation's foremost online higher education experts and has led a broad range of educational institutions, including regionally accredited nonprofit and for-profit universities, and a nationally accredited for-profit college.

We chat about the changes to university settings due to coronavirus, as well as:

The expansion of education delivery options
Differentiating the value in higher education
Offering socially conscious education
Awarding credit to degree seekers with relevant professional experience
Speaking directly to students with a specific buying criteria
And more

Maggie Mistovich | Strategic & Holistic Approaches to Social Media

Steffen Horst — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we speak with Maggie Mistovich, the Vice President of Marketing at TextUs, a leading business-class text messaging software. TextUs is the world's first real-time communication platform designed to dramatically improve how businesses communicate with their leads, candidates, and customers.

Maggie has over 15 years of experience directing marketing programs in a variety of industries and holds an MBA from the University of Colorado Denver, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

We chat about her career beginnings in yoga apparel and hotel marketing, as well as:

The similar objectives of B2B and B2C marketing
Minimizing unqualified leads and maximizing the sales funnel
Social media as a holistic marketing strategy
Which platforms are most effectively used for which purposes
And more

Kayla Elliott | Building Personal Relationships with Your Clients

Steffen Horst — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Our special guest on this week’s episode of Performance Delivered is Kayla Elliott, VP of Marketing at PC Matic and the Founder of ell Consulting. She is skilled in social media management, public relations, digital advertising, and content creation, holds a Master's degree in Business Administration, and currently helps small businesses that do not have a marketing or a key person in house to thrive.

Kayla says, “Reinforce building those relationships. Realistically, over the last year, we found that face to face interaction has significantly diminished, so moving that to social media has had a huge impact on rural businesses because they're not limited to the people that walk into their store.”

We chat about adapting marketing strategies for rural businesses, as well as:

The biggest competition for small businesses
Client retention— how to keep your clients coming back
Narrowing down your perfect client list
The best ways to set up stronger organic SEO
And more

Kenneth Burke | How to Make Your First Million Without Spending Much on Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Our special guest on this week’s episode of Performance Delivered is Kenneth Burke, the VP of Marketing at Text Request, a software company that helps businesses increase profits through powerful text messaging software. He’s received awards for his work in psychological research and sales, and has helped dozens of businesses, from pre-launch startups to billion-dollar companies, achieve their goals.

Kenneth says, “At the end of the day, the North Star should be what's bringing you the most new sales opportunities. If you're in marketing in particular, a lot of times you can't control the sales conversations, but you can control who you're targeting, how you're bringing them in, and where you're choosing to spend your time and effort.”

We chat about bootstrapping a start-up, as well as:

Honing in on marketing tactics that actually work
Steps to finding your first customer
Optimizing the evaluation of KPIs
The best tools for a young company
The differences in approach between start-ups and venture-backed companies
And more

Juliana Pereira | Content Development Strategies

Steffen Horst — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we speak with Juliana Pereira, the Vice President at Flow Commerce, Inc., a turnkey platform for international e-commerce companies to go global. The platform enables merchants to configure cross-border supply chain requirements and fulfill their overseas demand. Julia is a senior marketing professional with experience growing B2C and B2B businesses with her expertise in development of content strategy and product marketing.

We chat about long-form content, as well as:

Building short and long-term content to fit SEO preferences
E-commerce in various markets around the world
Developing multiple pieces of content from a single source
Determining necessary content to include in a successful SEO website
Reviewing analytics during the creation of new content
And more

Hugh Kelly | Optimizing Marketing Automation Platforms

Steffen Horst — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, our special guest is Hugh Kelly, Vice President of Marketing for Volta Networks. Hugh brings over 25 years of experience in software, networking and related technology businesses, from start-ups to publicly traded companies, to Volta Networks today.

Hugh says, “I think it's really important that companies understand that it's not the amount that you create, it's the quality, if you end up creating low quality content, people will will not stay on your site, they're not going to go further into your site and choose to consume more content, or to find out more about your company. So it’s better to have fewer pieces but of higher quality than more pieces of lower quality.”

We chat about customizing and personalizing marketing solutions, as well as:

Marketing Automation Platforms
Qualifying Leads
Providing Useful Information to your Target Audience
Intent Data
And more

Devin Schumacher | Secrets to Acquiring Lifetime Clients

Steffen Horst — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of the Performance Delivered Podcast, we speak with Devin Schumacher, the founder and CEO at SERP, a digital marketing company that helps businesses grow using the internet. Devin is now a recognized search engine optimization expert and digital marketing consultant.

We discuss Devin’s entrepreneurial roots, his time as a DJ, and how he has set and surpassed revenue goals. He has set up detailed systems and processes to scale his own companies. This allows his team to increase not only their clients' leads, but their clients’ revenue, and now he teaches others how to do the same in SERP University.

We discuss his formulas for growth, as well as:

Scaling revenue and planning the personnel to handle the workload
Best Hiring Practices for expanding your team virtually
Developing systems and processes to hire effectively
Maximizing your presence on paid advertising platforms
Client acquisition and predictable growth
And more

Angela Hill | Strategic Marketing Toolbox

Steffen Horst — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, our special guest is Angela Hill. She is the CEO at Incitrio, an award-winning, San Diego based full service agency. Chief Brand Strategist, Marketing Visionary, and Professional Speaker, Angela shares Incitrio’s unique approach to tackling marketing challenges and ultimately and unfailingly increasing revenue for her clients.

Angela says, “I like to think of marketing strategies and tactics as a toolbox, so I have a lot of tools at my disposal. If I'm a craftsman, I'm going to choose the right tool, the best tool to solve your problem instead of whatever's easiest or whatever I think I should push.”

We chat about customizing and personalizing marketing solutions, as well as:

Recognizing the need to improve quality of life
Translating feedback into action
Improving communication and coordination with sales and marketing departments
Data Tracking and Transparency
And more

Stephen Akhterov | Breaking Down Multi-Touch Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we speak with Stephen Akhterov, CEO of Something About Marketing, an agency that helps SMBs grow with personalized marketing strategies. Stephen’s area of expertise lies in social media strategy, PPC advertising, content marketing, SEO, website development, and most importantly, branding.

Stephen says, “We want to take people through a process that we know works. It starts with awareness, getting them to know your product, then we get more specific on how they would use the product, then we make sure to throw them some kind of conversion to show them why people just like them are purchasing this product. So, we determine what channel or what specific ad gets them to close the deal, but, it's important to know how you led them up to that point.”

We chat about Stephen’s journey to founding Something About Marketing, as well as:

Multi-touch marketing and the benefits of utilizing multiple channels
Visualizing the impact of different channels within your sales funnel
Determining the most appropriate attribution model for your marketing campaign
Fine-tuning your target audience
And more

Chad Burmeister | Increasing Sales Using Automated Outreach Systems

Steffen Horst — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode of Performance Delivered features Chad Burmeister. Chad is the CEO of ScaleX.ai, and the author of AI for Sales: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Sales.Today, Chad shares with us his experiences on the ground floor of sales. He served as an inside sales leader and disruptor at companies including Cisco-WebEx, ON24, ConnectAndSell, and RingCentral. In these roles, he learned exactly what it takes to become a great sales professional!

In his time in leadership, Chad saw just how much valuable time sales professionals were spending reaching out to prospects… which sparked Chad’s interest in artificial intelligence and the role it could serve in the sales world.

We chat with Chad about how the sales market has changed since the tech boom, as well as…

The secret to streamlining the sales experience
Pipelining leads
The future of sales and its merger with AI
The difference between EQ and IQ in sales
And more

Bob Gold | Keeping Collaboration and Innovation Flowing in a Virtual Setting

Steffen Horst — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we’re joined by Bob Gold, Founder and CEO of Bob Gold & Associates, one of the premier independent integrated communications and public relations agencies in the country. He is also managing partner of Hemisphere Technologies, Inc., which is dedicated to investing in publicly traded and privately held technology companies. Bob holds a Master’s degree from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California, and is the author of the popular children's book, The Shiny Penny.

“The reality is that working remotely is not going to go away. I think we're going to see, as we progress further and further, a hybrid approach to all businesses, not just to an agency business. We're going to see that, with conferences, some people will still want to gather and some people won’t want to travel. So, that's going to be our challenge— accepting this new hybrid model.” says Bob

We chat about growing your business from home, as well as:

The balance between physical and virtual in the workplace
Keeping collaboration and innovation flowing in a virtual setting
The challenges of WFH
Taking measures to create a safe office environment for returning employees
And more

Bryan Clayton | Why Revenue Is The Best Form Of Financing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Performance Delivered, we chat with Bryan Clayton⁠— CEO and co-founder of Green Pal, an online marketplace that connects homeowners with lawn care professionals and has even been called the “Uber of lawn care” by Entrepreneur Magazine.

If you’re wondering what else makes Bryan a valuable guest… Prior to starting Green Pal, Bryan founded Peach Tree Inc., one of the largest landscaping companies in the state of Tennessee, growing it into over 10 million/year in revenue!

We’ll chat with Bryan about his origin story and how he came to be an entrepreneur, how he was turned onto the benefits of digital marketing in the early 00’s, as well as…

Why you have to innovate in order to get ahead
How startups should be navigating digital marketing when they’re on a tight budget
The marketing recipe for success
Why revenue is the best form of financing
The get, keep, grow approach
And more

Richard Fallah | Secrets to a Successful Marketing Automation Campaign

Steffen Horst — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we are once again speaking with Richard Fallah, CEO of VBOUT, an adaptive marketing automation platform that aims to help business owners and marketing professionals centralize and automate their tasks in a simple, effective way. Richard joined us last week to discuss marketing automation and how it can help put your lead generation on steroids. This week, we’re taking that concept a step further by speaking about how to actually plan and implement a marketing automation buildout for your business.

“Assuming you have picked a platform for your marketing automation, take an inventory of any existing tools you are using, as well as an inventory of how you’re capturing your leads. Once you've taken that inventory of what your funnel looks like, you know exactly what you need to implement in your marketing automation. This is very high level, but technically it's taking existing processes and building them over your marketing automation platform of choice,” says Richard.

We chat about marketing automation across industries, as well as:

Important terminology within marketing automation, including triggers, actions, filters, and funnels
Expectations for seeing tangible results from implementing automation
Using data analytics to tweak your automation process
Secrets to a successful marketing automation campaign
And more

Richard Fallah | Optimizing Your Marketing Through Automation

Steffen Horst — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we speak with special guest, Richard Fallah. Richard is the CEO of VBOUT, an adaptive marketing automation platform that aims to help business owners and marketing professionals centralize and automate their tasks in a simple, effective way. The platform includes powerful email and social media tools, lead intelligence, and comprehensive analytics.

“A lot of people fear deploying marketing automation, or a marketing stack, because they think it's way too complicated to do that. It's actually the total opposite; a bit of investment, a few hours of your time, and you should be set for the rest of your usage. And, it reaps results. You start really seeing tangible results in your lead generation every three to six months,” says Richard.

We chat about what marketing automation means, as well as:

What areas marketing automation can help with
The direct benefits of automating your marketing
The importance of accurate data analytics
Determining the right tools for your business’ needs
And more

Lee Wochner | Creating Relevance With Your Ideal Prospect

Steffen Horst — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Your company’s positioning, says Lee Wochner, is what determines your marketing, design elements, and messaging.

Get it right, says the CEO of L.A.-based full-service marketing agency Counterintuity, and positioning can be key to setting your business apart from the competition… not to mention help you refine your target market and spot what you’re doing wrong with your marketing… and ensure you aren’t wasting money on campaigns that don’t work.

We take a deep dive into that, including…

A multi-step strategy to determine if your positioning could be improved
Why your ideal prospect can help you come up with effective positioning
A lesson you can learn from Apple’s early days
How to figure out if your product or company name is sabotaging you
And more

Jeremy Camilloni | What You Don’t Know About Remote Selling

Steffen Horst — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Even before the pandemic, Jeremy Camilloni embraced the concept of having a remote sales force instead of in-house employees for prospecting for potential new customers.

As CEO of airSales, Jeremy helps B2B companies implement these virtual sales systems, which he says can deliver even better results than working in an office under direct supervision of a sales manager.

But success in remote selling is far from assured. It all starts with, what else, the people. Jeremy shares his hiring secrets, explains what he looks for in a new salesperson (it’s not what you might think), and more.

Tune in to discover…

The right messaging you need to set a meeting (and the quickest way to “turn off” a prospect)
Common prospect objections during a sales call… and how to overcome them
Why he recommends “closers” stay in-house
What you can automate in the sales process – and what has to be done “manually”
And more

Haraldur Thorleifsson | What Contributes to Successful Branding?

Steffen Horst — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we’re joined by special guest, Haraldur Thorleifsson, CEO of Ueno. Ueno is an agency that creates brands, products, and experiences using strategy, design, content, and technology. They focus on creating a strong through-line of brand energy with every project they take on.

“Ultimately, a brand is how you feel about a certain company or a certain product,” says Haraldur. “If you think about it through that lens, everything that the company does influences their branding because everything the company does influences how people feel about them. So, good branding comes through at every single touchpoint that you have with a company, whether it's their marketing campaign, the customer experience of using their product, or when you have to reach the company.”

We chat in detail about digital branding, as well as:

What elements constitute successful branding
Why strong branding is often overlooked by young businesses
Whether there is a difference between traditional and digital branding
Creating an emotional connection between your audience and your brand
And more

What We Know About Google Discovery Ads and How They Can Work For You

Steffen Horst — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Polishing Your Digital Marketing, we sit down with Shawn Walker, VP of Strategy and Product Development at Symphonic Digital. Shawn is a digital marketing expert and the mind behind all of the great digital marketing campaigns we develop for our clients.

We decided to focus this episode on Google Discovery Ads and how they can be leveraged in your digital marketing. Discovery Ads were announced as a new format last May, during a Google Live event, and were originally only available to beta testers. However, they were made available to the public in April of this year. Since this is a new ad format, we thought it would be great to talk about it and share the knowledge that we've collected over the last couple of months with our listeners.

We chat further with Shawn about:

Google Discover and what Discovery Ads are
The differences between display ads and Discovery Ads
What businesses/industries Discovery Ads would be best-suited to
The positive and negative aspects of this new ad format
And more

Sam Richter | Utilizing Sales Triggers To Make Yourself A More Effective Seller

Steffen Horst — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we speak with special guest Sam Richter. Sam is the founder of High Profile Sales Coaching, as well as an award-winning keynote speaker, and the author of the best-selling book, Take The Cold Out Of Cold-Calling.

“I probably do about 100 dates a year, all over the globe, speaking on what's called sales intelligence, which is really all about how to find information about other people before you prospect them, before you call on them, so that you're highly relevant to what they care about. It can be summed up as: how do you find the right person at the right time? What's going on in their world?” says Sam.

We chat more about Sam’s coaching, as well as:

The biggest challenges for salespeople
The importance of different channels for outreach
Properly gauging the efficacy of your sales calling efforts
Sales triggers— what they are and how to find them
And more

Lacy Boggs | Using Your Brand Personality To Become A Leader In Your Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we’re speaking about leadership marketing with special guest Lacy Boggs. Lacy is the Director of The Content Direction Agency, which helps busy thought leaders to consistently publish content that moves them closer to their business goals and captures their voices perfectly.

“When I was getting started, I started working with a brand strategist, and she pointed out to me that I had the gift of being able to write in other people's voices. I honestly didn't know that was something that other writers didn't do, I thought that was something we all did. She told me that she thought a lot of people who had personality-driven brands, whether it was a person, for example, a coach who is the brand, or a product that has a strong personality brand, they would be very interested in having a writer that could mimic that brand voice that was already established. And so that's sort of what I leaned into as we were growing the business,” says Lacy.

We chat about what it takes to be able to write in someone else’s voice, as well as:

The differences between leadership marketing and thought leadership marketing
The importance of channels to your leadership marketing
Developing a brand personality
Marketing strategies
And more

Angelo Frisina | The 2 Biggest Factors in Quality SEO

Steffen Horst — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 05:00:00 +0000

What works in SEO is always evolving, says Angelo Frisina, founder of Sunlight Media. And that means if you provide SEO services, you have to always be evolving too to continue a steady flow of traffic to your site.

Angelo shares the strategies he uses for staying on top of Google’s algorithm changes – and to make sure his clients’ websites stay highly ranked. We also explore some previous SEO techniques that don’t work today – and could even get your blacklisted.

In many ways, says Angelo, Google looks a lot different than they used to, with less emphasis on organic search results. That makes those top spots on page one extremely competitive, he says.

We discuss that issue in detail, as well as…

The best sources of “inside” information on Google’s algorithm updates
The two most important elements of SEO strategy
A must-do task for effective link building (and a practice to avoid)
What quality content really means today
And more

Mattan Danino | A Better Way to Measure Marketing Success

Steffen Horst — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Mattan Danino, CEO of WEBITMD, sees a gap in digital marketing services. And he’s passionate about working with small and medium-sized businesses who aren’t served by bigger agencies.

To that end, he strives to provide better results for clients by looking not only at the performance from individual marketing channels but also activities across all channels. He leverages technology to track – and act on – those results, including CRM, advanced automation tools, and more.

He says that helps bridge the gap between the theory of what should work… and what’s actually working.

We discuss that issue in-depth, including…

The importance of KPIs and the right ones to use to measure digital marketing results
How to integrate inbound marketing and sales – automatically
The fatal flaw of the last touch attribution model – and what to do about it
Why a CRM is an essential tool – but not for the reason you might think
And more

Garrett Mehrguth | Short-Term Wins Vs. Long-Term Results

Steffen Horst — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Objectives and key results – OKRs – are a key part of a planning system that helps your team work in an organized way towards a common goal, explains Garrett Mehrguth, co-founder and CEO of Directive.

Accountability is a key part of this strategy, with regular check-ins to make sure you’re on track to meet your quarterly goals.

Garrett says it’s the perfect process to apply to his company’s work in SEO because OKRs provide strategic and deep-thinking consulting work for clients with long-term impacts, while still allowing for quick action on day-to-day tasks related to optimizing SEO or paid media work.

Involving your team is key because understanding the bigger goal behind their work allows them to be more effective. Plus, longer timelines for much-needed deep changes allow for more creative and effective solutions.

We take a deep dive into this topic, including…

The reason quick “wins” lead to lukewarm strategic plans and long-term outcomes
A strategy for organizing your team member’s time for better client results
How to make sure agencies guide, not serve clients
Factors beyond SEO you must consider – and will surprise you – to create an effective SEO strategy
And more

Shana Starr | Why Consistent Messaging Is Key In Your Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we sit down with Shana Starr, CEO of Bastion Elevate, a PR, social media, and digital marketing firm that is part of Bastion Collective. In her role, Shana is dedicated to providing clients with rock star talent and a results-driven strategy for businesses around the world. She has over 20 years of experience running successful communication campaigns and working with both large and small brands.

“The importance of consistent messaging has never been more important today than in the past because you just don't have the time to spend with editors and they don't have the time to get to know you, so it's a different approach. I see brands now coming out with all kinds of different things and everybody's trying to offer everything to just hope they hit something that's popular, and it's confusing because nobody is going to take the time to understand exactly what you're offering,” says Shana.

We chat more about the importance of consistent messaging, as well as:

Differentiating your brand through your value-adds
Communicating your message across different channels
How to ensure consistency across departments
Teaching executives to understand the importance of clear brand messaging
And more

Lindsie Nelson | The SEO Check-Up Your Site Needs Now

Steffen Horst — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

If you’re losing web traffic, it’s time for a SEO audit, says Lindsie Nelson, VP of client strategy at Transistor, a digital marketing agency that specializes in SEO and PPC.

In fact, any website that hasn’t done an in-depth SEO audit should do one because that will inform any SEO efforts and make them more effective.

We get into detail about the four main parts of a SEO audit, when it should be done, how to interpret results – and how the findings should guide SEO strategy moving forward. Lindsie shares what she looks for first and gets into the nitty-gritty of potential fixes – practical information anyone with a website should pay attention to.

Tune in to discover…

How to tell if Google is “flying blind” on your website and how to fix it
The simplest “back end” SEO mistakes to correct – you can do it yourself right now
What many companies forget when building a new website (that kills their traffic)
The best tools for conducting SEO audits
And more

Kevin Indig | What Changes at Google Mean for You

Steffen Horst — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

What works in SEO and digital marketing overall?

That answer is always changing, says Kevin Indig, VP of SEO and content marketing at G2. But it’s that “continuous development” that attracted him to work in this field, along with the chance to stretch his creative and analytic muscles on a regular basis.

There is an issue he’s particularly concerned with these days. Google has gone from simply displaying ads and search results and sending searchers to other websites to actually answering queries themselves – and reducing traffic to other sites as a result.

We talk about how that impacts companies that buy Google ads and their SEO efforts, the regulatory implications, and more, as well as…

The types of sites that are particularly vulnerable to the changes
Industries that are benefiting from Google’s new business model
How search marketers are adapting to this reality
Potential channels that are ideal alternatives to Google
And more

Michelle Azzopardi | Management Tips for Creatives

Steffen Horst — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

As senior VP of creative and operations at Eclipse, a full-service marketing agency, Michelle Azzopardi has worked with some of the biggest studios in Hollywood.

She says just as filmmakers tell stories; she sees marketers as storytellers as well.

She talks about the role of creativity in her work, as well as some of the day-to-day of working in an agency, like powerful ways of mentoring junior employees, how to channel creative energy in the right direction, management and leadership strategies that work best in this industry, and more.

We also discuss…

How to make sure creatives “play nice"
What to look for in hiring a creative – and what doesn’t matter as much as you think
Finding the balance between fighting for your ideas… and taking criticism
Creating a supportive company culture that pays off in more ways than one
And more

Jordan Dahlquist | Overcoming Influencer Marketing Issues

Steffen Horst — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Influencers aren’t just celebrities anymore. They come in all shapes and sizes – and command different rates, says Jordan Dahlquist, director of social media with marketing agency Bastion Elevate.

These days companies don’t necessarily need someone well-known or have millions of followers to effectively “influence” their audience. In fact, companies with a small budget can actually do quite well working with the right “microinfluencers.”

We talk about how much you should pay influencers, how to find the right influencers for your audience, and more, including…

The differences of working with microinfluencers versus macroinfluencers
The best way to pay influencers so you get the result you want
The biggest challenges to finding influencers today
How to counteract the problem of fake followers
And more

Jonathan Stark | Stop Trading Time For Money — Optimize Your Labour

Steffen Horst — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode, we chat with Jonathan Stark, author of Hourly Billing Is Nuts and host of Ditching Hourly.

Jonathan is the former VP of a boutique software firm who became dissatisfied with the hourly billing method and decided to branch out on his own as an author, aiming to convince businesses that value-based pricing is the way forward.

“It was kind of an organic transition from me leaving the hourly billing... going out on my own and moving over to value pricing, but, you know, I’m not trading time for money. Ultimately, people asked me so much about it that I started to move in that direction,” says Jonathan when asked about his career transition.

On this episode, we chat about transitioning from hourly billing to value-based pricing, as well as...

What types of projects are ideal for value-based pricing
What factors you should be looking at to determine if value-based pricing is a good fit for your project
How value-based pricing can be used to optimize your labor
The caveats of value-based pricing (they’re likely not what you think)
And more

Using Google Ad Bid Modifiers To Optimize Your Digital Marketing

Steffen Horst — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Polishing Your Digital Marketing, we sit down with Shawn Walker, VP of Strategy and Product Development at Symphonic Digital. Shawn is a digital marketing expert who works to develop strategies for digital media investment to maximize ROI.

When asked about the importance of Google ad bid modifiers, Shawn says, “I think the number one thing is people don't know they're there. Number two, if they know they’re there, they focus on other things that maybe they think have a greater opportunity to be more efficient, like working on ad copy, or adding keywords. I would argue this is just as important. If you're using the correct keywords but you're not targeting the right people, that could be just as bad as having irrelevant keywords.”

We chat further with Shawn about…

What bid modifiers are
What levels they can be applied to
How they can help to optimize a digital marketing campaign
Why human supervision is still necessary when automating your ad campaigns
And more

Jan Risher | The Seven Traits of Any Great Story — Jan Risher Shares Her Insights

Steffen Horst — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On this week’s episode of Performance Delivered, we speak with Jan Risher, principal at Shift Key Content Marketing and Public Relations Agency. Jan has been a newspaper columnist since 2002, has been awarded an International Fellowship for journalism, and has taught English in six countries.

“You have to have the balance even on your own social media of giving people news that they can use, versus the occasional self-promotional item. But traditional media is just not going to, well, traditional media worth their salt is not going to pick up completely self-promotional items, period,” says Jan when asked what she means by “ditch your pitch”.

We speak with Jan about how she got her start in content marketing and PR, as well as…

What traits make a story great and how a PR agency can help businesses identify which stories are worth telling
Ways for businesses to improve on news judgment
Tips for getting a story picked up or featured
Methods for getting results with a smaller budget
And more

Wendy Weiss | Quality vs. Quantity in Cold Calling

Steffen Horst — Wed, 27 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Part 2 of our two-part series with the Queen of Cold Calling, Wendy Weiss, is here! If you tuned into Part 1, you know what Wendy is all about, but if you didn’t…

In this episode, we’ll pick right up where we left off and chat with Wendy about overcoming rejection, why you need to optimize your calling scripts, and…

The structure of a successful call
How you should design your voicemail messages
Should you always follow your script to the letter?
How to know if your script is working
Quality vs. quantity
And more

Wendy Weiss | Setting Yourself Up For Cold Calling Success

Steffen Horst — Wed, 20 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

We’ll chat with Wendy about how cold calling has changed over the years, why you need to have a target audience, as well as…

How to not overthink what you’re going to say— and why a script is important to have
How to micro-target your audience
Why knowing your audience’s pain points is important
What you need to do in order to set yourself up for cold calling success
And more

Robb Fahrion | Digital Marketing During a Pandemic

Steffen Horst — Wed, 13 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Digital marketing agency Flying V Group takes a multi-pronged approach to boosting traffic, leads, and sales for its clients, encompassing SEO, paid search, social media, content marketing, and more.

Robb Fahrion, co-founder, partner, and SEO lead, says their main goal is to build a digital marketing strategy that drives growth. And if there is anything that remains constant in digital marketing, says Robb, it’s that what works is always changing, which forces you to closely watch trends and tweak campaigns as needed.

Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown another layer of difficulty on the whole process.

Robb talks about how what they do for their clients has changed, the adjustments they’ve made to digital marketing strategy, and more.

Tune in for tips on what you can do to reduce the impact of coronavirus on your business and plenty of strategies that get great results even in normal times.

Discover…

A way to save money on marketing when budgets are tight
What sort of projects you should focus on right now (to reap returns later)
Why SEO is more important than ever – and what you should be doing now in this area
A marketing channel that is more important now than ever – and how to get started
And more

How to Choose the Right Attribution Model for Your Digital Marketing

Steffen Horst — Fri, 08 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we launch our new series: Polishing Your Digital Marketing! This series is aimed at helping business owners overcome digital marketing related challenges and identify opportunities.

You’ll join Steffen and Shawn in a casual discussion about digital marketing topics you’re always wondering about— and leave feeling informed and empowered to make marketing decisions in your business.

Today, we’re going to talk about what attribution solution is best for a company. Specifically, we’ll chat about…

Available attribution models
Building brand awareness
Hand-holding buyers to speed up the buying process
How trying different ad platforms can benefit your business
Deciding which attribution model to use
And more

Lindsie Nelson | The Impact of COVID-19 on Ecommerce

Steffen Horst — Wed, 06 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

In her work as VP of Client Strategy at digital marketing agency Transistor, Lindsie Nelson focuses mostly on SEO, using search trends and keywords to develop content that drives traffic.

One thing she says digital marketers and their clients must never forget is that content can’t just speak to search engines – it needs to connect with people in a meaningful way as well so that they get the information they need about products and services.

Part of that strategy is to have long-term goals in mind, while still being able to make short-term changes to capitalize on emerging trends… like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

We talk about how you might tweak your SEO in uncertain times, as well as…

Blending creativity with data-driven decision-making
One of the most useful tools to improve your landing pages – and it’s free
Long-term plans versus short-term SEO decisions
Best practices for messaging in pages, title tags, and meta descriptions
And more

Laurel Mintz | Experiential Marketing Dos and Don’ts

Steffen Horst — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Does your marketing actually engage your potential customers? Elevate My Brand CEO Laurel Mintz says that too many companies have embraced digital marketing but have forgotten the basics of how to connect with their target market.

Laurel says it’s all about being “real”… sometimes even outrageous… and you have to combine online efforts with real world engagement to effectively build your brand.

But that doesn’t mean just holding events or setting up a booth at a trade show. Experiential marketing done right takes more effort. We talk about that, as well as…

The KPIs to pay attention to when building a brand
The best way to test new experiential marketing efforts
How to create brand awareness with those who matter
Making experiential marketing memorable… and accountable
And more

Lianna Patch | Your Marketing’s Missing Ingredient

Steffen Horst — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Copywriter and comedian Lianna Patch is on a mission: to inject humor into your marketing to make it more engaging, actionable, and profitable.

Humor shouldn’t be used in all industries, of course. But Lianna says you’d be surprised in which niches prospects are open to having their funny bones tickled a bit.

It’s not all fun and games. Humor in sales copy goes a long way to building strong, long-term relationships with customers, says Lianna.

We dive deep into this topic, covering…

The marketing channels where humor works… and where to get started
A strategy for testing if funny marketing will work with your audience
The best place to insert jokes in your sales copy – and the types of jokes that do best
How to write humorous copy… even if you don’t think you’re funny
And more

AJ Wilcox | The Easiest Social Network to Go Viral

Steffen Horst — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Here in part 2, we expand on the organic side, including how to expand your influence using your personal and company profiles.

The main reason most company LinkedIn profiles don’t much attention or traffic
How the latest LinkedIn update leveled the playing field
The most effective content to post on LinkedIn – and when to post it
What you need to know about how LinkedIn’s algorithm “judges” your new content
And more

AJ Wilcox | Secrets of Effective LinkedIn Advertising

Steffen Horst — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Even though LinkedIn advertising can be incredibly effective for certain industries and businesses, not many agencies specialize in serving clients using this social network.

There’s no better authority to speak with than AJ Wilcox, of B2Linked, who, at one point, managed five of LinkedIn’s top 10 ad customers.

But you’ll have to use different tactics than you would with Google or Facebook ads.

AJ gets into all the details, including…

Why many companies are “priced out” of LinkedIn – and how to figure out if yours is
How to figure out if your audience is on LinkedIn – and if you can target them
The key element of an effective LinkedIn ad campaign that will engage your target market
The minimum amount you need to spend per month to get results
And more

Elisabeth Willits | Finding Your Email Marketing Strategy

Steffen Horst — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Elisabeth Willits, a senior content marketing specialist with AWeber, is back again sharing her top tips for email marketing based on the data she’s gleaned about what works and what doesn’t based on sending out millions of emails.

In the first part, we talked about why email marketing is the ideal way to grow an ecommerce business. We also cleared up some misconceptions about email that all too many marketers still believe.

This time we focus on how to improve your current email marketing strategy (it can probably be performing much better) or ways to kick-start your email marketing efforts if you’ve never done it before.

Listen in to find out…

What your welcome emails must have
The most important purpose of every email you send out
How to make sure your subject line stands out in your prospects’ inboxes
The power of the “story” email
Clear and concise instructions on how to set up an effective automated email marketing funnel

Elisabeth Willits | Creating Insane Engagement With Email

Steffen Horst — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 05:00:00 +0000

For years, so-called experts have been touting the demise of email marketing. But, says Elisabeth Willits, this marketing channel is far from dead. In fact, in many ways it’s more relevant than ever.

As a senior content marketing specialist at AWeber, over the last six years Elisabeth has seen the industry up close and personal every day. Along the way, she’s collected data from emails sent to millions of subscribers, allowing her to figure out what works and what doesn’t in email.

She shares her results and insights into how to grow a business with this veteran marketing channel, including…

The factors that most influence click-through rates
Creating effective – and deliverable – email content
The three types of emails ecommerce stores must send their prospects and customers
An email list you should never mail to… in fact, it could be dangerous to your business
Exciting new innovations in email marketing and the opportunities they offer

Daniel Englebretson | Are You Missing Out on This Marketing Method?

Steffen Horst — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 05:00:00 +0000

In my second chat with Daniel Englebretson, we’re taking a deeper dive into the world of account-based marketing—specifically how to get started with this channel, from identifying targets to what metrics to track to measure success.

It’s pretty in-depth – if you want to do it right, at least. Daniel shares the step-by-step process he uses to figure out which accounts to go after and the key role the sales team plays in developing that list.

Account-based marketing isn’t right for every company. But, Daniel reveals a certain type of company for which it’s the best option.

Tune in to find out if your business qualifies, as well as…

The key differences between account-based and inbound marketing
Strategies to ensure that prospects come to you (and why they’re much more valuable)
What you must always keep in mind when choosing your ABM targets
How your sales team needs to be involved with your account-based marketing campaigns
And more

Joris Bryon | Biggest Myths About Conversion Rate Optimization

Steffen Horst — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Joris Bryon, founder of the Dexter Agency, is passionate about helping eCommerce business owners grow methodically using almost “scientific” methods.

In the first episode with Joris, we talked about a potential untapped goldmine for eCommerce businesses: converting more of your current traffic to boost profits instead of buying additional traffic, which gets very expensive – especially these days.

In today’s conversation, we focus on how exactly to do that by creating and executing a conversion optimization plan that encompasses the overall user experience, checkout process, landing pages, marketing campaigns, and more.

Tune in to find out…

Top conversion killers to watch out for
The right way to test (most people get it wrong)
What you should never let your web developer be in charge of
The best ways to collect key data from real users
And more

Joris Bryon | Why Website Traffic Is Not Enough

Steffen Horst — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Joris Bryon, founder of Dexter Agency, sees a lot of ecommerce entrepreneurs taking the wrong approach to designing their online presence.

They base the design on personal preference instead of data, so instead of being able to make changes that continually boost response – and profits – they spin their wheels.

Another issue: too much money and effort is spent on generating traffic without a solid plan for what to do with potential customers once they get to your site. Again, most lost opportunity for sales and revenue.

Joris focuses on converting more of the traffic you already have, which is an untapped goldmine for many ecommerce businesses.

Tune in to find out…

What to do with cold traffic
How to reduce your conversion percentage… and increase profit
The four ways you can increase your revenue
Avoiding the web traffic plateau
And many more valuable pointers that will help you turn your prospects into paying customers

Cyndi Thomason | Profit First in Ecommerce

Steffen Horst — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Many eCommerce entrepreneurs forget that the fundamental accounting principles and financial metrics that gauge the health of your business and should guide your future plans always remain the same, no matter what industry or sector you’re in.

That being said, book-keeping specialist Cyndi Thomason knows there are key ways online businesses differ, not to mention they face unique challenges. With her company, bookskeep, she helps clients doing business online increase their cash flow and keep it steady.

A lot of what she does is somewhat counterintuitive… but very effective. We talk about…

Why she doesn’t use QuickBooks (at least not for these key tasks)
How to get an instantly updated snapshot of your financial health
What it really means to put profits first
Using multiple bank accounts to track your business’s finances
And more

Adam Lean | Overcoming Entrepreneurial Overwhelm

Steffen Horst — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000

As founder of The CFO Project, Adam Lean consults with small businesses who’ve stalled and helps them to grow while maintaining a healthy profit – something the owners haven’t been able to do themselves.

Every business has its own set of obstacles to achieving that goal, of course. But, says Adam, there are several specific things that he sees most businesses doing wrong… or not doing at all when they should be.

One major point to keep in mind: more sales does not always equal more money in the bank. It’s a lesson he learned the hard way in the early days of his ecommerce business. We get into detail on all of this, including…

The biggest myth about profitability
Why an accountant or bookkeeper can’t help you
A four-step process for growing profitability and cash flow in your small business
The five most important numbers to watch in your business
Various invaluable tips and pointers which can vastly alter the long-term outcome of your business

Eric Bandholz | Why Your Business’s Mission Matters

Steffen Horst — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

When starting a business, many entrepreneurs think their first step should be to sink a bunch of money into advertising and marketing to get the word out.

But what if you don’t have much – if any – startup cash? Or you simply realize putting money into marketing doesn’t guarantee a return, especially with an untested product.

Eric Bandholz, founder of Beardbrand, turned this challenge into an asset. It forced him to grow his brand organically… and created a solid foundation for the thriving business he has today. He talks about how he marketed in the startup days, with no money, and how that philosophy still guides Beardbrand to this day.

Listen in to discover…

The best places to market online – if you don’t have any money
How to avoid having a “boring” business
When it’s time to get into paid media activities
Why you need to be part of your own target market
And more

Eric Bandholz | Building a Business With Community

Steffen Horst — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Eric Bandholz, founder and creative director of Beardbrand, doesn’t just sell men’s grooming products. He gives his customers confidence, a feeling of well-being, and a sense of community.

That’s what every brand should do. Unfortunately too many are just customers and transactions. We talk about how Eric and his partners have built an engaged community of followers using social media and other channels.

This tactic has enabled Eric and his partners to see steady growth, without outside investment. It’s a true bootstrapped ecommerce business.

Tune in to find out…

Overcoming the biggest hurdles of a bootstrapped business
The “Top Grading” process for hiring the best candidates
How to “talk” to your prospects… so they don’t feel like they’re being sold
Creating a company culture based on your core values – and getting buy in from employees
And more

Brad Moss | The Key to a 20% Amazon Sales Jump

Steffen Horst — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Brad Moss, CEO of Product Labs, and I continue our conversation about Amazon advertising. If you haven’t checked out our previous podcast on the topic, check out Part 1 here.

This time we talk about how companies can start selling on Amazon – and what contemporary methods they need to utilize to be successful. One of the first things is to set up an effective keyword strategy... and even consider some paid ads.

But this is a whole different ballgame than how you’ve done that sort of thing on Google. Brad talks about what metrics Amazon is looking for which can place you on top of your category.

We chat about conversion rate – what happens once you get people to your product page. As it turns out, here are four key parts of that page that impact this metric. And Brad also gives us the low down on the broader display ad system inside Amazon – which offers ads spots in many places you wouldn’t think about…

Tune in to get all the details on that, as well as…

The four parts of your Amazon product page that influence conversion rate
What you don’t want to do with keywords on your Amazon product listing
The metric for Amazon sales too many people are focused on… but should forget about
The KPIs that matter when selling on Amazon
Up to date methods to place in the top rankings and significantly boost conversions

Brad Moss | Insider Take From an Amazon Vet

Steffen Horst — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Amazon is a crowded place. As a veteran of Amazon, having managed the third-party seller platform, Brad Moss should know. It’s used in 10 countries, by over 2 million merchants, with more than 200 million customers and over 60 billion products.

This episode is all about the Amazon advertising strategies Brad recommends to his clients as CEO of consulting firm Product Labs.

Even if you don’t sell on Amazon (or at least not yet), it pays to listen because this platform is only getting more ubiquitous, and many of the concepts and best practices translate to online marketing in general.

Tune in to find out…

The difference between an Amazon vendor and an Amazon seller
Things to watch to make sure your Amazon product listings are effective
Why you must match your supply chain with your marketing funnel
How Amazon’s advertising platform actually works
In-depth details and insights about the highly-complex inner workings of Amazon ads

Si Quan Ong | Real Content Marketing Strategies

Steffen Horst — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Si Quan Ong, of SEO firm Ahrefs is back. During our first conversation, we discussed how to come up with evergreen topics for SEO-friendly content for your website. This time around, we’re talking about how to actually create that evergreen content.

The main issue, says SQ, is that many businesses go about content marketing all wrong. They do what everybody else is doing… don’t see great results… and so they give up, thinking content marketing doesn’t work.

SQ explains the pitfalls to watch out for… and best practices to adopt so that content marketing is a huge asset to your business. Among other things, we cover…

The #1 thing Google wants to see in your content
The 3 characteristics of “good” content
How to increase “dwell time”
Does readability matter with your SEO-friendly web content?
And more

Si Quan Ong | Creating Evergreen Content for SEO

Steffen Horst — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

When Google tweaks their algorithm, many website owners scramble to figure out new tricks to stay on top of the search results. But not Si Quan Ong and his colleagues at SEO firm Ahrefs.

They know whatever Google does, quality content will always be a key part of an effective SEO strategy. However, they don’t focus on posting every day or publishing timely content. Instead, they post blogs and articles that will always be relevant.

We talk about how that slow but steady evergreen approach pays off in more and higher-value traffic, as well as…

The difference between evergreen content and evergreen topics
How to deal with keywords and search terms with a lot of competition
The best platforms to find keywords for your SEO efforts (it’s not what most people consider #1)
One of the best ways to gather intelligence on your competition
And more

Bant Breen | Implementing A.I. Optimization

Steffen Horst — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Machine learning and A.I. is already in the world of media and online communication all around us. But it’s broken into marketing and advertising too, even if you don’t realize it.

Will A.I. ever replace a human’s expertise when buying ads? Bant Breen, founder of innovative reputation management firm Qnary, discusses this question. And it’s not cut-and-dry. One thing’s for sure. Just because it’s a shiny new object doesn’t mean you should be using it in your marketing efforts.

In fact, many agencies shouldn’t be using these systems at all… at least not until they have the right “infrastructure” set up.

We discuss that in detail, as well as…

The first place to start if you’re interested in A.I.
What machine learning can and can’t do – at least right now
The biggest challenge in implementing A.I. solutions
“Off the shelf” A.I. you can use now in your marketing efforts
And more

Bant Breen | Artificial Intelligence and Advertising

Steffen Horst — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Can artificial intelligence be creative… be original? Could AI come up with effective marketing?

Those are the big questions that Bant Breen, founder of reputation management firm Qnary, studies.

He says too many people in business – and marketing in particular – lack a true understanding of what AI is… and what it’s capable of. Not to mention the key ways it’s used in marketing already and the potential it has to impact the industry in the near future.

Bant maintains that too many executives are dismissive of AI and machine learning and its potential to change the face of marketing and business.

We talk about the latest developments in this field, as well as…

How a machine might replace a marketing executive
Why AI is way beyond chatbots
How machine learning and AI are the same… and different
The surprising uses of AI in advertising you probably missed
And more

Ray Carbonell | Raising Your Digital Profile

Steffen Horst — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 05:00:00 +0000

They show companies in a wide variety of industries how they can use thought leadership to boost engagement with their audience, land new business, and boost recruitment of top-notch new employees.

But they don’t focus on building the brand. Today’s consumers want a more personal connection, and that means building up the online profile of key executives.

We talk about the strategies they implement for their clients, including…

The top 5+ social networks for creating thought leaders from the ground up
Why helping executives build an individual brand actually increases retention
How to use social media to create an exponential boost in audience engagement
What to include in your online bios – and what to leave out
And more

Robin Alex | Automated Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses

Steffen Horst — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Marketing automation is the only way to accelerate the growth of your business and get it to the next level, says Robin Alex, president of agency Innovate Fast. But simply installing automation software and systems to drive new leads isn’t enough, says Robin, and won’t have any impact unless you take an extra step.

We talk about how to effectively integrate marketing automation into a business, how to use it to close more sales, the top platforms available today (especially for small businesses), and more.

Tune in to find out…

How automation fits into overall marketing strategy – and when to implement it
The ways people are still key to the success of a marketing automation system
Strategies for converting automated leads – this sometimes is a hands-on process
The biggest challenge facing anybody using marketing automation systems – and how to overcome it
And more

Daniel Englebretson | What’s Working Today in Account-Based Marketing

Steffen Horst — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Tech startup Phononic has semiconductor products that could well revolutionize the refrigeration and cooling industries. As Director of Integrated Marketing for the company, it’s Daniel Englebretson’s job to make sure the world takes notice.

He’s found the best way to target ideal prospects – the right companies and the right decision-makers at those companies – is with an account-based marketing approach. But if you think you know account-based marketing, it’s changed quite a lot in just the last few years, says Daniel.

We talk about…

What account-based marketing meant three years ago… and how it’s changed radically today
The integral part your sales team plays in these efforts
How to avoid being “creepy” in personalized marketing
Key ways account-based marketing is different for startups and established companies
And more

Heather Molina | Mixing and Matching the Right Team Members With Clients

Steffen Horst — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 05:00:00 +0000

One of Heather Molina’s bosses early in her career had a big influence on how she leads her team today as VP of cross channel marketing at Red Door Interactive.

No, it wasn’t a valued mentor (although plenty of those too) but rather a bad manager. She says she thinks about how he handled situations… and does the opposite.

In her role, she oversees teams doing everything from SEO to social media to TV ads and beyond. But no matter what type of marketing they’re doing there are definitely some common strategies she uses to keep her employees on track and producing results for clients.

Tune in to find out…

The most important trait she looks at when hiring – it has nothing to do with skills or experience
A surprising way to brainstorm new services to offer
The best way to build trust with employees (and why trust is so important in the first place)
A test that identifies a person’s most powerful strengths and motivators
And more…

Benjamin Shapiro | The Only 3 Things You Need to Start a Podcast

Steffen Horst — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Ben Shapiro is building a mini podcast empire, with the popular show, Martech, leading the way. The podcast is all about how industry leaders use marketing and technology to drive business growth.

Not surprisingly, Ben has used some of those same techniques to garner 30,000 downloads each month. We talk about how he leverages podcast content in all sorts of ways to expand his reach, as well as…

How you could start a podcast with equipment you have right now
The top 3 reasons to have a podcast – and who should have one
Who makes the best podcast guest – it’s not who you might think
An effective engagement hook to keep your audience coming back
And more

John Durham | Providing Service Beyond the Obvious

Steffen Horst — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +0000

With all the tools and software available, marketers have more data than ever about their prospects and customers. They’re drowning in it.

The trick is, says John Durham of Catalyst, is wading into that data, finding out what works, and turning it into action that gets real results.

That means figuring why people buy – and who they are. Marketing 101, right? But John says not all clients get what it takes to do that. We talk about that, as well as…

The low-cost, high-quality alternative to Salesforce for startups
How to identify – and get rid of – bad clients
The first person you must hire as a one-person startup
The advantages of a project-based business model
And more

Gerard Doyle | Defining Your Agency’s Culture

Steffen Horst — Wed, 29 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Gerard Doyle, of Fractal, loves working with startups as he can influence the positioning of a client’s product or service… even the design.

He also says the most effective way to get the best clients is to go after a limited number of them. He explains how this strategy actually starts making clients come to you. It’s quite counterintuitive.

We also discuss…

Software tools that help you track leads and land clients almost automatically
The first employee you should hire
The personal appointment you should always have on your schedule no matter how busy you are
An unusual – but easy – way to get referrals
And more

Jason Harper | Turning Analytics Into Action

Dave Antil — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 10:00:00 +0000

With AI, machine learning, and big data, companies have more information than ever on their customers.

But, says Jason Harper, too many companies collect data for the sake of collecting data. They’re not analyzing it effectively, which means they can’t use it to guide business decisions.

Jason, CEO of data science company RXA, shares how you can get clarity on how to determine what data is important… and the latest technology you can use to make sure your data actually has value.

We also discuss…

A shocking fact about data collection and analysis
What you must do to use analytics to increase marketing ROI
A new way to collect - and distill - customer feedback
The unexpected ways AI has changed the face of data collection
And more

Akvile DeFazio | A Journey to Entrepreneurship

Steffen Horst — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Akvile DeFazio took the leap from employee to self-employed with her digital marketing agency, Akvertise. The transition wasn’t always easy… but she wouldn’t trade the experience for anything because of what she learned about business, marketing, and herself.

We talk about the strategies Akvile used to build her agency from the ground up… and continues to use for business development and client retention.

Listen in to find out…

How speaking at events can boost your bottom-line
Where paid social is heading next
Why normal networking doesn’t work
Strategies to be more visible to potential clients
And more

Bud Torcom | The Continuing Facebook Gold Rush

Steffen Horst — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Facebook ads are cheap. You can segment your audience to the nth degree.

But all that doesn't matter if you don’t take one more step, says Bud Torcom, CEO and co-founder of digital marketing agency Mazama Media.

Bud sees a lot of companies going about their social media marketing all wrong. The solution: a blend of tried-and-true marketing principles and taking advantage of the innovation available on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

If you think Facebook doesn’t work… Bud tells you what you may be doing wrong, as well as…

The role of creative with segmented audiences
The best way for a new company to capitalize on social media
Why branding still matters
Facebook and Instagram’s next sweet spot
And more

Jay Rice | Double Your Website Conversion

Steffen Horst — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 10:00:00 +0000

For most businesses, a main goal is turning website visitors into leads.

Jay Rice, founder and CEO of Thinking Chat, says that’s a good starting point… but he’s refined that process using some very unique technology in order to engage visitors and increase conversions – while also screening out leads that aren’t a fit.

Thinking Chat provides its clients with a “chatbot” – but unlike any you’ve seen before.

We talk about this unique approach to using AI in lead generation and how it impacts marketing and shortens the sales cycle.

Tune in to find out…

How to keep the wrong prospects out of your funnel
Where marketing automation falls short - and how to get around it
Going beyond FAQs
Where live chat often misses the mark – and a chatbot does better
And more

Jake Baadsgaard | The Biggest Problem in Digital Marketing Today

Steffen Horst — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Jake Baadsgaard, founder of Disruptive Advertising, is very selective about who he works with. In fact, after they go through his vetting process, only about 20% of potential clients make the cut.

He breaks down what makes a client a good fit and how he and his team figure it out. It’s a key part of a well-oiled business development machine they’ve put into place.

Disruptive Advertising does no outbound marketing of its services. We find out why they don’t need to and get all the details on the other seemingly counterintuitive strategies they use on a daily basis.

Tune in to find out…

Ways to deal with unrealistic expectations from clients
How many companies are sabotaging their Facebook marketing – and don’t even know it
Two reasons for price objections and how to handle them
The right way to use marketing automation
And more

Richard Bumgarner and Lyn Rundell | The Magic of the Dispersed Workforce

Steffen Horst — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 10:00:00 +0000

How does a small digital marketing agency compete for top employees against big firms in such a competitive environment like the Bay Area?

For Richard Bumgarner and Lyn Rundell, founders of Hero Marketing, the secret has been providing a great place to work, simply put. And that doesn’t mean a foosball table in the break room.

Rather, they focus on providing true work/life balance, giving many employees the chance to work from home, and benefits the right employees prefer to higher pay.

But this approach hasn’t come without its challenges. We talk about…

Ways they keep their remote workforce on the same page and on task
The little touches that keep employees motivated
Where to hire the employees that mesh best with your team – it’s not the big name job sites
The types of freelancers you must avoid
And more

Chris Raniere | Two Digital Marketing Trends to Watch

Steffen Horst — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Chris Raniere, founder and president of San Francisco-based digital marketing agency 46Mile, has seen a lot since his days at early search engine Ask Jeeves and other companies of that era.

One thing that has remained a constant is that many clients don’t understand the value of the work agencies do in paid search and other marketing channels and, as a result, try to lowball them when it comes to fees.

Chris has little patience for that attitude and explains how he deals with potential clients who want to pay as little as possible, as well as…

Why you shouldn’t do RFPs – with one exception
Where large regional brands are moving their marketing efforts
When you shouldn’t back down on price
How to show a client you’re worth a higher fee than the competition
And more

Jeff Rosenblum | The Client That Will Transform Your Business

Dave Antil — Wed, 31 Oct 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Jeff Rosenblum, founding partner of digital marketing agency Questus, has a unique perspective on the industry. His agency’s fortunes rose in the Dot-Com Era. But they survived the crash and came out stronger on the other side with lessons learned that guide their work to this day with companies like Apple, Suzuki, General Mills, and more.

He knows that most companies waste the vast majority of their marketing dollars as they try to make something stick. His approach: combine creativity and data to create targeted marketing that benefits brands and empowers audiences.

We talk about…

Competing as a small firm against the world’s biggest marketing agencies
Turning customers into evangelists
Using the Fair Price Matrix to always get paid what you deserve
When you should say no thanks to a prospective client
And more

Daniel Heale | Hollywood’s Marketing Secrets

Steffen Horst — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Working with Hollywood’s biggest movie studios keeps Los Angeles-based Daniel Heale and his team on their toes.

As Chief Strategic Officer of global agency Way to Blue, he’s always on the cutting edge of what works and what doesn’t in digital marketing.

But Daniel says that there are two elements a successful agency needs that have nothing to do with technology or so-called best practices.

We talk about…

How to hit the moving target of marketing success
The best way to form long-term client relationships
Ways small agencies can deliver big campaigns without breaking the bank
Strategies for attracting – and retaining – the talent you need
And more

Steffen Horst | Veteran Digital Marketers “Spill the Beans”

Steffen Horst — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000

For agency owners and executives, the digital marketing landscape is always changing.

With interviews with thought leaders and those “in the trenches” of the industry, the Performance Delivered podcast will keep you up-to-date with current industry best practices… and also give you a glimpse into what innovations the future holds.

Hosts Steffen Horst and Dave Antil are big agency “refugees” who know that the industry is going through drastic changes right now. And they offer insights you can use to stay on top.

Tune in now to find out…

A new take on marketing at the agency level
The most important elements of digital marketing today
The way performance marketing fits in to your current efforts
How you can be “first in line” for new episodes
And more