GRIN Gets Real

In today’s conversation, host Katya Allison is joined by Rob Walch, VP of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn, to hear Rob’s strategies for marketers trying to partner with podcast producers.

To Rob, it’s important to keep a few things in mind when approaching podcast audiences:

- Podcasts are more like magazines than radio shows; they have very niche audiences.

- Keyword SEO is limited to podcast titles and has no effect when used in show descriptions.

- Advertisers should consider the differences between show sponsorship and one-off advertisements.

- Marketing efforts often have a better ROI when directed towards smaller shows with committed niche audiences than shows with mass appeal.

- Video often doesn’t indicate a growing podcast audience.

- Marketers should take the time to actually listen to the shows they intend to partner with.

- Podcasts and brands should have a compatible ethos when undertaking a campaign together.

Rob’s advice is crucial for marketers seeking to capitalize on a unique advertising medium.

- Libsyn - https://libsyn.com/

- Libsyn - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/libsyn/?hl=en

- Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

- GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

On today’s aftershow, host Katya Allison hears from Audrey Van Vark, Senior Influencer Manager at Mari + Gold, about how she manages relationships with influencers of varying sizes.

In managing influencer relationships, Audrey offers several words of wisdom:

- A small community of dedicated micro-influencers is better than a macro-influencer who has a weak brand relationship.

- Strong influencer relationships will create a better long-term ROI than paid partnerships.

- Organic posts often create more loyal and committed customers than paid campaigns.

- Paid content should be the final nail that closes the deal on customers who were attracted through organic content.

- No one influencer can be all things to all people. They will each have strengths and weaknesses.

- Even the most talented social media manager needs a team behind them to perform effectively.

As Audrey explains in this interview, healthy relationships are the bedrock of any successful influencer marketing campaign.

Audrey Van Vark - https://twitter.com/audrey_vv

Mari + Gold - https://mariandgold.com/

Mari + Gold - https://www.instagram.com/mariandgoldagency/

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

In today’s conversation, host Katya Allison is joined by Mark Whitman, Founder and CEO of Contentellect, for a conversation about making effective use of SEO practices.

To leverage SEO to its maximum potential, Mark offers a few pieces of advice:

- Three SEO principles must be utilized together for best results: keyword clustering, bulk content creation and interlinking.

- Keyword clustering involves utilizing an appropriate number of key terms related to your niche in high density.

- Bulk content creation means using important keywords on a high volume of blogs, landing pages and product descriptions.

- Interlinking is the organization of keywords and links within a website to create a matrix of connectivity that keeps users on that website.

- These three principles must be leveraged consistently over a long period of time to generate meaningful results.

With these concepts as a foundation, SEO can build a brand’s online presence when carried out in a concerted, intentional manner.

Contentellect - https://www.contentellect.com/

Contentellect - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/contentellect/

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

On today’s Customer Spotlight, host Katya Allison is joined by Jess Doherty, Social Media and Influencer Marketing Manager at Osmo Salt Co.

In their conversation, Jess offers a few words of wisdom for smaller brands seeking to effectively leverage influencer marketing:

- Good relationships will lead to more authentic influencer marketing campaigns.

- Paid partnerships with influencers who haven’t previously tried the product are often ineffective.

- Flat rate partnerships may not work in the budget of a smaller brand.

- Brand awareness and content engagement can be more meaningful initial metrics than revenue or sales.

- Micro-influencers with a stronger online community can drive a better engagement ratio than macro influencers.

Jess’ advice for brands with limited resources can help propel an organization’s marketing efforts into competition with some of the best marketers around.

Osmo Salt Co. - Website - https://www.osmosalt.com/

Osmo Salt Co. - Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/osmosalt

Osmo Salt Co. - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/osmosalt/?hl=en

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

Try Osmo Salt using this special code only available to listeners: GRINGETSREAL

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

In today’s conversation, host Katya Allison is joined by Jason Bergman, Co-Founder of MarketPryce, to discuss the impact of the NIL ruling on brands’ relationships with student athletes.

In light of the new rules surrounding student-athlete income, brands need to keep several important factors in mind:

- The cost of entry is often very low for the majority of student athletes.

- Gen Z students can be a valuable resource in helping a brand appeal to a younger market.

- Student athletes can often be more committed to a brand’s message than the average influencer.

- The post-NIL world is still evolving and there are still disagreements about standard best practices.

- Time management is much more challenging and much more important when working with students.

Student athletes are a newly available market for brands to market through, but doing so requires a different approach than with many influencers.

Jason Bergman - Twitter - https://twitter.com/bergmantweets?lang=en

Jason Bergman - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_j_berg_/?hl=en

MarketPryce - Website - https://www.marketpryce.com/

MarketPryce - Twitter - https://twitter.com/marketpryce

MarketPryce - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/marketpryce/?hl=en

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

On today’s episode, host Katya Allison is joined by Jordan West, Agency Owner of Mindful Marketing Co., for a conversation about how ambassador communities can act as a valuable marketing tool.

In working with brand ambassadors, Jordan recommends keeping a few important concepts in mind:

- Ambassadors and influencers are not synonymous, and they should be treated differently.

- Paying ambassadors often doesn’t encourage real commitment to the brand.

- Ambassadors should be self-selected from the very bottom of the marketing funnel.

- Before building an ambassador program, create a VIP customer group where ambassadors can be cultivated.

- Leverage direct communication with your ambassadors through a platform like Slack.

- Ambassadors are just one marketing channel and should be used in conjunction with other traditional marketing methods.

A strong ambassador program is an underutilized marketing tool that can build customer loyalty and cultivate an organic community.

Jordan West - https://twitter.com/jordantwestecom

Keep Nature Wild -https://www.linkedin.com/company/keepnaturewild/

Keep Nature Wild - https://keepnaturewild.com/

Mindful Marketing Co. - https://upgrowthcommerce.com/

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

In today’s conversation, host Katya Allison is joined by Dylan Kelley, Founder and CEO of Wavebreak, to discuss the power of combining SMS and email marketing, especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Dylan has helped many organizations grow their revenue based on a few important marketing principles:

- The most successful marketing strategy makes use of both SMS and email marketing.

- Well-executed creative elements on an email or text can drive revenue without altering the rest of the campaign.

- Historical data analysis is an essential marketing tool.

- Trial various marketing approaches early in the year to establish a well-tested campaign for the winter holiday season.

- Timing and cadence are foundational to using SMS and email effectively.

- In most cases, the simplest design and messaging are the most effective.

Dylan’s work at Wavebreak is a masterclass in how to effectively leverage every marketing tool available.

Dylan Kelley - Twitter - https://twitter.com/dylanmkelley?lang=en

Wavebreak - https://wavebreak.co/

Wavebreak Webinar - https://wavebreak.co/bfcm-2022-webinar-replay/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

In today’s conversation, host Katya Allison is joined by Mitchell Pehlke, Social Media Influencer and Student Athlete at The Ohio State University, to hear about how the recent NIL ruling affects student athletes like Mitchell.

Mitchell had to dramatically limit his approach to content management when he started playing lacrosse at OSU. Rules about how student athletes were able to earn an income handicapped the kind of content he was allowed to create.

Now, in a post-NIL world and with his options once again open, Mitchell approaches his content creation according to several important principles:

- As a student, time management is an essential discipline.

- Know your worth and don’t settle for less than your own value.

- Be committed to your values and don’t compromise them for a bigger paycheck.

Content creation is an immense amount of work, and Mitchell’s story is an excellent lesson in the value of a work-life balance.

Mitchell Pehlke - https://www.youtube.com/c/MitchellPehlke

Mitchell Pehlke - https://www.tiktok.com/@mitchellpehlke

Mitchell Pehlke - https://www.instagram.com/mitchell_pehlke/?hl=en

GRIN - https://grin.co/

GRIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

In today’s conversation, host Katya Allison and Steffen Hedebrandt, Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder at Dreamdata, discuss the varying journeys that customers take between their initial contact with a brand and the final sale.

Steffen has spent the bulk of his career focused on B2B marketing, where the time between contact and sale, and the number of touchpoints along the way, can be extensive. This gives him a unique perspective on the customer journey, since he’s often intimately involved in guiding that journey in a very hands-on way.

For Steffen, there are several important points of consideration he stresses in his marketing efforts:

- Information gathering is foundational to building a successful strategy.

- Qualitative metrics can be just as informative as hard data.

- Attribution models must change to accommodate short or lengthy customer journeys.

- Ensure all customer interactions leave a digital footprint.

- Marketing and sales teams must learn to work together towards a common goal.

- Debrief and reevaluate campaign successes and failures frequently.

By analyzing the various pathways customers take to the final sale, marketers can build tailor-made campaigns that ensure consistent, measurable ROI.

Steffen Hedebrandt - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenhedebrandt/?originalSubdomain=dk

Dreamdata - https://dreamdata.io/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=company_page

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - https://grin.co/

GRIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

In today’s Customer Spotlight, host Katya Allison hears from FIVE Years Apart sisters Carolina Torrens, CEO, and Belen Torrens, COO, about their relational approach to connecting brands and influencers.

The Torrens sisters know that knowledge is king when building a successful marketing strategy. In the early days of any campaign, they’re avid information gatherers, and FIVE Years Apart uses that information to foster mutually beneficial relationships between brands and influencers.

Carolina and Belen build successful brand relationships through a holistic marketing philosophy that includes:

- A concerted effort to provide exceptional customer service.

- Amplifying brands’ and creators’ existing voices rather than changing them.

- Building personal relationships with clients before beginning the actual marketing work. 

- Targeting the whole marketing funnel to maximize ROI.

- Appreciating the intangible word-of-mouth value of gifting campaigns.

- Creating brand authenticity that feels trustworthy to potential customers.

Their metric-driven strategy, taken together with an emphasis on authenticity and collaboration, delivers a meaningful ROI while also cultivating healthy brand partnerships.

Carolina Torrens - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinatorrens1/

Belen Torrens - https://www.linkedin.com/in/belen-torrens-097566156/

FIVE Years Apart - https://www.5yearsapart.com/

FIVE Years Apart - https://www.linkedin.com/company/five-years-apart/

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - https://grin.co/

GRIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit Grin.co.

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce