Growth Mapping Podcast

Today we’re going to be talking about how small businesses can compete with massive enterprise companies in the search engines and at SEO. So many business-owners have no idea how to go up against these big companies, and it’s something that Aaron and Sujan deal with on a regular basis. If you’re wondering how you can compete and win, sit back and listen to this informative episode.

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 1:50: Some of the advantages of being the underdog when it comes to agility, speed, the ability to make changes, and the lack of red tape.

● 4:30: Some things you can do with your existing content to move up in the search engine results.

● 7:25: The correct ways to use backlinks and other strategies to boost your authority.

● 9:10: Using local optimization as a small-business owner: what to focus on and why this can help you beat the big guys.

● 11:10: Why you don’t have to create a lot of content if you focus on thought-leadership, promotion, and building ancillary content around a big piece that’s better than anything else.

Today we are going to cover how to get started leveraging video for marketing. This includes finding topics, shooting your video, and why you should be using it. Video can help you increase your conversion rates and build relationships.

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 1:25: Why video is so popular and why people consume so much of it. Sujan and Aaron also talk about why video is less competitive than ads and SEO content.

● 4:00: Factors to consider when putting together your setup. Great lighting and great sound go a long way in making your videos easy and pleasant to watch. You’ll also learn how to get your videos edited properly.

● 7:00: Some low-cost advertising that you should consider to raise your views and improve your branding.

● 8:50: Some tools that you might use to promote your videos on Facebook and other sites.

● 11:30: Why links and embeds are so important when it comes to getting your videos out there.

● 13:50: The preparation that goes into creating video content. In many ways it’s similar to creating written content, but you’re done at the outlining stage.

● 17:30: Why to consider getting a professional video editor.

Today we are going to talk about the things you should avoid when it comes to marketing. There are a lot of things people read or misinterpret, and some of the tips for effective marketing are actually not going to help you at all. If you're thinking that some of the marketing ideas out there are just too good to be true, you’re right. Here are some of the top overrated marketing tactics.

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 2:30: Social media: Why it’s not as effective as you would think when it comes to conversion, as well as what it is good for.

● 5:30: Why core audience targeting with Facebook ads will not be bringing you all the success in the world.

● 7:25: Why not to waste money buying ads when you don’t know the platform well or understand the buyer intent.

● 9:50: When guest-posting is ineffective and when it’s more likely to work.

● 12:45: Whether it’s effective to write highly controversial content or “newsjacking.”

● 14:35: Why memes might not work the way you hope they will, as well as how they might actually endanger your brand.

Today we are going to talk about how to create better content faster. Content really does fuel every channel that you’re marketing through. The reality is that you need a lot of good content, and we’re going to talk about how to create more content than you currently are putting up. Stay tuned for some great tips and tricks.

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 1:50: Why it’s important to diversify your content and publish on the right platforms for your readership. Some people like to read blog posts, others prefer social media, and still others listen to audio books or watch videos.

● 4:50: Thoughts on repurposing content that you’ve already created to take advantage of different types of platforms.

● 6:00: How to use authority markers, which are things that can make you seem like the leading authority or an expert on your topic, as well as how to use user-generated content to boost your authority.

● 9:20: Tips on hacking the writing process: how to avoid distractions, when to edit, how to put all of your notes together, and more.

● 12:00: Tricks for coming up with ideas for content, as well as how to batch your processes for developing content.

● 15:50: How to track your metrics for more success: What to look for, what details to consider, and how to build upon what you’ve already written for faster creation.

● 17:45: Thoughts on delegation: How to decide what to delegate out and tips on outsourcing effectively.

Is your brand on Facebook? Do you know how to increase your organic reach and also how to make the most of Facebook ads? Today we’re going to explore these topics. We’ll talk about why you should be on Facebook and investing in ads, as well as how to best reach the people who can help you grow your business and your reach.

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 3:00: How organic reach has changed over the past few years and how to increase it now.

● 6:00 Reasons to love Facebook ads and some ways to maximize its impact on your reach.

● 8:25: How Aaron and Sujan are using Facebook ads to find success, including how they use a lookalike audience and videos.

● 12:00: How to use Facebook ads for pixel-swaps.

● 15:10: Tips on how to use Facebook to drive traffic to a commerce site, and how the increased traffic to the commerce site can then boost your Facebook ad reach.

● 16:15: How Facebook Live can fit into your strategy for boosting your reach.

On today’s episode we’re covering how to use speaking gigs to benefit you and your brand. We’ve both had a lot of success in this area and we wanted to go over all the reasons it is worthwhile to get up on stage and speak. If you are interested in public speaking and want to get advice on getting involved and making the most of these opportunities, listen in to this episode!

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 1:25: The power of public speaking to distinguish yourself

● 2:33: Speaking gigs as an income stream

● 4:20: Working your way up to the speaking circuit

● 7:50: Getting noticed and specific strategies to get your first gigs

● 11:28: Acting the part and positioning yourself

● 14:33: Paid advertising, cold outreach and other methods to get more opportunities

● 16:50: How to get better at public speaking

Today we’re going to be talking about enterprise sales and how to close some massive deals. We wanted to cover this because it’s not all about high-pressure tactics. We’re going to talk about some of the things we’ve seen when it comes to closing small deals and large deals, because sometimes there’s not as much difference as you might think. If you want to position yourself so you can really boost your revenue, you won’t want to miss today’s episode!

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 2:30: Some of the differences between large and small deals. It could be the small details that count when it comes to dealing with big budgets and big deals.

● 4:00: Why design matters when it comes to standing out and improving your chances of getting that big deal.

● 5:15: Some credibility indicators: client logos, brands, being an authority in your niche.

● 7:30: Ways to get media coverage, client logos, and so on.

● 10:10: How to help other business by increasing their ROI, revenue, and growth.

● 13:30: Thoughts on how software, business insurance, privacy policies, and other small details can help you close large deals.

● 17:30: Tips for people who don’t want to meet others in person and would rather work from their computers at home.

● 20:30: How a pilot program can show companies who you are and what you offer.

Today we’re looking at something that everyone seems to want to do: Getting your brand featured in the press. How can you get press focusing on your brand or product? Today Aaron and Sujan will talk about how they’ve gotten press coverage and why it’s something worthwhile to pursue. Most people go about this the wrong way, and we’re going to help you understand how to achieve press coverage more effectively and how to get the right type of press for the right reasons.

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 2:15: Why email pitches do not work, and what you should be doing instead.

● 4:15: The importance of building relationships with influencers and top movers and shakers, as well as tips on how to do that.

● 7:40: How to find and get in contact with important people in your industry.

● 9:30: How to start a conversation with those influencers via social media.

● 13:00: How to know what to offer to add value. Sujan cautions against asking influencers, “What can I help you with?”

● 15:10: Tips on finding out whether your idea is unique.

● 16:30: Some ideas for creating a quality website that will boost your credibility.

● 19:10: The relationship between media outlets and blogs. You might be able to go to blogs and get as much coverage as you would if you’d gone to a media outlet.

Building your personal brand is a massive topic and is important to every industry. Most people building a brand focus on building a company brand. If you build up your company brand and you sell your company, however, then all of its value is gone, as it pertains to you. If you build up your personal brand, however, then even after you sell your company, you can still leverage all of the work, networking, and contacts that you put into it as you pursue other opportunities in the same industry or in different ones. You take your reputation with you, which can open up opportunities now and in the future. Today we’re going to talk about how to go about building your personal brand alongside your company brand.

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 2:15: The first step to take when developing your personal brand. What do you want to be known for?

● 3:55: How you can gain credibility by immersing yourself in education pertaining to your knowledge base.

● 6:15: The importance of knowing how to teach, where to teach, and where to write so you can make yourself well-known and boost your authority and credibility.

● 9:00: Where to go to build an audience for your own blog: How guest-blogging can build your brand tremendously.

● 12:00: How your content depth can prove your authority.

● 14:00: Tips on growing your blog content and getting it out there via your social networking profiles.

● 15:25: How connecting and building relationships with influencers can turn you into an influencer yourself.

Today we are going to talk about LinkedIn. This networking site is great for business, for building your brand, for getting more traffic, and much more. Aaron and Sujan have some great information on why you would want to use LinkedIn and how to make the most of the platform. It’s such a great way to target specific people and connect with those at different companies and from different locations. If you aren’t sure how to use LinkedIn effectively, you will want to tune in!

Some of the highlights of the show include:

● 2:30: Thoughts on prospecting through LinkedIn: How you can find the names, positions and locations that you want to target by using the search function, and tips from Aaron on how to use LinkedIn to do outreach marketing, including cold emails. Sujan talks about using the platform for recruiting.

● 7:00: Tips on publishing on LinkedIn Pulse. Sujan shares what he’s learned about getting more traffic and likes to his posts. He also shares the secret to getting featured in the categories.

● 9:30: Experiences using LinkedIn PPC, including a discussion of the high costs and whether it’s worth it.

● 11:00: Ideas for direct messaging campaigns: what works and what doesn’t, and maintaining a good process to drive leads out of that strategy.

● 12:40: How to use LinkedIn Groups to your advantage using automation for content distribution. Aaron also shares his experience with creating his own group and what he’s gained.

● 16:15: Tips on using Buffer for automating content to publish to different groups or platforms.