Learn How Craig Darling Built His Agency to Over 140 Clients by Offering Simple Google Business Profile Services.    It seems as if every time small business owners turn around.. a new process or application is presented as the way to go. Truth time... Google My Business profiles are the Least Expensive and most effective way to be found by prospective new customers today. I've developed GMB visibility regimens or I can train you to use them yourself. If Google can deliver a thousand new phone calls a month, which for some of my clients they do, how much more do you need to do?  Connect With Craig Darling:  https://gmbrx.com

In this episode, Mike Cooch joins the show to talk about the importance of media properties, how to leverage media properties for small businesses, and how to create a network for your business. Mike is an entrepreneur and CEO of LVRG Ventures Inc. He has founded businesses in technology services, marketing services, digital publishing, and eCommerce. His company’s mission is creating and sharing MBA-quality training, actionable tools, and life-changing experiences that free their customers from the ‘time-for-money trap’ and give them a life with more freedom, more money, and more impact.

Join us as we recap our key takeaways from the recent Jeff Herschy "Double Your Agency" live mastermind event in Scottsdale AZ.

5 Powerful Quotes from this episode

[06:09] “You just need to get out there in front of people in your community, and demonstrate your knowledge. And only good things happen from that when you can get up on a stage or you know, give a presentation and demonstrate your knowledge and show how you can actually help local businesses by actually helping them really good things happen.”

[13:13] “You can't make a living or scale an agency by providing custom services to local businesses, it just doesn't work. In the end, if you're somebody who maybe is just running something as a hobby, or doing this part-time, maybe you can make some extra cash, providing customized marketing services to smaller local businesses.”

[26:05] “The big key is to have automation running in your business in the background. So you can spend your day-to-day working on revenue-generating activities in your business and have this other automation and systems running in the background working for you 24 hours a day.”

[28:01] “You've got to find a way to sell services to local businesses that benefit those businesses, but also allow you to scale.”

[32:57] “If you and your agency are having trouble selling these high-cost, personalized marketing services to local businesses, stop doing it. Don't do that anymore. It's not working, try something else. So that's the key to you know, don't be afraid to be nimble.”

Subscribe to Local Marketing Agency Secrets on Soundwise

In this episode, Paul James joins the show to talk about SEO, transition to a new platform, and leverage it for your business. He is a digital marketing expert, entrepreneur, and YouTuber. He is best known for his vast expertise in digital marketing, software, website development, and SEO. Paul has a passion for helping people build profitable businesses and achieve their lifestyles by turning their ideas into products or services.

Visit Paul's website at https://www.pauljames.com/ or https://www.iampauljames.com/ 

Learn more about Paul James on:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iampauljames/ 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/hellopauljames/ 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/hellopauljames/ 

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/hellopauljames 

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj2zirDn1hkPKSARbARfeQw 

Entrepreneurial beginning

[1:49]I started ten years ago when I came across SEO, Search Engine Optimization, from a course called Bring The Fresh. I thought it would be cool to start taking this over to doing with local business owners.

[1:58] I was one of the first people to do it with Google Maps with lead generation creating Google Map listings. I would sell the leads to someone and put out a course on the Warrior Forum about how I was doing.

[2:37] I needed a good place to host my videos. I started putting videos on YouTube to update people on the different strategies I shared with them. I realized one of those videos took off. 

[3:10] I ended up dropping out, moved out of my brother's garage, took out a loan for a laptop on a credit card, and went full-blown into that and scaled it up pretty quickly. I wasn't making a lot of money at the time, but I knew that if I focused on this, I could make it work.

Transitioning to a New Platform

[4:50] It took a while before I perfected the strategy of actually growing on YouTube, but I realized this is a natural platform to increase subscribers. I just started putting out content and mostly around search engine optimization and lead generation.

[6:16] You're perceived as an authority, and you can leverage it however you want. So in my beginning stages, I leveraged it to get local clients. Then I started casting my net wider, went more generic, and stopped talking so much about SEO. 

Leveraging for Local Marketers

[7:43] I think local marketers that understand SEO have a unique advantage over anyone else out there. YouTube is one of the most significant search engines.

[8:21] When you're starting, you want to start with that search algorithm because it's easier to get into. You can start to niche down and start to go after keywords that are practically no competition. 

[8:57] You've got to get things on both sides of the equation. Get your service delivery very structured, standardized, and automated as much as possible so that you can afford to maintain those customers and make a good enough margin from them even to exist because small businesses can't pay a lot of money. You've got to be very lean and efficient on the service delivery side.

Monetizing

[10:04] YouTube will promote my videos more if they're making money off of them. When I turned the ads on and monetized them, I started getting a lot more traffic. So I would make the video so that they meet that criteria. My focus was to generate leads and get new customers.

The Right Content

[12:33] It depends on your niche. I came from a world of recording videos in the local marketing niche because they're informative and teaching something. 

[14:38] Make sure that you're dialed in and exactly know what types of services that you're going to offer because that period in between connecting with the business and being able to provide them with something of value to take advantage of your audience is vital. I think that's where many people start to make mistakes-not having that speed and efficiency of a sales process.

[12:53] And at the end of the day, people come to YouTube to search for something because they want to solve a problem. So it doesn't matter whether you're on camera or whether you're showing your computer. The importance is solving the problem of people watching. If you want to get into the suggested algorithm, there are some factors at play. If you can't get someone to click on the video, they're never going to get there. 

[13:25] I learned later that I needed to focus more on that because I couldn't focus on my title or thumbnail before. So spend as much time on your thumbnail if you want to hit some of those suggested stuff as you do your actual video itself. YouTube wants to see that you're keeping people watching for a long time. If they start to see it, they might choose another video to promote, making them more money because people are watching it longer.

[13:59] I started to do little skits in between. I began to cast a wider net and try to go after the younger demographic watching videos. Learning other niches on Youtube and blending them into my world propelled my channel up so fast.

The Effects of Optimized Description

[16:21] For SEO purposes and search rankings, if you want to be ranking for those keywords, then definitely want to have your keyword in the title and description. Put related keywords in your tags as well. Take those tags in your description box. If you do that, you're going to have a lot better results in the search algorithm.

[17:35] Engagement is significant as well in both algorithm searches. I always ask people to like the video and subscribe. It's a call to action. Marketers know that when you tell someone to do something, they're more likely to do it than if you don't ask at all. Ask them to like the video. It would help if you gave them a reason to like it. 

[18:42] Trolls are an indicator that you're making it. If no one's talking about you, that's probably a bad thing. You can permanently delete comments if you want, but typically you start to cultivate a pretty big fan base.

Best strategies to use to capture the attention

[20:35] If you can plan your video out on a notebook or something ahead of time, that can help. Break your video up into segments and hook them in. Each different component should lead up to that. Give them what they want as quickly as you can. 

[21:45] Try to make the video feel like it's not over yet so that they keep watching and go on to watch something else.

Key Quotes:

[21:45-21:52] "Try to make the video feel like it's not over yet so that they keep watching, and they go on to watch something else."

Visit Paul's website at https://www.pauljames.com/ or https://www.iampauljames.com/ 

Learn more about Paul James on:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iampauljames/ 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/hellopauljames/ 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/hellopauljames/ 

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/hellopauljames 

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj2zirDn1hkPKSARbARfeQw 

Subscribe to Local Marketing Agency Secrets on Soundwise

In this episode, Mike Cooch joins the show to talk about the importance of media properties, how to leverage media properties for small businesses, and how to create a network for your business. Mike is an entrepreneur and CEO of LVRG Ventures Inc. He has founded businesses in technology services, marketing services, digital publishing, and eCommerce. His company’s mission is creating and sharing MBA-quality training, actionable tools, and life-changing experiences that free their customers from the ‘time-for-money trap’ and give them a life with more freedom, more money, and more impact.

Learn more about Mike Cooch on:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecooch/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/get.lvrg

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/getlvrg/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/mcooch 

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLp6TnRr7bTr1oJR6z0FIYw

 Entrepreneurial beginning

[1:49] I started out as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley and I knew nothing about technology. I was into entrepreneurship and I was very excited by the energy of Silicon Valley at the time. It was so fascinating to see all the incredible things that were happening and the energy and just this belief that anything was possible. It was very seductive to me like a drug.

[2:58] I went to work for an IT services business on the business side, helping out with operations and became an assistant to the founder. It was a very fast-growing business but I ended up leaving and starting my own business that was an IT services business. Then I raised venture capital and started a company for ISP.

[4:08] When I graduated from Babson, I spent time evaluating what kind of business I wanted to start again, and why? I was still drawn back to these IT services for small businesses because there was a huge opportunity and small businesses were figuring out what to do with technology so I started my next business and that one became successful.

Being at the top of the competition

[5:12] One of the things that allowed us to grow much faster in our competition and differentiate ourselves was that we started generating leads through Google AdWords. Most people in our industry just had not done that. Towards the two years of that business, we started up an online marketing team within the company to help our existing customers with websites, ad campaigns, and things like that.

Selling to Small Businesses

[7:57] You've got to get things on both sides of the equation. You've got to get your service delivery, very structured, standardized, and automated as much as possible so that you can afford to maintain those customers and make a good enough margin from them to even exist because small businesses simply can't pay a lot of money. You've got to be very lean and efficient on the service delivery side.

[8:46] Selling to small businesses requires you to be very efficient and effective because they just don't have a lot of money to spend. So your sales process can't be too expensive and too slow. Most people really struggle with developing that sales process.

[10:39] I personally think that the media model is the most straightforward and powerful opportunity for a local marketing agency or anybody in the local space that's trying to get attention and sell services.

 Leveraging media properties

[12:30] We get contacted every day by people who want to do business with us. Not that they're good prospects for what we have to offer, but we got this constant inbound flow of people reaching out to us asking what to do to get their business in front of the audience. It's the most powerful thing that I've done to attract customers.

[14:38] Make sure that you're dialed in and know exactly what types of services that you're going to offer because that period in between connecting with the business and being able to offer them something of value to take advantage of your audience is key. I think that's where a lot of people start to make mistakes. Not having that speed and efficiency of a sales process.

Clarity

[15:26] If you’re selling to a small business and you have to go through an education process and a proposal process every time where it takes multiple conversations or meetings and things like that to get them clear as to what they're even buying from you, you're already in a very big disadvantage situation so clarity is also a key.

[16:36] Being clear for both of you or for you as the agency to know exactly what I deliver, here's how I deliver it, here's the value I provide, that clarity for both of you as a business and for your customers is a huge advantage and speeding everything up.

The Effect of the Pandemic

[19:07] What the pandemic has done is it has accelerated housecleaning in some industries. There's a lot of weaker businesses that didn’t have a clear advantage in their product, in their service, and in their brand in a way that they were operating to be flexible to meet the needs of the customers as all this started happening.

[19:48] Some restaurants that are keeping it quiet are making more money than they ever have because they adapted to delivery, takeout orders, and things like that. They consolidated their menu down to just a handful of items. They got very efficient and profitable on those items and they're doing great.

[20:15] It has opened a lot of businesses ' eyes as to how important it is to have a strategy and a competitive advantage that you deliberately build and design for your business. And to leverage technology as much as possible to create efficiencies, and to create a better connection with your customers.

[20:05] I think all of this has accelerated those changes in a way that is going to be beneficial. I don't think that we've ever globally been as aware of our limitations, of the shortness of life, of opportunities, and all that and I think it's created this great awareness for a lot of people

[22:09] It's going to be a really beautiful time when we do have vaccines out there and people can start coming back into the world. There's going to be a different appreciation for a lot of things. And real relationships, human contact, and all that stuff are going to be a really good thing.

 Let your message be heard

[24:47] One of the simplest, most proven, universal ways to do that in this marketplace is educating, delivering a message, and adding value to those businesses. You're always going to attract people and opportunities. There are not enough agencies out there or marketing professionals that are doing that. They don't get their voice out there and that's the most straightforward opportunity in the world. Everybody should take advantage of it.

[25:59] You got to get yourself out there. Having one of those media properties is a fantastic way to inject yourself into that local business network of people and entrepreneurs in your local market and become part of that. Once you do that, you form friendships and relationships with people. It's a key thing to helping you quickly grow your agency and push your agency further. So become injected into that web of entrepreneurs in your area.

[27:44] Simply share your experiences as you're going through them. You don't have to be a thought leader. Simply delivering a message and just sharing what you’ve learned can be helpful for other people. That alone is great content, and people will look into it.

[29:14] I would encourage everybody to get that voice out there and push through those initial challenges mentally, emotionally, or logistically.

Key Quotes:

 [29:24-29:28] “Figure out how to do it and just get it done.”

Visit the Digital Marketing Lab at https://digitalmarketinglab.io/

Visit Mike’s company at https://lvrg.com/

Subscribe to Local Marketing Agency Secrets on Soundwise

Tune in as we talk with Dr. Ben Adkins about his latest software release that helps local marketing agencies create monthly recurring revenue with a simple easy to sell service, that pretty much all small businesses need.

Learn more about Social Rotation 

Subscribe to Local Marketing Agency Secrets on Soundwise

Tune in as we talk with Dr. Ben Adkins about his latest software release that helps local marketing agencies create monthly recurring revenue with a simple easy to sell service, that pretty much all small businesses need.

Learn more about Social Rotation

Subscribe to Local Marketing Agency Secrets on Soundwise

Our guest Zach Anderson is a local marketing veteran. Zach has helped build, and sell three different seven-figure businesses over the course of his career.

Join us for this episode and learn about Zach's journey, and about two new powerful SaaS platforms for local marketing agencies and local businesses that he recently released.

Connect With Zach Anderson:

https://customerengine.io

https://ringbot.io

Zach's Free Sales Course 

Subscribe to Local Marketing Agency Secrets on Soundwise

Episode #013: Courtney Kostelecky

Join us for this episode as we talk to Courtney Kostelecky Founder & Owner of Presto Marketing based in San Juan Puerto Rico.

Courtney has a vast background working for some of the top companies in the marketing & tech space. He is also a master of telesales. This episode has so many golden nuggets...

Connect With Courtney:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-kostelecky-050ab435/

http://prestomarketinggroup.com/

Subscribe to Local Marketing Agency Secrets on Soundwise

One of the fastest ways to grow a local agency is to become an integral part of your local business community. Living in the shadows is just not going to cut it. Listen to this episode to learn about a prospecting & networking strategy we have been using to book hour-long meetings & interviews with well connected local business owners & leaders in our market.

You don't want to miss this!

Subscribe to Local Marketing Agency Secrets on Soundwise