Spark Live presented by Spark Marketer

In this episode of Spark Live, we talked about creating relevant blog posts for both your audience and Google. Plus a list of 6 types of blog posts you can start creating for your business today.

We discussed:

• Do you really need a blog post?
• How to find good topics to write about
• Using stories to connect with your reader
• Six Example Types of Blog Posts
  • The Expert Post
  • The List-Based Post
  • The "Best-of" Post
  • The Newsjacking Post
  • The Infographic Post
  • The How-to Post

Thanks for listening!

P.S. If you enjoy Spark Live, please consider leaving us a review! It means we're delivering the right value to you as a listener and helps us identify where we need to improve.

Running a chimney service company during the fall burning season is a challenge, to say the least. Our special guest this week, Lou Curley of Lou Curley's Chimney Service, talked about how automation changed his business for the better and what life was like before he started using it.

Hear from Lou and Carter as they unpack how to use automation in your business, no matter the season.

Lou Curley is the owner of Lou Curley's Chimney Service serving the Philadelphia, PA area. He's a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) Master Sweep®, National Fireplace Institute Master Hearth Specialist, Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician (CDET)® Certified, and has all three F.I.R.E certifications. Lou is also serving on the CSIA volunteer Board of Directors.

You won't want to miss this one!

We had some great questions for this month's Q&A!

We covered:

"I know I should be doing videos for my business, but how do I get more comfortable in front of a camera?"

"How do I take better photos that tell the full story of what we do?"

"Do you have any tips on getting my techs to ask for reviews?"

"How does call tracking work? Do I need anything to do it?" Thanks for listening!

The Internet and negativity go hand-in-hand. It's easier for online trolls to hide behind a screen spewing comments they'd dare not make in person.

It's especially tough for anyone representing a business or brand. Fair or not, poor responses impact not only you but everyone in that business.

In this episode of Spark Live, we discussed 5 ways to deal with negative comments on social media.

We discussed:

• Why you must address negative comments
• What to do if you see the same comments over and over again
• Why waiting too long to respond can actually hurt you
• What to do with your emotions
• When you should report people's comments

If you're tired of negative comments on social media, listen now to learn how to deal with them.

Thanks for listening!

Mark Stoner is the President of Ashbusters Chimney Service, CSIA Master Sweep®, and past President of the Chimney Safety Institute of America. Mark is also the "Poppy" of Poppy & Peep, a micro-chocolate factory in Nashville, TN, and the author of Blue Collar Gold: How To Build A Service Business From The Dirt Up.

We discussed:

• How Mark realized SEO was something he needed to try
• What Mark was doing before SEO
• How long it took him to realize the old Yellowpages (remember those?!) were a waste of money
• How long it took Mark to see results from SEO
• And more!

Thanks for listening!

We discussed:

• What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• SEO strategies
• The different services within SEO (technical, research, content)
• Benefits of good SEO
• How to budget for SEO
• And more!

Thanks for listening!

Online video consumption is changing and growing. How can you use it effectively right now? Tune in for this discussion and find out!

We discussed:

• What percent of consumers watch videos to learn about the brand
• Why consumers watch videos (and how to use this in your own videos)
• How important production value is
• How long your videos should be
• And more!

Thanks for listening!

-Taylor and Carter

Time for September's Q&A!

We discussed these questions:

"Do you need a website or is it enough to have a Google Business Profile?" "I got a couple of emails from you all this month. Can you talk about how someone can get into an email account?" "Can you talk more about ADA Compliance?" "Why do you all recommend the BBB for trust factor and why is trust important these days?" "Are directories important to be in online? I'm tired of asking for reviews. Is it really that important?" "Can you tell me what the top three things I should be paying attention to?"

Thanks for listening!

The last thing you want to do after spending money on new leads is the Customer Service Rep (CSR) blowing the sale once they get on the phone.

But Marketing isn't just the initial sale. Or getting leads.

Failing to prepare the customer to be a customer for life instead of a one-time transaction is also a failure in Marketing.

This week we bring in a special guest, Brandi Biswell, to discuss how to get your CSRs involved (and excited) in the Marketing of your company.

Brandi is an expert when it comes to office management, CSR training, and human resources. She's a Certified Coach for Service Titan and trainer with CVC Success Group. Brandi was recently awarded the NCSG Friendship Award in recognition of her contributions and friendship to others in the chimney industry.

We discussed:

• The real value of a great CSR
• How office processes help or hinder the office team
• What functions of marketing CSRs can do in their daily job
• When a company should hire their first CSR
• Marketing automation
• And more!

If you think your CSRs don't impact your marketing, we encourage you to listen to this Spark Live!

"E.A.T." "Y.M.Y.L"

No, these aren't audibles being yelled by the quarterback before the ball is snapped in football.

Google recently updated the quality raters guidelines for SEO and content purposes for E-A-T and YMYL sites.

These stand for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness and Your Money or Your Life sites.

We discussed:

• What an EAT type site is
• What a YMYL site is and isn't
• What you need to know about them
• What characteristics can lower your quality rating
• BONUS: Tidbits on Google Business Profile, Google Ads, Organic, and what you need to focus on right now

After watching this Live, you'll understand how important EAT and YMYL sites are to your website and what to know about Google's 2022 Update.