This week one of my weekly mastermind groups asked me to run them through a few slides on podcasting. Tim Conley from the Foolish Adventure show runs the call so we both gave our thoughts on podcasting then had a good discussion with the group at the end. I hope you like it.

http://media.blubrry.com/webdomination/p/wpcurve.com/wp-content/uploads/Podcast/episode_17.mp3

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

Mentions

Dynamite Circle

iTunes review from Graham from Weirder the better

Interview with Neil Patel

Interview with James Schramko

Tim Conley from Foolish Adventure

Andrew Warner from Mixergy

Dan and Ian from the lifestyle business podcast

Terry Lin's interview with Dan

Summer Marketing Mashup

Internet Business Mastery

Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income

Informly

Feedblitz

Feedburner

Why podcast?

Blogging is boring and it's hard to get noticed

Authority by association

If you love putting out content, podcasting is another way you can do it

Excellent for relationships and networks

Great content for social media

Improves confidence

Excellent for learning about your own business

Tim started because he had something to say and wanted a medium like podcasting to share

Buzzsprout

Blubrry media stats

Stats

Dan's stats

Average downloads around 1,000

Best 5,000+

Subscribers around 200

10 iTunes reviews (5 stars)

Real relationships with people like Dan Andrews, Tim Conley, James Schramko

2 invitation to present at a conference on podcasting 100+ visits to my site per episode.

Back links on tropicalmba.com, superfastbusiness.com, trafficgenerationcafe.com and more Interviewed on 2 other podcasts

Mentioned on Lifestyle Business Podcast, Tropical Talk Radio and James Schramko’s Facebook page (4,000 likes)

Tim's stats

Tends to drop over American summer except for this summer because of the Summer Marketing Mashup series

Been interviewed on other shows

People watching episodes 2+ years old, working backwards through the catalog.

How to

How to start a podcast in 24 hours

Just start

Aim low - publish anything

Did some basic research (Dan Lyons' book)

Plantronics headset

Skype call recorder

Tim - Audio is the most important part of an audio podcast.

Blue Yetti Mic (not Blue Yetti Pro)

Tim recommends Adobe Audition

Onboardly is a company that helps a specific type of startup get more customers in return for ongoing equity in the company.

I came across Renee Warren from Onboardly via this awesome Kiss Metrics post called The Ultimate Guide to Startup Marketing.

I was lucky enough to chat to Renee about launching startups as well as her business partner Heather Anne Ritchie who popped in to add some great insights about her area expertise, PR.

http://media.blubrry.com/webdomination/p/wpcurve.com/wp-content/uploads/Podcast/episode_16_Onboardly.mp3

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

Mentions and contacts

Onboardly and their great startup marketing blog

@Renee_Warren on Twitter

@heatheranne on Twitter

Kiss Metrics blog

Heather also had this post published today on startup PR on Kiss Metrics

Copy Blogger Magnetic Headlines post mentioned by Renee

Marketing strategy structure

You can view the full article here but I've put the main structure below.

Foundation

Choose a market

Define keywords

Define success

Setting core metrics

Estimate conversion rates

Set a budget

Social Media

Choose the right networks

Times to post

Use a keyword list

Build an influencer list - Q. What do you do with it?

Set up a blog

Startup PR

Meaningful position statements

List your sensitivities

Built a media list

Creating a press kit

Reaching out to journalists

Content creation

Topic list

What types of content to publish

Guest blogging

Capturing emails

Test and iterate

Set up Analytics tools

Benchmark growth against events

Brainstorm new ideas

Best practices

Sell the solution

Have a compelling story

Use your team

Neil Patel is kind of a big deal. By the age of 21 he was named a top 100 blogger by Technorati and one of the top influencers on the web (according to the Wall St Journal). These days he runs Crazy Egg and Kiss Metrics as well as his own site Quick Sprout. I chatted to him about metrics, what people should measure and other stuff relating to his work at Kiss Metrics.

http://media.blubrry.com/webdomination/p/wpcurve.com/wp-content/uploads/Podcast/episode_15_Neil_Patel.mp3

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

Find Neil

@neilpatel on Twitter

Neil's personal site Quick Sprout

Kiss Metrics

Crazy Egg

Kiss Metrics Blog

Metrics

People focus too much on page views and vanity metrics that won't increase the bottom line

All about ROI - who is coming, who is paying or signing up

Offline businesses need to first track the origin of leads to your website and track in a CRM which leads become customers.

Vanity metrics includes bounce rates, page views, time on site etc.

Better things to track are things like lifetime value of a customer, churn rates, conversion rates

Track people not 'visitors'

Analytics can track individuals but Kiss Metrics can track specific people

Kiss Metrics' marketing

Don't hard sell people

Help them out, provide a ton of free knowledge

Educate customers on things that will affect their business that is somewhat related to you

You don't need to only focus content around your exact area of business

Kiss Metrics are about metrics but they give advice on SEO, social media, traffic, content marketing etc.

Educating through email, prove to people how they will make more money or save money

Utilises guest authors for the Kiss Metrics blog

Blog has no clutter and optimised for opt ins, limited widgets

Most blog readers are looking for knowledge and advice not a system so they aim for opt ins not immediate signups

Email content gets people back to the blog and builds the problem in the eyes of the customer

Much easier to build the relationship over time than to see at once

Kiss Metrics always mention their own product

Google Analytics vs Kiss Metrics

Google Analytics is great for basic metrics

If you want lifetime value, churn, conversion rates and what is causing them to go up or down then Kiss Metrics.

Repeat buyers aren't captured by Google Analytics (i.e. lifetime value) and what actions are causing them to repeat their purchase.

Kiss Metrics is great for transactional businesses, ecommerce, software as a service, subscriptions etc.

Metrics for SAAS app

Measuring stickiness, how people are using the app. You can measure your activities then make some changes and measure it again. You can use cohorts to compare the second group against the first group.

Active users - These can be measured through event tracking, logging in, engaging with the app etc.

You can also look at individual users to find out who your advocates are and your best cust...

Tim Reid is an Aussie podcasting legend with 2 of the most popular business podcasts in Australia, Small Business Big Marketing and Freedom Ocean with James Schramko.

In this interview I chat to him about 15 of the 99 guests so far on Small Business Big Marketing and he shares some insights on business, marketing and podcasting.

http://media.blubrry.com/webdomination/p/wpcurve.com/wp-content/uploads/Podcast/episode_14_Tim_Reid.mp3

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

Find Tim

Small Business Big Marketing

Freedom Ocean

The Ideas Guy (Tim's business)

Get your own show (new podcasting initiative - site not live yet)

@timboreid on Twitter

Benefits of podcasting

Ability to network / chat to amazing people

People love to be interviewed, post people say yes

Personal development and relationships

Great way to create quality content

Previous guests

Michael Klim

Dr Edward De Bono

Russel Howcroft

Harold Mitchel

Bryan Singer from Rip Curl

Geoff Harris from Flight Centre

Dave Allen from Getting Things Done

Top episodes / tips

Larry Block - Net Registry founder

Huge web company in Australia (130 staff)

Built and busted during the boom and came back

Focused on online and offline content marketing early on (Nett magazine)

Publish high quality content instead of pushing sales information.

Brent Hodgson - Copywriter and Co-founder of Marketing Samurai 

Pay attention to the details

Double episode laying out specific copywriting steps

7 point copywriting plan

Lloyd Perry - Big Richard Condoms

Condom truck handing out condoms

Subscription commerce model

Here's one of his ads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LbrBJiqJ7T0

Brendan Tully has helped thousands of local businesses dominate online through his company The Search Engine Shop.

In this interview he runs through a 5 point plan to get ahead of the competition based on the work he has done with successful companies over the years.

http://media.blubrry.com/webdomination/p/wpcurve.com/wp-content/uploads/Podcast/web_domination_episode_13_Brendon_Tully.mp3

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

5 point strategy summary

An effective business plan and supporting website

Technology strategy that supports the business

Traffic strategy

Conversion and sales strategy

Customer relationship strategy

Tips, mentions and quick links

Clarity.fm - Get or give entrepreneurial advice. Founded by Dan Martell

The Search Engine Shop

Brendan Tully on Twitter

Bram Sugarman on Twitter

Dan Andrews on Twitter

5 point digital strategy

 1.  An effective business plan and website purpose that supports it

The numbers work, dont confuse the website with being the business

Clearly defined value proposition

Your business numbers work at scale and the business is or can be profitable

You have a clear and well defined USP and ideal customer profile

The business plan is in line with the business owners personal goals

Many biz owners don’t have a workable business plan - the website can’t fix this.

If the numbers don’t work properly, a website can actually hurt a business

Your website should have a purpose that supports the business plan

2.  Technology strategy that supports the business

A CMS - wordpress

Google Analytics

Email hosting on your own domain - google apps

Reliable and effective web hosting

A backup and security policy that protects the business assets

Website backup

Security - different passwords for different systems

IT infrastructure that supports the business operations

3.  Traffic strategy

SEO - at a minimum be found for your business name and be found on google maps and google shopping

Google Adwords - search, display, product ads

Adwords is not a diy platform

Email marketing

Blogging

Facebook ads

Social media - open graph

4.  Conversion and sales strategy

Well written website copy - use a copywriter

Answer the phone and enquiries

Have a sales process that works!

Dont forget your website is a sales and marketing tool

Know how to use the telephone

Speed counts when selling!

5.  Customer relationship strategy

Email marketing - always first before social media

Social media

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Google plus

Basic CRM

Full transcription

Dan: Web Dominations brought to you by my startup Informly. My app shows you a simple one-page live report on all of your important business information, talks to your favorite services like Analytics, MailChimp, Xero and more and centralizes the important info on one page accessible my mobile or web.

Ana Hoffman runs authority Traffic Blog Traffic Generation Cafe and this week I talk to her about traffic generation strategies and how she has built such a loyal readership on her relatively young blog.

Here are some of the main points covered:

Building authority

Reaching out to bloggers

Creating quality content

Info products

Audience engagement

Check out my notes below and remember to leave me an iTunes review if you like the show I'll read it out on the show.

http://media.blubrry.com/webdomination/p/wpcurve.com/wp-content/uploads/Podcast/web_domination_episode_12_ana_hoffman.mp3

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

Quick links / mentions

Traffic Generation Cafe

Kristi Hines (@kikolani) and her Fetching Friday roundup posts and this interview.

James Schramko

Gary Vaynerchuk

Tom Ewer top 100 blog posts  (@tomewer)

Pat Flynn (@PatFlynn) - Be everywhere

Darren Rouse (@darrenrouse) - Pro Blogger

Traffic tips

Start with your site

Targeted traffic is great but you need a great site, with great content before you worry about traffic.

Great design and great content is a prerequisite

The goal is to get people to stick and turn them into direct traffic (i.e. they get to know you)

Build out 10-15 great posts to start with before you get focused on traffic and reaching out to other bloggers.

Content needs to be different / attention grabbing etc

Focusing on a specific niche to build your authority around a topic.

Direct traffic / branding / authority

Become a 'brand' and aim to get direct traffic.

Once you are being suggested by suggestion tools and your name is synonymous with your area of expertise then you have reached an authority level.

Direct traffic sticks - Anna left her business for months but once she started producing content again all of the traffic came back.

Reach out to other bloggers on the same level or a bit bigger - but keep it at a reasonable level. Leave comments, send emails, be grateful, provide value and help where possible. Don't start with asking for something just help and contribute. Focus on bloggers that are still at the size where they can respond and read to every comment.

Could potentially build on other posts people have done and invite the blogger and reader via comments to check out a post you have written.

To become an authority you need to be endorsed by others with a larger authority than you.

Bloggers mentioning you in their post is much more valuable than writing a guest post.

Customer retention

Allan Branch is the co-founder of $1m+ web application business Less Everything. I chatted to him today about business, partnerships, accounting, conferences and how to market a successful web app by doing less.

 

http://media.blubrry.com/webdomination/p/wpcurve.com/wp-content/uploads/Podcast/web_domination_episode_11_allan_branch.mp3

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

Follow

@allanbranch

Less Everything

Less Accounting

Less Conf

Steve Bristol (Allan's partner)

Quick links / mentions

Ana Hoffman standing me up

Founders talk podcast with Allan and Steve

Seth Godin book The Dip

Tommy Shultz photographer

Xero accounting and info on funding

Quickbooks and MYOB

37 Signals Blog

David Heinemeier Hansson & Jason Fried from 37 Signals

Tips for building a web app by doing less

Build on ideas that sounds fun and interesting - you have to enjoy your job.

Be yourself (when Alan says be yourself he really means it - check out Allan's interview on Founders Talk!)

To start a new business you have to be super brave or super ignorant!

You don't have to own the market - Xero / Quickbooks can own the market.

It's hard work building software for people who don't like their job.

Real businesses make money try to get profitable but expect it to take a long time.

Less accounting took years before it made enough to support 1 person - 2 years to $7k.

Need to be good at sales and be confident with yourself and selling to yourself.

Look for ways to meet people and market that don't cost a lot of money - (bought cup cakes for attendees), events, content marketing within the industry and networking. Here's an example of one of their 500+ blog posts.

Couldn't run his business without his partner Steve.

Ebooks

Don't let your business run you

Don't let your business run you runs through how Allan and Steven built a web app business to $1m+ in 1 year.

It covers a whole range of topics from building a team, dealing with clients, getting sued and more!

 

Read this first

Adam Franklin is the founder of one Australia's most well known web strategy companies Bluewire Media and a master at offline networking (the exact opposite of me) so this week I chatted to him about 5 things he does and how that helps his efforts online.

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

Follow

@franklin_adam

@bluewire_media

@toby_jenkins (Adam's business partner)

Bluewire Media site

Quick links / mentions

Social Media Downunder event

Bluewire in the social pages

Verne Harnish meeting

Event Bright

Brian Solis

David Meerman Scott

Web Strategy Planning Template

David Meerman Scott's blog post about it

The New Rules of Marketing and PR

Google Content Experiments (see below)

5 offline strategies

1.  Events

Running their own events

Attending other events

Social Media Downunder event in 2012 (100 attendees, 17 speakers, hashtag viewed by 300k people, great for positioning)

Sees events as a part of content marketing and a great way to position yourself as an authority.

Every year they have a birthday bash, invites journalists, offers a charity donation - they also generally end up in the paper.

VIP clients are given free access to some events as a value add.

Also used as lead generation, often attendees will end up becoming VIP clients (managed, recurring web strategy clients)

At one event he met Verne Harnish, here is a blog post about it (video below), Verne sent out a client newsletter, A Sydney accountant noticed and signed up as a VIP client.

http://youtu.be/kvOkBfbpO_A

2.  PR

Lead with generosity

Forget bulk press releases focus on local relationships

Invite journalists to events

Be generous and introduce other people where appropriate - be helpful

It's working! Check out this page which lists some of the places they've been mentioned.

3.

This week I have a long and detailed chat with Australian internet Marketing legend James Schramko about how he is dominated his space with his content marketing and authority building efforts. This is my favourite episode so far I've detailed the chat below but please check it out and I hope you like it.

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

Super Fast Business

See Super Fast Business site.

Divisions

Services (websites, videos, SEO)

Information Products (coaching, mastermind, info products)

Software (speed dash, iPhone apps)

Affiliate marketing (buy with bonus)

Sexy numbers and other stuff

$2million+ turnover

76 staff (I think all in the Philippines, forgot to ask about this)

Works from home

$1m+ SEO business

$400k mastermind - Silver Circle

$250k community - Fast Web Formula

Content Marketing Methods

Blogging

Internet Marketing Speed blog (history, started making good content)

Focus on quality, try to produce articles always with images and ideally with audio and / or video

Provide a more engaging experience with multi media.

Podcasts

Co host / JV format (Freedom Ocean)

Interview format (Internet Marketing Speed) - aim for paid content quality

Individual / daily format (Super Fast Business) - audience sectioned up using Office Autopilot

Videos

Here's one of James' recent videos (the one with the flower matching shirt).

Use Wistia- great tracking plus free plan available -

look at video profile by email,

look at where people drop off etc

Multi player tracking

Chocolate coated carrots - love that shit haha

Short sharp videos getting more views than the audio version

Getting a lot of interaction and comments with video content

Affiliates and partnerships

Not a lot of affiliates are asking for content development opportunities (opportunity here?)

Some JV efforts like Freedom Ocean paying off for both

Affiliates are seen more as a cost of doing business

Physical events and workshops

Content from physical events leveraged for online community and products

Following up online adds more value

Profitable in it's own right

Higher risk, higher emotional toll, can't make everyone happy (bloody whingers - my words)

Can add a 'lazy' couple of hundred thousand to the profit but so can other things (I added the word lazy too)

Video training and paid content

Provide the minimum solution for the maximum result.

Follow a simpler and more elegant approach and chase the core of what people want.

Products come from solving own problems and listening to what others are saying about it.

Podcast represents a great opportunity to build the audience and looking for opportunities for paid products.

Info graphics

Make it good enough to be sharable.

Google starting to potentially de-value embedded info graphics.

After 2 weeks of hanging out with Dan Andrews from the Lifestyle Business Podcast I finally built up the courage to interview him on the show - luckily it was before the TMBA breakup party got too rowdy (only just).

or Download the file or visit iTunes.

Mentions

TMBA Summer

Tim Conley and the Foolish Adventure show

Dan Andrews

Tropical MBA at Badladz Beach Resort Puerto Galera

Mindset presentation on Tropical Talk Radio

Big words mentioned by Dan (that I didn't understand)

Pontificate

Tip

You want to start a business? Hmm go to business school and learn about the 'metaphors of organisation' or go to the Philippines and hang out with a bunch of legends, work your arse off and make it happen. I'm throwing in a vote for option 2 (having done both).

In October (2012) Dan from the Tropical MBA will be launching a new class for the 2 week tropical MBA business starter program in the Philippines. See the signup page here.

I won't speak for him because the details may change by the time it comes out but I suggest if you are looking to start a business and you want to do it the smart and fast way, check out tropicalmba.com and sign up to the list to be notified about the next class.

Here is a small list of what I did during the 2 weeks:

Hung out with some amazing people including Tim Conley, Ian, Dan and their team.

Drunk a lot of mango shakes

Got a ridiculous amount of work done - some days up to 17 hours a day with no distractions

Swam in the warm ocean out the front a lot.

Built my offer, my website, a launch video and 18 blog posts to name a few specific things.

Went on a boat

Made some friends for life and launched my business Informly

If you have any questions about what's involved I'm sure Dan will help or ask me and I'll tell you about my experience. Check out the TMBA page here for info on the October session.

Full Transcription

Dan Norris: Web Domination is brought to you by my start-up Informly. My app shows you a simple one-page live report on all of your important business information, talks to your favorite services like Analytics, MailChimp, Zero and more and centralizes the important info on one page accessible by mobile or the web. The basic plan is free. Feel free to check out Inform.ly/Podcast for more info about the app or about to show.

Hey, guys, I've just gotten back from the Philippines for the first Tropical MBA event and...