The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast

Well hello there – welcome to another exciting episode of The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast! I am your host and chief creative officer Eric, and this week's featured guest on the show is Naomi Lantzman, a digital marketing consultant in the Tampa Florida area working with businesses to help them grow and non-profits to help them raise more dough (hey that rhymes)!

Naomi delivers awesome results through custom digital marketing strategies and implementation. She has worked in communications and marketing at a large non-profit organization, as a Chief Technical Officer at a web development and public relations firm, and co-founded Signify Studio, a boutique graphic and web design company with her husband, Jared.

Naomi and Jared have also developed My Jewish Website and Online Fundraising Strategy together, which concentrates on building delightful, conversion-focused customer and donor journeys for niche audiences to take specific actions on websites.

Naomi is also the host of the Grow Your Non-Profit Podcast, which helps non-profits learn about digital marketing so they can improve their online fundraising without tech overwhelm or marketing hype.

Today, Naomi has joined us to discuss the importance of adaptive messaging in your marketing. She will explain what adaptive messaging is all about, how we as marketers can use this type of messaging to attract and go after the right type of clients, and so much more.

As you know, understanding your audience is a must. So how do you hone in those needs? How do you evaluate data and set up interactions to get a response? Naomi will cover this today as she definitely has the experience using this strategy for businesses and non-profits, and she has taught over 100 courses in marketing and design.

Now, if this is your first time tuning in to the awesomeness of this show, then welcome – I am super thrilled you are here! On Tuesday's I release an interview with a marketing guru sharing his or her ninja secrets to help you up your marketing game and grow your business, and on Friday's I share a solo episode on something new I have learned that works, doesn't work, or some general marketing tips.

And if you are a repeat listening friend of the show, then welcome back! I am super ecstatic that you have chosen me to share some awesome marketing tips in your ear each week wherever you are. As you know this podcast keeps getting better and better each week as we avoid the fluff.

If you haven't done so yet, then be sure to smash that subscribe button on your podcast listening player for The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast, tune in to fresh content published weekly, share with your friends, and – if you are up to it - leave a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts!

As you know, reviews mean a lot, and they help me reach more fans eager to implement these marketing tips shared weekly. And if you leave a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts then let me know by emailing me at [email protected].

I will provide an awesome shout out for you in return.

Speaking of shout outs, something new I am starting to do now is to share a recent review of the show.

And this review comes from Marketing Fun with Mike in which he states:

"Eric puts together tangible business advice and tips from people who do the work each and every day. He's also engaging and energetic and finds guests who are as well."

That's awesome, Marketing Fun With Mike – thanks so much. Funny thing about Mike now that I am reading this is that he has been on The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast twice – episodes 22 and 10 - and his review was not solicited.

Mike and I have actually been friends for several years now and we have never met in person. However, that is about to change as I am super duper excited to hang out with him and his wife in early October as we will be going to – duh to dah duh – Lewis Howe's Summit of Greatness in Columbus Ohio! I am also going to crash at Mikes home as well, so maybe we can do a fun in-person podcast while I am there as I know I will be capturing a ton from my trip to Lewis' exciting annual event – more to come on this.

So if you have an event in your area and you want me to crash at your residence then holla at me – I think it would be awesome to connect in person and learn some cool marketing strategies and tactics together and hang out of course.

Alright, so guys, we have an interview to conduct, don't we! Let's go ahead and welcome Naomi to the show!

How to Connect with Naomi

-> If you have a business, then check out Signify Studio

-> If you have or work at a non-profit, then check out Online Fundraising Strategy

Hello everyone, happy Friday! Alright, so this week's solo Friday episode is all about cold emails, and if this strategy works or not. 

On this short podcast episode, I explain my stance on why I don't recommend going this route in sending out cold emails. 

If you are like me, you probably get bombarded with these crap emails all day long of people trying to sell us stuff. As if we REALLY want to marry someone on the first date (lol). 

Because of the day-and-age we live in, I recommend that it is best to focus your efforts by:

• Putting out good educational content on a consistent basis to generate awareness.
• Getting leads to opt-in from your lead magnet(s) and nurture them through your email sequences (marketing and sales funnels).
• Good old fashion networking - online and offline.
• Doing good work for your current clients to earn repeat and referral business.

What are your thoughts on cold emailing to grow your business? Is it worth your time and effort?

Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast! I am your host and chief creative officer, Eric, and this week I am thrilled to bring on Jeff Teschke, Founder and CEO of Forge3, Ltd, an award-winning digital agency and training company offering proven, cost-effective website and digital marketing solutions for insurance agencies, carriers, and associations.

You can learn more info about Forge3 and what the awesome team is up to at Forge3.com. This is where you can discover more about their powerful training programs, social media campaigns and purpose-built website platforms including ActiveAgency, Clickable Coverage, Hello Producer and more.

On today's episode with Jeff, we get to learn more about the importance of why niching down can be a game-changer for your business.

Jeff definitely knows a thing or two on this topic from experience. He started his company over 14 years ago in which the firm was more of a generalist in terms of the marketing solutions he was offering at the time. Things, however, changed for the better when he began to focus more on working with clients operating in the insurance realm.

Jeff has a very fascinating story, which ultimately led him to where he is today running a full-fledged digital marketing agency with team members working remotely throughout the U.S.

Before starting his agency, he worked as the Director of Product Management for a software and consulting company that worked with top brands such as, The Coca-Cola Company, AT&T, Intel, Northrop Grumman, Kaiser Permanente, and others.

While working in this position, he recognized an opportunity in the mobile marketing industry and created the award-winning ispott™ mobile scavenger hunt gaming platform. Within its first month of operation, ispott™ earned the attention of Microsoft and Coca-Cola and successfully powered the world's first mobile scavenger hunt game for the Sprite brand.

I really enjoyed hearing more from Jeff about his storied journey to get to where he is today, starting from his hometown in Pittsburgh, PA, along with how he got into doing digital media work for clients operating in the insurance industry.

As you will hear me mention later on in the show, typically I stay away from working in certain verticals, such as insurance, legal, healthcare, and accounting. But for Jeff and the Forge3 team, the insurance realm is their niche. Jeff knows the lingo, the products, and the insurance market as he grew up in a household in which his dad worked for many years with large insurance companies.

Jeff also talks about his aha moment when deciding to go off on his own and start his company, which happened at a time when he was laid off and was collecting unemployment. So much is covered on this episode and I cannot wait for you to tune in.

Now, if this is your first time tuning in to the awesomeness of this show, then welcome – I am super thrilled you are here! On Tuesday's I release an interview with a marketing guru sharing his or her ninja secrets to help you up your marketing game and grow your business, and on Friday's I share a solo episode on something new I have learned that works, doesn't work, or some general marketing tips.

And if you are a repeat listening friend of the show, then welcome back! I am super ecstatic that you have chosen me to share some awesome marketing tips in your ear each week wherever you are. As you know this podcast keeps getting better and better each week as we avoid the fluff.

If you haven't done so yet, then be sure to smash that subscribe button on your podcast listening player for The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast, tune in to fresh content published weekly, share with your friends, and – if you are up to it - leave a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts!

As you know, reviews mean a lot, and they help me reach more fans eager to implement these marketing tips shared weekly. And if you leave a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts then let me know by emailing me at [email protected].

I will provide an awesome shout out for you in return.

Speaking of shout outs, something new I am starting to do now is to share a recent review of the show.

And this review comes from Deri on the go in which Deri states:

I LOVE this podcast! Eric brings on marketing experts from all different industries. They each bring a unique perspective and offer insight that any business owner or marketer can use!! Easy and fun listen!!!

Thanks so much for the awesome review Deri on the go and this is definitely another great interview to tune into today that falls right in line with providing services for different industries.

Speaking of the interview, it's time for us to jump in and get Jeff on the show!

Alright everyone, so, without further ado, here's Jeff!

How to Connect with Jeff

Website: www.Forge3.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffteschke/ 

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are having an awesome week and are gearing up for a fun weekend!

One this week's solo episode, I talk about my experience using Twitter and LinkedIn for clients to run paid traffic. 

We have talked extensively on this show about leveraging Facebook and Instagram for paid traffic, which are two great platforms to certainly do so. 

However, we have yet to discuss Twitter and LinkedIn as viable options as well. 

I have been running some campaigns on Twitter to drive traffic to a website for a client for super cheap - I am talking pennies on the dollar cheap. And the traffic is targeted. Meaning I am targeting the lookalike followers of influencers who have access to my client's audience. 

LinkedIn is another good platform to drive traffic to your website - albeit a little more expensive. The minimum spend on LinkedIn is $10 per day, and it definitely can be a platform to drive a ton of traffic to your website. 

I talk all about this on this week's solo episode. 

What are your thoughts?

Are you using Twitter or LinkedIn for any of your campaigns?

What type of results are you seeing?

Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast! I am your host and chief creative officer, Eric, and this week I have an awesome interview with Mike Nelson who is a fellow passionate marketer specializing in helping businesses position their products and services in front of their potential customers when they least expect it but when they desire an answer to their problems the most.

Mike is here today to share some ninja marketing secrets when it comes funnels, and how you can skyrocket your business by setting up some good marketing funnels.

Believe it or not, but we have yet to feature a marketing guru sharing funnel tips, and Mike came heavily recommended from a previous podcast guest, Mark Ghaida of Unfazd Media.

Mike definitely did not disappoint on our show today. I was able to take notes on a bunch of great strategies he shared, especially when setting up an initial funnel to start capturing leads using social media ads.

Here on today's show, you will hear Mike talk about:

• How to create and set up a good funnel
• How to get leads for super cheap running a specific retargeted ad campaign
• Some advanced funnel tips
• What to avoid when setting up and running a funnel
• Facebook Messenger and Instagram Story ads
• And so much more!

This was definitely another fun episode to record and share.

Now, if this is your first time tuning in to the awesomeness of this show, then welcome – I am super thrilled you are here! On Tuesday's I release an interview with a marketing guru sharing his or her ninja secrets to help you up your marketing game and grow your business, and on Friday's I share a solo episode on something new I have learned that works, doesn't work, or some general marketing tips.

And if you are a repeat listening friend of the show, then welcome back! I am super ecstatic that you have chosen me to share some awesome marketing tips in your ear each week wherever you are. As you know this podcast keeps getting better and better each week as we avoid the fluff.

If you haven't done so yet, then be sure to smash that subscribe button on your podcast listening player for The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast, tune in to fresh content published weekly, share with your friends, and – if you are up to it - leave a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts!

As you know, reviews mean a lot, and they help me reach more fans eager to implement these marketing tips shared weekly. And if you leave a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts then let me know by emailing me at [email protected].

I will provide an awesome shout out for you in return.

Speaking of shout outs, something new I am going to do moving forward each week is to share a recent review of the show that was shared on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.

And this review comes from NYC Marketing saying this show is a "Secret Little Weapon. I love tuning into The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast to hear from real marketers about what's working in their business. The insights have been truly helpful in helping me craft better campaigns for my business." Thanks so much for the awesome review coming from NYC Marketing and looking forward to continuing on this journey to keep sharing awesome content each and every week.

Speaking of awesome content, we have an interview to share with Mike Nelson, folks! So, without further ado, let's go ahead and welcome Mike to the show!

What's going on everyone?

Thanks for tuning in to another fun, creative and awesome episode of The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast.

If this is your first time here then welcome – I am super happy you are here! Each Tuesday I release a new episode interviewing a marketing guru sharing his or her creative ninja tips (as we like to call it) to help you build and grow your business.

And on Friday's, I release a solo episode (just like this one) sharing something new I have learned that works, doesn't work, or just some general creative tips to help you skyrocket the growth of your empire!

If you are a repeat listening friend then I am also super elated you are back and have chosen me each week to be in your ear, wherever you are to share some creative ninja tips.

Be sure to smash that subscribe button on your podcast listening player, tune in to fresh content each week and leave me a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts.

If you do leave me a review then please email me here and let me know. I will start showcasing new reviews with new episodes being released and giving you a special shout out on social media J

Alright, guys so this short solo episode is all about a hack to grow your business through offline marketing, in particular through the Business Networking International (BNI) system.

I am a huge proponent of growing your business both online and offline. I believe having a balanced approach is key. Of course, there is so much time in a day as we all know, so being smart about how you maximize your time to see the best results is always key.

Now, what is BNI?

BNI is a global organization comprised of chapters with members who fill particular seats (e.g. real estate, coaches, marketers, etc.). Only one seat can be filled per chapter and as a member, it is your responsibility to fulfill certain duties, which includes:

• Showing up to the weekly meetings
• Referring business to other members
• Meeting with other members outside of the chapter to learn more about how you can help them grow and vice versa
• Bringing visitors to the chapter
• Fulfilling other duties where needed to keep the chapter running (this may be a chapter leadership seat)

Now, just to clear the air here – this is not an episode in which I bash BNI by any means. I had a wonderful experience in the chapter I was a member of for a year and a half or so. The relationships and business I was able to generate were phenomenal, to say the least.

Unfortunately, I had to abruptly step down recently for personal and business reasons. I will disclose the business reasons why below as I am not yet ready to share my personal reasons with everyone yet, which had nothing to do with BNI.

Now, I know some people tuning in have heard of BNI before and may have had a bad experience. And I bet this is probably because they were visiting or were a part of a bad chapter.

I have checked out other chapters before years back and I was unimpressed. I often felt like I was being targeted for another pyramid scheme or cult to join.

The key with BNI is finding a good chapter and deciding whether or not to join.

As I mentioned above, one of the reasons I had to leave was business related. My business currently is not set up to take on a bunch of clients at once – I would need to hire more staff. And truthfully, I did not go into business wanting this headache of having a ton of overhead.

My business actually is set up to run like a boutique consulting firm. I am perfectly happy at the moment making money managing 5-7 client accounts so I can spend more time on things like this podcast to grow my personal brand.

So, because of this, I was finding that each week I was asking for guests to be on my podcast with the BNI chapter I was a part of, and they were able to refer me wonderful guests.

But from a financial and time aspect, I was seeing the same results from social media. I was getting guests to be on the show for free and now I am in a position in which folks are reaching out to me to be on the show in which I need to filter out these results.

I was spending an average of 10-15 hours per week on BNI related stuff and I needed to re-prioritize my time better, which I did!

Below are the pros and cons of BNI based on personal experience:

Pros

• You can exponentially grow your business
• You can build great relationships and pass referral business (always feels good to do this)
• Gets you out of the house and be around serious business professionals all seeking to grow their businesses

Cons

• Serious time commitment involved. As I mentioned above, I was spending an average of 10-15 hours per week on BNI related stuff.
• Financial investment required. There are annual and sometimes quarterly dues you must cough up. However, if you are doing your part to be a valued member of the chapter then you should see an ROI. Do keep in mind that this all depends on the seat you are filling and the type of business you are operating. Some businesses are able to see a faster ROI than others (e.g. caterer vs. someone selling real estate). This also has a lot to do with how active you are as a member. You must do your part to be visible and credible.

So, what is the BNI ninja hack?

The ninja hack I shared on this episode is how to grow your business through BNI without experiencing the cons listed above.

How can you do this?

Simple. Just go on a "BNI Tour."

If you live in or near a metropolis, then chances are there are a plethora of BNI chapters. Visit each chapter, network, and follow-up with the members or other visitors of the chapter after each meeting.

Many of the BNI chapters will have a roster listing all the names and info of the members. Take this sheet with you and set up follow up one-to-one meetings with the members you want to connect with.

The members will be delighted since this could be a win-win. You may be able to refer business from your network of contacts and vice versa.

This is a much better approach than trying to schmooze and booze at one-off networking events. It is strategic and you don't need to make any financial or time commitments of being a member of a chapter.

What are your thoughts? I share some more info and tips on the podcast episode.

Thanks for tuning in and be sure to join me again on Tuesday with our next interview featuring a marketing guru sharing his or her creative ninja tips to help you build and grow your business!

Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast! I am your host and chief creative officer, Eric, and this week I am super pumped to bring a repeat guest on our show, Frank Goodman, founder of Bleeding Bulb.

Frank and the Bleeding Bulb team works with small businesses to help them find the most effective way to reach their goals based on budget and priority. Growth hack consulting, website and apps, user-experience (UX) and graphics, and digital film and motion are just a few of the awesome services they provide, which can be found at www.BleedingBulb.com.

Now, I had Frank all the way back on episode 2 in which we talked about strategies on how to convert your web traffic into leads for your business.

What I like most about Frank is that he is super knowledgeable, and he practices what he preaches. Too often I come across digital agency providers that proclaim they are proficient in a certain area – let's say web design – and when I go to their website it sucks!

I used to belong in a networking chapter with Frank and one of his weekly asks at the event was ugly business cards. If a business owner has an ugly business card then chances are they have an ugly website and could use his help. I don't have or carry business cards these days so I guess I technically don't count here, right?

All kidding aside, Frank is one cool dude and he is super passionate about what he does, which is why I wanted to bring him back on The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast.

On today's episode, we talk about why followers won't pay your bills.

Believe it or not, but I often encounter business owners who are all about vanity metrics. They get excited when they see their Instagram followers grow with targeted followers, get a ton of legit likes and comments, you name it.

But at the end of the day, what good is this for your business if you can't pay your bills?

There needs to be a more strategic approach to get you from point A - where you are now, to point B - getting paid. Everything else is secondary.

We are going to dive into this topic today and discuss ways in which business owners and fellow marketers can focus less on the vanity stuff today and more on the dough in your bank account now.

Everything from influencer marketing, chiming in on discussions online, email marketing (which you probably are all too familiar with by now from several of the previous episodes) will be discussed today.

Then once you are generating the dough, this becomes the opportune time to start focusing more on the social media brand growth – or as we social media gurus like to call – social proof.

Now, if this is your first time tuning into the awesomeness of this show, then welcome – I am super thrilled you are here!

Each Tuesday I release a new episode interviewing a marketing guru sharing his or her creative marketing ninja tips for you to use to help you grow your business. And on Friday's I release a solo episode discussing something new that works, doesn't work, or some marketing tips I use for my business and for my clients to generate results.

Speaking of solo episodes, Friday's episode, episode 60, was a fun one to record and share in which I shared my pros and cons list of operating a podcast for my business. If you are someone who has the itch or may be interested down the road to start a podcast then definitely tune into that episode after this one of course as I go over my list of the pros and cons to consider.

I also want to thank all of our repeat listening friends of The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast who are tuning back in! I am so elated that you have chosen me each week to share some awesome creative tips in your ear wherever you are! Thank you so much for being a loyal listener as you know this show just keeps getting better and better each week! All of your positive messages you send me means a lot.

And speaking of better – this is more on the technical side of things – but I just upgraded my microphone to the Audio-Technica ATR 2100 mic. Before I was using a Yeti mic, which is also a good mic, but in my opinion, this mic has better overall sound quality. You will notice the difference as my interview with Frank was done with the Yeti.

If you are interested in learning more about the Audio-Technica mic then feel free to reach out to me. I bought this mic from Amazon with the stand and pop filter for $80 – no mixer required! It literally just plugs right into my laptop and it is super convenient for traveling, and it comes highly recommended by Pat Flynn – host of The Smart Passive Income Podcast.

Alright everyone, let's go ahead and welcome Frank to the show!

Welcome back, everyone!

If this is your first time tuning in to The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast then welcome, I am super thrilled you are here! And if you are a repeat listening friend of the show then I am also ecstatic that you have chosen me to be in your ear each and every week to share some awesome creative marketing content!

Tuesday's is when I release a new interview with a marketing guru sharing his or her creative ninja marketing strategies and tactics to help you grow your business. And Friday's is when I release a solo episode sharing something new I have learned that works, doesn't work, or some general creative marketing advice.

Today's episode would fall under the latter category as I am discussing the pros and cons of running a podcast.

Being that my show is now 60 episodes in, and I have been running this show for over a year now, I figured why not put an episode together discussing my experiences, tips and so much more.

This episode is perfect for anyone who may be curious about starting their own podcast.

This is also a good episode for those who are currently running their own podcast and would like a unique perspective when it comes to the pros and cons.

So, let's go ahead and jump into the nitty-gritty, shall we?

Why I started my podcast

First, before I jump into the pros and cons, let me provide a reader's digest version on why I started my podcast.

I've been tuning into podcasts since 2013, and some of my favorite shows in which I still listen to today include:

• John Lee Dumas – Entrepreneur on Fire (EOFire)
• Pat Flynn – The Smart Passive Income Podcast
• Lewis Howes – The School of Greatness
• Amy Porterfield – Online Marketing Made Easy
• Rick Mulready – The Art of Paid Traffic
• Social Media Marketing Podcast

I learn so much from these shows, and I take action by implementing what I've learned back into my business. If I experience good results, then I apply these cool new creative strategies and tactics with my clients and I also share what I have learned on my podcast with own spin on everything!

In early 2017, I got the itch to begin exploring starting a podcast for my business.

I told myself that when I would get to my first 10 clients or my first $10k in monthly revenue, then I'd start the podcast. And this actually happened faster than I thought.

So, I did what any sane person would do (I think), which was to start advertising to everyone that I was going to be starting a podcast and I set a date in which I was going to launch and go live. I actually recommend this approach when first starting out, otherwise you may never get around to launching.

It was a big learning curve for me as I talk more about on this episode, but ultimately, I was able to get into a groove. I went into this with the mindset that this will be a great way for me to educate, build my personal brand, network and develop great relationships, and improve my communication skills.

I also knew going in that this was going to be a long-term commitment/strategy play for me (something I discuss in more depth later) – not a get rich quick scheme.

So, here are my pros and cons with podcasting – in no particular order.

 

Pros

Podcasting helps you build credibility and authority in your space

While it's not the same as being published author, podcasting does have a way of creating an impression among others that you are credible. This is especially true as you become consistent with your content.

If you use your platform to interview guests on the show you also build credibility. Guests who see you are up to good stuff will eventually reach out and want to be on your show. And when you reach out to folks who see you have had some good interviews already then they are more inclined to say yes to be on your show!

You get to interview and learn from amazing guests

I highly recommend using your platform to interview influencers, especially when you are first starting out. More than likely, no one knows you in the podcasting ecosystem, so why should they tune in to anything you are saying when doing a solo podcast?

By bringing good guests on your show you get the added free exposure for your brand as they will be sharing the show with his or her audience. You also get to learn so much from your guests which in turn becomes super helpful for your listening friends.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I have learned just in this past year from the guests on my show. From personal branding SEO, how to drive traffic using Pinterest, SEO tips, Facebook ad strategies and so much more – it is free education!

You get to reach a global audience who will be tuning in wherever they are

Video and audio are hot these days, and both are not going away anytime soon. However, there are two main advantages of audio podcasts have over video.

First, listeners can literally tune in wherever they are. They could be walking their dog, grocery shopping, working out, driving, in the shower, doing dishes, climbing Mount Everest (you never know). You are in their ear regardless of location.

The second advantage podcasting has over video is that the attention span of podcast listeners is a lot longer than those watching videos, including videos on YouTube.

Last I checked, the average watch span of YouTube videos is around the four to six-minute range.

However, when it comes to podcasting, the average listening time is much higher. You can get your listeners to tune in to 20, 40, 60 or even 90 minutes and higher with your shows. The key ingredient, of course, is producing good content and being consistent.

Here are some cool stats worth checking out.

You can advertise products and services on your show

This is your platform, so you can put in a plug for a product you are selling, or a service offering you have available. If you don't have anything to sell yet, then you can plug in some affiliates relevant to your audience.

Most people start a podcast thinking about the possible monetization that is out there from sponsor deals. Yes, there is companies' spending money to have their products and services being sponsored on shows. But to command this, you have to be getting upwards of at least 20k monthly downloads, and you need to share some other important metrics as well. They are not just going to cut you a check to say a few things about their product with no data to support why they should be paying you.

While the sponsor route is definitely doable, this rarely happens overnight.

The better approach to take is to think of ways you can use your platform to creatively announce your product and service offerings, or affiliate links. Not only do you have more control over what you can and cannot say, but you can also make a TON of more money going this route!

Podcasting is a great way to grow your business

I mentioned earlier that you can build your credibility and authority in this space through podcasting. And you can grow your business by advertising your products, services, or affiliates.

In reality, however, I have seen the biggest return back into my business by treating my platform as a networking and business development tool.

What do I mean?

When I reach out to potential guests I want to interview on the show, I spend time researching what these folks are up to.

Are they providing something cutting edge with their marketing approach?

Have they seen results?

Do they have access to my target audience of listeners?

Could they become a good teaming partner – e.g. someone I can trust to pass referrals to and potentially get referrals or subcontract work from?

I have referred business to guests on my show. I have also received business as well. Podcasting, if done right when interviewing guests on your show, can be a great networking opportunity to grow your business without you having to spend thousands of dollars attending networking events.

I have also received referral guests to be on the show.

And how cool is this?

Soon I will be meeting several folks who have been on my podcast in-person for the first time! We plan on doing a live in-person interview, happy hour type event J

One last thing to point out is that over time podcasting (similar to YouTube) is a great way to build and grow your community (your brand).

Podcasting is great for multi-casting content

I record my episodes on Skype and write my own show notes for each episode, which is housed on my website.

Many podcasters fall for the mistake of just producing good content without the episodes being available on their website. This is a HUGE missed opportunity for many reasons – two in which I will point out below.

First, you are missing a big SEO opportunity.

Take this post for instance. It may not be the perfect SEO example, but it does include keywords, phrases, a conversational tone with the writing, and internal links and backlinks to external websites. Ask any SEO professional and they will tell you that these are critical components to have for good SEO content on your website.

The other major missed opportunity is the traffic you are missing to your website and the data you can collect and analyze from Google (Google Analytics).

I monitor my data each month (sometimes weekly) to see the traffic levels keep growing, top content, keywords that are producing results, and audience insights and demographics.

The funny thing is for a while I thought my audience was primarily a male audience. However, when studying Google Analytics, the opposite is true.

Most of the listeners of this (dare I saw awesome) show are female between the ages of 25-34 who are into marketing, business, advertising, and fashion. I also have a lot of transformational coaches and marketers who work for companies tuning in as well.

Another great potential missed opportunity which I may be exploring more of in 2019 is repurposing the content into a video for people to watch and listen.

I interview all my guests on Skype and Skype version 8 now allows you to record video and audio for free! Once the call is over you can download the Mp4 file. Pretty cool, right?

Podcasting can help you improve your communication

Okay, so I admit, my first I want to say 20 (maybe even 30) episodes I was a nervous wreck. I remember my very first episode freaking out before I jumped on to do an interview with someone. I was sweating under my armpits – big time!

The guests I had on the show were awesome! But I was far from being awesome. I had way too many ums, and my voice was not loud enough. Plus, when asking the questions, I seemed to be scripted – now everything seems to be a bit more conversational and fun.

Now don't get me wrong, I still say things awkwardly, and never is there such a thing as a perfect episode. But I have made slight improvements each week to make the show better.

I had the same issue with video before. But just like with anything, the more you practice the better you get. And when it comes to podcasting and video the same holds true.

Everyone struggles in the beginning. Just get started and focus on getting better over time.

 

Podcasting will hold you accountable

This is my final pro, which is another good one worth mentioning.

When you commit to a publishing schedule you must deliver!

Being that I am on a Tuesday and Friday publishing schedule currently, I am on the hook to produce, publish and promote good content twice per week.

I have been called out before when I was off by a day.

The key is to pick a topic you are passionate about and keep having fun in this realm.

Also, always keep in mind that the work you are doing by producing and sharing good content is worth it – even if just one person takes action. You are doing this for the greater good.

 

Cons

Podcasting is a MAJOR time commitment

You can't get by with just pushing a record button on your phone or laptop then publishing your episode.

You have to come up with good content, record, edit, publish, promote, and repeat.

And if you are interviewing people to be on your show, then this is an even bigger time commitment.

My typical workflow for podcasts each week include:

• Reaching out and scheduling initial phone screening calls with potential guests to be on the show. I am now getting more people requesting to be on the show so I have to screen them out on this phone call after doing some research on them.
• Scheduling interviews
• Performing interviews
• Sending off the interviews to my virtual assistant to edit
• Review the edited interviews and show notes on Libsyn (the podcasting hosting platform I use – I highly recommend)
• Publish and promote the show with the help of my virtual assistant
• Record a solo podcast episode for the week
• Review the edited solo episode
• Do the show notes, publish and promote the episode

This process keeps getting refined over time. But on average I spend a good 10-15 hours each week with these activities (some weeks may be more depending on how many interviews I have lined up).

I do recommend batching as much as possible, especially with the interviews. There is nothing worse than being in a position of having to scramble each week for a guest to be on your show. I typically keep a minimum of 3-4 weeks of interviews already recorded waiting to be edited in the pipeline.

I also recommend hiring a good virtual assistant to edit your shows, do your show notes, and maybe even reach out to potential guests to be on your show.

If you need a good virtual assistant then let me know – I have an awesome one who has been with me for close to two years now. She is in the Philippines and does great work!

Podcasting is a long-term commitment

I hear people all the time saying to me that the podcasting market is oversaturated.

What many people fail to realize, however, is that the average podcast listener is subscribed to at least seven shows, and they tune in each week to new content being published.

Plus, not everyone is up-to-speed about podcasting. Many people still ask me "what is a podcast?" I also get asked a lot about what the podcasting hype is all about.

One other stat worth mentioning that really hits the nail on the head here is that most people give up with their podcast around the 20 episode mark.

They realize just how much of a time commitment is involved with running a show each week and they aren't seeing immediate results when it comes to the downloads.

Podcasting, just like with YouTube and blogging, is a long-term play.

You have to show up each and every week to produce, share and promote great content. There is no bypassing or a cheat code to avoid this.

As the saying goes, if it were easy everyone would be doing it, right?

Same holds true in podcasting land.

This must be a long-term commitment that is a part of your business to grow your brand. And you must be passionate and have fun with it! Otherwise, you will burn out and drop off like everyone else.

The tech, tools and learning the ins and outs (ugh)

Podcasting is an ongoing learning journey.

Sure there is a learning curve with the tech, tools, and platforms to use. But this is all a part of the fun process J

If you are someone who does not like to learn new things on your own, spend Friday nights watching tutorials, or entire weekends tweaking your show, then podcasting may not be for you.

The good news, however, is that there are tools, platforms, and resources that make your job as a podcaster much easier with hardly any cost.

For instance, the microphone I now use (which I highly recommend) is the Audio-Technica ATR 2100.

This microphone is badass – and it only cost around $80 (no audio mixer required)!

Simply plug in your mic into the USB port of your desktop or laptop PC and you are good to go. This mic is also a great travel companion. You can easily pack this with you and go record wherever you need to record from.

Skype or Zoom are both great platforms to record your interviews, and audacity is a great free editing software you can use. Pat Flynn has a good audacity training video, which comes from his podcasting course.

Libsyn is also another essential. This is a great hosting platform that syncs up with just about all the podcast listening playing platforms out there.

When you upload your final edited mp3 audio file to Libsyn and go through the series of simple steps to publish your episode, the podcast players such as Apple Podcasts or iTunes will pull the content from your Libsyn RSS feed. You don't need to go into all the different platforms and upload your show.

You must find creative ways to promote your show

A big mistake podcasters make is that they produce good content but fail to spend time promoting the show.

This isn't Field of Dreams – you don't just produce good content and expect people to start flocking your way. Nor can you produce a great episode then do a simple LinkedIn update, tweet, and Facebook post and call it a day.

You have to literally spend more time promoting your show then it took for you to create and publish the episode.

And you need to experiment as well. For instance, I routinely experiment running sponsored Tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts, and LinkedIn posts to drive traffic to my episode on the show notes page.

Twitter I tend to get the biggest bang for my buck as I can literally spend $10 over 7 days and target the lookalike followers of a mega influencer like Amy Porterfield. This produces hundreds of clicks.

You also have to participate in comments and discussions online, do Instagram Story videos, send emails out to your email lists and spread the message about your podcast EVERYWHERE (not just online).

The good news is that if you are interviewing good guests on your show then they will also promote to their audience creating great free exposure for you and your podcast.

 

So there you have it, everyone! My pros and cons based on experience running a successful podcast.

If podcasting is something you are interested in pursuing then let me know! Email me here and let's connect. I'd be more than happy to help or at least point you in the right direction.

Stay tuned

Our next featured interview guest on Tuesday is Frank Goodman, founder of Bleeding Bulb. During the fun conversation I had with Frank, we talked about the importance of focusing less on vanity metrics online to grow your business when you are first starting out – simply because followers won't pay your bills.

We talk about ways to overcome this mindset and how you can leverage social media to start paying your bills today!

Thanks as always for tuning in everyone!

Eric

Welcome to another exciting episode of The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast! I am your host and chief creative officer Eric, and today I am super thrilled to bring on Jared Gold, founder of Brevity and WebsiteByTonight on the show!

Jared is here to talk with us about how you can quickly set up a beautifully designed website in just a few hours or less so you can focus more on doing what you do best (hey that actually rhymes)!

I am excited about this episode for many reasons. First, just about all my website design connections are WordPress specialists, which is a great website CMS platform. But, unless you are a web designer or someone who has a bunch of spare time on your hands, then WordPress can be time not well spent when you should be focused on other areas of your business to grow.

Jared, in which you will hear more from in a bit is passionate about tech start-ups and solving interesting problems. He started Brevity, which can be found at BrevityDigital.com over five years ago, and most recently WebsitebyTonight, which can be found at www.Websitebytonight.com to help solopreneurs and independent consultants get an awesome looking website set up for an ABSURDLY low fee.

Jared is also a Squarespace specialist and is actually endorsed by Squarespace as a specialist, which he will talk more about with us today. And he has a top-rated Squarespace course on Udemy, which I will link up for everyone on the show notes page at www.TheCreativeMarketingZone.com/podcast.

Now, if this is your first time here tuning into the awesomeness of this show, then welcome – I am super thrilled you are here. And if you are a repeat listening friend of the show, then welcome back – I am super excited that you have chosen me to share some awesome stuff in your ear each and every week, wherever you are.

Tuesday's is when we release an awesome interview with a marketing guru sharing his or her creative ninja marketing strategies and tactics to help you grow your business. And on Friday's is when I release a solo episode on something new I have learned that works, or a practice I have incorporated for some time that has produced amazing results.

Be sure to smash that subscribe button on your favorite listening podcast player so you can be notified of fresh new content each week. And if you leave a review of The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast on Apple Podcasts or iTunes then be sure to let me know on social media or via email at [email protected] – I will be sure to give you a special shout-out in return!

Lastly, before I dive into the nitty-gritty of this episode, I do want to let you know that this episode is brought to you by Leadpages®.

If you are an online marketer, or you want to build and grow an email list, then Leadpages® is an absolute must!

I have used Leadpages® for a few years now and what I love most about using the platform is how easy it is to use their drag and drop templates, which are proven to have higher conversion rates, and how it syncs up with my email marketing CRM platform to start sending out the automated emails.

I could go on and on about this amazing platform, but I don't want to take up too much time, so if you just go visit the show notes page to this episode at TheCreativeMarketingZone.com/podcast and check out episode 59, then there will be my affiliate link for you to use so you can start experiencing the power of Leadpages® for your business to help you build and grow your email list with relative ease.

So, without further ado, let's welcome Jared to the show!

How to Connect with Jared:

Websites: WebsiteByTonight

Brevity

Facebook: @WBTonight

 

Awesome Special Just For Being You!

If you are ready to get a beautifully designed website in a few hours or less then Jared is your man! 

Get $50 off your WebsitebyTonight website design of $749 ($699 is all you pay) or in some cases is $998 ($948 total) for the premier plan. 

Simply email Jared here and mention that you heard him on The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast, or contact him on his website at www.websitebytonight.com. 

This is an amazing offer! 

Welcome back everyone to another exciting episode of The Creative Marketing Zone Podcast! I am your host and chief creative officer, Eric, and this is the podcast for all things creative to help you build and skyrocket your business!

If this is your first time here, then welcome! I am super thrilled you are here with us today. Be sure to check out awesome episodes previously released and, if you enjoy today's show then be sure to smash that subscribe button – I mean select the subscribe button and be sure to join me on Tuesday's and Friday's each week.

Tuesday's is when we release an awesome interview with a marketing guru sharing his or her ninja secrets for you to use, and on Friday's is when I do a quick solo episode on something new I have learned that works, doesn't work, or some creative marketing advice to help you build and grow your business.

Today's episode is going to be an awesome one for sure! I am going to be going over a simple 3-step DIY formula to rapidly grow your email list. So let's go ahead and get started!

Okay, guys, so we have been on an email marketing series these past few episodes, and for all good reason!

As I've talked about extensively before, I am all about getting your target audience off of social media and onto your email list. For this is where the true magic happens (e.g. more sales, more traffic to your website, greater relationship building, etc.).

We can't control what happens on social media with changes happening as we speak. However, we can control what goes on with our email lists and the messages we are sending out.

On episode 56 I talked about the top 5 Lead Magnets to use to build and grow your email list. A good lead magnet is step one to entice your target audience to want to give up his or her personal information in exchange for something of value.

And in episode 57 I interviewed Chantl Martin, co-founder of Thrive Lounge who shared some exclusive ninja tips to create good content for your emails being sent out.

Now, I am a simple guy, and I like things simple in my life. If you walk into my apartment you would probably think that I have just moved in.

I don't consider myself to be a minimalist, but I am someone who has learned over the years first hand that having a clutter is detrimental to being creative. You may be thinking, "Okay, Eric, where the heck are you going with this?"

I mention this because when things are cluttered, confusing, or if there are too many moving parts in life or in business, we can't have a clear picture of how everything ties together to drive results.

We need to keep things simple.

SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, social media advertising, email marketing, funnels, lead magnets, these are all terms I am accustomed to hearing on a daily basis. In a perfect world, all of these would work seamlessly together.

But of course, we don't live in a perfect world. And if you are trying to do things on your own currently, then you can find yourself getting stuck in any one of these areas and ultimately deciding to just give up.

So, in order to keep things simple, I want you to think of your target audience and the pain points you solve for them. From here you can think of creative ways to solve their problems with products or services to offer – e.g. consulting packages, individual strategy sessions, workshops, a roadmap, guides, mini-courses, etc. What is the fastest and simplest way for you to connect with your target audience and start getting paid online?

The answer to the last question is to start building an email list and to nurture that list.

For this is the first entry point to have someone get to know you on a deeper and more intimate level outside of the social media noise.

And it is the first point in which your target audience is trusting you. They trust you will deliver something good to them in exchange for their info, and they trust that you will do the right thing with their email from that point on.

Now, to stick to the theme of the episode on how to rapidly grow your email list, I have broken this episode into three (3) simple steps for you:

I'll highlight the steps now, and will go in more depth in just a moment:

Step 1 is to create a good lead magnet, this was covered in episode 56.

Step 2 is to hire a professional copywriter to create ad copy for social media to run an ad

Step 3 is to run a specific ad on social media that I will go over today.

There is also a bonus step I will go over here as well shortly, but for now, I will go over steps two and three here more extensively.

Now, if you seek to hire an agency to do all of this for you, it can be costly depending on who you use. They may have you doing things like producing good video or copy, driving traffic to that video or copy, then run a retargeted ad to the people who already have seen this video (or a certain amount of the video) or copy with your lead magnet.

This is a great strategy to build up a warm email list from social media. And if you have the budget to hire a good agency to do this for you, then certainly use your money on this. 

But if you are looking to grow your list rapidly and you don't have a ton of time, resources, or money to implement this retargeted ad strategy, then following this three-step formula is what you need.

So, since I covered lead magnets in episode 56, I will dive into step two of this plan, which is to hire a professional copywriter.

I know quite a few good copywriters out there. But there is only one resource that I trust to do an awesome job for a SUPER LOW PRICE with your social media ads. And that is Instant ad copy, which can be found at www.Instantadcopy.com.

For $20 you can have a professional copywriter put together the copy of your Facebook ad. They have other options and add-ons with their services. But for $20, you can literally have someone do the grunt work for you, and they will deliver the results to you in 3-5 business days.

Once you checkout, you will receive a Google Doc questionnaire for you to fill out from Instant Ad Copy. They will ask you things about your business, your target audience, your objective, the lead magnet you are giving away etc. And when they deliver the results, they will share with you a slideshow document that shows you the copy and where the copy should go when setting up your ad on the Facebook ads manager platform.

Alright, so quick recap. Step one is to create your lead magnet (episode 56), and step two is to hire Instant Ad Copy to create the copy for your social media ad.

Now step three is to set up and run your Facebook ad.

This is where things can get a little tricky, especially if you are just starting to use Facebook ads, or if you are a novice when it comes to Facebook ads.

However, I am going to break this down to you now by explaining the objective to choose, the audience to go after, images to use, a recommended budget, information to collect from your target audience and how to sync everything up with your email CRM.

If this sounds confusing to you, do not fret as I explain this to you. And if you do require assistance getting this set up after going through this DIY exercise, then certainly let me know by signing up for a free social media strategy session with me on my website at www.TheCreativeMarketingZone.com. We can hop on a 30 minute Skype or Zoom video session to get you squared away.

Now, first and foremost, you need to create the ad we are about to run by going into the Facebook ads manager. This is also called the back end of Facebook ads, where all the magic basically happens. The front end of Facebook ads is to simply click on the "boot post" button, or click on a button on your homepage in which Facebook recommends you select to get more engagement or leads for your business.

Don't select this option. Sure it is easy to go through the steps to create this ad using the front end approach, but you won't get the best bang for your buck.

To go to the back end of Facebook ads, simply click on the little down arrow at the top right of Facebook on your web browser. This is where you would normally click to log out, change your settings, etc.

Once you click on the little down arrow, select "Create ads."

From here you will be presented with a screen for you to choose your marketing objective. There are three objectives to choose from with options under each objective. The awareness objective is the cheapest one to go with as you are literally spending money to reach more people or to create more awareness about your brand.

The middle option is the consideration objective. Under consideration you are basically spending money to get your target audience to take some form of action with your copy – e.g. click on the link to go to your website, watch your video, message your business, engage with your post (e.g. like, comment or share), install your app, or give up their info in exchange for something of value – also called a Lead Generation ad. This is the ad set I am going over today to rapidly grow your email list.

The last objective is the conversions objective. This one is a bit more costly as you are seeking to basically convert your audience into sales for your business and drive store visits.

So you will move forward in selecting the Lead Generation option under the consideration objective.

From here you will walk through the steps of naming your campaign and ad set, selecting the Facebook Business page you want this to come from, reviewing and accepting the Facebook Lead ads terms of service, and then you will go through the next series of steps for your audience, ad placements, budget, and schedule.

When you are logged in going through this you will see how everything flows in this exact order. It is not hard to follow at all, and a lot of this is self-explanatory. If you don't know what it means, there is a small exclamation point next to each section in which you can hover your mouse over and Facebook will provide a more detailed explanation.

Now before I go into audience selection, placement and budget, I do want to take a moment and explain why I like using the lead generation option to rapidly grow your email list.

I like running this ad set because it is super seamless from your target audience experience, and it keeps your audience on the Facebook platform, which is what Facebook wants more of.

Traditionally when running an ad to collect email addresses, you would create a landing page on let's say Leadpages or ClickFunnels and you would have to run the ad objective to drive traffic to your landing page under the consideration objective.

From here when someone clicks on the button to learn more from your ad on Facebook he or she would be taken off of Facebook and onto your landing page in which they would see a bunch of content and maybe even a video seeking to collect info in exchange for your valuable lead magnet.

This approach does not work too well with a cold audience who has never seen you before, especially since they now have to think about inputting their first name and email address manually.

The lead generation ad solves this problem. When your target audience clicks on the learn more button from your ad, a popup box will appear in which their info, which is info Facebook has already collected from third-party platforms, is pre-populated into the first name and email address field. They don't have to manually input their info, or think about giving up their info, they just need to verify that the info that was pre-populated is accurate – and that's it!

Then once they hit the submit button, a final screen on what to expect next will appear and the lead magnet will be delivered to their email inbox automatically if you have this ad synced up with your email CRM platform, such as MailChimp.

There is also a screen at the beginning before your target audience's info is pre-populated, and this screen is basically a more in-depth explanation of your lead magnet, which is an optional screen to have in place. I do recommend having this screen with a few bullet points explaining the transformational results (not features of your lead magnet) your target audience will achieve by obtaining and implementing what you are providing from your lead magnet.

Ultimately, you are able to collect more email addresses from your target audience using this ad set is what it all boils down to.

Now the next part is audience selection.

This is where things can get a bit dicey, and if you ask marketers who specialize in Facebook ads you may get conflicting advice.

What interests to include, what to exclude, demographics, behaviors, etc. Yes, you can get super granular.

I once ran an ad set for a youth soccer coach seeking to drive registrations for summer camps for 2-5-year-olds, and we were able to target soccer moms and dads in the local area. In the real estate or home remodeling realm, you can target people who are interested in home ownership and have an interest in HGTV in your local area.

If you have an email list of at least 1,000 contacts, or you already get a ton of traffic to your website you can even create a custom look-a-like audience to go after an audience that has similar characteristics to the emails you have already collected or traffic you are already receiving.

However, if you are new to email list building and you are still tuned in, then chances are you do not have a large email list on file. This is why I am going to share this secret ninja hack on how to go after your target audience using relevant audience criteria.

This ninja hack comes courtesy from Rick Mulready of The Art of Paid Traffic Podcast. Rick runs a successful Facebook ads agency and each week he shares awesome strategies and tactics on his show on how you can build, grow and scale your business using Facebook ads.

I like to think of this hack as the old school Wendy's fast food chain approach to opening up new restaurants. Wendy's did not have the same marketing budget as their much larger rival McDonald's.

McDonald's would spend a ton of money and resources researching to find out where the next location should be built whereas Wendy's approach was simple – just build next to McDonald's.

What's the moral of the story? It's simple - why recreate the wheel and play a guessing game about your target audience on social media when you can literally just use information that is already out there from your competitors, which in many cases is already being marketed to you on Facebook.

What do I mean?

If you go to your Facebook news feed right now and start to scroll, by like the third or fourth post you will see an ad that is hopefully relevant to you. When you see this ad, click on the three little dots at the top right corner of this post and select the option that says, "Why am I seeing this ad?"

When you select this you will be shown a screen that indicates the targeting features that were used in this ad copy to reach you.

If this is a good ad, then simply jot down what you see here into an Evernote doc and begin compiling a list. You can now use this for your audience criteria or test out different ad sets using different features from successful ads already being marketed to you.

Basically, you are taking what is already working and leveraging this for your ad. Super cool, right? This is why you are tuned in each week to learn some of these awesome creative tips.

Now, I would try to keep your audience selection criteria to a minimum. If you start adding in a bunch of stuff to include and exclude, then you will begin to see the meter on the far right screen go down, which will indicate to you that your audience size is getting smaller and smaller.

I would say a good audience size is to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 500k – 1.5 million. If your audience is too narrow, your ad will reach its audience quick, and your audience will start to see your ad too frequently, which isn't a good thing. Facebook may even begin to stop showing your ad altogether.

Now the next section is the ad placement. Facebook will default to what they recommend, which may include the Instagram feed and Instagram Stories. I actually recommend selecting the button to edit the placements so that your ad is shown on the Facebook desktop and mobile feeds and deselect the remaining options. You can keep Instagram feed in the selection, but Instagram Stories is definitely out the question for this ad set as of right now.

The next section is your budget and schedule. Here I would recommend doing a lifetime budget versus a daily budget and set an end date to be no less than seven days and no more than 30 days. These are just my recommendations based on experience running these ads to help you get better results.

In terms of budget, the very least you can spend is $1 per day. However, do keep in mind that the more you spend, the more people you will reach. If you are trying to rapidly grow an email list in 30 days or less, then I would recommend spending no less than $300.

And a good number conversion wise is to be at or around $0.30 or less cost per lead, or cost per email.  

Once you input your budget and schedule, next you will input your ad creative. Your Instant Ad Copy will go here with the copy. But you will still need to select a good image or carousel of images. You can also do a video, but for sake of time – I would use a single image for your ad to keep things simple to start with. Eventually, you will begin using other options.

Some things to keep in mind with the image - you want to use something that may or may not be relevant (I will cover this shortly), does not have a ton of text (the less text the better), and does not look like a stock image.

Basically, you want to get your target audience to stop in their tracks and click on the learn more button with your ad.

Sometimes the image may not even be relevant to the ad copy – for instance, I recently ran an ad using an image of fruit wearing sunglasses to get people to stop. I had a simple quote that was relevant on the image and it worked to get people to stop and consider giving up their info.

Facebook does have an option, last I checked, for you to seek images for your ad – I believe this is coming from Shutterstock or Shutterfly.

However, if you don't want to pay for an image, you can create something for free in Canva using the recommended dimensions and a good template, or you can find images on Unsplash, Pixabay or Pexels – not Google images!

The final step before running this ad is to create the lead form, which is basically the data you want to collect. I recommend the first name and email address and that is it – the more you try to collect the less you will receive.

There is also an important section for you to complete under privacy in which you need to copy and paste the link on your website that details your privacy policy. This is critical, especially in today's day-and-age when data collection, privacy, and GDPR comes into play.

Once you are done with everything you can review your choices and hit the button to run the ad. Once you do this, the final screen will recommend you sync up your email CRM platform, which I do highly recommend doing this to have your lead magnet automatically sent out via email and any future automated emails you have set up for this list as well.

I know I get cracked on a lot, but I still use MailChimp, and this is a great platform to get started on for free with your email CRM. And MailChimp is one of the options to sync up your lead generation ad here on this screen as well.

If you don't sync up your lead ad with your email CRM, then you will have to manually download the leads when you go into the manage ads section of Facebook ads manager and upload to your CRM. This is a big time waster when you can literally click on a few buttons to sync everything up.

Of course, I should also mention that you should have your list with your first welcome or automated email going out to deliver your lead magnet already set in place. When you go through the steps here on Facebook to sync up your lead ad with MailChimp, you will see the option to select the list you want your leads to end up in.

So that's the 3-step plan folks.

Develop your lead magnet, hire instant ad copy, and run your lead generation ad.

Now, I promised you at the beginning of this episode a bonus tip. This is a bonus tip I recommend doing while your ad is running, which is to spread your lead magnet message without paying for ads on social media.

Update links on your bio sections, create content (e.g. blog posts, podcast episodes or even videos) centered around your lead magnet and focus on driving traffic to this content, go on other people's podcasts or platforms and put in a plug for people to take advantage of this awesome resource. There are many ways you can creatively promote your lead magnet while this ad is being run so you can rapidly grow your email list.

If you want me to do a separate episode on this then let me know as I'd be more than happy to share creative ways to go about promoting your lead magnet while your lead generation ad is running.

Alright everyone, thank you for tuning in today and don't forget to set your calendar reminder to Tuesday when we release our next featured interview. And if you have yet to leave a review of this show on iTunes or Apple Podcasts, then certainly do so. Smash that subscribe button, leave a review and let me know once you have done so – I will be sure to give you an awesome shout-out!

Bye for now!