The Long Game

Is building a B2B audience as challenging as it seems? Dave Gerhardt knows from experience that it takes engagement, valuable content, and authentic connection to build a B2B audience. As former CMO at Privy and Chief Brand Officer at Drift, he now helps B2B marketers through his consultancy, DGMG, and his new book, Founder Brand. He talked to us about the importance of building an audience, how to use an audience to drive results and why you need to have something interesting to say.

Show Topics

• Write to clarify your ideas
• Involve your community
• Be the number one resource
• Drive results through engagement
• Understand the power of an audience
• Get people to know, like and trust you
• Map out your funnel
• Build as you go
• Use the one-two-punch approach
• Be yourself

Show Links

• Check out Founder Brand
• Check out DGMG
• Check out Exit Five
• Follow Dave Gerhardt on LinkedIn or Twitter

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

What makes a great LinkedIn post? One that keeps someone reading and makes them want to hit the follow button. 

First, you have to have a great idea. Something that resonates with people or gets them thinking. 

Second, you have to have a great delivery. That can be in a well-written text post, video, or graphic. 

A powerful idea can occasionally do well even if the delivery is lacking, but the combination of both and done consistently? That’s how you build an audience. 

In this episode, expert marketer and copywriter Liz Willits discusses how she’s built a 50k strong LinkedIn following and the tricks we can use to grow our own audience.

Show Topics

• Use pain points to connect
• Keep testing new posts
• Great ideas need great delivery
• Everything should be copy
• Post regularly to stay top of mind
• Develop the hook without distraction

Show Links 

• Follow Liz Willits on LinkedIn
• Check out Liz’s free Email Open Rate Guide

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Whether you’re a fiction writer or a content marketer, your goal as a storyteller is to capture and keep your audience’s attention. 

And the best way to do that is by telling a story your audience can connect with on a personal level. 

Matthew Dicks, an internationally bestselling author and an expert storyteller. 

Also a record 55-time Moth StorySLAM and 7-time GrandSLAM champion, Matthew has performed for audiences all over the globe. 

In this episode, Matthew shares why stories are so important, and how to breathe life into the stories you choose to tell.

Show Topics

• Connect with other people’s experiences
• Tell relatable stories
• Keep your audience curious
• Give your audience information in the right way
• Make every moment essential
• Start with the story
• Tell stories to yourself
• Don’t be afraid of vulnerability
• Be available for others
• Value your time

Show Links 

• Check out Speak Up
• Follow Matthew Dicks on LinkedIn or Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

The old framework of the buyer’s journey is broken. 

Customers expect more access than ever to educational, engaging content at every stage of their decision-making. 

Ashley Faus believes it’s time to reframe the buyer’s journey as the content marketing playground where customers can learn, engage, and interact with content on their own terms—building trust and affinity that lasts a lifetime. 

As the Content Strategy Lead of Software Teams at Atlassian, Ashley manages a team for content and distribution for iconic software solutions that unleash the potential of every team. 

She talked to us about how to fully embody your audience, focus on building relationships, and reframe the content marketing funnel.

Show Topics

• Fully embody your audience
• Focus on authenticity
• Take time to understand the problem set
• Seek out potential stories
• Understand how content marketing fits into the bigger picture
• View marketing as relationship-building
• Reframe the old buyer’s journey
• Build a content marketing playground
• Reimagine the content marketing funnel
• Create content for the whole playground

Show Links 

• Check out Atlassian
• Follow Ashley Faus on LinkedIn or Twitter

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Any marketing claim you make that doesn’t have some form of evidence is a weak statement. 

Unsupported claims just lead to undifferentiated content, a lack of trust, and low conversions. 

But proof on your web pages and in your content does the opposite. It builds credibility and gives people a reason to believe in your brand. 

One piece of content that offers social proof, acts as conversion copy, and works in a content strategy: case studies. 

In this episode, Andy Crestodina, the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media Studios, explains how proof is the key to every type of marketing, whether you’re playing the long game of account-based marketing (ABM) or building your email list.

Show Topics

• Use case studies to build trust
• Data points can support sales messages
• Reduce the investment in the ROI
• Create sales enablement content
• Don’t publish content without an expert contributor
• Have prominence, promise, proof

Show Links 

• Check out Orbit Media
• Follow Andy Crestodina on LinkedIn or Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Watch a video clip and find key takeaways here

Content creation is a tricky business. You have to know what your clients want, when to say yes to new projects, and how to find the writers you need. 

For Brad Smith, creating and producing top of the line content is his bread and butter. Brad is the CEO of Wordable, co-founder of uSERP, and founder and CEO of Codeless, all of which are aimed at producing, ranking, and publishing SERP-topping content. 

During this episode of The Long Game, Brad shared with us his insight on determining content quality, how to work with clients, and what you need to scale content writing production.

Show Topics

• Train your writers on consistent practices
• Find out what content quality means
• Know when your client needs an in-house writer
• Figure out the client’s style
• Disqualify people as soon as possible
• Look at quality versus cost of applicants
• Don’t work with people who aren’t a good fit
• Wait to interview writers
• Embrace a ‘good enough’ mentality

Show Links 

• Check out Wordable
• Check out uSERP
• Check out Codeless

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

A sustainable freelance career requires you to balance stability with growth. Think of that balance like a barbell. 

Half of your time should be spent on your retainer clients that bring you a guaranteed income. The other half should be spent on riskier projects where you charge higher initial rates or negotiate a stake in its performance. 

The steady work is how you pay the rent, but the risks are how you get to the next level. That balance doesn’t just apply to how you should divide your clients, but how you break up your time between billable and non-billable hours, and current work and future work. 

Freelance Like a Pro founder and freelance copywriter Brian Speronello has spent a decade managing that balance. In this episode, he gives us his tips and hard-won lessons.

Show Topics

• Use a barbell strategy for your projects
• Freelancers have to know how long things take
• Set retainers for a maximum amount of hours
• Ask for the last month upfront
• Exchange your time and focus for referrals
• You need some non-billable hours

Show Links 

• Check out Freelance Like a Pro
• Follow Brian Speronello on LinkedIn or Twitter

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

This episode is part of our Kitchen Side series, where we pull back the curtain and share the behind the scenes conversations we have at our agency.

We included Tommy Walker in this discussion to help us outline the difference between an audience, a community, and a customer. 

Together, we discuss ways to define your audience, nurture relationships, and leverage community in order to build your audience.

Show Topics

• Know the difference between a buyer and a customer
• Distinguish the levels of your audience
• Start with a core group of people
• Nurture individual relationships
• Gauge audience interest
• Refine your message
• Ground your content in data
• Build trust
• Leverage community to build your audience

Tommy runs his own content marketing consultancy, The Content Studio. 

Follow Tommy Walker on LinkedIn or Twitter

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

How can brands build trust with an increasingly cynical audience? 

Margot Bloomstein believes you can win over any audience by creating consistent, high-quality content. But in order to cut through the noise, you need to build a clear content strategy and be vulnerable. 

As the principal of Appropriate, Inc., a Boston-based brand and content strategy consultancy, a speaker, and an author, Margot has experience partnering with a range of organizations to deliver quality messaging, including Sallie Mae, Lovehoney, Scholastic, Fidelity, Harvard University, and the American Montessori Society.

She talked to us about the nuances of building trust with increasingly distrustful audiences, prototyping in public, and focusing on consistency.

Show Topics

• Make good on content strategy through content marketing
• Create message architecture from a content hierarchy
• Use the same wording as your clients
• Nurture confidence in your audience
• Advocate for solving problems through content
• Respond to cynicism by building trust
• Cut through the noise
• Guide better decision-making
• Prototype in public
• Focus on consistency

Check out Trustworthy: How the Smartest Brands Beat Cynicism and Bridge the Trust Gap
Follow Margot Bloomstein on LinkedIn or Twitter

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In loving memory of Onita Simmonds. 

How do a grandmother’s life lessons apply to business? Ross Simmonds translates the life lessons he learned as a kid into core values that help his business and team members grow. 

As the Founder and CEO of the content marketing agency Foundation, Ross focuses on developing others, staying curious, and driving results for his clients. 

He talked to us about why it’s important to embrace a mindset of abundance, hire based on values, and stay true to yourself in order to succeed in both life and business.

Show Topics

• Practice, practice, practice
• Focus on what you can control
• Embrace a mindset of abundance
• Be okay with asking for help
• Hire based on values
• Help others unlock their full potential
• Know when to say no
• Create the content you want to consume
• Stay true to who you are
• Remember to market your content

Watch a video clip from this episode on our YouTube channel.

Check out DREAM: The Distribution Playbook

Follow Ross Simmonds on LinkedIn or Twitter

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Sean Blanda (Crossbeam), Ilona Abramova (AppSumo), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

020: Spark Creativity and Generate Memorable Content with Ryan Law (Animalz)

041: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)](https://beomniscient.com/blog/dan-shure-evolving-seo/)

045: Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

009: The Long Game Podcast: Building Communities, Teams and Companies through Marketing with Sabel Harris

019: Peak Performing, High-Earning Freelance Writing with Michael Keenan (Co-Founder at Peak Freelance)

028: Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Omniscient Digital

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/