The Long Game

Growth and productivity should not come at the expense of health and happiness. Rand Fishkin learned that the hard way with his first startup, Moz. When it came time to start SparkToro, he knew that he wanted to build a business differently. 

SparkToro is an audience research software tool that lets you discover the behaviors, demographics, and sources of influence for any online group.

Startup hustle culture tries to teach us that sleep deprivation and good decisions can go hand in hand, but they can’t. There are plenty of studies that bust that myth. When you are in your best head space and health space, you can do your best work. 

In this episode, Rand discusses how he’s finding ways to grow a business without creating a stressful and unhealthy culture.

Show Topics

• Don’t put growth and productivity in front of health and happiness
• Get rid of micromanaging
• Use a different fundraising model
• Build brand and sources of influence
• Find your way to your audience through relationships
• Spend less time on metrics
• Dendrobates frogs (you’ll understand when you get there)

Show Links 

• Check out SparkToro
• Follow Rand Fishkin 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/

Many modern companies claim to have an in-house media company, but they don’t. Being a media company is more than expanding content beyond a blog, or even adding a podcast and courses. That’s still just content marketing. 

When you build an in-house media company, you’re expanding into different content formats, but more importantly you’re looking at how they all work together. You’re looking to reach multiple demographics with a series of content and then turning that into a franchise. 

In this episode, Ronnie Higgins, Director of Content for Hopin, talks to us about how building an in-house media company is like creating the equivalent of the Marvel universe.

Ronnie has a decade of content marketing experience. Previously, he worked at Eventbrite where he helped to build the content engine before scaling it globally. An advisor to startups, he is currently building a content engine and in-house media company from scratch at Hopin – one of the fastest growing SaaS companies around.

Show Topics

• Connect content together to build a media company
• Take something familiar and make it new
• Build cross-functional alignment
• Create sustainable content
• Find your way to other people’s property
• Work with subject matter experts

Show Links 

Check out Hopin
Follow Ronnie Higgins on 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/

Struggling to reach your target audience? You’re not alone.

While the execution may be challenging, the secret is simple: listen to your customers.

Emily Marsh joined us on The Long Game podcast to share her go-to marketing techniques to engage prospects.

As a content manager and podcast producer at Iconosquare, an all-in-one analytics and management platform for social media marketers, building an audience-driven marketing machine is Emily’s bread and butter. She offered up some valuable insights on TikTok, SEO, and the best ways to approach audience-driven content.

Show Topics

• Managing and connecting with international teams
• Positioning your content for advanced audiences
• Targeting and segmenting international customers
• How to use TikTok as a B2B marketer
• Structuring your day to mitigate burnout

Show Links

• Check out Iconosquare
• Follow Emily Marsh 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), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

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)

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

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 episode begins at 4:12 if you want to skip ahead, but first I'd I’d like to announce our Office Hours speaker line-up and topics for March 16th. Office Hours is our bi-monthly event where we get the best speakers and experts in content, SEO, and marketing to give 20 min practical talks for our audience.

Michael Keenan, Co-Founder, Peak Freelance
The Freelance Writing Trends of 2022 (And How To Act On Them) The freelance writing industry is moving at the speed of light. It's estimated there are over 204 million freelance writers globally, right now. As a writer at any experience level, keeping up with the changes isn't easy. Stay ahead of the curve with the most important freelance writing trends of 2022, according to experts and data from Peak Freelance.

Adrienne Barnes, Founder, Best Buyer Persona
How To Create A Buyer Persona You'll Actually Use  Over 77% of marketers never use their buyer personas. It's time to create meaningful personas, with strong segmentation that can actually be used to create marketing campaigns, content, and copy. Join Adrienne as she shows her step-by-step process for creating meaningful personas you can put to use.

Emma Siemasko, Founder, Stories By Us
How to Use Compelling Case Studies to Sell Your Stuff Most B2B and SaaS marketers know that case studies can help clinch deals. But many case studies are bland and lackluster. How can you create case studies that actually encourage prospects to convert? In this talk, Emma will share what makes a good case study, how to create one, and some ideas on how to best use them to fuel your marketing and sales process.

Join us by registering here. If you can’t make it we’ll send you the recording and key takeaways.

***

Now, for this week’s episode. What do lemonade stands, freelance writing, and Greek philosophy have to do with starting a business? We connect the dots in this episode of our Kitchen Side podcast series. 

Kitchen Side is a series of the podcast where we take you behind the scenes at our agency, Omniscient Digital.

Our Growth Content Marketer, Karissa, spearheads a discussion about our unique backgrounds and how we landed in content marketing, biggest accomplishments, lessons learned, and the legacies we want to leave behind. We also explore how to bring big ideas to life and take risks that align with your professional calling.

Show Topics

• Find your own way to creativity
• Don’t rely on external validation
• Build solutions for pressing problems
• Take risks that align with your calling
• Use work as a medium for personal growth
• Make a positive mark on your community

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn or Twitter

Connect with David on LinkedIn or Twitter

Connect with Allie on LinkedIn or Twitter

Connect with Karissa on LinkedIn or Twitter

Check out more episodes from our Kitchen Side series:

015: Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

017: How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

027: Is Organic Traffic the Best Traffic?

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)

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 can a career in SEO teach you about building relationships? Jeremy Moser believes that building genuine relationships with your industry peers and colleagues lays the foundation for trust, business partnerships, and growth. 

As the co-founder and CEO at uSERP, Jeremy helps high-growth SaaS brands gain visibility and traction through digital PR and SEO. 

He talked to us about the differences between digital PR and link building, link building tactics that actually work in today’s world, and how to build relationships by adding value.

Show Topics

• The difference between digital PR and link building
• The value of a link
• Link building tactics
• Value-driven pricing
• Building relationships by adding value
• Brand-building through link building

Check out uSERP

Check out Wordable

Follow Jeremy Moser 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/

Are you making content because it’s meaningful or because the platforms demand that you keep feeding them more? 

Algorithms can hold us hostage. Soon we fall into a cycle of writing stuff because we’re stuck in a production cycle, not because it needs to be written. 

There’s a moral dilemma for content marketers. The platforms we use to create and promote our work are addictive for the users and chain us to grueling content schedules, but they’re also essential to our jobs. 

In this episode, Natasha Nel, VP of Growth for Hacker Noon, discusses how the site produces content and the steps she’s taking to break those bad cycles and focus on quality over quantity. 

Show Topics:

• Craft good headlines, not clickbait
• Promote podcast with transcripts
• Stay present in the room
• Don’t get held hostage by platforms
• Bring quantity down, so quality can go up
• Experiment with microcopy

Check out Hacker Noon

Follow Natasha Nel 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/

It’s our 50th episode! What a milestone. 

To celebrate, we’re giving away lifetime access to our Content Strategy Frameworks course to 2 winners. Congratulations Abass Sahrawi and Emma Fanning! We can’t thank you enough for listening. 

Now for this week’s episode. Finding career success is about more than just making more money. It’s about finding a career path where you’re motivated to put in hard work without crossing over into burnout. 

When you’re only in a job for the money, every challenge or difficult situation will push you to the brink. Alfie Marsh, head of U.S. GTM for Spendesk, said that the key to long-term success is finding work that aligns with your values and your skills. That way your goals and the job’s goals are in sync, and the hard times are manageable. 

In this episode, Alfie shares what he's learned about starting from scratch in new markets, how to aim for impact, and tips for growing a career.

Show Topics

• Start from scratch in new markets
• Start with assumptions, but pay attention to feedback
• Have ownership over what you create
• Aim for outsize impact
• Share knowledge
• Align your work with your values

Check out Spendesk

Follow Alfie Marsh on LinkedIn or Twitter

Alfie’s Newsletter - Rocket GTM

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/

Rates and reviews really help our podcast reach new audiences. Can you leave us a review on whichever podcast platform you’re using? If you do, let us know at [email protected] or tweet at us and we’ll enter you to win lifetime access to Content Strategy Frameworks course, valued at $997. 

What can a career in PR teach you about event marketing? Rebecca Miller believes that it builds the foundation for how to frame a story, a necessary skill for any content marketer. 

Rebecca uses her background in PR to inform how she approaches content creation as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Splash, an event marketing SaaS company. 

She talked to us about the importance of treating all content as integrated content, and how to operate as a lean team while adapting to a changing digital landscape.

Show Topics

• How public relations helps content marketers frame a story
• Structuring content to align all initiatives through integrated marketing
• Operating efficiently with lean marketing teams
• Adapting to global changes through in-person, virtual, and hybrid events
• Building a brand voice

Check out Splash

Follow Rebecca Miller on LinkedIn

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/

Real quick ask. Can you leave us a review on whichever podcast platform you’re using? If you do, let us know at [email protected] or tweet at us and we’ll enter you to win lifetime access to Content Strategy Frameworks course, valued at $997. 

Rates and reviews help us grow and attract new guests, so we’d really appreciate it.

With the pandemic forcing many businesses to shut down in-person conferences and events, companies have turned to a different avenue: virtual meetings. But tapping into technology requires a different approach than in-person event-planning if you want good engagement from your virtual attendees. 

Vasil Azarov of Growth Blazers is a growth marketing and startup event entrepreneur, who has produced over 500 in-person and virtual events, as well as built a 90K+ network of tech entrepreneurs and marketers. Formerly, he was also the founder of the Growth Marketing Conference, one of the leading growth marketing events in the industry. Now he is building Growth Blazers, a community for modern marketers.

In our latest episode of The Long Game, Vasil shares his expertise on building a quality event experience, transitioning from in-person to digital, and how to build an online community that lasts.

Show Topics

• Take advantage of unexpected opportunities
• Focus on your agenda
• Get to know your community
• Offer interaction to prevent webinar fatigue
• Encourage conversation within the community

Check out Growth Blazers

Follow Vasil Azarov on LinkedIn or Twitter

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/

Real quick ask. Can you leave us a review on whatever podcast platform you’re using? If you do, let us know at [email protected] or tweet at us and we’ll enter you to win lifetime access to our Content Strategy Frameworks course, valued at $997. Rates and reviews help us grow and attract new guests, so we would really appreciate it.

The word “content” is no longer sufficient for what it encapsulates. 

When people think of content, they think of blogs and social media channels. But in the modern world, content also includes branding, video, growth, and strategy too. 

Mischa Vaughn is the Director of Content at Webflow, and he thinks that we need a better word for what content has become. His unique view on content doesn't stop there. In this episode, Mischa discusses the role of SEO in distribution, how PR and content overlap, and why video content is king.

Show Topics

• View SEO as a distribution channel
• Have clear goals for SEO content
• Don’t get bogged down by terms
• PR and content should collaborate
• Double down on video
• Create shareable headlines
• Why we need a better word for content

Check out Webflow

Follow Mischa Vaughn on LinkedIn or Twitter

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/