The Iconic Google AdSense Check and My 10 Year Journey After
This is the backstory to one of the most epic and iconic pictures in internet marketing. When I cashed this check it was accompanied by a $350 unemployment check. My
How to Blast Your Content Across the Globe
You hit publish and wait. Nothing. So you close your browser, go eat a cookie, and come back. Two hits. Your mother texts you to say she read your blog post. That brings it down to one hit. You’re baffled. The article went to all your social media accounts. There should be more eyes on your content than that. Well, …
You Suck at SEO So, Outsource It!
You’re staring bleary-eyed at the screen. This is only your tenth topic and you’re just ready to smash your head through your monitor. I get it. The SEO numbers game is so damn mind-numbing sometimes. And if you just aren’t seeing results or it’s taking more time than it’s worth, then you’re probably ready to just quit. Don’t quit just …
What Internet Marketers Can Learn From The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
In the 50s, women weren’t supposed to do stand-up comedy. They were supposed to watch the children, obsess over their waist sizes, and cook (if they didn’t have a servant). But a brave few women did take to the stage and raise a middle finger to the patriarchy. These women went through hell to earn their right to make people …
Is Brochure Marketing a Waste of Paper?
You’re walking down the street and a Green Peace volunteer hands you a flyer. You glance at its colorful graphs spelling out the planet’s doom. Then you toss it in the recycle bin. “What a waste of paper.” You think. But is it really a waste of paper? Sure, plenty of people did exactly what you did. But how many …
Some of the Oddest PPC Ad Targeting Categories on Facebook
You just left a lunch meeting. You had just been talking about how you were excited about the newest NHL team coming to Seattle soon. You open your phone to check your Facebook and up pop ads for ESPN coverage of NHL games. How did they do that? Targeted ad marketing is a funny thing. And sometimes Facebook tracks odd …
Three Ways to Jazz Up Your Trade Show Booth
“Did you get the sign?” “What sign?” “The one we ordered a month ago for this trade show!” If this exchange sounds familiar, you might have run a booth at a trade show. You’re one in hundreds and by the time people get to your booth, they’re glassy-eyed and ready to go check out the refreshments. You’ve got to knock …
You Suck at Blogging: Here’s How to Fix That
Everyone and their mother have a blog on their website. This is probably why there are 1.7 billion websites on the web right now. 90% of those people don’t know how to write a blog (my estimation). And probably a good number think they do know how to write a blog. The question is, how many of those people are …
Take the Fork in the Road: Come Up With Awesome Business Ideas
Most people choose left or right when they come to a fork in the road. And you could just follow everyone else. Or you could just take the fork and do something with it. This is what business building is like. It’s looking at what other people aren’t doing and doing that. But how do you get from, no clue …
Shop Local: How to Improve Your Local Marketing Game
“How much is that doggy in the window?” The little girl asks as she clings to her daddy with sticky hands. You’re grateful for moments like this as a pet store owner. It means you made a sale today. But ask yourself, how did that family find your store? Did they just walk by and say, “we’re going to buy …
You Wouldn’t Backstab Your Customers: How to Gain Trust Online
For narrative effect, businesses and corporations on TV are violent and seedy. There’s always a backroom. There’s always a deal. And someone always gets buried in the foundation. No wonder it’s hard to gain trust as a business. Everyone already thinks you’re connected to the mob somehow. One of the best places to gain trust is online. Even if you’re …
The Bots Are Back: How to use Messenger to Generate Leads
Exterminate! EXTERMINATE! Thank goodness nobody is building a marketing Dalek, right? But at the same time, maybe a killer bot might be exactly what we need. 60% of users are used to talking to chat bots. The other 40% just don’t know they’ve talked to a chat bot. Here’s how to use bots on Messenger to bring those leads home. …
Why You Can’t Just Half-It With Your Marketing Plan
Marketing plans are like a pork roast. If you merely stick the pig on a spit over a fire and forget about it all day, you’re going to end up with a burnt mess. So many people treat marketing plans this way, it’s a wonder anyone gets good ROI. Let’s look at how you really treat a marketing plan. Treat …
You Suck at Book Marketing: How Not to Market Your Book Online
I’ve got something to confess. I suck at marketing. Not because I don’t know what I’m doing. I COULD market well. Hell, you could call me a marketing expert by now. But I’m lazy as f**k. I don’t want to spend the time to write my blogs, post on social media, set up the PPC, build the funnels, monitor the traffic, …
Five Essential Gadgets for the Intrepid Digital Nomad
You finally took the plunge. You quit your job. You bagged a few freelance clients and now you’re ready to hit the road. But you’ve never lived and worked on the road. You feel like you’ll be lost without your wired internet connection, your automatic coffee maker and your house plant named George. How do digital nomads cope with life …
Brand Loyalty is Dead. Long Live Brand Loyalty!
Brand loyalty is for grandpa, right? At least that’s what every marketer I’ve talked to assumes. If you’re going to get someone to sport your brand for life, you’d better look to the boomers. But statistics tell us this isn’t exactly true anymore. When we look at the boomer consumers, we see that they’re not being so loyal. In fact, …