Online Marketing Strategies Podcast Show

What’s the best digital marketing tactic for driving new prospects to your website? One Tactic Alone Can Never Be the Best Sure, one tactic will likely be better than others for your business, but that doesn’t mean you should rely solely on that tactic. Here’s why… If you’re relying on SEO or advertising or social media marketing or any other tactic to drive leads and sales for your business, then you’re extremely vulnerable. What happens if Google makes a change to their algorithm and your website is suddenly on page 10 of the search results instead of page 1? Or what if new advertisers enter your market and drive up the costs so that it’s no longer profitable? Or what if Facebook suddenly prevents your messages from reaching all of your prospects and customers (oops, this already happened!) Well, if you’re relying on that one tactic, then your business is clearly in trouble. The answer to this potentially devastating problem should be fairly obvious… Resources mentioned in this episode:  The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves  Up to Win by Jeff Haden "Motivation" as we know it is a myth. Motivation isn't the special sauce that we require at the beginning of any major change. In fact, motivation is a result of process, not a cause. Understanding this will change the way you approach any obstacle or big goal.   Haden shows us how to reframe our thinking about the relationship of motivation to success. He meets us at our level--at the beginning of any big goal we have for our lives, a little anxious and unsure about our way forward, a little burned by self help books and strategies that have failed us in the past—and offers practical advice that anyone can use to stop stalling and start working on those dreams.   Is It Time To Get Better At Google Ads? The Ultimate Google Ads Catch-Up Plan I Want To Grow My Business.. I Want To Sell More Products... Sound Familiar? Get The Results You Want By Creating Profitable Campaigns. Join My Free Masterclass Now! Discover the 7 Absolutely Killer Tips For Google Ads So You Can Generate More Sales. [FREE] Google Ads Video Training Series. Get Instant Access

Balancing work, family and other commitments can be a real challenge in this increasingly fast-paced world. Sometimes you can feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything. Though luckily, there are plenty of practical and proven ways to reduce your time pressures and get your busy life under control again. Here are some of the best: Identify your task priorities and do those first.Knowing what jobs take priority helps you to tackle the stuff that really matters. Write everything in one diary Do you have a work diary, and a social calendar, and a to-do list, and a digital diary and a year planner? The problem with having so many different planning systems is that it’s very easy to lose track of what you’re supposed to be doing when, and it’s all too easy to double-book events. Try to settle on one diary system that works best for you, and keep it with you so you can refer to it often. Think of it as your Bible, and be very familiar with its contents. It could be a hard copy diary (make sure it has hourly timeframes) or a digital version such as Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook. These digital diaries allow you to colour-code your tasks and create privacy settings so only you can see your personal entries. Used well, they can be a great tool for improving your time management Schedule as much as you can Scheduling really is the key to getting your life organised and feeling like you’re in control. Schedule your meetings, your leisure activities, your study time, your household chores, your grocery shopping. Schedule unscheduled time! Use time-frames, rather than leaving things open-ended. Estimate how long a task is going to take and give yourself a bit of leeway. For example, "complete my report Tuesday 2-4pm". When a task is scheduled, your stress and anxiety levels reduce because you’re not worried about whether or not you’ll have the time to do it – it’s right there in your diary, so it’s almost as if it’s already done. If your plans are disrupted, immediately re-schedule your task Our routines are disrupted all the time. Your child gets sick, your workmate needs advice urgently, your client has an important issue that needs addressing. It’s vital to re-schedule your interrupted task immediately so you keep on track. Do one thing at a time, and minimise distractions Effective multi-tasking is a myth. Numerous studies show we are more productive when we focus on one task at a time. Sometimes this can be a challenge, especially if you’re working in an open-plan office. Look for ways to minimise your distractions by turning off notifications on your digital devices, finding a quiet space somewhere, or telling colleagues that you won’t be available for the next hour. Delegate as much as you can If you’re in a position to delegate jobs, use this privilege to free up time for yourself and to give others opportunities for growth. Ensure you create clear expectations for them, and be available for advice and direction. If you do these two things right, you’re empowering the delegate, not just bossing them. If you feel overwhelmed by a big project, break it down into steps Tackling big projects can be a daunting prospect, and it can be difficult to know where to start. When this happens, it helps to create a timeline and break it down into smaller steps. This way, you only have to focus on completing one step at a time. Schedule breaks if needed   If you start suffering burn-out, it’s important to schedule your breaks - even if it’s just for 5 or 10 minutes – to ensure you get the rest and relaxation you need. You’ll always be more efficient and productive if you take regular breaks, rather than trying to work through for hours on end. Your brain requires a refresh now and then to work at its optimum. Use timeframes for actioning emails Dealing with emails can be a time-sucking monster for many of us. Constantly checking and responding to them can take up much of your day, and disrupt your routine. Scheduling specific timeframes for checking and actioning emails can make a big difference to your productivity. Reading emails once in the morning and once in the afternoon can be an effective way to create more time. Also, remember that if something is really that urgent or important, you’ll probably get a phone call, not an email. At the start of your day or week, organise as much as you can You’ll know that certain tasks need to be done or that specific appointments need to be kept for the coming day or week, so schedule these into your diary at the start, and add more tasks around them later. The more organised you are at the beginning of your work week, the smoother things will go. Keep your surroundings neat and tidy Your physical surroundings can have a detrimental effect on your state of mind. If your workspace is messy and unorganised, your mind tends to reflect that, which will be damaging to your ability to perform your job effectively. Try to keep your home clean and tidy as well, so it’s a sanctuary that gives you a sense of calm and wellbeing, and allows you to unwind and re-charge after work. Look for ways to improve your systems Finally, systems can always be improved, so seek out innovative ways to make your life easier by streamlining processes and procedures, and using new technology to maximise efficiencies. Resources mentioned in this episode: Do you have a grip on your business, or does your business have a grip on you? Traction By Gino Wickman All entrepreneurs and business leaders face similar frustrations—personnel conflict, profit woes, and inadequate growth. Decisions never seem to get made, or, once made, fail to be properly implemented. But there is a solution. It’s not complicated or theoretical.The Entrepreneurial Operating System is a practical method for achieving the business success you have always envisioned. More than 2,000 companies have discovered what EOS can do. In Traction , you’ll learn the secrets of strengthening the six key components of your business. You’ll discover simple yet powerful ways to run your company that will give you and your leadership team more focus, more growth, and more enjoyment. Successful companies are applying Traction every day to run profitable, frustration-free businesses—and you can too. For an illustrative, real-world lesson on how to apply Traction to your business, check out its companion book, Get A Grip . I own a small business and this is by far the best book I've ever read. I don't have a background in business or marketing- I literally turned my side hustle into a legit job that pays my bills, and this book has helped me tremendously. It lays everything out with action steps that you can take immediately to improve your business. Additionally, it has "tests" that you can complete to gauge where your business at at, on a level of success, and you can track your progress.  Is It Time To Get Better At Google Ads? The Ultimate Google Ads Catch-Up Plan I Want To Grow My Business.. I Want To Sell More Products... Sound Familiar? Get The Results You Want By Creating Profitable Campaigns. Join My Free Masterclass Now! Discover the 7 Absolutely Killer Tips For Google Ads So You Can Generate More Sales. [FREE] Google Ads Video Training Series. Get Instant Access

Reasons Why Facebook Will Reject an Ad Facebook Ads Not Delivering Reason #1: If your ad has been rejected, there are a lot of reasons why that may be. Here are the most common ones. The ad features or promotes tobacco, drugs and drug-related products (including pharmaceuticals) The ad promotes unreliable and/or unsafe diet supplements (what qualifies as unreliable and unsafe is unfortunately up to Facebook and their discretion) The ad is selling weapons, ammunition, and explosives The ad features sensational, excessively violent content The ad promises counterfeit or fake documents, such as degrees, passports, or immigration papers Malware and spyware, surveillance equipment (spy cams and cell phone trackers, for example) can be found in the ad The ad uses unlikely or exaggerated “before-and-after” images to promote weight loss (ads for health and weight loss products must be targeted to people over 18 years old) The ad features “Adult Content” Unrealistic claims or get ‘get rich quick’ schemes What You Can Do To Fix It Make the requested changes For example, if Facebook cited your graphic as being inappropriate, simply change the image out to one that fits their standards. Once you’ve made your changes and saved the ad, it will automatically be resubmitted to Facebook for further review and (hopefully) approval. Appeal the disapproval Everyone makes mistakes, especially Facebook. So if you feel that your ad has been unfrairly disapproved, you can always submit an appeal through Facebook. Facebook Ads Not Delivering Reason #2: Your Image Violates the 20% Rule When it comes to advertising on Facebook, there are a lot of rules; some of them are written down and many more are not. Among these hundreds of written and unwritten rules; one of the most forgettable, yet vitally important ones, is the 20% Text Rule. What is the 20% Text Rule? Well, according to Facebook standards, the images in your ads cannot exceed an image to text ratio of 20% – this includes logos, slogans, watermarks, and any other text that may be on your image. To put it another way, you can’t have an image for your ad that’s a giant wall of text. If your image is deemed OK, that means you have the right amount of text and your reach will not be restricted. Image Text Check Upload an image to determine how much text is in your ad image. If the proportion of text to image is too high, your ad may not reach its full audience. Facebook Says: We make exceptions for certain kinds of products being advertised. https://www.facebook.com/ads/tools/text_overlay  Facebook Ads Not Delivering Reason #3: Your Ad Is Stuck In Review As we mentioned above, each ad is reviewed by Facebook’s team to verify that it meets the advertising Terms of Service. This process is handled by a combination of Facebook’s automated review systems and manual reviews done by members of their support staff. If we check Facebook’s documentation, they state that most ads are reviewed in 24-hours, “although in some cases it may take longer.” This means that your ads can get stuck in the review process for longer than that time frame (especially in Q4 when ad load is high). What You Can Do To Fix It As Facebook mentions, an easy way to prevent this from interfering with your deadlines is to schedule the ad as far in advance as you can. This gives you a few days grace in case your ad needs to be sent to Facebook’s team for manual approval. You can schedule your campaign in advance by selecting the specific start and end date during campaign creation. Facebook Ads Not Delivering Reason #4: Your Ad Is Stuck In Review As we mentioned above, each ad is reviewed by Facebook’s team to verify that it meets the advertising Terms of Service. This process is handled by a combination of Facebook’s automated review systems and manual reviews done by members of their support staff. If we check Facebook’s documentation, they state that *most* ads are reviewed in 24-hours, “although in some cases it may take longer.” This means that your ads can get stuck in the review process for longer than that time frame (especially in Q4 when ad load is high). What You Can Do To Fix It As Facebook mentions, an easy way to prevent this from interfering with your deadlines is to schedule the ad as far in advance as you can. This gives you a few days grace in case your ad needs to be sent to Facebook’s team for manual approval. You can schedule your campaign in advance by selecting the specific start and end date during campaign creation. In addition, do not edit your ads until the approval has gone through since edits start the review process over again. Facebook Ads Not Delivering Reason #5: Your Ad Is Low Quality In an effort to stop spammy and ‘clickbait’ ads, Facebook has started to disapprove and reduce the reach of ads they deem as low quality. They’ve separated these low-quality types of ads into 3 main categories: Engagement Bait, Withholding Information, and Sensationalized Language. Engagement Bait We’ve all seen ads that ask for people to ‘like and tag your friend’ for one reason or another. What you might not know is that this is against Facebook policy, and can impact the delivery of your ads. Facebook defines these as “Ads with spammy content asking people to engage with it in specific ways, such as requesting likes, comments, and shares” as in the example below. Withholding Information You might have seen headlines like, “This ONE WEIRD TRICK cures cancer – doctors hate it!” which indicates that you won’t find out what the weird trick is until you clicked. This is considered withholding information and will also reduce delivery, or get you out-right disapproved. Sensationalist language  Facebook states that sensationalist language is “Ads that use exaggerated headlines or command a reaction from people but don’t deliver on the landing page”. If you’re claiming that Prunes are THE MOST POWERFUL weight loss hack KNOWN TO MAN!!!!!!, chances are you’re going to get reduced delivery. Facebook also goes on to state that we should expect the following about low-quality ads: Individual ads with low-quality attributes will see reduced distribution in our ad auction, or will be disapproved. This applies to all advertisers, but since we tend to see more of these characteristics in ads related to media, entertainment, politics or issues of national importance, they may be impacted more. If you’re in one of the categories above, be careful to give your copy extra scrutiny before publication. What You Can Do To Fix It The answer to this is very simple: Avoid any and all of the language! Resources Mentioned In Today's Episode: SmarterQueue  is the best social media content scheduler I have come across. Known as the app that is “better than Buffer and better and cheaper than MeetEdgar,” SmarterQueue allows you to have “evergreen recycling” where you set up posts for Facebook, Twitter & Instagram that can be scheduled and then re-posted on autopilot. Tailwind  for Pinterest- The only Pinterest scheduler you will ever need

Facebook Ad Hack #1: Use high-quality ad design In the world of Facebook advertising, the adoption would read: “Keep your ad quality, copywriting, and standards high.” No matter how good your ad copy or your bidding methods, a low-quality ad image can ruin all your other efforts. Without a high-quality ad design, your campaign’s almost certainly going to fail. Creating a Facebook ad design that looks trustworthy and outstanding isn’t too difficult. You don’t need the black belt in Photoshop to put together a simple well-designed Facebook ad. I personally use Canva.com though if you’re creative juices have stalled, you can always find loads of good designers over at fiverr.com Tip: Make sure that your Facebook ad design is at least 1200 x 628 pixels wide, and that the colours look good on every screen. Facebook Ad Hack #2: FB Messenger Ad Campaigns Not really a Facebook Ads hack, but a huge opportunity nonetheless. I’ve only seen two Facebook Messenger campaigns done well, so far. I don’t know if this is because I’m not in the target audience for those who are running them, or if there just aren’t any people running them yet. But, either way, this is a HUGE opportunity at the moment. To put it in layman’s terms: You can use Facebook Messenger ads to get people to interact with your brand via Messenger. Then, once they’ve messaged your page, you can run ads to them that show up as messages in their FB Messenger. It’s a bit like building an email list, but within FB messenger. 2. Rotate and Refresh Ad fatigue refers to the phenomenon of people being unable to process your ad psychologically after viewing it multiple times. In the earlier days of internet marketing, this was referred to as banner blindness. Particularly if you’re targeting a smaller audience, you won’t have to wait long before your ad is shown to the same person numerous times. You can monitor this in the ‘Frequency’ tab in ads manager. The more times a person sees an ad and takes no action, the less likely they are to convert. Yet, Facebook is still charging you every time the ad appears in the person’s newsfeed. This is verified in a study by Adspresso, which shows that when the ad frequency reaches 9, the average cost per click increases by 161% compared to the beginning of the campaign. To combat this, I recommend refreshing your ad creative when your frequency is moving upwards and your KPIs are declining. A new headline or image can help to get your campaign back on track. Not sure where to find good ad images? Take a look through a free

My Facebook Hacks: Now there’s a legit way to spy on your competitors Facebook Ads, without even leaving the Facebook platform. I don’t recommend copying your competitor’s Facebook Ads, as this will confuse your audience and leave them wondering which brand is which. Facebook Ad Hack #1: Spying On Your Competition Step 1: Go to your competitor’s Facebook Page Step 2: In the sidebar menu on their Facebook Page, click “Info and Ads” Step 3: Change the region to “Global” Here are all of your competitors Facebook Ads, for you to draw inspiration from. This is possibly one of my favourite Facebook Ads hacks, and so many people still don’t know about it! Spicing Up Your Ads With Emoji's SaaS brand Scoro ran a small A/B test to test whether emojis have any effect on the click-through and engagement rates. They did. The ad with emoji in the headline had a 241% higher click-through rate than the ad with no emoji. Adding emojis to your Facebook Ads is super easy: Find an emoji in