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Dave Robinson
Digital marketing advice, tips and opinions from the team at Red Evolution, a UK based digital marketing agency, along with a host of fantastic guests.
The people who make and guest in these shows are actively working on digital marketing campaigns and helping businesses grow.
If you're looking for actionable digital marketing advice delivered using plain English from people at the coalface of digital marketing, business development and sales, this show's for you.
If you want to be a guest on the show simply visit https://fromthecoalface.com and drop us a line.
Unfortunately We Invited Our Devs To This Episode, Sorry In Advance
This episode is excellent and gives a (mostly) non-technical overview of the work of some of our dev team. We talk about things such as being given third-party designs to work with and some of the challenges the devs face in their day-to-day endeavours to create the outcomes our clients need.
54:1318/11/2024
Following Google's Advice On Their Ads Platform? Just Flush The Money Down The Toilet Instead
Google perhaps means well, but their Ads Platform is now so complex, that following their advice will almost guarantee your bank account empties while your sales pipeline also remains empty. Anyway, Alex has got things to say about that. We also discussed the pressure agencies are under to deliver, why not assigning enough budget is a false economy, AI - obviously oh and our journey towards BCorp certification.
54:4204/11/2024
If You Know Best, Don't Hire A Specialist, Plus Some SEO Fundamentals Unpicked
We got it wrong and an engagement went badly. In this episode we unpick that and discuss why hiring a specialist then telling them what to do is dumb. We also unpick a "12 Steps" type SEO help list we were sent and turn it into plain English.
52:0523/10/2024
It's Not Hard, But It's Easy To Get It Spectacularly Wrong, Guess What We're Talking About
In this episode, we discuss how easy it is to get online marketing wrong and how to avoid doing that. We also, as usual, wander off into politics and other inane nonsense. If you like listening to Alex and Dave make it up as they go, this is for you. If not, go metal detecting or something.
52:4810/10/2024
What? No Data? How To Position Content By Going Fishing
I some niches it's hard to find meaningful data to help with your content marketing initiatives. It's some thing we come across and in this episode, alongside the usual drivel, we discuss the techniques we deploy. It's way more enjoyable than this p**s poor introduction makes it sound.
01:05:0530/09/2024
Is Your Digital Marketing More Like Digital Land Fill?
This week, amoung all the usual drivel, we discuss the tendency for businesses to create what amounts to digital landfill in their desperate attempt to create "useful content". Also, Dave tells us why he's feeling down in the dumps and Alex, for once, rocks up semi-prepared, with actual notes.
47:0918/09/2024
If You Don't Trust Your Agency, Stop Wasting Their Time
Good agencies really want, and I mean REALLY want, the work they do for you to add tangible value. They want the content they create to rank in searches, they want the videos they produce to pursuade strangers to do business with you, and they want the creative work they do to present the best possible version of your organisation. If you don't think your agency are doing this, stop wasting their time. Now, I know this sounds blunt but nobody is winning when there's no trust. In this episode, we discuss what makes agencies tick and why trust is vital for success.
50:1809/09/2024
Make Do And Mend Is An Awful Digital Marketing Strategy
This week we're chatting about what a pain it can be to inherit an awful website and digital footprint and have to make do and mend rather than start over and do it properly. We also talk about customer relationship management systems and why they are so great.
46:5528/08/2024
Tools Talking About Tools And Some Other Stuff
In this episode, we talk about some free tools you absolutely should be using, how to price something that can't be defined and social media moderation. We also talk about the Olympics and some politics, obviously.
46:3116/08/2024
This Week We Discuss Half A***d Briefs And Unreliable Data From Google
We often speak to clients who think they know what they need, but on close inspection don't. We discuss ways to avoid wasting time trying to create a brief when you're unsure what you need. We also discuss Google Search Console data and why it's so wrong - but still useful.
44:3314/08/2024
Expect And Embrace Failure If You Want To Succeed Online, Wait, What?
Success online requires stoicism. You're going to succeed sometimes, and you're going to fail sometimes. Expecting to fail and dealing with failure is just part of the digital marketing puzzle and something we're happy to admit to. We also discuss retainers, PPC, measuring less and lots of other things we deal with at the coalface of digital marketing.
47:5709/07/2024
If The C-Suite Are Not Engaged Your Digital Marketing Will Fail, So There!
In this episode Alex rambles on a bit but finally makes a good point - we think, you decide. We also discuss being consistent with your content. Then, weirdly, we get into some political chat.
49:1427/06/2024
So, Google's Been Telling Porkies, With Alex & Dave
The leaking of confidential documentation from Google has shone a light on the tech giant and suggested they have been economical with the truth about how their search engine works. In this episode, we chew it over looking for real world usable take aways. We talk about some other stuff as well.
41:3006/06/2024
How To Turn A #FFS Website Into A Lead Gen Website, With Alex & Dave
If you run a business your website should almost certainly generate enquiries or leads. If it doesn't, this episode of our podcast will give you the high-level guidance you need to turn things around. We've spoken about the component parts a lot, with this episode we've pulled it all together into a handy guide. We've also got a great blog post on the subject which you can find by Googling "how to build a lead generation website".
53:4229/05/2024
We All Love A Full Service (Agency), Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
40:4007/05/2024
Fix Rubbish Web Pages And Grow Your Business, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
If a web page that's been created to generate business gets visitors but doesn't generate enquiries, experiment with it. This is called conversion rate optimisation but in it's most basic form it's simply about altering a page until it resonates with your visitors causing them to take action. In this episode we talk about this, and other things, in our usual plain English way.
35:0824/04/2024
Wanging On About Google & Stuff, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
In this episode, Alex illustrates why being stuck on a long train journey with him might become tedious. To be fair, he does share some worthwhile insights about why Google might be treating your website with the kind of contempt normally reserved by Peggy Mitchell towards Pat.
01:04:2009/04/2024
Don't Let Your Web Guy Hold You To Ransom, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
More rants and revelations from Alex and Dave. This week, we discuss, among many other things, businesses that let their half-wit web guy hold them to ransom. If that's you, then stop it, and here's how.
01:02:2602/04/2024
Coz Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
In this week's show we discuss pointless metrics, breaking up, making up and swiping right with new clients. Or something like that.
52:2427/03/2024
Why So Many Businesses Have Bad Websites, And Other Stuff, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
There's a danger that AI tools are flattering to deceive. Some people seem to think that the ease with which things can be produced is somehow correlated to the quality of those things. However, this podcast isn't about slagging off AI, it's about lots of things, including the way actual people, who are not qualified to make a judgement or decision, are probably responsible for there being so many awful websites out there. Of course, the conversation quickly descends into the usual drivel.
42:4518/03/2024
Take Digital Seriously Or Don't Bother At All, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
Once again we're a bit moany in this episode. We understand the top people, the so-called C-Suite, in an organisation are very busy and oh so important. But the thing is, digital output is the the face and voice of their organisations so if they're not involved and they don't understand the why, they're setting themselves up for online failure.
33:5312/03/2024
HubSpot, WordPress, Craft etc Are Just A Bunch Of Tools, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
We've just migrated our website to HubSpot and we love it. Other people swear br Craft CMS and some WordPress. But, like our podcast hosts, these are just a bunch of tools. Don't pick a digital partner purely because they can operate some software. In this episode, as usual, we discuss what's been happening this week at the coalface of digital marketing, including HubSpot and nonsense documents pretending to be about strategy.
45:5304/03/2024
Some Catharsis & Introspection, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
After a pitch went wrong, Dave and Alex consoled each other and discussed the lessons learned.
44:1619/12/2023
Some Agencies Can Be Dickheads, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
Sometimes businesses change agency, it's all part of the game. The way some agencies deal with this is silly. In this episode of the podcast we mention how an agency that took a client off us shot themselves in the foot and cost the client a lot of money.
34:0514/11/2023
Some Soul Searching And Waffle, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
In this episode Alex and Dave talk about checking your strategic direction and understanding who you are and who you're for.
30:1324/10/2023
Telling Great Stories About Boring Products, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
Selling seemingly boring products doesn't mean you're doomed to creating a boring website. In this episode Alex and Dave will bore you to tears talking about how not to be boring. It's not boring, honest.
32:4910/10/2023
More Tenderness, More Fakery, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
In this week's coalface chat we discuss tenders from an agency perspective and Alex sort of rants on about something dull.
35:4802/10/2023
The Episode Where We Rant About Google's Abysmal Customer Support, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
Google and most large organisations wax lyrical about how much they value customers while simultaneaouly being utter rubbish at supporting them. Discussing that got top billing this week as well as lots of other interesting coalface chat.
42:1725/09/2023
Are You Being Brave Enough, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
A great e-book thing dropped into our inbox so we discussed it along with another load of old nonsense about our week at the coalface of digital marketing.
35:5115/09/2023
Love Me Tender, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
More from Alex and Dave as they discuss their week at the coalface of digital marketing. This week subjects include ITT's and viral videos.
35:1107/09/2023
The One Where Alex Eventually Shows Up, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
In this episode of the show, Alex shows us all what happens when you take the time to prepare.
31:5201/09/2023
More Rescues Than Thunderbirds, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
In this weeks fireside chat about digital marketing, Alex and Dave discuss rescuing businesses from bad agency experiences and lots of other stuff. We like to think of it as inane chatter at it's absolute best.
33:5724/08/2023
Poor Wee Scammer, Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
More chatter with Alex and Dave as they discuss their week at the coalface of digital marketing. This week we start off with a tail about a poor wee scammer.
31:2517/08/2023
Digital Marketing Chat With Alex & Dave
This week, and for the next wee while we will try out a different format. We're simply going to chat about our week at the coal face of digital marketing. We'll cover stuff we did with some nice banter and explanations. We hope you enjoy it.
37:4004/08/2023
Are You A Digital Marketing One Trick Pony?
With so many channels available to market your business online it's easy to feel overwhelmed and stick with what you know. But that's a mistake and potentially a costly one. In this episode Alex and Dave discuss how to avoid being a marketing one trick pony. It's a great episode for marketers and business owners who are in a bit of a marketing rut.
30:4606/07/2023
Simple Advice For Using Google Ads Profitably
The Google Ads PPC platform is a monster that can gobble up your budget and spit you out with absolutely nothing to show for it. But this is very easy to avoid, and in this episode of the show, we offer some very simple, easy-to-follow advice for getting a return on your PPC investment. This is a great episode for B2B brands, not so much for B2C's coz that's not our area of expertise. So if you're a marketing manager or CMO of a B2B brand and you are nervous about Google taking your budget without giving you something positive to report back to the board, you'll enjoy it and get some very useful advice.
29:5228/06/2023
How To Avoid Blah Blah Content And, Instead, Win, Online
In this episode, which is episode 100, Alex and Dave have a moan about the garbage people post on their company websites and social media and offer some thoughts on how not to be one of those people. It's a gentle stroll through the subject with some useful, we think, insights.
38:1223/06/2023
Heard The Cool Kids Talk About RevOps And Wondered WTH? We Explain It.
The term Revenue Operations, often shortened to RevOps, is well used in the USA and quickly gaining traction here in the UK, but what does it mean? If you Google it, you'll find lots of stuff, but it's all a bit woolly, so we decided to decipher the code and explain it as only we can. It's a great episode for anyone who wants a very simple overview.
31:5015/06/2023
A CRM Is A Very Simple Concept That Will Help Generate Revenue, Here's How
Ask business owners about their CRM and they will either extol the virtues or pull a face. People that pull a face have often tried and failed so in this episode we distil it right down and talk about why a CRM is a low or no-cost option for generating more revenue and should be at the heart of your marketing and sales operations.
29:3712/06/2023
Why Your Website Might Not Be Delivering The Revenue It Should
If you are a B2B organisation, your website should be generating revenue, if it isn't, you're doing something wrong. In this episode of the show, we discuss how to make sure you're not missing the opportunity to increase revenue as a direct result of your website. It's a good listen if you're confused about your site's lack of performance.
41:3009/06/2023
The Missing Link That Will Help Your Website Generate More Revenue
Alex and Dave take an irreverent look at the murky side of SEO and explain why the missing link or links are preventing your website from reaching its full potential. It's a relaxing and plain English chat that will give business owners and marketing managers the overview they need about this much-misunderstood and spammy side of web-based revenue generation.
55:5502/06/2023
Help, Our Website Was Built By A Have A Go Hero
We've rescued enough websites to know there are plenty of have-a-go types out there, and that's putting in politely. But why trust something as important as your website with one of these people or teams in the first place? In this episode, we muse on this general topic and discuss what to do if you're in this situation.
32:3719/05/2023
Paying For Clicks Doesn't Make You A Bad Person
Google's ad platform is a great way to generate business. It's also a great way to waste your marketing budget. In this episode, we discuss doing the former and avoiding the latter.
29:0315/05/2023
Would You Trust Your Agency With Your Life?
We've banged on about the importance of trust but make no apologies for banging on about it again. It's at the heart of all good client-agency relationships, and in this episode, we delve a bit deeper into the reasons for needing it and how to develop it. As usual, Alex patiently puts up with Dave's ramblings. It's a great episode for people with nothing better to do.
36:3710/04/2023
Is Your Agency Just A Bloke In His Pants?
Some agencies aren't, well, agencies. They are a man or woman sitting in their pants offshoring work to a low-cost economy while charging you top dollar. If they are and it works, does it matter? In this episode of the show, Alex and both Dave's discuss the subject and investigate the pros and cons. It's a good listen if you're considering hiring an agency and wondering where the work gets done. It's also a good listen if you just enjoy listening to people talk about digital marketing in plain English.
45:4522/03/2023
Start With Nobody Cares, Because They Don't
Nobody cares about your website or your business. So, it's your job to make them care, at least a bit, by telling a compelling story and having a clutter-free website. Unfortunately, too many businesses expect their website's visitors to join the dots and find what they need. They won't. This is a good episode for people who are perhaps getting website traffic but not getting enquiries.
34:3716/03/2023
Don't Trust A Design Agency With Your Website Project
Somewhat controversially, for a digital agency, we're advising people not to trust a design agency with a website project. In reality, we're saying don't trust a pure design agency because, in our view, you're very unlikely to get the website your business needs. This is great episode for businesses owners and marketing managers about to embark on a web development project.
37:1110/03/2023
Why Your Website Is Tanking Instead Of Ranking
It's annoying when your website doesn't appear high in the search results for a search term you think it should rank for. In this episode, Alex and Dave discuss why and provide insights on how to improve things. It's a great episode for business owners and marketing professionals who are getting frustrated by a lack of progress in Google searches.
40:2506/03/2023
Smart CEOs Get Involved In Digital Marketing, Here's Why
We believe digital marketing engagements stand a much better chance of succeeding if the CEO gets involved. By that, we don't mean approving every design iteration, and piece of copy requires their approval; we mean at the start when the strategy is being created. Although CEOs are busy people, we believe smart ones find the time to understand and engage with digital marketing initiatives, and boy do they add tremendous value.
31:1624/02/2023
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Digital Marketing Engagement
A lot of client-agency relationships deliver incredible growth, but it's still common to hear people say that they're struggling to make their engagement bear fruit. In this episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface, Dave and Alex talk about sure-fire ways of making sure that your agency partners are doing their best work, including advice for setting goals and staying up to date with their work, keeping them on the right track and giving feedback that improves their work. These are insights from an agency with over 20 years of experience, so if you're looking for advice that come straight from the horse's mouth, you're in the right place!
31:1615/02/2023