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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.
Making This Mistake Will Kill Your Website
When a business outgrows its website and decides to redevelop it, there's one mistake that's often made that causes lots of pain, but it's 100% avoidable. In this episode, Alex and Dave talk about how they jumped in to rescue a site that was doing well but started to crash and burn following a migration to a new content management system or CMS. This organisation weren't alone in making this mistake; it's something we've seen far too often. You can contact the guys behind this podcast by checking out Red Evolution.
26:4704/02/2023
What You Need To Know Before You Hire An Agency
Like any aspect of life, spending money creates an emotional response, and it's no different in business. Hiring an agency to help you grow your business requires a sensible budget; therefore, you'll likely experience certain emotions as a result of that. Alex and Dave discuss this subject and explore the things businesses might perhaps consider before hiring an agency.
31:5820/01/2023
A Fast Paced Lead Generation & SEO Recap
Sometimes you can get tied in knots thinking about how to generate enquiries from your website, so in this show's episode, we go back to basics. It's a great episode for people whose web-based lead gen has gone awry or people who have finally decided to start the process. Alex and Dave plough through the basics of SEO and the golden rules of web-based lead gen in a fast-paced plain English style - like they always do.
39:5113/01/2023
Not A Beginning Of Year Digital Marketing Checklist
To kick things off in 2023, our first podcast looks at the year ahead and specifically at some of the things we're doing. We discuss content upgrades, ChatGPT, potential agency collaborations, the possibility of joining an agency network, projects, retainers and a few other things. It's a nice easy listen with some useful insights.
27:1205/01/2023
Discussing Google's Helpful Content Update
In this episode, Alex, Caron, Julie & Dave discuss Google's useful content update. The discussion wanders around a bit but there are some useful, we think, thoughts on the whole "pleasing Google" aspect of digital marketing.
48:4521/12/2022
The Problem With HubSpot
Although we love HubSpot, and we're HubSpot partners, which means we get commission payments, there are problems with the platform and the way some businesses use it. We are regularly contacted by businesses who are paying for but not using the tool effectively and, therefore not getting a good return on their investment. This is a great episode for people who are not getting the most from their investment and people thinking of buying HubSpot.
36:1218/11/2022
How To Market Effectively During Financially Interesting Times
Between the revolving door on Number 10 Downing St, the petrol shortage in France and the rocketing price of food in the USA, it's fair to say, we live in interesting times. So how can you get great value from your marketing budget and persuade the budget holders to cut you some slack? In this episode, we discuss why cutting back on marketing is not always a good idea.
47:5318/10/2022
You Can't Buy Half A Pound Of SEO. Here's Why
SEO is often bought and sold as a commodity product, but this approach rarely generates results. To make a real difference, Julie and Alex argue that any work that's undertaken to optimise your website for a search engine has to be part of a larger and more holistic marketing effort. Find out why here.
41:5311/10/2022
Inbound Marketing Explained With Examples
In this episode Alex, Dave & Julie explain inbound marketing. They discuss the pros and cons and provide some very simple real-world examples of how the inbound methodology generates revenue. It's a great episode for business owners and marketing managers who need a high-level understanding of how the right strategy can deliver great results.
58:4727/09/2022
Everyone's A F*****g Marketing Expert
Marketing, and in particular digital marketing, isn't the only profession where people think they're an expert by osmosis, but sometimes it feels like it. In this episode of the show, we let off some steam but keep it positive and offer some advice about how a respectful relationship with your agency will yield the best results. It's a great episode for people who are up their own ar.....no, stop it, David.
41:5821/09/2022
Are Marketing Reports A Waste Of Time?
Marketing reports are a mainstay in most engagements. In fact, the majority of agencies produce them on a monthly basis. But what if we told you that most digital marketing reports were a complete waste of paper? In this episode, we dig into the reasons your average marketing report is setting your campaigns back, and how to fix the situation.
30:1312/09/2022
How Digital Agencies Can Truly Make Your Web Presence Sing
Sometimes people only think about the costs when considering working with a digital agency. But the benefits of regularly improving your online presence create a business asset that just keeps on giving. This is a great episode for business owners who know they have a problem with their website and digital output but are nervous about what it will look like working with an agency, and whether that will provide a great return on any investment made.
36:4406/09/2022
Lauretta Ihonor, Content Strategist, Talks To Us About The Importance Of Plain English
Effective web content has to tick a lot of boxes. In this episode of Digital Marketing From The Coalface, health and wellbeing content strategist Lauretta Ihonor shares her approach to mastering some of the basics.
40:4102/09/2022
Don't Start A Website Redevelopment Project Until You've Listened To This
Redeveloping your website can be a very good business move, but there are some aspects that, if you get them wrong, will bite you and bite you hard. In this show episode, Alex, Dave, Julie and Diana discuss website redevelopment. It's the first time Diana has joined the team for a podcast, and it's a great episode for anyone considering redeveloping their website to generate more business from search.
48:3723/08/2022
Beware Agencies Who Are Just Big Corp Lackeys
Experience has shown us that some agencies will, sadly, sell their client the software solution that earns them the best commission or badge of (in) competence. In this episode, Alex and Dave discuss the merits or otherwise of agencies who chase the badges of authority and/or monthly recurring revenue irrespective of what their customers actually need.
42:1315/08/2022
Ever Googled The Question What Is SEO? In This Episode We Reveal All The Secrets And More, Or Less
SEO continues to perplex many business owners and marketing professionals. In this episode of the show, we answer the question, what is SEO? We talk about the importance of the wind being in the right direction, the need for a full moon and the fact you have to be willing to sacrifice your firstborn.
53:5810/08/2022
Create Your Own Digital Marketing Team, Warning This Podcast Contains Nuts
To the uninitiated, hiring a digital marketing agency can seem expensive. In this episode, Alex and Dave talk about how to build your own digital marketing team and what that's likely to cost. It's a good episode for people who recognise they need to IP their online game but are unsure about the best way forward.
41:1908/08/2022
![The Episode About LinkedIn [INSERT LATEST NAME OF PULSE HERE]](https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/4/5/d/8/45d83daaf452152dd959afa2a1bf1c87/final-3000x3000-20220203-qz9mj4guoc-20220729-wam6smg1ap.jpeg "The Episode About LinkedIn [INSERT LATEST NAME OF PULSE HERE]")
The Episode About LinkedIn [INSERT LATEST NAME OF PULSE HERE]
LinkedIn Pulse, or whatever they are calling it now, is a LinkedIn platform for publishing articles. From The Coalface listener, Peter Henderson of software development company Pysis (https://pisys.co/) asked us how Google viewed these articles, so in this episode of the show, Alex and Dave explore the subject. It's a great episode for people thinking of publishing articles on LinkedIn and outlines what we think are the main benefits.
28:3401/08/2022
It's Not A Retainer, It Is A Retainer, Is It A Retainer?
The secret to marketing your business successfully is, as Bryony said in Episode 65, consistency. To do that, you either need to create your own marketing team or work with an agency, these are the only two viable options. In this episode Julie and Dave discuss working with an agency on an ongoing basis, sometimes called a retainer. They discuss the pros and cons...then the pros some more. It's a great episode for anyone who's finally realised their attempts at marketing have failed spectacularly and it's time to try something else.
43:5428/07/2022
SEO Tactics That Definitely Won't Help You Grow
You'll find no end of SEO advice on the web. But a lot of it's out of date. Google are forever tinkering with their search algorithms and tactics that worked 5 years (or 5 months) ago could now land your site in hot water. To help you navigate the ins and outs of sustainable SEO, we've compiled a short list of 6 tactics you definitely shouldn't try. To be clear, they used to work once, but they now do more harm than good.
20:2222/07/2022
How To Avoid Wasting Money Doing Digital Marketing
There are many ways to spend money on digital marketing and, therefore, many ways to waste money. In this episode, Alex and Dave discuss how to avoid wasting money on digital marketing, so you get more value from the money you do spend. It's a great episode for people debating where to focus their marketing spending and gives some great insights into the typical pitfalls. There's also some debate about how ridiculous the French numbering system is; we're not sure why.
45:4012/07/2022
Bryony Thomas, Author Of Watertight Marketing Talks About Effective Marketing
Bryony is the creator of the Watertight Business Thinking methodology, based on original research in 2005. She has now tested and refined the decision-making frameworks across 3000+ organisations and focused on the needs of established SMEs looking to grow beyond their visionary founder. Details of the Free book are: watertightmarketing.com/freebook In this episode Bryony expands on the idea that with marketing you need to start at the end - what do you want people to do, what are you trying to achieve. Just listen to it :)
50:0404/07/2022
So Your Website's Rubbish, Here's How To Fix It
In this episode of the show, we talked about what makes a website "rubbish". Perhaps surprisingly, this doesn't mean the look and feel, although this can be a factor. It's a great episode for business owners and marketing managers who need some guidance on deciding what to do about a website that's not delivering leads.
43:0627/06/2022
What The Hell Are You Doing Google?
For many business owners, the way Google ranks web pages is confusing. They simply don't understand why their competitors are on page one and they are nowhere to be seen. They simply don't know what Google is doing. In this episode of the show, Alex and Dave discuss this thorny issue. It's a great listen for people who look at search results and think, what the hell?
41:3520/06/2022
What Is A Digital Agency And How To Choose One?
In a windswept field in Cornwall, Caron and Dave discuss what a digital marketing agency actually does and, importantly, how to choose one that's right for your organisation. The recording was interrupted because of an altercation between an owl and a magpie but it's a great listen for people who are nervous about engaging with an agency because they don't really understand what they're buying. It's also useful if you need help choosing the right team to work with.
43:2513/06/2022
Can AI Really Improve Your Digital Marketing?
AI marketing tools promise to save you heaps of time and money, but do they really live up to these lofty claims? In this episode, Alex and Julie discuss the realities of using several AI marketing tools to setup or run campaigns – as well as discussing the future of the AI marketing trend.
31:5508/06/2022
Websites Cost About As Much As A Car, Wait What?
It's not unreasonable for businesses to want to know how much they need to invest in their new website. The thing is, it's not actually that easy to answer. In this episode of the show, we welcome Red Evo stalwart Rob Harrison into the mix and he, Julie, Alex and Dave discuss the vexed subject of website costs. What, why, how and all that.
41:1531/05/2022
Do You Really Know Your Customer? You Should, Here's How
In this episode, Julie and Dave discuss what are formally called buyer personas. In normal language, these are customer profiles, and despite often getting a bad press, and being dismissed as marketing flowery speak, they are far from it. This is a great episode for people who think "everyone is my potential customer".
33:4423/05/2022
Digital Marketing, Trust And All That Jazz
Authenticity and honesty are crucial to the successful implementation of digital marketing. In this episode, Alex, Julie and Dave talk about doing the right thing and being honest in the way digital marketers work with customers. Even if it means leaving money on the table, being straight down the line makes better long term business sense.
38:3117/05/2022
Experiment Zone's AJ Davis Talks About Converting Website Visitors Into Customers
Getting more value from the website visitors you're already getting makes a lot of sense. Many people focus all their efforts on increasing website traffic but could be missing a trick. AJ Davis, a former Google employee and conversion optimisation expert heads up Experiment Zone - https://experimentzone.com/ - and talks to Alex and Dave about how focusing on your existing visitors can bring rich rewards.
01:03:2325/04/2022
How To Get Started With Email Marketing With Kelsey Johnson From AWeber
In this episode of the show Kelsey Johnson from AWeber talks about email marketing. It's a great episode for people who need some clear guidance on how to get started with email marketing and avoid the usual pitfalls.
01:11:5818/04/2022
Telling Stories In A Digital Marketing Context
In a previous podcast, with Bob Keiller, we were given a business storytelling masterclass. If you missed it, it's well worth sticking it into your playlist. In this episode, Alex and Dave expand on the subject of storytelling, this time very much in a digital marketing context, eventually. We say eventually because Dave did his usual obtuse rambling intro. It's a great episode if you need some help getting your website content right for your audience.
33:3112/04/2022
So, Do Template Websites Suck Or Do They Rock?
You can create a great looking website on a shoestring budget by sidestepping the design process. In other words, you buy a ready-made design or template and focus your efforts on your content. In this episode of the show, Alex, Caron, Julie and the two Dave's discuss template websites ably assisted by Lockie the Dog.
48:1508/04/2022
We Asked, Marcus Sheridan Answered
If you're a digital marketer and haven't read the book, They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan you're missing a trick, a huge one. We mention the book a lot in our shows so we decided to reach out and ask Marcus to come and talk to us about how the book came about. It's a great listen for any digital marketer and in particular anyone involved in content marketing.
54:5504/04/2022
A Chat About Starting A Podcast With Radio Legend John Mellis
John Mellis has been a familiar voice on radio for over 25 years. In this episode of the show, John tells us about his career and how he's now helping businesses start and run their own podcast. It's a great show for organisations interested in starting a podcast as part of their business growth strategy.
01:00:2828/03/2022
Dan Englander From Sales Schema Talks About Effective Outbound Marketing
Here at Red Evolution, we're all about inbound marketing but we're not anti outbound. In this fascinating episode of the show, Dan Englander from Sales Schema talks about taking a systematic approach to outbound marketing that actually works.
42:0521/03/2022
Got A Web Based Business Idea? Here's How To Test It Cost Free
In this, the 50th, episode of the show Caron, Julie, Alex and Dave discuss how to save a fortune by testing your business idea before spending any money. It's a great episode if you're about to make an investment in your existing or new business.
40:3615/03/2022
BBN Chairman Clif Collier Discusses Brand And All That Jazz
In this fascinating episode of the show, former Fifth Ring CEO Clif Collier talks about how brand has perhaps become lost in a sea of mediocrity and me too digital marketing.
57:1111/03/2022
So Julie, How Did You Become A Digital Marketer?
In this episode Alex, Julie and Dave talk about how Julie became a digital marketer. This episode isn't just a careers lesson, it's a great insight into how marketing has morphed into digital marketing but has it changed that much?
40:3207/03/2022
How To Generate Business From Your Website
In this episode of the show, Alex and Dave shoot the breeze on the challenges of generating business from your website. It's an episode for people who want a big picture overview and a great starting point if you've been tasked with getting a website to actually deliver.
52:3703/03/2022
Business Storytelling With Bob Keiller
In this episode of the show, we explore business storytelling with the master, Bob Keiller. For many Bob needs no introduction, for those who don't know him we can't recommend this episode of the show highly enough. Storytelling is such a vital component of digital marketing and in this show, you'll learn from the best.
01:30:1525/02/2022
The secret(s) to successful content marketing with Kelly Gilmour-Grassam
Not sure how to come up with a content marketing strategy that delivers results? We’re sitting down with Kelly Gilmour-Grassam - director of Manchester-based content marketing agency Making You Content - to peel back the curtain and show you how to plan, write, publish and market content that generates plenty of leads for your business.
39:5021/02/2022
So, What Is The Purpose Of A Blog?
Most marketers understand the importance of blogging but based on the popularity of a blog post on our website lots of people are confused about the purpose of a blog. In this episode, we discuss blogs and their purpose.
33:4218/02/2022
Buying Marketing Software? Here Are The Benefits Of Working With A Partner Agency
Buying a tool like HubSpot or Pardot is a shrewd move. These platforms help to get the maximum return on digital marketing spending. But the software alone won't do this, you need a team or partner. In this episode of the show Alex & Dave explore the reasons why working with a partner agency makes sense.
35:3815/02/2022
5 Digital Marketing Myths Well And Truly Busted
In this episode, Alex and Dave bust 5 common digital marketing myths starting with the idea that simply having a website is enough to succeed online.
45:2709/02/2022
Are You Up For The Hard Miles Required To Succeed Online?
People in business want to succeed, they have the will to win, but that's not enough. To succeed you need to have the will to do the work required to win, not the same thing. In this episode Caron, Julie and Dave discuss this idea.
29:2204/02/2022
The Episode About The Content Wot We Wrote
Using plain English makes business sense and in this episode of the show, Alex and Dave discuss some common content cockups and how to avoid them. It's a great show for people who lack confidence when it comes to writing content, offering some great tips and advice on some fantastic tools.
38:3328/01/2022
Do You Know Your SaaS From Your Elbow? Content Management In Plain English
Have you ever considered going Headless? In this episode of the show, Julie and Dave talk about the tool used to manage website content, the content management system or CMS. They mostly avoid geek-speak and provide some much-needed clarity on this important and much-misunderstood aspect of digital marketing.
40:1124/01/2022
Want To Use Video Effectively? Don't Miss This Guest Episode With Elliot Hornell
From apprentice TV cameraman to video strategist, Elliot Hornell is truly an expert in his field. In this episode, Elliot and Dave discuss a strategy first approach to video. If you're aware that you need to be using video as part of business growth but just not sure where to start, do not miss this episode of the show.
51:3718/01/2022
Follow These Simple Steps And Kick Start Your 2022 Digital Lead Gen Efforts
As we launch ourselves headlong into a new year it's tempting to bite off more than you can chew. In this episode of the show, we discuss some evergreen digital marketing baby steps guaranteed to build the right foundation for growth.
42:5814/01/2022