In episode #767, Eric and Neil discuss how the GDPR has changed link building outside the US. Tune in to hear how you must go about link building now that the regulation has made it harder. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How GDPR Changed Link Building [00:37] GDPR = Global Data Protection Regulation. [00:54] There are now a lot of restrictions about what you can do in terms of data collection. [01:15] It has made link-building harder. [01:53] You can’t just email blast people anymore. [02:05] A simple way to build links, is to go to their site and message them through their contact form. [02:45] Be careful how you contact businesses in the UK. [03:10] There are a lot of lawsuits happening right now. [03:20] That’s it for today! [03:23] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #766, Eric and Neil discuss how to hire solid SEOs. Tune in to hear how you find great SEOs that don’t suck. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Hire Full-Time SEOs That Don't Suck [00:35] Don’t just believe the resume. [01:00] The real test is to see what changes they would make to your website and if they can implement specific changes. [01:40] Test them out on a temp basis before you hire full-time. [02:05] Good SEOs have “burnt” their own websites. [03:10] The more seasoned you are with running experiments, the better a hire you will be. [03:35] Ask potential hires about their weaknesses and really get into the nitty gritty. [04:05] Make sure they know how to modify basic HTML code. [04:23] You want people who can take action. [04:32] Go to the Marketing School website and find our post about SEO interview questions. [04:40] Check out the potential hire’s website. [04:59] That's all for today! [05:01] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #765, Eric and Neil discuss how to find the best marketing talent. Tune in to hear how you can find young, motivated workers. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Find the Best Young Marketing Talent [00:37] Eric’s interns have always been great. [01:06] Singlegrain often uses Angellist to find the best people. [01:31] It is important to have a hiring process. [01:58] You can find young talent via blogging and social sites, but the best way to find great talent is to have interns. [02:20] Neil’s company looks for interns who really want a career in marketing. [02:30] They train them to grow with the company. [02:52] When you get them young, they aren’t jaded. [03:30] Be a “T-Shaped” marketer. [04:18] If you want people who are “up to speed”, look for people who did internships at other marketing agencies. [04:42] Most agencies won’t hire their interns. [05:08] Pay your interns! [05:18] By paying interns, you set a good precedent. [05:30] That’s it for today! [05:34] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #764, Eric and Neil Discuss whose advice you should follow. Tune in to hear how you know who to trust. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Which Marketers Should You Listen To [00:45] Take what most people say with a grain of salt, until you've tested out the tactics. [01:05] Until you run tests, you don’t know if a tactic will drive results. [01:40] Podcasts and books are great for ideas. [02:25] If someone gives you a tactic and it works, you can begin to trust his or her advice. [03:03] It’s not about the person, it is about the strategy. [03:24] A Canadian SEO gave Neil a 40% increase in search traffic. However, the other advice wasn’t helpful and didn’t work. [03:55] Neil knew there was a risk in working with this company, because only one piece of advice worked. [04:35] You have to be open-minded when listening to advice. [05:29] That’s it for today!! [05:33] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #763, Eric and Neil discuss how you can reduce refund rates. Tune in to hear how you can provide better service to avoid refund rates. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic:  How to Reduce Your Refund Rates [00:35] First, understand why people are asking for refunds. [00:58] When someone wants a refund, ask them why. [01:11] Whether that is an email or a survey, the info will be helpful. [01:27] Once you have about 50 answers, you will probably start to see a pattern. [01:45] Jump Cut has an action-based guarantee. They will refund if the customer proves they went through the entire online course they offer. [02:20] Their refund rate dropped to 5%. [02:42] Expand your refund period. The longer it drags out, the fewer refunds you will have. [03:01] Adjust your pricing. [03:25] Offer to drop the price instead of refunding. [03:47] When you do that, customers like and respect you more. [04:10] Offer products and services for a limited or set period of time. [04:59] That’s it for today! [05:03] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #762, Eric and Neil discuss why you should stick to one marketing channel. Tune in to hear why focusing on one channel is so important. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why You Should Only Stick to One Marketing Channel [00:36] When Eric has tried too many channels at once, he has failed. [00:50] Doing too much spreads you too thin and can lead to disastrous results. [01:06] Focus on the thing that is most successful. [01:30] Marketing is not just one channel, it has to encompasses everything. [01:50] Each individual should focus on their strongest skill set. [03:10] Neil is not great at Instagram, so he doesn’t bother with it. [04:00] Look at the most successful marketers. They crush it at social media, but they don’t ignore the other channels available (they just have another team member take care of it). [04:19] That’s it for today! [04:34] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #761, Eric and Neil discuss how many funnels you need. Tune in to hear why more funnels doesn’t always equal greater success. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How Many Marketing Funnels Do You Need [00:40] ConvertKit and Drift are useful funnels. [00:55] Using too many gets confusing. [01:11] Neil has one marketing funnel. [01:27] He segments inside the funnel, so by segmenting he can pitch offers based on the path the customer follows. [01:44] Even people who love funnels, tend to pare it down to one main funnel. [02:08] With too many funnels, you can easily lose track of things. [02:44] Once you have one advanced funnel, it’s easier to improve upon it. [03:08] Testing and improving on efunnel is better than having multiple, complicated funnels. [03:40] Base your upsells and downsells from the info gained in the first funnel. [03:55] Make your funnel like a “Choose Your Own Adventure”, so it can be personalized to each visitor. [04:25] It’s important to see how people interact with your brand. [04:44] That’s it for today! [04:48] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #760, Eric and Neil discuss putting a phone number on your website. Tune in to hear if this is a necessary tactic. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Should You Place a Phone Number on Your Website? [00:38] Eric gets 10-15 calls per day. [00:56] Neil thinks it’s a waste of time to field random calls. [01:15] Use chat services instead. [01:30] Most of the calls are junk. [01:45] Consider segmentation and only reveal your number to US visitors. [03:00] It’s easier to collect a lead and call them. [03:35] You can use Drift or Intercom to help segment your visitors and leads. [03:57] That’s all for today! [03:59] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #759, Eric and Neil discuss easy SEO tactics. Tune in to hear some of the easiest things you can do to improve your traffic. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Low Hanging Fruit - SEO Tactics That Easy And Effective [00:40] Make the most of what you have already. [01:25] Upgrade posts and content. [01:45] Remove the dates from URLs. [01:55] Making URLs more generic is beneficial for your Google ranking. [02:33] Shorten URLs to increase your traffic. [02:57] Neil has deleted content before. [03:15] Pruning your content could negatively affect your traffic. [03:57] When pruning, look at what the post is doing for you. If it isn’t performing well, it won’t hurt to delete, but it’s better to fix what’s there. [04:45] Speed up your site. [04:50] GTMetrix will help you see how fast your site is. [05:08] You may find that there are useless tags slowing down your load times. [05:28] The best hack is building a brand. [05:37] This is the most reliable long-term tactic. [06:15] That’s it for today! [06:19] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #758, Eric and Neil tell you how you can find freelancers that don’t suck. Tune in to hear how your hiring process could be improved. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Find Cheap Freelancers That Don't Suck [00:43] Eric has been using AngelList to find freelancers, while Neil has been using Upwork and Problogger. [01:20] Eric has found great recruiters on Upwork. [02:00] Make sure you choose people who have good reviews, high success ratio, and a lot of completed projects. [02:30] Neil likes to skype with potential freelancers. [03:00] Just talk to people and figure out what they can do for your business. [03:20] Basecamp has written about their hiring process. [03:50] Pay potential employees for a small test project. [04:15] This will give you an idea about the quality of their work. [05:10] Neil would find freelancers and test out 5 at the same time. [05:26] That’s all for today! [05:28] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #757, Eric and Neil discuss 7 powerful marketing tools. Tune in to hear about some lesser-known marketing tools. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Powerful Marketing Tools You May Not Have Heard Of [00:35] 1: Supermetrics is top of mind for Eric, because they are putting together reports for an all-hands meeting and it helps to make powerful reports. [01:11] 2: Clickflow is Eric’s tool, but Neil likes it because it allows you to do A/B testing. [01:58] 3: Bonjouro allows you to customize and personalize videos to your customers. [02:30] 4: Profit Well helps you find the lifetime value of your customer. [03:33] 5: LTV Plus has agents that can man your chatbots. [04:23] 6: AimTell creates push notifications that helps bring traffic to your website. [05:00] It also helps send notifications to those who did not purchase anything. [05:22] 7: Answer Force provides an agent to man your phone lines. [05:54] This is helpful if you are in a service business. [06:06] That’s all for today! [06:11] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #756, Eric and Neil discuss whether it is better to charge a monthly fee or a one-time fee. Tune in to hear which is more lucrative. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Is It Better to Charge a Monthly Fee or a One-Time Fee [00:40] If you have a monthly fee, look at the lifetime value of your customer. [00:45] Think about charging a one-time that is more or equivalent to your LTV and see if that generates more revenue. [01:05] People like the concept of a one-time fee. [01:24] It’s a much more appealing marketing message. [01:33] You have to be testing! [02:37] If your average customer only lasts one year, it’s more beneficial to charge up front. [02:56] Neil tested out up-front payment and a payment plan and found that up-front was the best system for his business. [03:25] If you charge a one-time fee for a lot of stuff, this holds greater appeal. [04:05] It’s all about the lifetime value of your customer: this is the best way to determine your pricing structure. [04:43] If you’re doing a subscription thing, you can use a dashboard that will track your clients and payments. [05:04] Price Intelligently is a great resource. [05:18] If you want to try a monthly fee, consider sticking with an up-front fee, but test it out first. [05:40] That’s all for today! [05:44] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #755, Eric and Neil discuss whether you should give up on marketing campaigns that don’t work right away. Tune in to hear whether you should stay the course or drop dead weight. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Should You Give Up On Marketing Campaigns That Don't Work Initially [00:40] Singlegrain is trying to do what ClickFunnels has done in terms of bundling software with online courses. [01:00] Eric made an elaborate webinar and found that people really liked it. [01:17] However, no one bought immediately afterwards. [01:35] Eric was so disappointed, but he decided it would take more work to succeed pitching bundles. [02:04] The feedback he received let him know that he was downplaying his teaching skills too much. [02:15] So, sometimes you need to take a step back and re-jigger things and understand that everything takes time. [02:35] Don’t give up. [03:00] Marketing isn’t easy: you’re not going to get the results you want unless you put in a lot of work. [03:10] It could take a year before you start to gain traction. [03:40] Even though Neil gets 1 Million visits a month, he is still hungry for more. [04:02] If you are willing to roll with the punches, you will succeed. [04:15] Don't’ just do the webinar, follow up with emails! [04:30] If a campaign stops working, don’t give up on it. Figure out what needs to be added (upsells, downsells) or updated (your landing page, etc.). [04:50] Never give up on things that work. Always attempt to fix it before giving up. [05:09] That’s all for today! [05:13] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 754, Eric and Neil discuss ways to reduce spending. Tune in to hear what you can do to cut spending without affecting your traffic. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Reduce Your Marketing Spend Without Hurting Your Traffic [00:40] It’s the most expensive at the very beginning. [00:53] You’ll find that over time, the methods you use to get traffic will go into automatic maintenance mode. [01:00] If something is in maintenance mode,  you shouldn’t be spending as much money. [01:18] Why spend the same amount of money when it takes a third of the effort to get results? [01:30] If you take your eye off the campaign, numbers get worse. [01:45] Make sure you are always looking at the basics, optimizing, and cutting what doesn’t work. [02:02] You will struggle to find where you can cut. [02:12] Neil recommends looking at credit card statements to understand your expenses and where to cut. [02:30] Cutting small things will have an impact and you will save money. [02:45] Singlegrain was using over 30 tools in the beginning. [02:54] Now, they are down to 15 tools. [03:10] You will waste money on marketing when you are not looking at your bills every month. [03:20] That’s it for today! [03:28] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 753, Eric and Neil discuss the best way to write a cold email. Tune in to hear why you shouldn’t pitch someone right off the bat. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Best Way to Write a Cold Email [00:35] When Eric started emailing people, he would write epic novels. [00:53] It’s important that your emails are concise. No one wants to read a novel! [01:03] Make sure you personalize it in some way. [01:15] For instance, Neil like bottled water, so you could find a way to incorporate that into your pitch. [01:40] Don’t make a sales pitch, pitch a call or a smaller ask. [02:00] Neil has found that when you pitch in your very first email, it is so much harder to close or convert that customer. [02:07] Build a conversation. [02:22] Ask people for their feedback, then maybe get on the phone with them. [02:28] Ask if certain changes would sweeten the pot for the customer. [03:26] Build a relationship before you pitch your customer. [03:52] Most people fail at emailing because they pitch in the very first email. [04:07] Take the Neil Patel template and customize it. [04:20] Taking the extra step to personalize your emails will up your conversions. [04:33] That’s all for today! [04:36] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #752, Eric and Neil discuss an easy alternative to content marketing. Tune in to hear how you can get great content for free. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Easy Alternative to Content Marketing [00:38] Have your users create content for you! [00:44] Consulting.com and its proprietor didn’t enjoy content marketing, but he thought it would be a great idea to get users, customers, etc. to created video testimonials for him. [01:34] Consulting.com has thousands of video testimonials that ultimately help drive sales and conversions. [02:10] Kissmetrics asked everyone who was part a competition they were running to write a piece for the blog. [02:28] Because of this, they got 7 blog posts per week for free. [03:05] The content was also high-quality. [03:15] Yelp and Trip Advisor do so well because they have user-generated content. [03:30] Screen the content to make sure it’s quality work. [03:45] Listen Notes pulls people’s reviews and notes about podcasts from the web and curates them. [04:09] That’s all for today! [04:14] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #751, Eric and Neil discuss how to properly hire interns. Tune in to hear tips on making the most of internships. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Hire Marketing Interns [00:45] Interns are awesome because they aren’t jaded and are basically blank slates. [00:55] They are often quick learners and you can train them to have a future in your company. [01:35] Eric had an intern that didn’t have a college degree, but he is one of their best employees now. [01:55] You never know where good talent will come from. [02:05] One intern earned his spot at Singlegrain by writing an 800-word blog post about what he would do to improve the site. [02:18] Eric pays his interns. [02:25] AngelList has been a great resource for finding interns. [02:36] Neil goes to colleges directly. [02:48] The schools help with recruiting. [03:10] As your potential interns what they are looking for in a career. [03:25] Don’t make false promises. [03:45] Don’t string interns along with the hopes of getting a full-time job, if that won’t be an option. [04:40] Sometimes, Eric teaches at USC, which gives him a great opportunity to find interns. [05:05] Ask your interns to do an assignment, like a video to show off their skills. [05:40] Make the internship mutually beneficial, so the interns get as much out of their position as you do. [05:58] That’s all for today! [06:02] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #750, Eric and Neil discuss how you can get more traffic just by making your site load quickly. Tune in to hear how you can speed up your website. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Get More Traffic From The Google Page Speed Update [00:55] Page speed has always been a factor, but now they are rolling out page speed algorithm updates. [01:45] Eric’s site was run through GTMetrix to show him what was slowing it down. [02:21] He then cleaned up the slow parts and tested out the site again. [02:48] He got a substantial bump in visitors once he sped up his site. [03:25] Neil uses Google AMP and MaxCDN to make sure his site loads quickly and is routing through local servers across the globe. [03:45] Neil’s site also uses lazy loading, so things load as you scroll. [04:07] Make sure to compress images and reduce javascripts. [04:30] Bad code will ruin a site. [04:53] Make sure to make the most of what you already have instead of chasing new, shiny objects. [05:34] That’s it for today! [05:38] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #749, Eric and Neil discuss whether riches are in the niches. Tune in to hear whether you need to focus on a niche market. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Are The Riches Really In The Niches? [00:55] If they are, then why do we do different things? [01:15] In the beginning, you can go after a niche, because it is too expensive to go after a huge category. [01:20] Once you are established, you should expand and get beyond a niche market. [01:22] For example, ConvertKit tried to compete in the email marketing space and it didn’t work out. When they changed course to be a service for bloggers, they started succeeding. Now, they are Seva and have a larger business. [02:00] It is hard to make millions working within a niche. [02:35] If you are going to swing, swing for the fences. [02:54] If you don’t have a lot of cash, go for a niche. If you have the money, go for a huge market from day one. [03:25] Eric interviewed someone who works for Kahuna. [03:44] They focused on one area and then expanded their knowledge in that area. [04:10] In this case, the company wasn’t working before they focused on a niche. [04:41] Sam Evans found that when he “niched down”, he was able to have more success. [05:10] Now, Sam and Consulting.com target anyone who hates their job and has some sort of expertise. Then he teaches these people how to become consultants. [06:05] He has since had members create testimonials for his service. [06:100] That’s it for today! [06:17] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #748, Eric and Neil discuss how you could learn the best marketing hacks from the top 1%. Tune in to hear how you can get the best hacks from the best people. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Learn the Best Marketing Hacks From the Top 1% [00:40] When learning marketing, you are not getting the best tactics from the best people. [01:15] Marketers don’t necessarily want to reveal their best, most effective tactics. [01:30] If they share everything that is working, the more people that use that tactic, the less effective it becomes. [02:08] If you network enough, eventually, people will share tactics with you. [02:28] Eric and Neil share tactics all the time. [03:07] You can throw dinner parties, attend conferences, join groups like EO or YPO and you will build relationships. [03:25] You don’t need internet-famous people to get people to attend your events. [03:45] The goal is to build relationships and learn from others in your field. [05:00] Build relationships without expectation and you will earn people’s trust. [05:05] That’s all for today! [05:10] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #747, Eric and Neil discuss how Seinfeld emails can increase your sales. Tune in to hear why you should be writing Seinfeld emails. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How Seinfeld Emails Will Grow Your Sales [00:45] Ben Settle has a service called “Email Players” and shares a bunch of email marketing tactics. [01:20] Seinfeld Emails are so-called, because the emails don’t talk about the product or anything related to your business (it’s an email about nothing), but then you find a way to tie it in to your product. [02:26] There are so many different email sequences. [03:25] If people just wrote emails for different parts of their sequence, their conversions would go up. [03:40] You need to send out as many emails as you can. [03:50] Sam Evans earns over $20 Million/year doing his consulting course. [04:00] He puts out an email every single day. [04:25] It’s not just using the Seinfeld method, it should be about storytelling. [05:06] That’s all for today! [05:10] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #746, Eric and Neil discuss the best way to build links without actually building them. Tune in to hear the long-term method for link building. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Best Way To Build Links Without Building Them [00:34] Relationships! [00:38] When you get to know more people, they will naturally link to you. [00:52] Neil knows a lot of people in the industry (including Eric). He and Eric have linked to each other without even asking. [01:20] Neil links to Eric not only because he is a friend, but because his content is good and relevant to his business. [01:50] You shouldn’t ask your friends and taint the friendship. [02:04] Noah Kagan did a video about this very subject. [02:25] Build relationships without expecting anything and it will pay dividends in the future. [03:10] Attend conferences, join slack groups, join LinkedIn groups to build relationships. [03:33] Everyone starts at zero and it will pay to build relationships. Say yes to everything at first. [04:05] You can also close business deals by having relationships. There are so many reasons to network, [04:35] Don’t expect immediate results; it may take more than a year. [04:55] That’s it for today! [04:58]  If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #745, Eric and Neil discuss the “land and expand” content marketing strategy. Tune in to learn about this method and how to apply it to your site. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Land and Expand Content Marketing Strategy [01:05] Eric and Neil have a domain for this podcast, but they haven't been paying much attention to it. [01:55] Over the last seven days, they have gotten over 1000 visitors. This means they get about 6000 visitors per month. [02:12] They are planning to expand the content to see if it positively affects their traffic. [02:30] If you take all the pages you have and just add more content, you are wasting your time; look at which page gets the most traffic and expand upon it. [03:18] Use AHREFS and see how your keywords are ranking. [03:20] If the keywords drive 500-1000 visits per month, go ahead and expand. Otherwise, ignore that page or those keywords. [03:45] Within 30 days you may see an increase in traffic, but never more than double your current traffic. [04:42] That’s all for today! [04:45] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #744, Eric and Neil discuss how to add long-tail keywords to your content. Tune in to hear how you can rank for long-tail keywords. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Add Long-Tail Keywords to Your Content [00:33]  If you type in Singlegrain.com or NeilPatel.com and use the Top Pages on the AHREFS or SEMRush sites, you can see how your pages rank and for which keywords. [01:20] Look at all your content that is ranking and go to Google Search Console, where you will see the impression count, keywords, etc. [01:50] Whatever someone is searching for, they are looking for a solution. [02:01] When using keywords, make sure you are offering relevant content regarding said keywords. [03:11] If you have a competitor that ranks above you for a certain keyword, you can take that URL and plug it into AHREFS. Then you can see all the keywords for which they are getting traffic and impressions. [03:35] From there, you can judge whether you re able to adjust your content to include the keywords for which your competitors are ranking higher. [03:55] It costs 6-7x more to acquire a new customer vs. maintaining existing customers. [04:52] That’s all for today! [04:57] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #743, Eric and Neil discuss how to maintain a 30% open rate for your emails. Tune in to hear how to grow your list and stay out of the spam folder. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Maintain a 30% Open Rate On Your Email List As It Grows [00:45] Typical open rates are between 10-15%. [00:54] Most people would say to clean out your email list, but you won’t get any growth this way. [01:18] Ask your subscribers questions. [01:46] Try to have a conversation with the email recipients. [02:35] If you are launching a course, you should ask for people to share their journeys with content marketing, as well. [03:01] Emailing a questions once per month will help to ensure that you stay at the top of people’s inbox. [03:40] Make sure you don’t end up in the spam box by staying relevant. [03:56] That’s it for today! [04:00] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 742, Eric and Neil discuss simple ways to come up with effective marketing ideas. Tune in to hear some simple hacks. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: A Simple Way To Come Up With The Most Effective Marketing Ideas [00:40] Spy on your competition! [00:55] AdBeat is a way to see all the ads a company is running and how their spend trends are running. [01:30] This also shows you which ads have been used for the longest period of time. [01:43] Go to your competitors’ web sites. [01:45] Track the changes that they make, because it will give you an idea of what is helping them grow. [02:00] If you go multiple times, you will get “cookied” and you will see all their ads and campaigns. [02:36] AHREFS Content Gap is a way to see all the different keywords your competition is ranking for that you are not. [03:09] Take those keywords to UberSuggest and you will get more ideas about how to use them. [03:25] Use BuiltWith to see what tech your competitors are using. This will give you an idea of how to expand. [03:50] If your competitors are using A/B Tests, it means they are sophisticated enough to make changes and boost conversions. [04:20] Facebook has added the “info and ad” section. This allows you to see all the ads one person or company is running. [04:52] Go to niche marketing conferences and pick up new marketing tactics. [05:14] Everyone is friendly and will prove helpful. [05:25] These conferences are a great place to pick up new hacks from reliable sources. [06:04] War Room is a good example of a niche conference. [06:24] That’s all for today! [06:28] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #741, Eric and Neil discuss what you should do with visitors who don’t buy. Tune in to hear how you should follow up with people who didn’t convert. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: What Should You Do With All of Your Visitors Who Don't Buy [00:34] Survey those customers who do not buy. [00:50] If you have 100 visitors, you will be lucky if 5 people make a purchase. [01:06] Sure, you could look at Google Analytics, but you won’t know why people aren’t converting. [01:30] If you survey your audience, you can learn from mistakes and boost conversions. [02:15] SurveyMonkey and Qualaroo are great tools to use. [02:30] Eric also likes TypeForm. [03:20] Eric likes the question “Were you considering joining the Digital XP Accelerator?” because the answers let him know that the messaging wasn’t aligning with people’s pay-points. [04:06] Follow up with an email or phone call and try to convince those surveyed to buy. [04:20] Even if they don’t buy, this will give you a clearer idea of why they did not. [04:41] That’s all for today! [04:46] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #740, Eric and Neil discuss what you should do when you aren’t growing. Tune in to hear how you can stimulate growth. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: What Should You Do When You're Not Growing [00:45] If Eric is in a rut, he likes to take a break. [01:08] Clearing his head allows him to move forward and come up with better/new ideas. [01:25] When people stop growing, it is because they are relying on old tactics. [01:37] Neil likes to run drastic experiments to test out new ideas. [01:53] Growth is often boosted by unorthodox methods. [02:00] At Crazy Egg, they grew quickly by switching the homepage from a long sales page, to a much shorter, concise page. [02:15] They also tested the “sign in with Google” option, which worked out well. [02:35] After those methods began to hurt them, they switched it up again. [03:15] In general, if growth slows down, do the opposite of what you are currently doing. [03:30] Eric has a friend that does video advertising. [03:55] His secret is that he does the opposite of what people expect or request. [04:15] Think about how you can turn ideas on their heads. [04:55] That’s all for today! [04:58] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #739, Eric and Neil discuss news ways to do Competitive Analysis. Tune in to hear about new techniques. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The New Way to Do Competitive Analysis [00:38] Facebook is a great way to do competitive analysis. [00:55] There is a sidebar on Facebook ads that says “info and ads” that will show you all the ads someone is running. [01:11] You can put a pixel on your website, build an audience, and use tools like SimilarWeb to see who you share an audience with. [01:40] Make sure when doing CA, that the audience is similar to yours. [02:32] The idea behind using the new FB ads feature is more transparency. [03:00] Instead of having to come up with ideas from scratch, you can use other’s ads to show your clients what’s out there and build a campaign from there. [03:24] That’s all for today! [03:28] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode, Eric and Neil discuss unorthodox strategies for coming up with blog topics. Tune in to hear how you can spin any topic. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Unorthodox Strategy We Use to Come Up WIth Topics For Our Blog [00:45] They don’t have many strategies at Neil’s org, but rather one simple method. [01:10] Neil writes about personal experiences. [01:25] Neil wants people to know they can’t get his content anywhere else. [01:52] When he shares personal stories, he gets 12x more comments. [02:25] Growth Everywhere doesn’t have a headline or title until after the interview. [03:15] At Single Grain, employees are required to come to a meeting with multiple blog ideas. [03:45] A blog should be about what you want to share, but also what people would want to read. [04:10] As a blogger, you can come up with unique stories for any industry. You just have to put your personal spin on things. [04:45] Ben Settle came up with the concept for “Seinfeld Emails”. [05:25] Emails that are about nothing, but somehow tie back into what you’re selling. [05:30] That’s all for today! [05:36] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #737, Eric and Neil discuss whether cheaper is better. Tune in to hear if you are shooting yourself in the foot by charging less. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Is Cheaper Better? [01:00] Some people say you pay what you get for, but sometimes cheaper is better. [01:30] There is a diamond company that makes the stones in a lab. When they sell them for less, no one wants them. When they sell them for the same price as mined diamonds, they sell out. [02:00] The quality is the same, but the diamonds are made in simulated conditions. [02:28] If two advertising companies charge two different rates, most people will pay the higher rate for a smaller company and more focused attention. [03:05] People often question the quality of something if it’s too low of a price. [03:30] There is no exact science to setting a price point, so do your research and run tests. [04:20] That’s it for today! [04:24] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #736, Eric and Neil discuss why marketers change their minds so often. Tune in to hear why marketers are a fickle bunch. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why Marketers Change Their Minds a Lot [00:45] Eric and Neil originally said they wouldn’t use Outbrain or Taboola. [01:00] Since then, those companies have improved their methods. [01:24] At first, the Facebook ads platform was weak. [01:45] Often, marketers change their minds because circumstances change. [02:05] What worked yesterday, may not work today. [02:20] Market conditions are always in flux. [02:38] Neil always told people not to advertise on Instagram, but he has since changed his tune to some degree. [03:00] It’s not good for cold traffic, but works for further exposure. [03:30] Have a framework whereby you can re-test methods that were previously unsuccessful. [04:10] That’s all for today! [04:13] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #735, Eric and Neil discuss how to do content marketing on a budget. Tune in to hear what steps you can take to save some money. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Do Content Marketing on a Budget [00:45] Right now, Eric is cutting his content marketing budget. [01:00] They decided to collaborate or work on getting guest posts. [01:47] KissMetrics grew by reaching out to other content marketers and offering a platform. [02:27] You can get people to write for free if you offer publicity and other opportunities for exposure. [03:15] There are a lot of writers out there writing well-researched long-form content. [03:52] Infogram or Canva are great ways to repurpose content and turn it into infographics. [04:35] The content re-usage framework is a great line of thinking and a great way to save money. [05:32] That’s it for today! [05:36] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #734, Eric and Neil discuss how to build links the right way. Tune in to hear what makes link-building sleazy. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Build Links (Without Being Sleazy) [01:00] Having a simple widget or tool is a great way to provide a service without being sleazy. [01:25] Neil likes to release free copies of paid tools. [01:56] HubSpot overtook Drift by offering a free service. [02:30] Yelp offers widgets that helps restaurants link-build. [02:45] Email outreach isn’t sleazy, even though people think it is. [03:02] To not be sleazy, you have to offer value. [03:46] Aim to build relationships instead of just reaching out for links. [04:15] Use data to help you find out your best people to reach out to. [04:43] That’s it for today! [04:47] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #733, Eric and Neil discuss the one thing that can screw up your company. Tune in to hear what you absolutely should not do. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: This One Little Thing Can Screw Up Your Company (So Don't Do It) [00:35] Don’t rebrand! [00:44] Companies who are successful and make money still feel the need to rebrand. [01:12] ConvertKit is changing their name to Siva, even though they are doing well. [01:34] They wanted to rebrand, because no one knows what “convert kit” means, anyway. [01:57] It makes sense to rebrand if you are changing your product, but otherwise, it doesn’t make sense. [02:35] The Growth Everywhere podcast is rebranding. [03:00] If you don’t have a ton of traction, feel free to rebrand. Don’t consider it if you’re making millions. [03:57] That’s it for today! [04:01] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #732, Eric and Neil explain how to educate leads. Tune in to hear how you can grow your customer base through education. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Educate Leads That Aren't Ready to Become Customers [00:45] There is a time to be aggressive and a time to go easy. [01:20] In everything they do, Eric and Neil try to educate people who aren’t ready to buy. [01:46] You put in all this work during year one, by year three you start to see results. [02:08] It takes time to manifest results. [02:20] Neil looks for what makes his ideal customer. [02:40] He will create content that helps companies grow, because they can become customers once they have achieved greater success. [03:40] The rule of seven is key. Make sure your name keeps getting out there. [04:13] Make sure you are surveying customers to make sure you know what they are looking for. [04:40] Always drop the name of your company and contact info in everything you do. [05:05] TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU are important concepts. [05:30] Use lead scoring, as it will tell you whether someone is top of funnel. [05:43] That’s it for today! [05:47] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #731, Eric and Neil discuss how you can generate traffic on a budget. Tune in to hear what makes traffic “high quality” and how you can generate it. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Generate High Quality Traffic on a Budget [00:50] How do you define high quality traffic when starting off? [01:10] Look at how well the traffic converts in terms of collecting email sign-ups. [01:31] When you have traffic that converts, you know it’s the right traffic. [02:45] Outreach through guest posting is a great budget-friendly way to grow. [03:14] ConvertKit is an email marketing solution. [04:05] Use this tool to reach out to potential partners. [04:22] Go to people who have your ideal traffic and partner up, cross-promote, bundle. [05:30] Do tons of business development and partnerships. [05:47] When you’re starting out, say yes to most deals. [06:05] That’s all for today! [06:08]  If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #730, Eric and Neil discuss why Google Analytics is useless without this one thing. Tune in to hear what you might be missing. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why Google Analytics is Useless Without This... [00:42] Eric doesn’t always buy a product or service when he visits websites. [01:05] Google Analytics will never tell you why someone left your site without buying. [01:15] GA provides quantitative data. [01:20] Qualitative data is more elusive. [02:07] Go to your lowest hanging fruit first. [02:50] Affiliate marketers struggle because they operate in a vacuum. [03:08] Qualaroo, SurveyMonkey, Google Surveys are great ways to get qualitative data. [03:38] 30 or more responses will serve as enough data to be actionable. [04:15] User Testing and Usability Hub are great tools. [04:37] Make sure the person testing is your ideal customer, otherwise, the data won’t matter. [05:16] That’s it for today! [05:22] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #729, Eric and Neil discuss 7 questions you ought to ask your audience. Tune in to hear what types of questions you should be asking. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Questions You Ought to Ask Your Audience [00:50] #1: Tell us all of the topics you are interested in regarding Marketing. [01:30] If you are covering food topics, ask your audience what their diet is based on. [01:45] You want to see who your audience is and how they skew (vegan, meat eaters, etc.). [02:07] #2: What else would you like to see on this page? [02:20] This will help you to understand what your page is lacking from the customer’s POV. [02:36] Under 30 responses is not enough data to make an effective change. [03:10] #3: What are you goals in the next year? [03:18] Use Surveymonkey for long form answers of this nature. Make a word cloud out of your responses. [03:58] #4: What did you think about X? (The product or service they purchased). [04:20] This will help you determine if things are working or if you need to improve. [04:51] #5: Why didn’t you buy? [05:00] There will be a huge contingent of people who didn’t purchase your product or service. This is an opportunity to find out why. [05:47] #6: Ask a question that determines the “pay point” of your audience. [07:14] By asking questions related to a problem, it will help you collect more leads and actionable information. [07:45] #7: Use a tool like TypeForm and send them down a question funnel. [08:07] That’s all for today! [08:10] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #728, Eric and Neil discuss the pros and cons of taking online marketing courses. Tune in to hear both sides of this argument. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why You Should and Shouldn't Spend Money on Marketing Courses [00:45] If you end up paying for something, you’re more likely to take action. [00:52] People can find what a course is selling for free elsewhere. [01:20] If you pay for it, there is still a chance you won’t take action. [02:00] It depends on your personality type when it comes to taking action. [02:20] Eric sees people offering online courses as taking advantage of others. [02:33] They may not actually be experts and credibility isn’t required to teach online courses. [02:51] Eric feels it is preying on people’s insecurities. [03:26] Look into the person selling the course; check credentials. [04:15] Some courses are being taught by people who just teach courses and don’t have actionable information. [05:12] That’s all for today! [05:15] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #727, Eric and Neil discuss how you can rank for thousands of keywords. Tune in to learn how you can earn a high ranking overnight. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Rank For Thousands of Keywords Fast [00:44] Neil’s strategy to ranking for thousands of keywords, is to write a blog post that is only a few thousand words. [00:52] A shorter blog posts allows you to test the waters and see if it is ranking and getting social shares. [01:10] See what search queries are leading people to your article. [01:23] Tailor your articles to those search queries; when people have a problem, offer a solution. [02:05] Look for relevant keywords that aren’t on your page and add them in. [02:36] Adjust your content to benefit the user. [02:40] If the user doesn’t like your article, because you are just stuffing in keywords, your user metrics scores will tank. [02:50] Backlinko is good at doing all of this. [03:08] There is on epic post about this on Backlinko. [03:25] If the majority of your traffic is from mobile devices, having one long page is difficult. [03:54] Make sure to know your audience and how they access content before creating anything. [04:09] Whatever content you have that is ranking, look at your competition and see how they are ranking for similar articles and keywords. [04:30] Use AHREFS to check all this information. [04:50] Using the AHREFS Content Gap Tool will help you compare yourself to competitors. [05:21] That’s it for today! [05:25] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #726, Eric and Neill discuss ways to grow your marketing through partnerships. Tune in to hear what makes a great partnership. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Grow Your Marketing Through Partnerships [00:40] Partnerships can be collaborating with SEO software and doing joint webinars or doing an affiliate partnership. [01:06] Neil thinks a partnership means a win-win, where everyone benefits from the collaboration. [01:33] When doing collabs, if what you are promoting for the partner doesn’t meet your audience’s needs or interests, nothing will come of this joint venture. [02:01] Neil has over 100,000 YouTube subscribers. If someone who wanted to partner with him only had 2000, he would decline. [02:22] If you have a small amount of followers, you need to up the ante to make it worth your partner’s while (payment, etc.). [03:00] However, most partnerships will not be equal. [03:15] Figure out what you can leverage and how the partnership would be beneficial. [03:40] Joint webinars are a great way to partner up with other companies and people. [04:15] Virtual conferences have hit Neil up for email blasts, but he didn’t do it, because the numbers didn’t move him. [05:00] Neil and Eric both do partnerships. [05:34] When Eric was at Treehouse, to get started, they made a partnerships page. [05:50] Neil thinks when you’re starting out, bundling is a great way to create a mutually beneficial partnership. [06:18] Use AppSumo, which is a place that runs promotions or offers. [06:38] Be careful with AppSumo, though: they take a percentage from what you make. [07:06] That’s all for today! [07:08]  If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #725, Eric and Neil discuss how you can generate more upsells. Tune in to hear 7 great hacks! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Simple Hacks to Generate More Upsells [00:33] #1: If someone is buying from you, add an upsell immediately after their purchase (on a thank you page). [00:52] #2: Upsells won’t work unless you’re offering speed and automation. [01:27] #3: Make sure you have urgency built into your upsell. [01:44] #4: Check out bumps. [01:54] When checking out on ClickFunnels, they always have an offer on the check-out page, where you can tick a box and buy something cool for a good rate. [02:22] #5: Downsell. [02:34] #6: Use Google Correlate. [02:45] This will help you to see what people are buying/searching for right after they buy your product. [03:20] #7: Make sure your upsell is relevant. [03:35] If you sell an SEO course, then a design course, it might not make sense. [03:50] That’s it for today! [03:55] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #724, Eric and Neil discuss the channel you aren’t leveraging. Tune in to hear what new channel you need to try. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: The 11 Billion Dollar Marketing Channel You Aren't Leveraging (But Should) [00:35] You aren’t leveraging the App Store! [00:38] Apple reported they have generated over $11 Billion in revenue from the App Store. [00:46] The Google App Store adds in even more revenue. [01:00] However, so few people are creating apps for their sites or products. [01:18] If you’re not on there, you are losing out! [01:35] It’s not a competitive space. [01:50] If you want more traffic, look for channels that are still growing. [02:10] A mutual friend of Eric and Neil’s used WP to build an app. [02:21] WP is how Marketing School and Growth Everywhere have apps. [02:40] Google Momentum is a great productivity add-on. [02:55] They just figured out how to start monetizing it. [03:30] Eric and Neil will try to leverage new channels all the time. If they don’t work, it’s not a big loss. [03:58] Look for tools like Buildfire, which will help you easily create and leverage an app in about an hour. [04:13] That’s it for today! [04:17] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #723, Eric and Neil count out the 7 lessons they learned from running software companies. Tune in to hear what lessons apply to your business. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Marketing Lessons We Learned From Running Software Companies [00:43] A lot of the lessons Eric and Neil learned, could work for ecommerce and other internet-based businesses. [01:05] #1: It’s not all about the conversion plan. Optimize for lifetime value. [01:25] People typically pay for software on a month-to-month or annual basis and people often have to renew plans; this is a consistent revenue stream. [02:17] #2: It’s all about on-boarding. [02:40] First impressions matter and that applies to software, as well. [02:53] #3: You end up losing about 5% of your revenue because user’s credit card numbers expire. [03:08] To fix this, companies like GoDaddy sign up for a service called Visa and Mastercard Updater; Visa and Mastercard will automatically update user’s credit card details for a small fee. [03:50] #4: Use the “Jobs to be done” framework. [04:40] Set aside time for customer development. [04:48] #5: You only have one shot with customers. If someone uses your product and doesn’t like it, they will never come back. [05:07] First opinions tend to stick in the software world. [05:42] BuzzSumo and AHREFS did well because they created exceptional products. [06:30] #6: Get your pricing right! [07:03] Everyone is going upmarket. Charge for the value you think you are delivering. [07:23] #7: Pay attention to market trends and conditions. [07:30] KissMetrics was getting trounced by a competitor and didn’t adapt quickly enough. [08:01] That’s it for today! [08:03] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #722, Eric and Neil discuss what you should do when a social network stops driving traffic to your site. Tune in to hear what your options are. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: What You Ought to Do When a Social Network Stops Driving You Traffic [00:40] Neil has close to a million Facebook followers. When he had a few hundred thousand, he spent $400,000 on Facebook ads to gain a “shitload” of new followers. [01:10] Neil thinks of Facebook like a well. You want to have your own well, so you can keep getting water without spending money. [01:40] Neil’s strategy worked for a very long time, then Facebook changed their algorithm. [02:55] Twitter was better in the past, but overall the user growth hasn’t been great lately. [03:16] If you are able to build your own email list, you control that at the end of the day. [03:40] The cool part about Google is that they have learned not to penalize links, they just don’t count bad ones. [04:15] The possibilities are endless and you should leverage more than just one channel. [04:44] Eric went from 4000 Twitter followers to 10,000, but traffic coming to his site has gone down. [05:07] Just because you are on these channels and your follower count is growing, doesn’t mean that you are going to do well. [05:20] Look for the social network or channel this is starving for your content. [05:49] That’s it for today! [05:58] If you could take two minutes out of your day, we are trying to improve the listening experience for you, so go to Singlegrain.com/survey and help us gain some insight into what matters to our listeners. [06:33] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveaway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #721, Eric and Neil count out 7 simple SEO tactics. Tune in to hear what you should be doing on your site. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Dead Simple SEO Tactics That Still Work Today [00:33] #1: Upgrade your content. [00:40] Look at Wikipedia and Trip Advisor: there is constantly updated user content. [01:01] #2: Google Correlate. [01:04] It’s a great tool for keyword research. [02:06] #3: The Skyscraper Technique. [02:15] Go out and look for top five posts about a certain keyword. [02:30] Make content that improves upon the original resource. [02:41] #4: Infographics. [02:50] KissMetrics was popular because of their use of this visual content. [03:07] Go to BuzzSumo and look at the popular articles in your field and create infographics about the material. [03:43] #5: Use Google Search Console. [03:50] Look at top pages and top keywords that are ranking. [04:00] Add any keywords you don’t have. [04:08] #6: Use Google Search Console to search for top keywords. Integrate the most popular keywords. [04:50] #7: Go out and look at what content you can delete. [05:25] You can drive traffic this way or possible even lose traffic. [05:40] Neil thinks you should keep old content and just add updated versions. [05:46] That’s it for today! [05:49] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveaway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode #720, Eric and Neil discuss why marketers overspend. Tune in to hear why you are spending too much money. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] Today’s Topic: You're Spending Too Much Money! [00:40] In marketing, everyone is about spending money. [01:15] When people hit Eric up, they are looking for advertising and SEO, but rarely conversion rate optimization. [01:40] SEO and content marketing are the best or most popular services. [01:57] If you're spending all this money on marketing, why wouldn’t you hire someone to reduce your expense by cutting the fat? [02:12] Hire someone full-time to just do conversion rate optimization. [03:00] Consider ways your office space can produce revenue. [03:22] AWS did $12 Billion in revenue. [03:35] Take the expense you have and figure out creative ways to make them profit-generating machines. [03:50] Example: your office could be an event space. [04:10] Optimize to get more out of your resources. [04:20] Be more creative with how you spend your money, [04:50] Eric and Neil love marketing so much because there is so much room for creativity. [05:25] That’s it for today! [05:28] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveaway for a special marketing tool giveaway! Leave some feedback: What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review. Connect with us: NeilPatel.com Quick Sprout Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel Twitter @ericosiu   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.