Video is a great way to interact with your audience. Finding creative ways to reach your followers on all of the platforms they’re hanging out on and redirecting them to your YouTube channel can mean the difference between success and failure. So how do you cater to all of the different algorithms that each platform puts in place to ensure you get maximum reach? The key is trying different things and seeing what works. You have to remember things like using a YouTube direct link won’t go over too well with Facebook, and if you do that, you’re going to be penalized in terms of the reach they’ll allow you. So get creative, use URL shorteners, and always engage your audience so they know you appreciate them. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/211

You’ve spent a great deal of time crafting and publishing the perfect blog post, are you getting all you can out of that content? Repurposing your content allows you to get more mileage out of the content you’ve created.  It’s not that there’s extra work to be done, it’s that you’re able to get a lot more out of one valuable piece of content than having to continuously create new pieces of content all the time. Content repurposing is an essential part of content marketing, not just on your website, but it allows you to branch out and find your audience on all the platforms and in all the places that they’re hanging out, while at the same time saving your time. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/210

Times have certainly changed since the beginning of SEO, where the objective to winning the game was to just concentrate on a few keywords. Today, it’s also about researching your competitors - both direct and indirect - to see where they’re ranking and what they’re doing to get there.   Fortunately there are a plethora of tools out there now to help us dig deeper to find out not only what keywords rank well in general but what keywords your competitors are using, what backlinks may be helping them, as well as which of their web pages are getting the most attention. This allows you to leverage that information and make tweaks to your own site and content so you can beat the competition and rank higher in search. If you find a competitor is ranking higher than you and you just can’t figure out why, maybe the problem is that they are doing a better job at answering the intention of the searcher than you are. So don’t go reinventing the wheel, see what they’re doing as a jumping off point,  and then do it better. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/209

Like many things in the business world, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has changed dramatically since the early days, and continues to do so. Thanks to things like Google constantly tweaking their algorithms, marketers and content creators need to be crafty and smart with their SEO strategies. Gone are the days of just using your keyword phrases as many times as you could in your post or buying tons of backlinks to point back to your site. These days businesses need to take a more holistic approach to how they’re distributing the content. And that means carefully utilizing other social platforms, reputation management, quality backlinks, as well as strategic outreach opportunities. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/208

If you took a poll and asked people to explain what exactly Public Relations is, you’d most likely hear “press releases” repeated time and again. But obviously there’s a lot more to it than that. PR is the business of persuasion where it is their job to convince an audience - both inside and outside your usual circle of influence - to promote, support, purchase from, and recognize your business, product or brand. Public relations is a very strategic process of communication where you are attempting to build mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and their audience. This means you must know what your end goal is at the start, and build upon that to enhance and grow your reputation through channels such as the press, social media, television and radio by way of tools like blogging, speaking gigs, outreach events and yes, press releases. Nikki Lamb Tudico shares her experience and knowledge of the PR industry to help us with strategies that can fit any size business, because PR isn’t just for the big, national brands. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/207

When it comes to building our websites, we sometimes tend to believe that the more info we have on there, the better. But that’s not exactly true. Bogging down your website with images and content and code that is unnecessary and slows down your site is a big negative in Google’s eyes. If your website doesn’t provide an optimal user experience, you will be negatively impacted and rank much lower. Learning how to keep your site running fast – even if that means tweaking your content and photos slightly to accommodate things like different screen sizes and resolutions depending on the type of device it is being viewed on - will go a long way in providing both user satisfaction as well as appeal more favorable to Google. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/205

A dashboard is an information management tool that allows you to take control of the business and dig deeper into the “how” and “why” of where it’s been and where it’s headed, by tracking key KPIs and other key data points relative to your business. Dashboards help to calibrate the business, to not only make more money but to also support the customers. If you’re seeing a dip in customer satisfaction, you also need to know why the numbers are down. Dashboards give you the granularity to know how and where to take action. In Dan Faggella’s case, dashboards allowed his businesses to not rely only on him, and thus was instrumental in allowing him to sell his companies for 6 and 7 figures each, by showing that they could essentially steer themselves without relying solely on him to succeed. www.agentsofchangecon.com/204

You may think that the same SEO tactics apply to all instances, but you’d be wrong. Sure, it all starts with good keyword research. But ranking for Google is drastically different than ranking for YouTube. Not every video is lucky enough to go viral on its own, so utilizing tips like saying the keyword in your video, concentrating on quality over quantity, being mindful of video length & good descriptions, engaging your audience, and piggybacking on the success of videos with the same keyword, just might help boost your vids and get you some amazing traffic.   www.theagentsofchange.com/203

Every business needs to know what language their customers are using because that means you can relate better to them. When you relate to them in a way they understand, they will buy your products and services. And this is why SEO is so important, it makes your website easy for both users and the search engine “robots” to understand when you cater to what they’re looking for. The best way to speak the language of your potential customers is to do some research into what they’re “saying” when they go searching online, by looking at keywords. When you can narrow down the key search words that are most commonly being used, you are that much more likely to rank higher in Google search. And then you can take it even further and see what keywords your competitors are using and how those stack up against your own keywords. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/202

If you’ve been writing blog posts for many years, has your ideal client changed – and if so – has your content changed with that? Making sure you’re taking advantage of all the info your analytics is telling you about what your readers want to hear more of will also allow you and your content to evolve and change over time. Planning out a strategy to your long form content writing will make the whole process less daunting and easier to manage and fit into your busy schedule. The goal here is to make it something you look forward to doing, instead of a chore. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/201

Measuring the success of your podcast is more than just getting in the “New & Noteworthy” section at iTunes. And that means it’s more about getting people to actually subscribe to your podcast than to simply just listen to it. The most obvious way to garner buzz about your podcast is to utilize your email list. But what you tell them in the email is one of the most critical and key components to a successful podcast launch. Simply asking them to check it out will not do, you need to tell them what you want - and that is for them to hit the ‘subscribe’ button (even go as far as to tell them how to do it) - and of course make sure you tell them all the benefits of doing so. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/200

Pinterest is the typically underutilized social platform that’s quickly gaining momentum. When you look at things it has over other social platforms – longevity of content visibility, inexpensive – it’s a no-brainer for businesses, especially those with tight marketing budgets. Peg Fitzpatrick teaches us how to make Pinterest work for small businesses by helping us build relationships with influencers, creating different boards to highlight multiple facets of our brand, how to use enticing text and photos, and how to promote our events using Pinterest.   www.theagentsofchange.com/199

If you think Pinterest is only for DIY-ers and the wedding industry, then you’re missing out. Pinterest is the underdog that is constantly proving itself as a valuable marketing tool for all kinds of businesses. Not only is it good for businesses with limited marketing budgets, it has much more of a “set it and forget it” mentality than other social channels that need constant babysitting and attention in order to maximize their potential. With little effort, you can use Pinterest to highlight your company’s work, link back to your blog or website, and promote not only your own content, but other valuable curated content as well. And remember, Pinterest pins also show up in Google searches now. http://www.agentsofchangecon.com/198

You can’t be everywhere at once, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could clone ourselves? Well, now you can…kinda. Using technology to interact with your customers via chatbots is the next big wave for businesses – large and small – to ride. Chatbot tools are now making it easier than ever to build a custom bot to interact with your Facebook clients 24/7 by answering FAQ’s and even using some of the lingo and personality that associates directly with your brand that people have become familiar with. http://www.theagentsofchange.com/197

Customarily, the way businesses generally go about things is to pump out large amounts of content through multiple channels - social media, email, paid advertising – and hope that does the trick. Then they might retarget those that didn’t bit the first time, including offering a few different low dollar purchase options before finally converting all of that effort into a few sales. But by reversing that sales funnel and simplifying it down to just 3 easy steps, you can convert even cold traffic with less work and less risk, and increase your customer’s lifetime value. Essentially you’re beginning with the end of your sales funnel and optimizing that by cutting out the middle man, which is faster and more cost effective for your business. www.theagentsofchange.com/196

Instagram Stories is the new kid on the block, a great new tool that individuals and businesses alike can use to engage in a more personal and authentic way with their audience. And here’s the thing…it disappears after 24 hours. If you’re a business looking for a creative outlet to connect with your audience, Instagram Stories gives you the ability to do things like show your product in action, tease for an upcoming conference or podcast, give a glimpse “behind the scenes”, and so much more. Sue B. Zimmerman - the “Insta Expert” - is here to teach us all the ninja tips and tricks to help us harness the full power and potential of all that Instagram has to offer us. www.theagentsofchange.com/195

We all know the importance of reaching the right audience, but what about getting a little help doing that. As the saying goes, “it’s all about who you know”, and there is a lot of truth in that. So why not find some influential people to help us get the word out about our products and services to reach an even wider audience? Amir Zonozi teaches us a thing or two about the different kinds of influencers, which ones are better poised to help us, and how we can form a working relationship with them.

Do you really know who your customers are? Is the information you have based on data supported facts or assumptions? If your assumptions are off the mark, then you’re straying from who your customer really is and what they care about. By spending just a minimal amount of time doing some basic research and perhaps even interviewing a handful of your customers - past and present – to find out why they came to you and how you can make the process easier for both of you, you can reap the rewards of your diligence with a ROI that pays out in more customers and sales for your business.   www.theagentsofchange.com/193

Like many business owners and entrepreneurs you're probably always searching for a new and creative way to get content out to your audience. Have you considered podcasting? Podcasting is a great way to serve up actionable items and valuable information to your audience without necessarily having to write out content in the way you would a blog post. Podcasts allow for infinite creativity in how you go about it, and it’s not expensive or that daunting of an undertaking. Plus, a podcast can give you and your business credibility while also allowing your audience another way - besides reading it - to enjoy and consume your content. www.theagentsofchange.com/192

With worldwide ecommerce showing rapid growth, there’s no better time to think about expanding your business to include online sales. An ecommerce model can be an excellent choice for entrepreneurs or small businesses looking to diversify or expand. The most obvious advantage is the ability to earn money when normal brick and mortar shops are closed. But making sure you have a solid strategy and marketing plan in place – as well as the right software to accommodate all of your needs – will be the key to not only getting up and running, but as to how successful you become.   www.theagentsofchange.com/191

Twitter chats offer a great way to gain exposure, build and audience and engage your followers, regardless of whether you’re participating or hosting. Don’t be intimidated, instead look at it as a creative way to either establish authority for your brand as a host, or network and connect with others as a participant,  all without having to do the dreaded cold outreach process.   www.theagentsofchange.com/190

Your website contact form is potentially your best source of quality leads, so when no one’s using it, you’re missing out on a lot of potential business. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest reasons why your site visitors aren’t completing your online form, and what you can do about it so you can generate more leads and sales from your website. This past week I was doing some outreach for a side project of mine: Streamline Marketing Workshops and our first ever Spring Conference. It’s a marketing conference for wedding professionals. I was contacting a number of wedding planners, venues, and other wedding professionals with information about the event through their contact forms. Although many had completely functional forms, the amount of difficult I had contacting these wedding professionals made me wonder how much business some of them are leaving on the table.   www.theagentsofchange.com/189

So, it’s finally here. The Lead Machine. The reason I wrote this book is because after twenty years, I’ve worked with an incredibly wide range of businesses. Marinas, psychologists, bed & breakfasts, authors, jewelry makers, insurance companies, septic specialists, ticket sellers, universities and English as a second language schools! So many of them came into our offices at flyte and told me that their business was unique. That they were not like other companies in their town, region, or industry. That how they did business, reached their customers, or delivered their product or service was unlike any others.   www.theagentsofchange.com/188

It’s not an easy thing to ask for help, but it can be particularly important when you’re just starting out in business. It’s been said that the key to success - both in life and in business - is all about who you know. But how do you make the right connections with the right people that can benefit everyone mutually? Making these vital connections is not just about who’s popular now, but also seeking out those on the fast track with the potential to become influential over time.  Katey Dietz is a social strategist with a knack for making connections through conversations and stories, and massaging those into lasting business relationships that serve long-term. www.theagentsofchange.com/187

There is no doubt that video has proven itself an effective marketing tool. When you’re on camera, you’re allowing your audience to make a personal connection with you. In doing so, they’re earning your trust and feel a connection to you and your products or services. And with so many options out there today, there is zero excuse not to create video, whether it’s your face out there or not. Amy Schmittauer’s passion for video turned a hobby into marketing success. She knows how businesses can leverage the use of videos to help them grow their organic reach.   www.theagentsofchange.com/186

Writing good copy is more than just coming up with a clever slogan or tagline, it’s really learning how you use your words effectively. It’s learning how to peel back the layers to your “problem” and come up with a “solution” that speaks to your audience as a whole, and in a language that appeals to them. Joanna Wiebe knows the art of good copy and the effect it can have for businesses trying to boost their sales with more optimized email and landing page copy.    www.theagentsofchange.com/185

If you’re looking to start a webinar or podcast, for example, incorporating interviews into the mix is a great way to broaden your audience and increase traffic, among other great benefits. But if you have no experience as an interviewer, there are a few key tips that you should keep in mind that will help even a rookie interviewer navigate their way from start to finish. When you have over 30 years of broadcasting experience under your belt like Rob Caldwell does, you learn a thing or two about how to do a successful interview. But success comes from practice and learning from the not so successful ones. Today Rob shares some of his experiences and tips to help you get on your way to becoming a great interviewer.   www.theagentsofchange.com/184

How do you engage a diverse consumer market, in an increasingly distracted world? The concept of engagement has taken center stage, as marketers struggle to stay center stage with consumers who are searching multiple platforms on various different screens at any given time. Greg Cangialosi shares his ideas on how marketers can better engage their audiences, and successfully capture that crucial contact information, that will allow them to build the relationships they need with them to translate into future sales.   www.theagentsofchange.com/183

In business, we want to make sure that we’re always front of mind for our customers and prospects. But how do we do that without inundating them with a blizzard of information, overloading them just to make sure they remember us? Maintaining inspiration within your audience is the key. You need to make them want to keep coming back to buy from you and/or consume the content you’re putting out. Andrew Davis is an author and digital marketing strategist who challenges businesses to change the way they think, in order to find new ways to market their brands in this ever-changing digital world.   www.theagentsofchange.com/182

Email marketing can be a tricky beast. It’s more than just making sure you have an email list that you’re spewing out x number of emails to a week. You need to finesse your audience, make sure the content is informative, compelling and eye catching, and allows you to stay front of mind without bombarding them to the point of unsubscribing. Jessica Best has taught businesses how to do email the right way. Her decade of experience in email and digital marketing has allowed her to strategize for a diverse audience, while helping businesses improve their return on investment.     www.theagentsofchange.com/181

Bonus Episode! If you've ever struggled with closing sales, you'll want to listen to what Meryl Snow, author of Booked It!, has to share. This is actually NOT an episode of Agents of Change, but rather the first episode of a brand new podcast I'm co-hosting, Streamline Marketing Workshops. Yes, co-hosting. :) I'm working with Destination Wedding Planner, Amber Small, to create something brand new. This is a marketing podcast specifically for the wedding and event professionals out there. Great marketing and sales advice, but with a focus on how to book yourself solid. Enjoy this bonus episode and we'll be back later this week with a brand new episode! If you want to check out our new hustle, please visit http://www.streamlinemarketingworkshops.com If you dig the show, just search for "Streamline Marketing Workshops" on iTunes!

To communicate effective with your audience, your brand needs to speak to them in a way your listeners – and prospects – can relate to, understand and trust. But how do we do that effectively when there are so many different styles that appeal to so many different people? The key is to find the most authentic, unforced version of who you are and what you stand for, and build on that. Amber Naslund has helped numerous brands - spanning all aspects of business - to find their brand’s best voice to resonate with their particular audiences.   www.theagentsofchange.com/180

It may not be the sexiest topic, but regularly checking your business’s analytics can mean the difference between putting money in your pocket, or throwing it out the window. If you’re going to run ads, at least take the time to test and find out what’s working and what’s not. If you don’t know what each of your customers are worth, how can you accurately decide how much to spend on advertising to them and still make a profit? Jeff Greenfield combines technology and marketing to help businesses make smarter investments with their advertising dollars, while allowing them to better track their cost per customer for more effective ad spending.   www.theagentsofchange.com/179

Today’s use of mobile devices is not just a trend, it’s the future. It is a paramount shift in how we are interacting with the internet, and it is happening at lightning speed. As business owners we can’t afford to just sit back and see how it all pans out, we need to take action now. Mobile marketing provides customers with time sensitive, geographic sensitive,  personalized information that promotes our goods, services and ideas. Making sure you do this in a way that both respects and resonates with the people consuming your advertising content is critical.   www.theagentsofchange.com/178

Every business is constantly looking for ways to reach their audience and drive more traffic to their website. Unfortunately often overlooked, blogging is actually a fantastic and robust way to do just that. But maybe you’re not confident in your writing ability, or just aren’t sure how to start or what to write about. Have no fear, Rich Brooks - creator of the Agents Of Change podcast - is here to share 12 different and creative examples of blogging ideas that anyone can do. Now you have no excuse not to start that business blog and reap all of the benefits (SEO, drive traffic, establish authority, just to name a few) to help build and market your business.   www.theagentsofchange.com/177

Success comes from many places - the right education, the right experience, the right mentors. But it also starts from within. Keeping your body healthy also makes the mind sharper and more focused. And who wouldn’t want that edge over their competition? Jeff McMahon explains how making a few small and easy changes in your daily routine can not only lead to a healthier life for your body, but it can translate into greater success for you business-wise as well. Jeff crushes the typical excuses ("I don’t have time"), and provides, easy, quick, and realistic "hacks" to your normal routine that will have you feeling healthier, more alert, more energetic, more productive and more creative.   www.theagentsofchange.com/176

It’s not only what you do to help a customer - but how you help them - that can make all the difference, not only for them but for your business’s success. It’s not always about just giving them what they ask for. Although it can mean a little more legwork, digging deeper to find out what they’re really in need of - which isn’t always what they initially ask for - and doing it in a transparent way that earns their trust, is the key to success for both your customers and your own business. Jillian Vorce shares her unique formula for relationship development - and pivoting into a retainer model that’s more value based based than commodity based - that has allowed her to earn the trust and confidence of her clients, while also getting a deeper understanding of what her ideal customers really want.   www.theagentsofchange.com/175

If you’re looking for a visually creative way to market your business, then look no further than Pinterest. Pinterest offers a visually rich platform that appeals to customers in a way that blogging or other text mediums do not. It’s also a fantastic way to build brand awareness as well as a personality for your company. With a little patience and common sense, you can find that Pinterest offers another playing field to not only reach your audience, but also to position yourself to get more traffic through Google and other search engines. Tina Gammon uses her Pinterest expertise to appeal to her customers - in this day and age of instant information gratification - and she does it with visuals. Her savvy and creative pins allow her customers to use them like a catalog that they can flip through to find just what they’re looking for. And if you give your customers what they’re looking for, they’ll keep coming back.   www.theagentsofchange.com/174

If you’re looking for a way to really focus your time on the social media activity for your business, you may need to limit the number of platforms that you’re on. Using a few key tactics and strategies - such as interviews and surveys - can help you choose the best one or two platforms to concentrate on that can really help your business grow and drive more traffic back to your website. Beth Hayden is an author and marketing expert who uses her expertise to help businesses create and implement online marketing systems that work to increase traffic and leads.   www.theagentsofchange.com/173

With organic reach shrinking across the board, content marketers are scrambling for answers. See what media company Social Media Examiner has done to overcome the lack of reach and what you can learn from the steps they took. Michael Stelzer is a social media expert, and a leading authority on the topics of writing and marketing white papers. He knows the secrets to helping businesses navigate the various social channels available today with strategies and tactics that translate to success. www.agentsofchangecon.com/172

How can a small business with limited resources ever compete with the business giants when it comes to SEO? Fortunately, it’s not just about volume these days. Things like inbound links and a nice library of good content will determine the winner. And those are odds even a non betting person can get behind. Concentrating on things like keyword research, link building, and on-page optimization will allow your business to build a marketing plan around specific keywords and phrases, that will in turn help you improve the quality and value of the content you’re creating. Jennifer Christensen and Suzette Bergeron are the brains behind Bulletin Brands. Together they have honed a mostly organic approach to how they use SEO to build their business and can testify that approximately 95% of their new business comes from organic search alone. 
www.agentsofchangecon.com/171

How many times have you hit that fork in the road when trying to solve a business decision? Are you worried you’re not reaching the precise audience that’s right for your business? Have you ever envisioned what your one, ideal audience member would look like if you put a face and backstory to them? Creating an avatar of your one, perfect listener allows you to narrow your niche to the most precise audience member that you’re trying to reach. Your avatar is your targeted demographic that allows you to focus exactly on the people that benefit most from your message. Once you know who that person is, it allows your business to find its direction and become a magnet that people are drawn to. John Lee Dumas is the Entrepreneur On Fire, whose podcast was recognized as Best Of iTunes in 2013. John’s podcasts aim to teach upcoming entrepreneurs to take their leap towards success by hearing the stories of failures and lessons learned from other well-known entrepreneurs. www.agentsofchangecon.com/170

It’s fair to say that the marketing goal of most businesses is to attract, nurture and convert their leads all the way down through the sales funnel. But what’s the most efficient way to do that? When you send the right messages to the right people you peak their interest, and marketing automation allows organizations to more effectively streamline their marketing efforts on multiple channels  - such as email, websites, social media - and to automate repetitive tasks. If your goal is to increase your organization’s operational efficiency and grow revenue faster, then look no further than marketing automation. With over 17 years of experience in business development and strategic sales, Charles Chadwick uses his expertise at SharpSpring to develop effective and streamlined marketing solutions that drive business growth and bring immediate value to organizations.   www.agentsofchangecon.com/169

I can't believe we're TWO DAYS from the Agents of Change conference. There's STILL so much to get done it's crazy! So, I hope you can forgive me that instead of a typical interview, or me reading a chapter of my upcoming book, I'm instead sharing with you my presentation from last year, Digital Marketing in an Hour a Day. I've also posted the full video from last year's presentation at the show notes if you'd prefer to watch this week instead of listen.   www.agentsofchangecon.com/168

There are certain things that every business website needs. In this podcast I want to talk about a few things that you just can’t do without…   www.agentsofchangecon.com/167

With the population’s growing addiction to their mobile devices these days, you want to make sure you reach your audience where they're hanging out. And with a community of over 500 million, Instagram is one of the world’s largest mobile ad platforms and a perfect place to reach your ideal customer. Small businesses are especially ideal candidates for Instagram advertising, as it allows users to dip into Facebook’s enormous data and target specific audiences, as well as nurture audience engagement. So as long as you know your target audience and how to reach them - when done right - Instagram ads have almost unparalleled potential to increase brand awareness and conversion rates for your business. Morgan Sutton loves helping small businesses meet their business goals by assisting them with their operations logistics, including educating them on social media automation systems and how to effectively advertise on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.   www.agentsofchangecon.com/166

All good business decisions are based on crucial data. Knowing exactly what data will help you make the best business decisions is the key. But that sounds like a lot of work developing time consuming reports, right? Wrong. Google Analytics takes the guesswork out of it and can actually save you time and advertising dollars. Google Analytics can easily tell you who is visiting your site, how they’re getting to your site, what they’re doing on your site, and if they are actually converting. By simply setting up your Analytics with a few key bits of information, you can find out all of this crucial data, and more. In essence, Google does the math for you, ensuring you more successful marketing campaigns and accurate measurability of what’s working and what’s not. Andy Crestodina is a content marketing and Google Analytics savant. His knowledge, tips and advice on the topics of content strategy, search and analytics have made him one of the most passionate and sought after teachers in the marketing industry.   www.agentsofchangecon.com/164

By now everyone knows that your email list is gold, as far as your business is concerned. Unlike social media sites such as Facebook, where you’re basically just “renting space”, your email list is your very own property, as well as an invaluable business commodity. But in this ever changing and evolving world of mobile marketing, finding a way to mesh the two together is key. . In order to stay on top in the mobile marketing era, you need to balance keeping your email marketing efforts relevant in this age of social media. Keeping in mind how much time the average person spends on their smartphones these days - and reaching out to them there - will help to keep your business front of mind, authentic, and open up other creative opportunities for your business to engage with your audience. Heather Jackson has more than 20 years experience helping businesses with their online and offline marketing strategies. She loves speaking and presenting at seminars and conferences on the topics of digital, social and email marketing, as well as best practices to help businesses grow using available online tools.   http://www.agentsofchangecon.com/164