For a digital marketing agency, we sure do talk a lot about radio, especially podcasts.

Last week, we were practically pushy about the ways starting a podcast can boost your business and improve your SEO ranking. So, have you recorded one yet? Great! Let us know where to subscribe.

If, however, you’re still in the research phase of your podcast journey, this post has come to your aid. Or, maybe you’re simply looking for a way to grow your knowledge base, but can’t seem to find the time for books or seminars. Good thing pods are portable and marvelous for multitasking.

We’ve taken the guesswork out of your search for the best of the earbuds. Ahead is a concentrated mix of six podcasts from businesses small and large that we consider to be compulsory.

1. The Introvert Entrepreneur

Hosted by:Beth Buelow
Episode Length:Up to 45 minutes
Twitter:@Introvertcoach
Website: https://theintrovertentrepreneur.com/

What to know about the show:

We live in a world that values extroversion, silencing the gifts and talents of those on the other side of the coin. The Introvert Entrepreneur gives the floor to introverts-turned-successful-business-owners. Bigwigs like Inc. and Entrepreneur have recognized the pod on ‘best of’ lists and the show focuses on a range of relatable topics like leadership and personal growth.

2. Being Boss

Hosted by: Emily Thompson + Kathleen Shannon
Episode Length: 10-minute minisodes to 1 hour or more
Subscribe on: https://beingboss.club

What to know about the show:

Want to launch a brand or be your own boss? These business besties are here to help. The show has been downloaded more than 5 million times – and for good reason. It hosts global guests like Brene Brown and Marie Forelo, media like Forbes and Huffington Post listen, too. Basically, if you want your passion to start earning you a paycheck, tune in and level up.

3. Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin

Hosted by: Seth Godin
Episode Length: About 20 minutes
Subscribe on: https://www.akimbo.link/

What to know about the show:

Yes, that Seth Godin. Post Purple Cow fame, he’s gone on to continually inspire millions with his blog writing. Now, he lends his voice to help game changers who want to shift entire cultures. Named after an ancient word meaning “bend,” the podcast promises to aid those aiming to make a difference in the world. Looking for a more traditional scoop from Seth? Check out his other show, Seth Godin’s Start Up School.

4. Online Marketing Made Easy

Hosted by: Amy Porterfield
Episode Length: 30-45 Minutes
Subscribe on: https://www.amyporterfield.com/amy-porterfield-podcast/

What to know about the show:

If you want to simplify your understanding of this complicated field, Amy Porterfield’s podcast promotes just that. Whether you run an ecommerce store, or just need a few tried and true tips to monetize your brand, Online Marketing Made Easy has you covered. Her digital marketing strategies touch on everything from email segmentation and engaging drip campaigns to social media best practices and business blogging.

5. School of Greatness

Hosted by: Lewis Howes
Episode Length: An hour or more
Subscribe on: https://lewishowes.com/sogpodcast/
What to know about the show:

What could a former pro athlete know about making it in the business world? Turns out, a lot. School of Greatness is a top-rated podcast, hosting greats to bring out the greatness in you. Howes is a New York Times best-selling author who’s broadcasting his message of empowerment to help you reach new heights in your career and in your life. Cozy up to guests like Tony Robbins and Arianna Huffington for a serious dose of inspiration.

6. Marketing School

Hosted by: Neil Patel & Eric Siu
Episode Length: 5-10 Minutes
Subscribe on: https://marketingschool.io
What to know about the show:

For the time deprived, search marketing specialists Neil Patel and Eric Siu offer actionable, digestible small business marketing know-how. Each episode of their pod, Marketing School, is just 5 to 10 minutes each. They waste no time bringing you marketing tips you can implement straight away. It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s strategic, it’s Marketing School.

From overcoming your introversion to mastering online marketing, these six entrepreneur podcasts, make it easy to listen while you work.

Prefer to watch and learn? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for Season 5 of our weekly digital marketing video series where SEO and CEO extraordinaire, Eric, shares the latest in industry news and marketing strategies. On the docket: insights on the new PageRank Patent Update, Facebook’s Cryptocurrency, and Netflix’s investment in billboards.

Hey end-user!  Have you thanked your bit ’n’ bytes virtuoso lately?  Your IT professional does not live on caffeine and trouble tickets alone!

If a note of praise or thank you is overdue, you are in luck.  Tuesday, September 18, is National IT Professionals Day.  It is the perfect opportunity to recognize and appreciate the work you know and the work you don’t that your information technology professional performs daily, weekends and nights too.

What IT Professionals Do for You

Let’s put this in perspective.  Your IT guy or gal is the one who sets up your email and ensures you do not become a spam magnet; patches your organizations’ network vulnerabilities; and resets your password _ again _ because you forgot yours while sipping pina coladas in Cancun.

IT professionals are becoming ever more critical to the core functions of all businesses in all sectors, from Main Street to the multi-national that never sleeps.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of IT jobs will grow by about 500,000 positions in the next seven years.

The profession’s importance is growing leaps and bounds because IT is not just on your desk or in your ear.  It is everywhere: In the workshop’s lathe, your car’s tires, in your Google Assistant.  McDonald’s knows exactly how important the geeks in the server room are.  Just watch this TV commercial, a quintessential favorite of IT pros.

How to Show Your Appreciation

If you take the step to celebrate the day, no matter how modestly, it is sure to surprise and delight your Rails-literate code wrangler.  In fact, this year will be the just third annual national day recognizing IT professionals.

A card, a cupcake, or an impromptu office gathering to celebrate this highly skilled employee’s valor and patience in saving everyone from a motherboard meltdown will do.  However, if you are an overachiever and know just what flavor of geekiness your IT professional subscribes to, swag that is off the chain is just a click away.

Most important of all will be a sincere “thank you.”  The IT pro addresses error codes and smashing email delivered malware (despite repeated warnings), all while keeping the solid-state and clouded architecture, and the core applications working seamlessly.

Charles M. Schwab, an unquestionable financial guru said, “I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among men the greatest asset I possess. The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement.”

Once upon a time, it was all about campfires not TVs, social media, or even radio that held us captive. The stories told around the fire helped shape entire cultures and solidify communities.

As the oldest form of education, storytelling lives on in our consciousness and the ancient art continues to form indelible tenets of our modern world. It predates writing and still manages to stay distinct and relevant after all these centuries.

In their most recent chapter, stories have found a new home. Through podcasts, they can now venture to far away lands, go back in time, and project into the future. They can travel by invisible magic, radiating through headphones or car speakers.

Audiences hungrily devour them whole. With their insatiable appetite for information and good storytelling, podcasts are consumable content with the rare ability to practically hypnotize your target audience.

In a world of shrinking attention spans, there’s never been a better time for high-quality audio content. Looking for a new way to promote your business? These podcast tips will help your brand story take center stage.

Why your Business Should Start a Podcast 

1. Audiences will follow the sound of your voice. Reading is a silent activity – one that rarely, if ever, conveys your point with the inflection you wrote it. That’s because reading happens in our head, and the writer is often cast in our own voice. True, we’re big proponents of creating a discernible brand voice with your copy. But there’s something incredibly personal about speaking into someone’s ear. It captures their attention and hearts, beckoning them to trail your words like a crumb-lined path.
2. It’s easy to digest and recall them. Podcasts can be consumed while tending to life’s myriad demands. They can co-pilot a drive to work, be someone’s sous chef in the kitchen, or take the place of a workout buddy. No need to stop, focus and devote swaths of time most of us don’t have. Information told in storytelling formats is also shown to aid memory and, done right, can increase CRO.
3. Podcasts have multiple distribution channels. If you have a Mac, you know that iTunes search results often populate before you ever finish typing a query into Safari. Google Play, Sticher, iHeartRadio, and even Soundcloud are all examples of other podcast hosting platforms that are happy to help you get the word out. There are a number of other distribution strategies, including keyword and SEO optimization, which can promote your podcast organically.
4. The market isn’t saturated with storytellers. At least not yet. Shows like Serial have only just recently really put podcasts on the map. We’re just starting to see the swell before the tsunami. Now’s the time to build your audience and get them hooked on your commendable content before the sea becomes so large it drowns out your brand voice.
5. They won’t blow your marketing budget. All you need are a host and a mic to get started. For less than $75, you can find a piece of recording equipment and editing software to help broadcast your message to the masses. What’s more, a podcast can bring in enough leads and sales to quickly pay for itself.

For as long as there’s been language, there have been stories. Use podcasts to share tales with your target audience for a happily ever after.

This doesn’t have to be the end! If you need help casting yourself into the world of podcasts, we can help your journey.

Cryptocurrencies. Depending upon who you ask, they’re either the next big thing to take e-commerce by storm, or they’re just an overhyped fad that will crash much sooner than enthusiasts want to admit. Regardless of your feelings on the matter, learning about this new technology can be interesting, especially when you see how many different cryptocurrencies are currently available for purchase and the sheer volume of new currencies that are currently in development. Bitcoin is only the most famous example of cryptocurrency—it’s definitely not the only player in this market!

In today’s video, we’ll give a brief overview of cryptocurrencies; namely, how they “work” in regards to blockchain technology and enforced scarcity. The individual units of a cryptocurrency (be they Bitcoins, Litecoins, or Dogecoins, or something else entirely) don’t have any inherent value on their own—but can’t the same be said for the paper money and digital transactions that rule most consumers’ lives these days?

We’re not saying that you should definitely rush out to buy up Facebook coins the moment they become available. We’re not saying that you should definitely ignore the company’s attempts to hop on the cryptocurrency bandwagon, either. Instead, we’re suggesting you keep an eye on this trend and join us in seeing where it goes!

Let’s talk about you and…well, you. More specifically, let’s talk about you talking about you.

If that’s getting too meta, stay with us.

By now, you know that having a company website is non-negotiable. So, think of it this way; If your brand were a person, your site would be the clothes it wears. And the about us page, the subject of today’s chat, would be its shoes. The overall outfit would be incomplete and awkward without them, but not all pairs are a fit.

We’ll show you how to write the about us page of your website, complete the look, and step into the world looking irresistible, header to footer.

Why Everyone’s Talking about About Us Pages  

Say you were interviewing for a position, which, in theory, is what your website is: a one-way interview with customers. You wouldn’t spend tons of time and effort carefully picking out your suit, ironing your button down, and meticulously combing your hair only to slap on a pair of flip-flops to complete the outfit. Same goes for the about us page of your website.

Just like sloppy footwear, sloppy copy on your about page can ruin your chances of getting the job.

Though the web design features can create a professional exterior, you still need the goods to back it up and finish your look. Visually appealing web graphics and a good layout won’t do you any good if you’re leading with a poorly written ‘about us’ page that was clearly an afterthought.

Writing your About Page

Be it a potential customer who is piqued by your social media presence, a local journalist who’s covering businesses in your area, or a potential new employee sizing up your company culture; it’s everyone’s go-to page. The place they can mine a wealth of information about who you are.

The important thing is to be ahead of them and in charge of the conversation.

Here are five suggestions to make it a productive one.

1. Treat it like sales collateral, because it is. Of all the marketing copy you write, this one page is the most central to who you are. It’s also a breeding ground for answers to frequently asked questions that, once addressed, can encourage a connection with your brand. Remember that when a potential customer lands on your about page, they’re considered a captive audience. Or at least they will be the more intentional you are about your big reveal. May we recommend sending your core values to the front?
2. Show your story – don’t just tell it. Unless you’re writing an open letter format, which certainly works for some businesses, a wall of words might not be the best tactic. Instead, try breaking up the text with emotion-packed marketing Or, better yet, introduce your company with a video. It’s personal. It’s proficient. And it’s the best way to pack a lot of information into just a few frames. In fact, according to McQuivey’s Forrester study, How Video Will Take Over the World, “Video is worth 1.8 million words.” Not sure what to write? Speak from the heart instead.
3. Put a face to your name. There’s competition in every industry, but there’s only one you. As corny as that may sound, it’s your best, if only way to truly differentiate yourself. Let users see the human beings behind the brand and have your team share a little personality while they’re at it. Even if customers never meet you in person, you can be so personable that they’ll feel like they’ve known you all their lives. And as we’ve seen, the more personalized your website, the higher your CRO – plain and simple.
4. Share what others are saying. From testimonials and prestigious awards to press clippings, the about page is a great opportunity to share your story through other people’s eyes without cluttering up your home page. It shows the impactful quality of your brand and is an integral part of your story – past and present.
5. Call them to action. Let your about us page be a hub in the wheel of your website. CTAs can be plentiful and increase the traffic on other pages of your site. Take visitors by the hand and gently lead them to influential social media channels, your company blog, or careers page. You can even bate them to continue their journey by signing up for your email list.

Final words

A brands about us section is likely to be a high traffic page on your site. It’s usually also the first to be visited, but if not done well, it may also be the last.

Having writer’s block or finding it hard to brag on yourself? Let our content experts write an about page for you.

What if we told you that you had a team of team of untapped marketers and salespeople waiting to help spread the word about your business? They don’t require a salary, and you might never meet them in person, but you also can’t afford to ignore them.

No, we’re not suggesting you “invest” in an unpaid intern. Instead, we recommend crowdsourcing content from willing brand ambassadors.

Need a refreshed marketing strategy to help you break through the noise and increase your organic reach? By connecting with your customers with user-generated content, you can.

User-Generated Content Defined

Anyone outside of your business who interacts with your brand on social media has the potential to supply you with click-worthy user-generated content (UGC). This type of collaboration turns followers into content producers. With it comes a steady supply of photos, videos, and unsolicited testimonials about your business.

Why is UGC Effective?

User-generated content satisfies two key pillars consumers base purchasing decisions on: trust and authenticity. Not only are they more likely to trust peer recommendations, according to Social Media Today, “60% of consumers said user-generated content (UGC) is the most authentic form of content – 3X more authentic than brand-created content.”

User-generated content also helps your business by:

• Giving your marketing department a break, allowing them to focus on other essential tasks outside of content creation.

• Expanding your organic reach, turning followers who evangelize your brand to their family and friends into mico-influencers.
• Building relationships with your online community, providing personal insights into your target market audiences.

How to Source User-Generated Content

Now you know what UGC is and why it’s essential, but where do you find it?

It’s probably not as simple as a Google search. However, your customers and their lives are most certainly online. It’s just a matter of zeroing in on the compelling content that furthers your brand.

Here are five ways to hone your hunt for quality user-generated content:

1. Host a contest or give-a-way. Very often you get what you give(-a-way). Try incentivizing users to offer up their personal content in exchange for prizes or experiences that directly relate to your business. Putting out a call for photos or videos that have a specific theme will help you broadcast on-brand messages. Pro tip: specify that the photo with the most likes will win, and you can all but guarantee good engagement when you re-post it.
2. Cruise your geo-tags. Periodically check to see who’s been tagging themselves at your place of business. If you see something you like, use an app like Repost to re-share with your followers. Be sure to tag them in the post, so the original is credited appropriately.
3. Brand your hashtags. You’re well within your rights to search out general hashtags as they relate to your brand; however, creating hashtags that are specific to the work you do will instantly catalog and categorize potential submissions. Airbnb had of the most popular campaigns of 2017 using this social media strategy. While the #WeAccept branded hashtag reinforced them as a global brand, the UGC they posted was wholly representative of their mission of non-discrimination. (A value-based marketing win that we can definitely get behind.)
4. Call for submissions. You can use your existing social media presence to simply request customers tag you in their photos and stories, but if you want to take it a step further, request photos:

• in your newsletters – have a specific section with hashtags to use and other instructions to ensure you can find the photo.
• on your homepage – create a banner directing them on where and how to submit.
• with signs onsite – put up an irresistible background or photo booth that will make folks naturally want to gravitate and re-share.

5. Don’t forget about the employees. We recommend letting customers peer behind the curtain once in a while. The backstage look has an inherent core of authenticity. And what better way to personalize your brand than to share a bit about the people who make it run? Even if you remain strangers IRL, having employees share your company content and supply you with personal posts of their own will help users feel more connected.

In the end, there’s no wrong way, or place, to share user-generated content. Be it on your website, in your email marketing, or posted to your social media accounts, the message is clear: polished and perfect is out. ‘Real’ is the real deal.

Online ordering is the way of the future. Whether it’s through apps or desktop websites, more and more eateries are now offering consumers ways to assemble a meal, pay for it online, and either have it delivered to their door or be ready for pickup at a store within the hour. Not all eateries offer this kind of service, of course; many still require customers to either call in their orders or simply drop by in-person. But restaurants that DON’T allow people to obtain food with a few keystrokes or screen taps definitely run the risk of being left behind. How comfortable are you with online ordering? Does your company offer it for the goods and services that it provides?

In this video, we discuss a special promotion that was run jointly by Burger King and Instagram in Spain. Spanish burger-lovers were able to use polls on their Instagram Stories to customize their perfect Whopper, adding and subtracting ingredients as they saw fit. But this wasn’t just an exercise in opinion gathering. After sharing their ideas for their ideal sandwich, customers could then go to their local restaurant and enjoy their one-of-a-kind Whopper…for free! By the end of the event, Burger King had given away over 30,000 hamburgers, and they’d engaged with even long-time customers in a way that was fun and revolutionary.

Small businesses eager to get on track with online ordering systems would be wise to keep an eye on Instagram. This social media giant has already experimented with an in-app payment system, meaning that it could one day be a viable platform for virtual shopping. Folks who adore Instagram will likely welcome this additional use for the application…and people who just like the speed and convenience of e-commerce will be happy for the opportunity to expand their horizons.