21 Handshake Marketing Podcast

In this episode we talk about why you should do a website audit then go over some specific steps on how to do that! We love to tell our clients, a website is not a one and done type of deal- you should always be working to improve it with fresh content, test your user experience and of course improve SEO. There are 3 main benefits of a website audit:  ✔️Website performance optimization  ✔️Search engine optimization  ✔️Conversion optimization
Get your free website audit checklist in the show notes: https://mainsite.21handshake.com/podcasts/ep-85/
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/tuMHtqE40io

In the episode we go over top questions we receive about our digital marketing process! Those questions include: ✔️How Long Does it Take? ✔️What If My Budget is Small? ✔️I Don't Have a Marketing Team, Does this Still Work? And more! Listen as we dive into our process and answer your questions!
Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/PBSjuXLS0_A  
Read the Show Notes:  https://mainsite.21handshake.com/podcasts/ep-84/ ‎

In this episode we drill down into SEO basics and tactics that you can apply to starting thinking about how your business can dominate search engine rankings. From building a SEO friendly site to link building, this episode covers a lot of great information for businesses wanting to gain search authority for their industry. 

In this episode we talk about step 8 of our digital marketing solution which is all about using data and analytics to clarify your messaging. Our team discusses Google Analytics, Google My Business, SpyFu reporting and social media metrics and goes over why and how we use these platforms to assess digital marketing campaign, retarget audiences and determine if the data is aligning with the goal of the marketing efforts. 

In this episode we talk about step 7 of our digital marketing 9 step solution! Step 7 is all about digital dialogue and you can take your business from absent to engaged online. We cover what platforms you should be social listening on, why active listening is important and some pointers on how to engage online. This is a great episode to help you plan your digital dialogue presence next year. 

Online ads, digital ads, PPC, Facebook ads - multiple names for taking your content from passive to proactive! Aleks, Ashley and Sarah talk about why your content needs to go on the offense and how digital ad spend in your marketing budget can help you reach your target market. 

Content is still the most effective way from taking your brand from voiceless to vocal. Sarah, Aleks and Ashley discuss the 14 top content marketing pieces and how useful each one will be for any business marketing strategy in 2020. If your business does content, or is increasing content in the next year, this is a must listen episode. 

Our team discusses why your business needs a consistent social media presence. From correct logo sizes to colors and tone of 'voice' a social media strategy that focuses on brand consistency increases trust and authority. We also discuss 8 actionable tips on how to be and stay consistent! 

In this episode we talk about the 3rd piece in the foundation layer of our 9 step marketing solution! Your website hub is important as it is your real estate online and serves the purpose of connecting with visitors who are intentionally looking for your product and / or service and how that can meet their needs. In this episode we talk about how the website builds on your market research and brand story, what the difference between a website refresh and redesign is and then 7 reasons why you need to update your website now. 

This is a fun episode that dives deep into our 2nd 'box' of our signature solution digital marketing process! We talk about brand story and frequently asked questions our team receives regarding the 'why' a brand story and then all the 'what's' of a brand story. A great episode that goes over a foundational step to any marketing plan! 

In this episode, our team goes over the 1st foundation step in our digital marketing solution! Market research sets the foundation by defining your target audience, competitors and diving deep into how to use this data to clarify your marketing messaging.

In this episode, our team discusses the 9 step digital marketing solution that our clients use to find success online! This proven system when followed effectively generates leads with a purpose and can led your business to market authority. This is episode is a 'must' to listen to if your team  has a current piece-meal marketing strategy. This episode will show you there is a better cohesive way to find digital marketing succes. 

In this episode, our team talks with guest Brooke and Natasha from Instasize! Instasize is an app available on IOS and Android that comes with special filters and editing tools that can really make your Instagram stand out from others in the crowded feed. Instasize also has a newer app called MADE specifically for Instagram Stories. If your business wants to 'up' your IG game as 2019 comes to a close and / or increase your instagram engagement for 2020, this is an episode you don't want to miss! 

In this fun episode, Sarah interviews Ashley and Justice so you can get to know them better! Learn more about what they do at 21 Handshake, what their favorite food is and what superpower they wish they had! This is a great episode to get to know us better. 

Is your brand or business refreshing your logo? Or perhaps you are just embarking on your new business journey and need a new logo - well this episode is for you! We talk about in this episode all types of logo designs; but don't worry we don't over complicate it. Listen in as Justice, our own graphic designer at 21 Handshake breaks down logo type designs into examples and see what resonates with you - or better yet what will resonate with your prospects! 

We talk with Bryan at Email Oversight on all things email - including email campaign mistakes brands and businesses make that could be crucial to their email deliverability and open rate. If email is central to your marketing strategy (and it should be), this episode is for you! 

In this episode we talk all about organic CTR! If you have ever wondered how you can improve your SERP and CTR this episode is full of tips with the latest research on what is working in the world of SEO. Our team discusses the latest research from Brian Dean at Backlinko whose team analyzed 5 million Google results to find what is working now when it comes to CTR from search results. Insightful episode that will leave you excited to work on gaining better traction. 

In this episode, Sarah, Aleks and Ashley dive into a new 2019 report by Forrester Consulting titled B2B And B2C Companies Face Similar Hurdles With Complex Buyer Journeys. This report is full of great insights on the current state of your buyers and how they are making purchasing decisions. Surprising results from the study include that the time from first interaction to purchase has decreased for all buyers and that more and more buyers whether B2B or B2C are wanting to remain anonymous when interacting with brands. This episode is packed with insightful data on how you can connect with your customers and prospects better as well as how you can leverage cross channel marketing to track customers in their buying journey. 

In this episode we are joined by Lisa Roberts, marketing director at Alexander Lumber to talk about managing multi-location marketing! We deep dive into the challenges of multi-store marketing, how to keep brand unity alive when it comes to multiple stores and keep positive customer experience high from store to store. We also learn why she created a 'marketing menu' for their 13 locations and how that menu is used to cater to each store's unique marketing needs. This is a great episode with some wonderful marketing insights on how to take a 'brand' and disseminate it down to local marketing. 

Is your content converting into leads? Today on the podcast we are joined by Paul at Atomic Reach to learn about how their software is using artificial intelligence to write content that connects with a business or brand target audience. Using data and trends that are specific to your ideal buyer, their software is able to tweak headlines, subject lines, email copy, call to actions, product descriptions and more to craft content that leads to higher conversions. We loved hearing about the exciting - yet practical - uses of big data and how it can be effective for businesses to connect with their audience better! 

How do you measure success on social media? In this episode Sarah, Ashley and Aleks dive into what are key performance indicators for social media and what really matters! Track these metrics to determine ROI for your business when it comes to social media posting. 

Ashley and Sarah talk with Ryan and Steven from Podium about how to centralize touchpoints! If you have ever wanted more local reviews or a better way to capture your target audience phone number - then this is a super cool platform you want to check out! Check out this episode to discover how businesses are using reviews to capture better local SEO as well how you could be getting those reviews - simply by texting your customers as they are leaving the business! This is a really slick platform that we see being beneficial for all businesses - no matter the size or audience. 

Dr. Gabe Ellis joins our show today to discuss real life marketing tactics that he uses as a small business owner. He provides great insights into what it looks like to market not only to a consumer but to another business. Listen to discover why intent, authenticity and authority go a long way into both attracting and retaining new clients. 

Are you posting at the right time on social media to maximize engagement? That is the topic our team dives into today as we share the latest posting times from a new report from Sprout Social. What we find out may surprise you and will definitely help you craft a best posting time strategy. 

In this episode, Bruce, Operations Director from TBX Agency joins us to talk about the Value of User Experience on Your Website! Bruce has some great insights on why you should lead with content first when designing a new website, what user flow is on a site and what their system is to help businesses discover how best to give users maximum value when landing on their site. Whether you are struggling to get your website visitors to convert or are in the process of designing a new site, this episode is a must listen!

What is Google My Business? In this episode we tackle that question and how your business can use Google My Business to further local SEO results. From what it is and why your brand needs to be on it to new updates to the Google My Business platform - learn all about how you can further your brand's local story through the Google My Business platform.

Have you ever wondered why you need a website developer? Or what a website developer even does? (beyond just creating your website...) Join Aleks, Ashley and Sarah as they discuss frequently asked questions web dev questions with Gino Whitaker from Pixeler Interactive Group. We go over questions related to website design, SEO and why our team loves the functionality Wordpress sites offer for businesses of all sizes. 

Who is Mary Meeker? And what does she know about the Internet? Well ALOT! Listen as Sarah, Aleks and Isaac discuss the 2019 Internet Trends Report by Mary Meeker. There are some surprising trends - such as how mobile devices have for the first time surpassed TV for time spent among US consumers! And some not so surprising - new privacy laws will affect internet advertising. This is a 'report' you won't want to miss! 

Justin Herring joins our podcast to talk about why SEO is a long term strategy. Justin is an SEO expertise and owner of Yeah! Local an SEO agency located in Atlanta. Listen as we discuss why organic SEO is a long term strategy, if PPC ads help rank you faster and how your local Google listing and reviews can impact search engine ranking. This is an insightful episode you won't want to miss! 

Welcome to Season 2! In this episode, our newest 21 Handshake team member, Justice, interviews Sarah, Aleks and Sarah on what a digital marketing agency actually does! If you have ever wondered how our team spends their day doing social, video and SEO this episode is for you. 

Do you get confused when wrapping your mind around what website metrics you should be tracking? In this episode, we give you the top 10 metrics every business should be analyzing in their Google Analytics. We also provide context on why these metrics are important and some tips on how to use them to improve your digital marketing efforts. 

In this episode, we talk all about keywords! Are they still an important part of SEO when writing content on your website? We dive into latest trends, why user intent is important and how AI affects search results. If you write content for your website or blog, this is a must listen. 

Sarah, Aleks and Ashley discuss the new 2019 Sprout Social Index on the podcast and the insights that marketers can glean from the latest report. Key findings include marketers struggle to create social strategies, Facebook continues to dominate and social listening is on the rise as brands begin to use social as a way to engage their audience! Visit the website for complete show notes and a link to the Sprout Social Index. 

What is a KOL? And how are key opinion leaders different from influencers? Dive into this topic with Sarah, Aleks and Ashley and discover the tips on how a KOL can further your B2B brand and create awareness with your niche target audience. 

The 5 reasons you need to convince your B2B boss that your company needs a chat box ASAP! Listen as Sarah, Ashley and Alexs not only give you the reasons but back up the reasons with quality data and research points. A chat box could be just what your business needs to capture your next big lead! 

A great episode that not only covers what your laptop holding habit might say about your personality but what Sarah and Ashley consider the top 10 habits of a successful digital marketer. A must listen if you wonder what our team does on the daily to ensure success! 

Join us as we talk about how groups are dominating social media! We discuss why Groups have become a huge focus for social media giant Facebook and how your brand can capitalize on creating a group and use it to create engagement with your audience! 

This week we are talking about the marketing movement of ‘small bites’ - this is different than LONG FORM content which we have also talked about and is usually tied into SEO. What is this movement?  It's the movement to keep our content brief and easily consumable. Its main premise is that "Marketing works when it’s short, brief and to the point.” (Chris Brogan) Listen as we discuss the data behind this trend and how as marketers you can create marketing in small bites!

Quora is a great forum of frequently asked questions! Today Ashley and Sarah tackle 10 top social media questions that quora users have posted and answer them! From the creepiest social media trend to our best social media marketing tip, this is a fun episode that will answer social media questions you have always wanted to ask and hear answered! 

Sarah, Ashley and Aleks dive into all things hashtags on this episode! Specifically, questions we get asked weekly about hashtag use on Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Listen to this episode if you would like to know the answers to frequently asked questions such as how many hashtags to use? How to post hashtags and how to know what hashtags to use. 

In this episode, Ashley and Sarah talk about 5 things they each learned about digital marketing over the past week. This episode is full of great tips and tools that they have each seen work for increasing your digital marketing output. From growing your hashtag outreach to an easy to use design platform (really) these tips will streamline your marketing efforts!

The Marketing Funnel isn't dead and we show you how to engage your ideal buyer during each stage from awareness to consideration to conversion and brand loyalty. Use the tips from this episode to create engaging content that communicates your value prop to your ideal buyer!