Skip to main content
The Messengers

The Messengers

By Chris Searles

The Messengers are here to discuss all things marketing, advertising, and entrepreneurship. Improve your messaging to increase awareness and engagement for your business, products, and services and make a more lasting connection with your customers.
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Holiday Marketing Tips

The MessengersFeb 11, 2019

00:00
37:04
How to Work with a Marketing or Advertising Agency
Sep 25, 201930:39
Cost vs Value

Cost vs Value

Price comparison shopping has become so prevalent that it's starting to have negative consequences for business owners and consumers who only look at price without evaluating the value provided by both low- and higher-cost options.

How cheap or expensive an item is doesn't have anything to do with the size of the price tag; it's all about how much value you get for what you spend. This episode is a deep dive on evaluating your options beyond just the price tag.

Aug 29, 201919:39
Digital Printing vs Offset Printing

Digital Printing vs Offset Printing

Digital printing is a relative newcomer in the world of printed media and we often face a lot of questions with regard to when we choose to use one process over the other. On this episode of The Messengers podcast (https://messengers.blog), Chris Searles (www.christophersearles.com) and Rob Seifert of Searles Graphics (www.searlesgraphics.com) discuss the differences between digital printing and offset printing, the pros and cons of each print process, and when you might choose to use one instead of the other.

Aug 21, 201931:57
Cyber Security Basics

Cyber Security Basics

Many business and individuals are guilty of failing to follow the most basic of cyber security steps to protect their own information, and the personal information of their employees and customers.

Far too often we see the lack of simple procedures result in data breaches, stolen credit cards, identity theft, financial issues, and massive headaches for everyone involved.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles (www.christophersearles.com) and Rob Seifert discuss the most basic of security procedures and policies that all businesses should follow.

Even if you don't own a business, there is a ton of information in this episode on how individual people can keep their personal information safe from attackers.

Visit https://messengers.blog for full episode notes and more from The Messengers!

Aug 13, 201948:29
How to Set a Marketing Budget

How to Set a Marketing Budget

One of the hardest things for entrepreneurs and small business owners to wrap their heads around when it comes to marketing and advertising their business is how much they should be spending on those activities. In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert discuss the issue of budgeting your marketing and advertising activities, with specific detail about how much you should actually be spending and the proper way to account for those expenses.

Visit https://messengers.blog for full show notes, including links to all of the resources mentioned in this episode!

Aug 07, 201931:47
Logo Design

Logo Design

Many entrepreneurs and businesses spend far too much time, effort, and money on logo design.

While your logo holds some importance, it’s not the make-or-break endeavor that many make it out to be.

Whether it’s spending too much on logo design, or agonizing over details that won’t matter at all to your business, mistakes happen in the logo design process all the time.

On the other hand, there are a number of important elements when it comes to choosing a logo designer that need to be considered, but don’t need to cost a fortune.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert discuss some of the common logo design pitfalls they see entrepreneurs and marketers fall into, as well as the misconceptions many hold when it comes to understanding what a logo is actually supposed to do.

They provide important information you should be sure to discuss with your logo designer to make sure your logo will work across all mediums, and get into everything from digital vs. print color-palettes to whether or not your logo should be updated and at what frequency.

Visit https://messengers.blog to find links to your favorite podcast or streaming service, or click here to subscribe to The Messengers on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_q1Z9BVf0HnSIcGUXs_jqA).

Jul 31, 201934:01
How to Use Google Analytics

How to Use Google Analytics

Deploying your website is just step one in the long process of maximizing that shiny new domain name you just purchased. All of the effort getting things just right is wasted if you’re not measuring the performance of your website, and then making changes based on the results you see.

Modern analytics tools– the most common and accessible being Google Analytics– make measuring your website’s effectiveness simple. 

Unfortunately, even for many who see the value in analyzing their analytics data, they’re often left overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that’s presented to them

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert provide an overview on the features of Google Analytics to help demystify the platform. They provide examples of how they use Google Analytics to improve the performance of their websites, and share some of the concerns and mistakes they see clients make using the platform for their own business.

They discuss everything from finding out how people are getting to your website, using Google Analytics to identify which pages of your website are serving user’s needs and which ones aren’t, how to use Google Analytics to see what parts of your website are the most engaging and, most importantly, how to use Google Analytics to drive sales.

Visit https://messengers.blog to find links to your favorite podcast or streaming service and to get the latest from The Messengers! 

Jul 23, 201939:15
How to Use Direct Mail to Supercharge Your Marketing

How to Use Direct Mail to Supercharge Your Marketing

To some, direct mail sounds like an outdated marketing method. But with the oversaturation we’re seeing in digital marketing mediums, it’s as (or more) effective than ever. In fact, for many marketers, it’s the single best direct response marketing medium they have.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert of Searles Graphics discuss the benefits that direct mail marketing can bring to a business and how they’ve managed to use direct mail to make a difference for their own clients.

They discuss the various ways you can get a mailing piece to your target audience, how to build or acquire your mailing list, and how to deal with post office regulations (we know it can be hard). They also touch on the actual design of your direct mail marketing, and how to maximize the effectiveness of your direct mail piece through creative and intelligent design.

Jul 16, 201932:28
Redesigning Your Website the Right Way

Redesigning Your Website the Right Way

Keeping your website up-to-date can be one of the most difficult tasks for a small business. Very few small businesses and entrepreneurs are able to dedicate personnel to this task, which means it usually falls by the wayside until it gets so bad it can no longer be ignored. At that point, it comes time to make a decision on whether you’re looking at an update or a complete, ground-up rebuild.

It would be nice if there was a rule we could follow, such as “if it has been X years since you did Y, you need to start from scratch.” Unfortunately the real answer isn’t so straightforward.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert discuss the correct approach to a website redesign - one based on data and facts rather than subjective opinion.

We discuss some of the technical aspects behind rebuilding a website for a business, how to identify when a website needs a full redesign, how to use the data that your current website provides to optimize rather than rebuild, and most importantly, what you should be doing to turn views and clicks into revenue for your company.

Jul 09, 201930:55
Everything You Need to Know About Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Everything You Need to Know About Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization, or SEO, can be one of the hardest aspects of digital marketing. But with the majority of people picking from the first page of Google’s search results when they need a service or product, organic search optimization is a critical part of any comprehensive marketing strategy.

And with paid search engine advertising being more prominent than ever, navigating the Google landscape can be more confusing than ever.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert discuss what SEO is really all about, debunk some of the myths that seem to permeate small businesses about search engine optimization, and provide best practices that they implement for their own clients.

They discuss balancing search advertising and organic search results, what you can do to boost your own rankings, understanding what your potential customers are actually searching for and how to beat the competition. They also explain how a consistent content stream, relevant to your searchers’ interests is the most important way to set yourself apart from everybody else.

Don't forget to visit https://messengers.blog for the latest from The Messengers!

Jul 02, 201934:33
Using Data to Inform Design Decisions

Using Data to Inform Design Decisions

No matter the particular marketing piece, the goal is to drive the user/reader/listener/viewer to take an action.

Your design might be a masterpiece, but it's unlikely to drive revenue to your business if your only goal is for it to look nice. Driving action is about designing for results, not aesthetics alone.

Real marketing is designed based off real data. When designing an interactive piece like a website, using heat maps or tracking click-through rates can help determine what parts of the design are actually working, even if you’re not personally thrilled with the way they look.

Design is subjective, data isn’t.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert discuss the difference between designs that just look nice, and designs that actually deliver results.

They discuss why it’s difficult to separate yourself from your design biases and understand why data is such an important factor in the layout of websites and other marketing materials. They also identify some common data-gathering techniques you can use for your own marketing materials to identify what’s working and resonating with your users, and what elements are missing the mark.

Jun 25, 201919:48
Facebook Advertising 101
Jun 20, 201927:49
Promotional Items that Actually Work!
Jun 14, 201923:13
It Doesn't Pay to Be an A$$h*&^%

It Doesn't Pay to Be an A$$h*&^%

"The most underrated skill in business is being nice." - Mark Cuban

We've seen firsthand how true that is. Cultivating positive working relationships with your customers, vendors and employees seems to be an underdeveloped skill for a lot of people these days. Whether it's because we're always too busy to take the time or too disengaged with the people directly in front of us or on the other end of the phone or screen, far too many people forget that it simply pays to be nice to your fellow human beings.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert talk about their experience building these relationships in their own business and explain how accepting short-term losses in the name of doing the right thing by people can lead to long-term success.

They discuss why people you work with are more inclined to help you out when you create and maintain a relationship based on mutual respect and empathy. They also talk about how being demanding or just plain rude can negatively affect you and your business over the long term.

Jun 04, 201918:24
Does Your Business Need a Mobile App?
May 28, 201930:26
Should You Invest In Content Marketing?
May 22, 201931:09
You Can't Out-Walmart Walmart
May 13, 201923:33
Darrah Brustein: Designing Your Life

Darrah Brustein: Designing Your Life

 The Messengers are back, this time with special guest Messenger, Darrah Brustein.

Darrah is the founder of Network Under 40, an Atlanta Georgia based business meant to help young professionals with networking and relationship building as they enter the workforce.

She’s also a founding partner at Equitable Payments and a contributor at Forbes and Entrepreneur.com.

In this episode, Chris and Rob speak with Darrah about the paths they took to get where they are, entrepreneurship, and how to reevaluate your career by first deciding what you want your life to look like, and then designing what you do based on what you want to get out of your life.

In this episode, The Messengers discuss:

  • The state of college education in the United States
  • Deciding what you love and designing your career to help support the life you want
  • Meditation
  • The difficulties and challenges of forming your own career path
Apr 29, 201933:16
My Biggest Failure (So Far) ... and What I Learned

My Biggest Failure (So Far) ... and What I Learned

It’s inevitable that every entrepreneur, business owner, and professional is going to experience failure.

What distinguishes successful entrepreneurs is the way they handle failure when it happens. They learn from it, analyze where they went wrong, and make sure to never make those same mistakes again.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles shares his biggest professional failure (to date) and does a post-mortem with Rob Seifert (Searles Graphics) to look at where they went wrong and how it should have been handled in hindsight.

By delving into what they should have done differently, The Messengers hope to help others avoid the same mistakes in their own businesses.

Apr 22, 201924:15
Balancing Creativity and Clarity in Your Marketing & Advertising
Apr 15, 201921:39
Should You Hire a Professional Photographer?
Apr 08, 201916:47
It's Not About You! Always Put the User First
Apr 01, 201910:28
Text Marketing Delivers Big Results

Text Marketing Delivers Big Results

Boasting open rates that approach 100% and action rates nearly 20x higher than email, text message (SMS) marketing is a much more efficient way to communicate with highly-engaged customers and prospects.

Strict opt-in controls coupled with simple and effective opt-out mechanisms are currently keeping the medium from being watered down the way email has become.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert of Searles Graphics discuss the success they’ve seen implementing text message marketing for their own clients. They go over what makes this service so much more successful than a traditional email list, some of the initial skepticism their clients had, and how the service ended up exceeding their expectations.

Mar 25, 201921:24
Customer Service is an Investment, Not an Expense

Customer Service is an Investment, Not an Expense

 We’ve noticed a trend that a lot of businesses believe customer service is an easy place to save on costs.

Customer service is one of the primary areas in your business that needs to be invested in, not an opportunity to cut costs to the bone. 

On this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert of Searles Graphics discuss the things companies do that make or break customer service, with real world examples of customer service is done right … and wrong. 

The upfront costs to expand customer service resources will always be outmatched by the value of customer satisfaction, referrals, and return visits. 

Mar 18, 201915:20
Should You Outsource Your Social Media?
Mar 11, 201917:22
Marketing is Meaningless if You’re Not Measuring Your Results

Marketing is Meaningless if You’re Not Measuring Your Results

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert address the issue of measuring whether you’re getting a return out of the investment you’re making in the marketing efforts for your business or non-profit.

Deciding what your marketing will look like and where you'll place it is only half the battle. Without a detailed plan for measuring the results of your efforts, it’s impossible to make the appropriate adjustments necessary for long-term success.

This episode discusses specific details about the difference between brand marketing and direct marketing (including why they should be measured differently), and provides recommendations on how to measure your own efforts.

Mar 04, 201918:53
New Marketer's Guide to Buying Print

New Marketer's Guide to Buying Print

The print buying process can be confusing for new business owners or new marketers. Chris and Rob spent some time on the latest episode of The Messengers podcast talking through some of the more common questions clients have when they don’t have a lot of experience in buying printing to help ensure you end up with a piece that works for you. 

Feb 25, 201923:48
The Power of Saying No - Turning Down Work

The Power of Saying No - Turning Down Work

The most successful companies aren’t the ones that take any business that walks through the door, but ones that know their ideal customer and have the courage to say no to customers that aren’t right for them.

In this episode of The Messengers podcast, Chris Searles and Rob Seifert discuss understanding your market and the power of saying no.

Subscribe to The Messengers podcast on:

Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-messengers/id1315145712?mt=2

Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Iozr3noltqlwlo65fbm4pljg6hu?t=The_Messengers

Anchor - https://anchor.fm/messengers

Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-messengers-2

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/SearlesGraphics

Feb 18, 201915:58
Identifying Under-served Markets

Identifying Under-served Markets

New co-host Rob Seifert joins Chris Searles for the first time to discuss Valentine's Day promotions and ways to identify under-served and under-represented markets throughout the year.

Feb 11, 201915:38
Social Media ROI

Social Media ROI

John and Chris discuss how to track the return on your social media investment; what big brands and businesses are doing well and where they're falling short, and what small businesses and marketers can do to make sure they're investing their money wisely. 

Feb 11, 201940:33
Holiday Marketing Tips

Holiday Marketing Tips

On this episode, The Messengers (Chris Searles & John Finnerty) discuss specific tips you can use to up your marketing and advertising game this holiday season, along with some helpful advice on what to do once the holidays are over. 

Feb 11, 201937:04
Introduction to the Messengers & Marketing Buzzwords

Introduction to the Messengers & Marketing Buzzwords

In this episode, Chris and John introduce themselves and their backgrounds, what sparked their interest in producing a podcast together, and touch on a number of topics including entrepreneurship, marketing buzzwords and what "digital marketing" really means, Chris' first beer, and John growing up in a mirror-filled wonderland.

Feb 11, 201901:06:04