Business Podcasts to Subscribe to in 2018

Continued education doesn’t have to come in the form of classrooms and textbooks, you can glean knowledge from many sources. One of the most popular ways to continue learning is listening to podcasts. Podcasts can cover a wide range of subjects from pop culture to politics to business practices. The following podcast recommendations cover topics from entrepreneurship, marketing, and business.

School of Greatness

Host Lewis Howes has overcome his share of adversity. This podcast launched in 2013 and has grown to be one of iTunes’ top-rated Business and Self-Development podcasts. The mission on ‘School of Greatness’ is to empowerer listeners to achieve success in the face of adversity, and he shares not only his story but the stories of the guests that come on the show.

Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do

Thom Singer started this podcast hoping to enable a new generation of leaders to use his knowledge of business relationships, sales, networking and more, including fitness, trends, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Product Hunt Radio

Product Hunt is great for the B2C business person, and those interested in current product trends. It focuses on physical products and how they’re created, the marketing behind them that turns them into global brands, and guests’ takes on productivity, management and investment.

Rocketship.fm

With big-name guests, this weekly podcast covers everything about building a startup from developing a product to finding and converting a customer base. This show is great for anyone in the B2B or B2C world.

The Influencer Podcast

Julie Solomon, marketing strategist, publisher and influencer hosts this show and brings in guests to talk about their experiences in the world of influencer marketing, as well as sharing insights into how to grow, engage with and persuade an audience.

Smart Passive Income

Learn how Pat Flynn author of The Smart Passive Income Blog uses all of his online blog and business strategies, as well as marketing tips and income sources which will help you take the next steps forward with your online businesses, blogs and more.

Copyblogger FM

In a world where content is king, it never hurts to strive for an improved approach to writing and content marketing. Host Sonia Simone and a rotating panel of experts discuss news, trends, and updates in copywriting, email marketing, conversion, content marketing and more.

The Science of Social Media

Buffer has a great blog, and the podcast they produce is just as influential. The content presented covers everything from the state of social media marketing, new algorithms, and third-party tools to maximize your social media management. This is a great podcast for everyone from beginners to the well seasoned social media practitioner.

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Video for Social Media

Video is heralded as one of the top types of content you can post on social media. Video, when done right, increases engagement, reach and has a higher chance of going viral because of that. Video can say more than a single image or text post, so it’s no wonder that it is becoming more and more important to the everyday marketer’s strategy.

Types of Video

Interactive

Interactive video gives users the chance to participate in the narrative. With clickthrough options that give you as the viewer the option to choose your own path (think build-your-own adventure novels) these gamified videos are highly engaging, actionable, and great for demonstrating products, services, or events. Deloitte’s “Will You Fit Into Deloitte” video is a broad recruitment video that helps a viewer understand if they are suited to the company, and is an example of how interactive video can be used.

360 Degree

360 degree videos are getting their own type of fame on Facebook right now. These videos allow users to click around and explore a 360 degree view of whatever the video is about. From exploring the ocean to promote preserving coral reefs, to realtors hosting 360 degree tours of different available properties, 360 degree video can do more with less time than video has previously allowed. A great example is The Economist’s 360 degree tour of the Palau coral reefs.

Product Demo

If your business has a tangible product to sell, product demos can not only function as another type of user manual, but can also make the product more attractive to a larger audience when the viewers see it in use. This IKEA video demonstrates how to install and assemble their Maskros lamp.

Narrative

Narrative video tells a story, and usually tries to trigger an emotional response. This type of video is usually seen in commercials, used to persuade customers that a certain product or service can do what the commercial shows, for example this love story told by an Extra Gum commercial:

Live

Periscope, Facebook Live, SnapStories, Instagram Live; the list goes on and on. Live video is becoming a standard for content creation. One of the most enticing parts of live video for social media is that it is inherently social. Rather than crafting a video to perfection you are inviting the audience to see a firsthand look into what you are doing. Great from streaming events, speeches, announcements and more, live video is what many are calling the biggest content marketing trend of 2017.

Bonus: Viral Video

Going viral is a goal for any brand looking to make a splash with their content, but there is no way to predict what the next big viral sensation will be. In 2016 there were the Apple music ads with Taylor Swift and Drake, Pokemon Go and the Chewbacca Mom video. Each of these is vastly different than the others, so how can you guarantee your content will go viral? The short answer is that you can’t, but you can work to create unique and engaging content that will connect with a larger audience and increase the reach of your post. So how will your business use video for social media?

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5 Steps To Land Your Job Using Social Media

Social media is no longer the space of selfies and like counts. Social media has now infused itself into everyday life, even in the professional world. Today finding a job, changing careers or even starting a business can happen on social media. Here are 5 steps to getting hired via social media!

Your Social Brand
Just like prepping for an interview or sprucing up your resume, that same preparation needs to be placed in social branding. Find a clear, personable and professional voice. Create a presence that showcases your true self, but… in a light that is most appealing to potential employers.

Interact Online
After creating your persona it’s time to participate. Research your intended market and get involved in conversations that include the industry and those already working in it.

Job Search
After, and while continuing to participate in relevant conversations start your job search. Nearly all companies these days involve social media at least in some part in their hiring process. Be it via LinkedIn, Facebook’s new application portal, or even answering cold calls over Twitter start applying across the board.

Make Connections
Social media is also a quick and efficient way of networking. Reach out directly to those you’ve met in real life or via the internet in a personal yet professional way. Thanks to social media converting connections into relationships has become as simple as sliding into someone’s direct messages.

Real Life Transition
Lastly, all of the social media expertise won’t do any good if those skills don’t translate into real life. Be sure to continue honing skills such as well done resume and well prepared interviews.

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The eSports Revolution

eSports are taking the world by storm, and it’s great for gamers, fans and marketers. But what are eSports and why do we need to be paying attention to the growth of this emerging market?

What are eSports?

eSports refers to competitive videogame play. There are tournaments, live streams, big name players with sponsorships, teams and crowds of fans. Everything you would expect from a “real” or “normal” sport, with major differences in not only just activity level, but the fact that multiple games are played during the tournament. For instance: you don’t see a baseball game being played at the World Cup, but you may see players on League of Legends and on Call of Duty during the same eSports tournament.

The growth of eSports

Compared to most major sports, eSports are still in their infancy; but the rate of growth is so rapid that eSports will likely be able to catch up to major league basketball, baseball and football within the next few years. A big issue that eSports faces is making sure that the audience has a full understanding of what is happening on the screen. The changes of individual games and tactics is much faster than changing of decades, sometimes centuries old rules of other sports.

But this isn’t dissuading colleges and universities from moving into the future; in fact, the University of Utah recently announced that the school will sponsor a varsity eSports program, complete with scholarships. And the University of California, Irvine, opened an “eSports arena” that includes gaming computers and webcasting services.

eSports are currently poised to become a hugely influential financial market as well, in 2016, Goldman Sachs valued them at $500 million, growing into a $1 billion industry over the next 3 years. Even eSports platforms are benefitting. Twitch, an eSports streaming community was purchased by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million, and top gamers earning over $300,000 last year.

Marketing and eSports

Twitch streams were watched by over 2 million people in 2015, and the number has continued to grow, which makes this huge audience very appealing to marketers. However, marketing in this space is different than many other markets. Gamers want to see brands that do work to “benefit the space and not just the brand”, says Nathan Lindberg of Twitch. Brands that are loyal will receive loyalty in return. The majority of eSports advertising will also need to be digitally focused, as eSports haven’t majorly broken into TV yet. Marketing that feels natural and organic will do the best. See what eSports sponsor Coca-Cola has done for some excellent examples.

Get Involved With eSports

Want to see the eSports phenomenon for yourself? Check out Twitch, YouTube, and the all new FantasEsports to stream or play in a tournament.

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Get the Most of Out Twitter’s Video Monetization Feature

“Twitter Monetization, Now at Your Fingertips,” was posted a couple months ago on The Twitter Media blog. I understand if your schedule is already set from now until Christmas, but the expansion of their creator revenue programs will provide you with the ability to monetize your content and generate some serious new revenue. So what’s the lowdown on Twitter’s Video Monetization?

If a significant number of YouTube creators in your target categories start creating more Twitter videos, there are going to some very interesting new advertising opportunities—just in time for the holidays. We’re going to answer the following questions in relation to Twitter’s new revenue-generating feature:

• How do you earn revenue with Twitter video uploads?
• What makes video on Twitter different from video on other platforms?
• What types of video attract audiences that attract advertisers?
• Should creators go it alone or split the risks and rewards with a brand name partner?
• What are the metrics that matter to not only to creators but also to advertisers?

According to CNBC, here’s the skinny on Twitter’s new deal: “Creators who publish videos on Twitter will get about 70% of the ad revenue, according to a source close to the situation.” Now, that’s potentially a better deal than YouTube’s Partner program, which gives creators 55% of ad revenue, and keeps 45% for itself. Facebook also offers a 55/45% split, but only to larger content creators like the NBA, Fox Sports, and Funny or Die. In contrast, Twitter is offering the 70% split to “creators of all sizes.”

#1 How Do You Earn Revenue with Twitter Video Uploads?

Twitter only asks creators to make a couple of picks before they can monetize their content. The first pick is whether or not to join the Amplify Publisher Program, which provides approved creators in the US with the ability to monetize their videos on Twitter. Pre-roll ads will run against their content and 70% of the ad revenue will be shared with creator. Program participants can either opt-in each video Tweet-by-Tweet, or pre-set monetization for all of their Twitter videos. Content can also be opted-in for monetization “100% non-exclusively,” which means creators can monetize it on other platforms as well as Twitter.

Niche helps creators work with leading brands on a campaign-by-campaign basis. A part of the Twitter family since 2015, Niche has already helped 35,000 creators worldwide work with top brands to develop authentic and engaging branded content as well as monetize their social presence across major social networks.

Last month, Twitter also announced some product upgrades that it claimed will make publishing and monetizing on Twitter “as effortless as sending a Tweet.” Creators can now upload, manage and publish videos across both Desktop (via the new Media Studio, which replaces video.twitter.com) and Mobile (via the Twitter Engage app, which now has a new “Earnings” section).

#2 What Makes Video on Twitter Different from Video on Other Platforms?

Some people believe that a video is a video is a video. But this is a mistake. For example, you use hashtags, not keywords, to help your videos get discovered on Twitter. You will be prompted to edit your Twitter videos to 2 minutes and 20 seconds or less in length. You’ll also need a different set of tools to identify Twitter influencers, who rival friends in building consumer trust.

Research has found that audiences who are emotionally connected are more responsive. For example, TV viewers who are emotionally invested in a show tend to recall ads they see, on TV and on Twitter and this drives a response. Of course, relevance also plays an important role. In an eMarketer study, subjects were shown a variety of ads and the most relevant and interesting ones received the most positive responses from viewers.

For example, research shows that moms are 67% more likely to research products using Twitter and 45% more likely to make purchases based on Twitter. Mothers control 77% of household purchases and they’re 3 times more likely to be high spenders of packaged food and household goods. More importantly, “Twitter moms” are also 3 times more likely to be early adopters, making them a highly desirable consumer segment that’s critical to a brand’s success.

#3 What Types of Video Attract Audiences That Attract Advertisers?

Getting lucky isn’t much of a business strategy. So, before creators of all sizes rush to make videos on Twitter, they might want to get their hands on a map showing what types of video attract the kind of audiences that attract advertisers.

The first thing that you’ll see is that 92% of Twitter video views happen on mobile. Next, you’ll notice that video views on Twitter have grown 220 times year over year. And if you look closely, you’ll discover that videos are six times more likely to be Retweeted than photos, and three times more likely than GIFs. This explosive growth in video consumption and sharing in a live environment like Twitter makes this as good a place as any to stake a claim and begin some exploratory digging.

#4 Should Creators Go it Alone or Split the Risks and Rewards With a Brand Name Partner?

While joining Twitter’s Amplify Publisher Program is an easy choice to make, joining Niche may also be a smart choice, too. So, imagine how quickly you’ll move to the top of the list of Twitter influencers in this category if you created videos about your most recent purchases and retweeted your favorite ads for computers, smartphones, tablets, TVs, cameras, headphones, wearable technology, and home technology.

Imagine how popular your videos on Twitter would be, to moms as well as to brands and their agencies, if you made videos of deals and sales on women’s apparel. Also, imagine striking gold by creating home improvement how-to videos, and including links to product pages where your followers can easily convert to purchase within a click or two.

Aim to become a Twitter Star by sharing product recommendations that align with seasonal trends, from Halloween to Christmas.

#5 What Are the Metrics That Matter to Creators & Advertisers?

Now, it’s good to know that over half of all brand videos posted to Twitter get their first views within 10 seconds of being posted. But, at the end of the day, creators will want to be able to show the metrics that matter to advertisers if they want them to buy more pre-roll ads that will run against their Twitter content. Creators will also need to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) to show the brands who work with them on a Twitter campaign.

Creators as well as brands and agencies should invest a serious amount of time thinking about whether or not to join Twitter’s new video monetization programs. You don’t want to wait until the beginning of next year to discover that other creators and brands have already found the mother lode.

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Best Digital Marketing Podcasts to Subscribe to in 2016

If you’re looking for a refreshing way to improve your marketing skills, then here are 12 quickly ways to expand your marketing knowledge, absolutely free! The genius of these marketing podcasts is that they blend the actionable advice you need to be better at your job, along with some nice sound production and enjoyable banter.

You can listen to them anywhere. Listen to them as you’re hitting the elliptical, cooking, playing Mine craft, knitting, cleaning, taking a stroll into the Aokigahara forest, getting ready for bed, getting ready for work, coloring, painting, shopping online, roaming around, sitting on a plane, driving to work, driving home, sitting on a beach, making a pillow owl, cleaning your slow cooker, organizing the fridge, baking a cake, vacuuming the carpet, learning origami, painting your nails, packing school lunches, cleaning your juicer, sorting the laundry, etc.

So, without further ado, here are the best marketing podcasts (in no particular order):

1. #AskGaryVee

This one is a little bit different in both content and format. The brainchild of self-described marketing hustler Gary Vaynerchuck, #AskGaryVee is a podcast that’s not actually a podcast. Rather, it’s a YouTube show that has been repurposed into a podcast, which is pretty clever. Gary spends 15 to 30 minutes intensely answering your marketing questions. Have a question you need answered? Simply tweet him with #AskGaryVee and you may be on the next show!

2. Social Media Marketing Happy Hour

Aimed at entrepreneurs of all types, this 15-minute podcast (usually) comes out five days a week and will give you the inside info on how to leverage social media marketing sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more from the social experts at Happy Hour Hangouts. If you like professionally produced, banter-style podcasts, give this one a listen.

3. On The Media

Coming at you from WNYC, On The Media is a podcast on the next level. Since 2001, it has been one of NPR’s fastest growing programs, heard on more than 300 public radio stations. You can expect creative interview transitions as the podcast “casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas.” If you’ve gotten a little bit bored of marketing-only podcasts, listen to this one as a breath of fresh air, and then dive right back in.

4. HBR IdeaCast

When you think of the Harvard Business Review, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t podcasting, but it’s actually on the cutting edge of media production. Host Sarah Green Carmichael sounds like your favorite NPR hosts, and she doesn’t beat around the bush, she goes straight into the interview. Expect experts ranging from professors to CEOs. As you can imagine, episode topics will center on many topics including marketing, aerospace and design. Look for their condensed episodes in the HBR print issue each month.

5. Louder Than Words

Louder Than Words is a podcast that wants you to be more successful at your craft. Focusing on creative leaders, the show tries to get to the bottom of what has made each interviewee successful in the creative space. Host John Bonini has a casual way of introducing all of the interviews, and talks to a diverse group of individuals making a substantial impact, from designers to writers to entrepreneurs.

6. Traction

Traction podcast provides an inside look into the nitty-gritty details of launching a startup—the things that get glossed over in the media when you read about those other successful startups. Hosted by Jay Acunzo from NextView Ventures, this podcast boasts expertly produced interviews from founders, startup execs, media members and investors.

7. Call to Action

This podcast was born from a minimum viable product (MVP) project and has since become a staple in the marketing mix. You can expect actionable interviews with leading authors in the marketing blogosphere that dissect what truly makes a good marketer, and a successful marketing campaign.

8. Freakonomics

Although not technically a marketing podcast, the Freakonomics podcast is filled with delightful stories that take a lot of data into account. Hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest, it’s produced in partnership with WNYC so you can expect a high-quality product that will entertain, concern and baffle you

9. Copyblogger FM

Join hosts Demian Farnworth and Jerod Morris as they talk (and joke) about what’s going on in the copywriting (and marketing) world. Expect to have your burning marketing questions answered!

10. Marketing Over Coffee

Marketing Over Coffee is the podcast for you if you want to know what the latest news is in the marketing world,. It’s a weekly discussion of what’s new in marketing, hosted by John Wall and Christopher Penn. It’s one of the few marketing podcasts out there that is news-based rather than topic-based (most of the time). Plus, episodes are under half an hour.

11. Growth Byte

If you’re running out the door and don’t have time to listen to a 30-minute show, Growth Byte will give you the “best startup growth content online” and summarize it for you in two- to three-minute clips.

12. StartUp

The flagship podcast of Gimlet Media, StartUp provides an incredibly transparent look into what it’s really like starting a business. Host and Gimlet Media CEO Alex Blumberg is no podcast novice, with roots in the This American Life family. The first season chronicles the founding of Gimlet Media, from incorporation to funding to its first employee disagreement. The second season features a new startup, but with the same delightful style you’ve come to love.

Do you have any other marketing podcasts that you absolutely can’t live without? Let us know!

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Five Questions Every Internet Marketer Should Know

One of the best things to come out of a social marketing quiz is insights into a being a successful marketer. The ability to actually find out what you’re doing right, wrong, what works and what doesn’t. If you haven’t taken one yet, here is a link to a favorite of mine:http://www.marketergizmo.com/1799-2/.

If you’re ready to get right to the issue, below are a few questions every marketer should know:

1. A former employee reveals sensitive data on your Facebook page, acting as a whistle blower. The post starts a small crisis on your end. What do you do?

• Treat the post like one of a regular community member. The fact that he’s been an employee doesn’t change your duties of professionally representing the brand and you need to remain fair and transparent.
• Delete the comment since this is a special case and the data has unlawfully been posted. Directly contact the employee and alert the legal department immediately.
• Try to downplay the incident by posting other updates according to your regular content calendar and try to avoid bringing too much attention to the issue.
• Get a senior person involved, this is above your pay grade.

What did you pick?

This is definitely a special case. The employee was under contract, and after leaving if they start leaking secrets, the company is well within their right to remove this sensitive information that it doesn’t want leaked through such a channel.

In spite of that, close to most marketers thought it would be okay to treat this post like a regular community post. What I found a little interesting was that about very few marketers would go to a senior staff member and ask what the right way to handle this would be.

2. How do you handle a lack of interesting content on your page when not a lot is happening in the industry?

• Post simple text updates and keep the flow going.
• Stop posting until worthy content appears, you don’t want to give your fans trash.
• Don’t post mediocre updates, but devote more time to craft original stories and content.
• Ask your fans what they’d like to see since there’s not a lot happening, they can tell you what kind of content would be good.

What did you pick?

This question speaks volumes about the attitude that marketers have today. So there’s a little rut in the industry. Not a lot of news, interesting ideas or opinions are surfacing for your brand to talk about. And this happens very often. Every company and manager hit this a couple of times every quarter. Do you turn to your fans every single time to ask what they’d like to see?

The right way to deal with this would be to focus on crafting better content, posting better stories, creating more original content and ideas. If it’s smart and speaks to your target audience, they’ll like it. Do a couple of re-caps on what’s happened lately, perhaps make a couple of predictions for the future, highlight some of the best work your company has done. But the second you go down the route of asking your fans what they want to see, you go down the route of letting them decide what content you should post.

3. What’s the CTR of 400 Clicks with 40,000 Impressions?

Just over half of all marketers usually get this right, but it’s still a crazy low percentage. CTRs are something that marketers are always obsessing over. Most marketers are a little too quick to rely on tools and aren’t able to calculate social metrics themselves.

Perhaps marketers are just used to saying incredibly low CTRs for their ads, which is why they don’t automatically gravitated towards 1%, which is the correct answer.

4. Google Analytics tells you that 1,000 people came to a particular page on your website, and 250 of them went on to view another page from that page. What’s the bounce rate of the page?

Bounce rates are another metric that marketers should obsess over. How many people are coming to my landing page and just running away? You want that number to be as low as possible, therefore my obsession with low bounce rates.

There are marketers who truly believe that a bounce rate of 250% or 750% is possible. The calculation of bounce rate isn’t hard. The problem here isn’t about the calculation itself, but the concept of bounce rate itself.

Perhaps this is another argument for marketers relying too heavily on tools and not knowing how the metrics work?

5. A moderator of a Facebook page cannot do the following:

How well acquainted are you with the various Facebook admin roles? Are you aware of what an Analyst can’t do on a Facebook page and what the Editor can do?

For companies and brands that have more than one person managing a Facebook page, knowing the roles and their capabilities becomes incredibly important.

So, what can a moderator of a Facebook Page do?

• Send messages as the page.
• Create ads.
• Create and delete posts on the page.
• See who posted as the page.

What did you pick?

Very few marketers usually get this question right. Most marketers thought that Moderators can’t create ads, which is a fairly rational decision to make since you’d expect a moderator to be a person who essentially responds to comments and tries to keep order on the page. Perhaps Facebook’s roles and their capabilities are to blame for this one.

Regardless, it’s important to know who can do what, and most marketers aren’t clear about Facebook’s various roles for page managers.

That was a real eye-opener, no? If you got most of these right, congratulations! Got most of them wrong? Perhaps a night of studying up on how to be a successful marketer could do you some good. It’s back to the drawing board for you!

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Digital Marketing Trends of 2016

Over the last five years, digital marketing has undergone some incredible transformations. Since 2011, the number of companies that make up the marketing technology landscape has increased by 2667%. If that percentage didn’t successfully burn your retina clean off, check out Scott Brinker’s @chiefmartec Marketing Technology Landscape inforgraphic.

Still alive? This dense piece of information should prompt you to review your own Marketing Technology and make improvements to your stack. So, how do you go about selecting the best marketing technology? The answer, of course, will vary by what type of company you have and it’s size. But, being aware of the top digital marketing trends of 2016 will keep you ahead of the game:

Return on Investment: Improved attribution and analytic toolsets

Think Global: Optimize your web and mobile apps for multilanguages, real-time translation, and internationalized content.

Hyper-Personalization: When messages are personal to the consumers schedule, behavior, demographic, and location, engagement and conversation rates increase.

Emergence of Data Science: Mid-sized businesses now have access to big data technology and are able to predict sales like never before.

Mobile Optimization: The mobile device is now the central way consumer’s engage online. From apps to social media to mobile browsing, studies show people are on their phones more than laptops.

Augmented and Virtual Reality: Users now have the ability to engagement with their external surroundings via the Internet. This trend will follow for years to come.

App Indexing: An app is now an important tool in every company’s digital marketing presence. Not only is it fun and easy to use, a mobile app leads to greater brand awareness and engagement conversions.

Wearable Technology: This trend presents a great opportunity for companies to interact with consumers in new and exciting ways.

AdBlockers: The rise of ad blocker technology have forced many companies to come up with new, more effective means of communicating with prospective consumers.

More than ever, companies are coming to terms with these new trends, not to mention the mobile site and app as an immediate relationship with their consumer. But the best is yet to come. So, rather than crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, stay on top of the trends in order to stay ahead. The business of digital marketing landscape grows nearly every day, but don’t fret, with this helpful marketing forecast you’re sure to mature right along side it. What marketing technologies do you think will emerge next year?

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Fundamentals of a Good Marketing Strategy

A good marketing strategy is the difference between a failing business and one that is thriving. A successful business is one that understands the fundamentals of a prosperous marketing strategy. In short, it’s important that your business knows the right techniques that will enable your business to have that best opportunities in terms of increasing sales and having an advantage over the competition. Any marketing strategy will consist of long-term activities that help develop strong brand awareness. So, what are the fundamentals of a good marketing strategy?

Identify Your Target Audience

Who are you trying to reach in your marketing efforts? What is their interest? Where do they live? It’s important to narrow your marketing efforts for your most prospective customers. When you get a clear understanding of who your target customer is, you’ll be able to adjust the overall style of your marketing strategy to suit that particular person. Your ads, blogs, and social media will be more focused and relevant to their needs and interests. Thus creating a strong, loyal connection.

Grow Your Brand Awareness

A goal for any business is to gain trust and brand awareness within their target audience. There are multiple ways to do this, but knowing which marketing techniques work for your business is crucial. More than likely, starting with the basics (website, high-quality blog posts, videos, ads, social media) is going to build a nice central following. In order to further brand awareness you’re going to have to zero in on what type of content, video, ad, and social media garners more of a response from your particular following.

Offer a Unique Advantage

What does your business have over other businesses? What makes your company, well, your company? Unless your product/service is extremely rare, which is bloody unlikely, you’ll have to think of an angle for your particular product/service in order to distinguish yourself from the pack. Perhaps what sets you a part is the charity to which you donate a fraction of your proceeds or unbeatable prices. It doesn’t have to be a plethora of ideas, it can be just one simple trait, or even a unique business perspective.

Communicate with Your Customer

The connection you make with your target audience is an important aspect of a successful marketing strategy. Thankfully, the vast number of social media platforms makes staying connected with your audience very easy. Answer FAQs via Twitter or Facebook Live, introduce new products via Instagram, offer exclusive tips about how to use your product via Snapchat—the opportunities are seemingly endless. The number of monitoring applications is neither in short supply. Take full advantage of behavioral analytics to gain further insight into your customers’ deepest desires.

Remain Active

So you’ve identified your audience, developed your reach, offered a unique advantage, and communicate on a regular basis—now what? Connect all prior fundamentals with activities. These should include advertising, online presence, seminars, webinars, promotions, giveaways, interviews, emails, etc. There really is no shortage of activities that will keep you in constant contact with your customer. Plan a monthly schedule of activities with deadlines to ensure engagement.

There certainly are no short cuts when achieving the proper marketing strategy. Be ready to invest time, effort, money, and a good amount of patience. But don’t expect to be able to do all of this by yourself. Form a smart, efficient marketing team that will keep the strategy rolling along effectively. They are your bread and butter. Take care of them and they will be sure to take care of your business.

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Inspiring TED Talks for the Internet Marketer

TED, an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, and Design is a set of global conferences run by the private, nonprofit Sapling Foundation. Under the slogan, “Ideas Worth Spreading”, TED talks address a wide range of subjects “within the research and practice of science and culture, often through storytelling.” These talks are offered for free viewing online at Ted.com, YouTube, and also via their mobile app. Many talks are lead by the biggest thinkers of our time such as, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, and more. Only about 18-minutes long, they make for great listening during work commutes, coffee breaks or eating lunch.

TED archives feature a variety of topics ranging from jaw dropping new technologies to postmodern realizations. They also include amazing ideas about Internet marketing for the small and large business owner. Ideas people can actually implement into their business plans. So, without further ado, here are the 5 best TED Talks on marketing:

1. Seth Godin: How to Get Your Ideas to Spread

Marketing guru Seth Godin tells us why bizarre ideas are more successful at getting our attention then boring ones. He says that marketing is less about the product and more about the sales strategy—how you get an idea to spread.

2. Sheena Iyengar: How to Make Choosing Easier

Psycho-economist Sheena Iyengar reveals that when consumers have too many options, they often will purchase fewer products and become less engaged. Iyngar demonstrates how businesses can improve the experiences of choosing with four techniques: cut, concretization, categorization, and condition for complexity.

3. John Gerzema: The Post-Crisis Consumer

Marketing whiz John Gerzema tells us how ever since the “The Great Unwind” of 2008 (a.k.a the U.S. financial crisis), consumers purchasing habits have changed from anxiety to action. Essentially, less spending money means consumers now choose products that are intuitive to their needs. Gerzema reveals how businesses can and have evolved to connect with thoughtful spending.

4. Malcolm Gladwell: Choice, Happiness, and Spaghetti Sauce

In this TED talk, bestselling author of “Blink” and “The Tipping Point”, Malcolm Gladwell shows us the nature of choice and happiness. He reveals that by embracing diversity of taste and preferences, businesses can discover a niche market that can increase sales.

5. Dan Cobley: What Physics Taught Me About Marketing

This remarkable marketing presentation by Google Marketing Director, Dan Cobley shows how the laws of physics resemble basic marketing concepts, for example: acceleration equals force over mass. He brings unlikely bedfellows—Newton’s second law, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, the scientific method and the second law of thermodynamics—to explain the fundamental theories of branding.

If these talks don’t inspire your own marketing techniques, perhaps you’re in the wrong business. I have found them to be personally invigorating—like diving into an icy bath of revelation. If you’re like me and want to hear more motivating talks on marketing visit TED.com. What are some of your favorite talks?

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