The Sales Lion by Marcus Sheridan » Lead Generation

How to Change the Entire Social Media Culture of a Company in Less than 48 Hours

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:29:06 +0000

I’ve written quite a few posts espousing the value of social media and inbound marketing over the past 18 months, but I honestly feel this one today may be one of my most important, and you’ll understand why if you read until the end.

Going About It All Wrong

When it comes to the social media cultures of most companies, almost every business I’ve ever seen is doing it completely and totally wrong. And because businesses are going about this thing called social media/content creation the wrong way, they fail. Yep, with a big, fat “F”.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. There isn’t complete buy-in from ALL employees (top to bottom).

2. Employees don’t share similar understandings nor visions of what great content can do for the company and individuals as a whole.

3. Employees don’t understand how to use their own skills to produce valuable content.

4. Everyone expects ‘the marketing director’ to be the blog, the voice, the everything.

Change is Needed

I could seriously list possibly 100 more reasons why most companies fail when it comes to social media, but I’ll just stop there. You get the point. Everyone has seen this. Stuff has got to change.

But I’m happy to say ‘change’ is what this article is all about. Personally, I’m tired of hearing ‘gurus’ tell me how content creation and social media are for ‘experts’ with ‘certain skills’ and they must have ‘xyz talents’ and blah, blah, blah.

It’s total bull. All of it.

Here’s what qualifies an employee to help a company’s social media efforts:

If any employee of a company has ever answered a customer question, then they’re qualified.

Don’t believe me? Just keep reading…

How to Change an Entire Culture in 48 Hours or Less

Two weeks ago I flew to Michigan to help a company of 60 employees catch the vision of content/inbound marketing. I knew it was going to be a daunting task, mainly because we had a lot to cover in a short amount of time, yet we needed results immediately. Like many business in this economy, Company X (we’ll call them that for privacy reasons) has had a rough go at it lately. They sell a product, quite high-end I might add, all over the world. But the sales just haven’t been sufficient. They need results, BIG results. And they need them soon.

So their head of marketing and I got together and planned a two day event that would literally (we hoped) ignite a fire and vision within the entire organization and enable them to quickly dominate their industry through the power of inbound marketing. Here’s how the schedule went, and whatever you do, make sure you read the final results of our efforts, shown at the bottom:

Day 1:

8am: The CEO welcomed his entire staff and implored them to give their best over the next 48 hours. He explained how he had ‘bought it’ to content marketing and in order for this to work, everyone else would need to step up as well.

8:20am-11:30am: For the next 130 minutes, I gave the group a complete introduction to inbound and content marketing, in a way that anyone and everyone could fully ‘get it’. I also showed its impact on my swimming pool company’s bottom line, how it had saved our business, and exactly the how each and every one of them could utilize their own skills and talents, within their area of expertise, to produce content as well.

12:30-230: Time for phase two. This section was all about giving the group, especially the sales department; the vision of how content is literally the greatest sales tool on earth. As in the previous segment, there was much Q and A, and the conversation was in constant flow.

3:30-5pm: Final education session of the day. I discussed ‘personalization’ with the employees, and talked about the need for each to share more of themselves on the company website so as to form stronger relationships with their clients and customers (personal branding). We also dove into video and the power of You Tube in this class. I showed some of my most successful videos of all time and once again, the Q and A was excellent.

Day 2: (Note: I just stayed for the first day and the marketing director lead the effort on day 2)

AM: A full review of the previous day with more questions and answers. Afterwards, the employees were divided up into teams to see who could come up with the most blog article ideas, using the same technique we had discussed for ‘content ideas’ the day before.

Afternoon: Video time. Employee teams now produced their own videos (again, using teachings from previous day). Some were more humor based, others more serious, but everyone joined in, and it was huge hit.

PM: Employees reviewed the day’s activities and watched everyone’s videos. Laughs were shared, stronger bonds were formed, and the social media retreat had come to an end.

The Results

The following week, I received this letter from the head of marketing. Please understand that I’m not sharing this note to brag about myself and say, ‘Look at me, I’m awesome.’ Rather, I want companies to realize just how much their social media culture can change in less than 48 hours. Here’s the letter, word for word:

Hi Marcus,

Well, mission accomplished my new dear friend! I am so proud of you and all that you did to rock the entire organization into a new reality. They definitely “got it” after hearing you speak. It was better than I dared imagine. Thank you so much for helping them all understand inbound/content marketing in a new and awesome way. And the coolest part is, not only do they get it… they are EXCITED!

I have been getting text messages, email notes and IMs ever since the retreat from the most unlikely people thanking me. Even the biggest skeptics have made a point to reach out and tell me how much they enjoyed you as a speaker and that they have all these ideas now. It is going to be so very powerful having this many people unified with the same vision and equipped to make it happen.

The full report on Day 2…

Before we could even start on the workshops I was really surprised at all of questions from the audience. I took it as a good sign that people had been ruminating on your content all night and were chomping at the bit for application. So that was cool.

Then the blog title brainstorm contest was the perfect activity to follow-up. All combined, the teams came up with more than 700 blog titles!! (not sure how many duplicates are in there but who cares… over 7-stinking-hundred!!) Ha!

As for the rest of the day, people were wayyyy more into the personal branding exercise than I expected and the videos that people made were hi-larious! Some of them are actually worth keeping and sharing on our website. Matter of fact, Jason C’s was how to fix simply by changing out the batteries and he had his 6 yr old daughter demonstrate (much like your video of your son demonstrating how to clean a pool). Now he’s going to work on a related blog post so that we can embed the video.

I’m going to follow-up with Josh N again about the pictures tomorrow. I hope to get you something right away!

-K

p.s. I forgot to tell you that the real lasting proof of a successful retreat was the fact that I had 8 blog posts in my inbox by lunch today and many more on the way.

Your Challenge

So there you have it folks. Yes, it can be done. And you can be rest-assured that I will be showing a follow-up to this post in 6 months. But the key here was the fact that the company, instead of segmenting blogging and social media into a small section of employees, decided to start everyone off on the same page, sharing the same vision (see Steve Jobs), and making sure they all understood their importance to such a campaign.

As a poker player would say, they’re All In.

Your Turn:

Great conversation opportunity here folks. First, do you think companies should take the time to have complete buy-in from their employees when it comes to social media? Also, should every employee be involved or should it be more ‘specialized’ and ‘segmented’? And finally, what mistakes have you made/seen in terms of companies embracing the power of social media and content marketing? Fire away my friends. Whether you agree or disagree, your voice needs to be heard.

Just How Much Can 800 Days of Inbound Marketing Change Your Life??

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:20:18 +0000

Jan 2005: Our swimming pool business is in shambles. My two business partners and I have just found out that we’ve suffered a major embezzlement of about $200,000. Not only that, but the IRS is after us and has put liens on our homes. I’ve never worked so hard to experience so much stress and hardship. Frankly, it’s depressing, and I wish it would just all go away.

Nov 2008: For 3 years we have fought tooth and nail to bring our business out of this hole. And just when we see the light, the economy has tanked. Banks are failing everywhere. Consumer confidence, especially for luxury items like swimming pools, is in shambles. I can’t believe this is happening again. Many swimming pool companies are already closing shop. We’ve worked too hard and come too close to fail now.

March 2009: I just stumbled across a company called Hubspot and learned about inbound marketing. This makes complete sense to me. Finally, I can take control of our website despite my tech deficiencies and also do what I do best—teach. But now I’m going to do this thing they call ‘blogging’. Dumb name, but hey, the concept makes sense. If I just answer consumer questions Google will reward me with more visits, which should ultimately turn to leads and then sales. Despite the ‘recession’ our country is in, I believe this is our answer, and I’m going to make it work. Even better, for the first time in years, I’m excited to be a business owner again.

Nov. 2009: Wow, I’m shocked at these last 7 months. This ‘inbound marketing’ stuff is amazing. We have somehow survived this year, even though so many of our competitors have gone out of business with the economy. Everyone keeps telling me there is no one buying, but I’m glad they’re not looking at my website analytics, because they indicate otherwise.

Also, I’ve decided to start another blog because I sense an insatiable desire to help other businesses experience the success I’m finding through inbound marketing. The site will be called The Sales Lion, and something tells me it just may change my life.

Sept. 2010: What a year it has been. The economy is still in peril, but my swimming pool company continues to thrive. All of the blogging we’ve done over the past 18 months has put us literally on top of the industry. Leads and sales are strong and we’ve never spent less in advertising and marketing. This thing is like a snowball rolling down a mountain, and it’s just amazing to sit back and watch it grow. I think we’re going to actually turn a nice profit this year….simply unbelievable.

As for The Sales Lion, things have grown slowly. It has been a struggle at times, as I honestly thought growth would come quicker. Notwithstanding, my resilience is undeterred, as I’m committed to this for the long haul, and I know a tipping point will eventually come.

March 2011: Wow, my pool company is going great and The Sales Lion is doing even better. About 4 months ago I seriously committed to building my online network and community (as before I’d just been writing) and the results have been profound. The number of active readers has taken off. People are talking and now I’m getting more and more companies asking me for help with inbound marketing. Life is going very fast now, it’s almost hard to keep up, but it appears that the tipping point has finally arrived.

August 2011: Where should I start? It’s only August and my swimming pool company has pools to install practically until the end of the year, something we’ve never come close to experiencing this early before. We’ve gotten more leads this year than in the previous 2 combined. My business partners and I just sit back and watch the pings on our Blackberries come in with one lead after another looking for someone to come out and sell them a swimming pool….very exciting to say it in the least.

In all honesty though, we deserve it. We committed to being the premier teachers in our industry and that’s exactly what we are. When I put my site on Hubspot’s platform in March of 2009 it only had 20 total pages. Today it has about 600 or so. Each and every day we get calls from around the country from folks asking us if we’d be willing to travel out to them and install their swimming pool. Sadly, we have to turn many down, as we’re limited to Va and Md, but the lesson remains the same—consumers trust those persons that are willing to openly and honestly give as much helpful information as possible.

Financially, the company has never been better. At this point and time, we have almost no debt. The embezzlement and IRS are a distant memory. And it feels very, very good.

Time to Run Free

But that’s not the only thing that is changing. For quite some time I have felt like a stallion, caged-up by my pool business commitments, yet wanting so badly to run free so as to pursue my other interests. Up until this point, I have been unable to break free, but the impacts of inbound marketing are now allowing me to do just that.

This week (Aug 8-12) will be my last full time week at River Pools and Spas. It’s almost surreal to say it, but it’s happening. No more will I drive 5-8 hours daily to go on sales appointments. My only duties will be the company’s inbound marketing, which will take 10-15 hours per week, and the rest will be taken care of by commissioned sales persons.

Now that I’m able to run wild, I can’t even start to express my excitement, as The Sales Lion has now entered a new phase as well. Businesses are contacting me on a weekly basis seeking for someone to give them a vision of inbound and content marketing. What’s crazy is that I haven’t even pushed my services hard up to this point. But that’s how inbound marketing works. You gain trust through great information, not silly sales pitches, which is why clients and companies come to you, versus the other way around.

As an example, next month I’ll be speaking at a variety of businesses and events around the country. In fact, here is a small glimpse of my schedule, as I’d love to meet some of you there:

Sept 7^th- Speaking at Junta 42’s Content Marketing World (If you haven’t seen the list of folks speaking here, you really may want to consider checking it out.)

Sept 15^th- Speaking to a company in Michigan about Inbound Marketing

Sept 16^th- Speaking at Hubspot’s annual HUG convention to a whole bunch of rockin inbound marketers.

All Because of One Decision

These are just some of the places I’ll be traveling to, as others are currently in the mix, but my point in saying these things is not to brag, but to simply give readers a clear vision as to how this has all happened. When it comes down to it folks, the decision to embrace inbound marketing has changed my life. It has changed the lives of all my employees. It has brought me to a point of being able to experience financial peace and prosperity while doing what I love most—teaching other individuals and businesses how to reach their potential, through speaking and writing. And even better, this is jut the tip of the iceberg, as you’ll clearly see if you hang around over the coming months.

So for those of you that have been dabbling with inbound marketing, I say what’s the hold up? What’s preventing you and your business from reaching the potential that awaits? Enough already, giddy-up cowboy, it’s time for the ride of your life.

Your Turn:

Couple of questions here folks—How has inbound and content marketing affected you and your business? Also, if your blog and business are not currently where they need to be, what do you think you’ve been lacking to get there?

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or questions, and if you’d like to ask me something in private, please just do so here, as personal contact is something I absolutely love and always make the time for.

Oh, and one final note***. My friend Kristi Hines (one of the hardest working bloggers I’ve ever seen) recently entered a blogging contest and wrote an incredible, must read article on social media ROI. Kristi has been giving amazing and useful information to her audience for years, so please take a moment to drop by the article today and like it, share it, and leave an awesome comment!!

Have an amazing week everyone!!

Dear Customer, You’re FIRED…Sincerely, The Sales Lion

Marcus Sheridan — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:41:12 +0000

You're Fired!

I had a customer threaten to sue me last week. In most cases, this wouldn’t be worthy of writing about. I’ve owned my business for about a decade now and have made my share of trips to the courtroom during this time. (Batting 1.000 in victories btw ). But this was different. Why? Because in this case I was being threatened by a customer I had fired. Yep, you heard right, I fired him, and he deserved it too.

You’re Fired

Gini Dietrich wrote a great article on this subject a few weeks back. In fact, it’s what got me thinking about sharing with you this laughable story in the first place. So here’s the gist:

I reached a preliminary agreement to build a man’s swimming pool. The project amount was around 60k and in order to get on our summer installation schedule, he gave me a deposit, knowing we’d work out the remaining details of the project, and sign the contract, once we finished the site plan.

When the site plan was completed about a week later, we sat down with the gentleman to go over the contract. But much to our surprise, a man who had previously been incredibly kind and friendly suddenly turned into what appeared to be a nut-case. To make a long story short, he expected us to change up our entire contract to suit his needs, including such major components as the project payment schedule.

“I’m Going to Sue You”

Once we saw how unreasonable this man was being, we quickly told him that although we could agree to a few of his amendments, the majority were simply not acceptable. Upon hearing this, he still insisted we completely adhere to his changes, and based on his actions, he seemed quite confident we’d cave-in, likely due to the fact that most pool guys are struggling in today’s difficult economy.

But little did this fellow realize that we’re inbound marketing experts at my company , and leads and sales are something we get tons of this time of year. Therefore, because leverage (profitability) was on our side, we told the customer we were happily returning his deposit and wished him luck finding another pool contractor.

So shocked was the customer to find this out, he immediately said he was going to sue us. Upon hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, as it was only confirmation that we’d made the right decision. And, if I’m being completely honest, there was a little part of me that hoped we would go to court—just to watch the judge’s reaction upon hearing this nut-ball’s testimony.

I bring up this story because for years, when business was much slower for me and my partners, we likely would have caved in to such a guy. Why? Two reasons:

1. Our sales were never high enough (cash was always short).

2. We didn’t know how to listen to our gut, and simply ‘walk away’.

Inbound Marketing Means Great Customers

As I stated in my recent video post, one of the great powers of great inbound marketing is the fact that, when done right, it leads to many more qualified leads and sales than we’ve ever had before. And when this happens, companies are able to be much more selective on the jobs they take. They’re also able to garner much higher margins per job. Since embracing inbound marketing a little over 2 years ago, this is exactly what’s happened to me (in both my swimming pool and web coaching business), and I’ve never had so many great customers to work with in all my years. Simply put, leverage is a great thing, and there is no better leverage for a business than quality leads that just keep-a-coming.

Listen to Your Gut

Have you ever felt taking on a particular client was a bad idea but because business was hurting and you were desperate you simply had to say yes? If you haven’t ever experienced this, then I’m going to assume your business is only about a week old, because it happens all-the-time.

Over the years, I’ve certainly had my share of bad clients. And each time a project blew up in my face, I could usually distinctly think back to the prompting I had to walk away from the individual early on, only to take the job because business was so poor.

But the fact of the matter is this: No amount of money will make up for a client that makes your life a living H-E-Double Hockey Sticks.

So that’s what this little post is all about. Not every customer is going to be a good customer. Some will stink. Some will cause you to lose faith in the human race. So do yourself a favor and market smart, garner enough leads to be selective, and then learn to say ‘NO’.

And when clients threaten to sue you for so doing, know you’re on the right path.

Your Turn

OK folks, I’m dying to hear about the worst customer you ever had. Also, when you do say ‘no’ to a client, how do you know it’s the right thing to do? As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend (or just a dang good time over the next few days if you don’t live in the US )

The Age of Digital Branding and the Power of Perception

Marcus Sheridan — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:05:36 +0000

Not too exciting, is it?

I pulled into the gravel parking lot of my swimming pool company this morning and an unexpected thought came to mind— “Geez this place is pretty ugly.”

I know, sounds rather rough, doesn’t it? But it’s true. It’s such a plain metal building. No glitz. No pomp. And if you were to drive by it, you probably would not even give it a glance. And you certainly wouldn’t know it was the home of the most popular swimming pool website in the world…….

Good-Bye Pretty Buildings, Hello Smart Marketing

As many of you know, about 3 years ago I completely changed my shift and focus as a business owner. Instead of solely relying on antiquated marketing principles to generate business, I did a 180 and embraced content and inbound marketing. This was easily one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made, but it also coincided perfectly with another major shift in my thinking as well.

You see, I used to equate the success of my business with the image people saw on the outside. This image was derived, at least in my mind, from retail stores. There was a time when I honestly thought that if I had really nice stores, this would naturally lead to more profitability and sales. This is also what I was taught when I entered the industry in 2001, which explains why just a few years ago I had one of the nicest retail stores in all of Virginia for swimming pools, offering a full line of game room equipment, pool tables, tanning beds, hot tubs, and much more.

From the outside, the place made quite the impression, but from the inside, it practically crippled the company. Not only did it require huge time, employees, and management to operate such a facility, but it also was, at best, a break-even financially.

Accepting Reality

After having been in this location from 2006-2009, my business partners and I realized a couple of important realities.

1. Our website, not our stores, created the consumer perception of our company’s brand.
2. Old-school retail, in many industries including ours, was a dying business model.

With this realization, we ‘sold the mills’ and got rid of all retail. We also took all of the energies we had been spending on the frivolous minutia of running the store to producing a website that would generate leads and sales through content– and lots of it.

And boy did the strategy pay of in spades.

Customers Don’t Care About Your ‘Stuff’

My pool company has gotten more leads in the past month than at any other time in our history. These leads have translated into sales– LOTS of sales. And do you know how many people have commented or asked about our buildings/offices/retail stores?

If you answered ZERO, you were right.

At the same time though, guess how many of these clients have talked about our company’s website– and the feeling, or ‘perception’, they got from all of the information they found therein?

If you answered ALL of them, you’re right again.

Switching gears for a second, most of you know that I do a lot of web coaching, speaking, traveling, and consulting these days for other businesses, some of which are multi-million dollar companies. I don’t mention this to brag, as it’s nothing special, but I just want to stress this critical point again:

How many clients have asked me about where I run my business from or what my office looks like?

Again, you already know the answer. None of them.

They don’t care that I work out of my home. They don’t care that when I’m talking to them on the phone, I’m likely wearing a t-shirt with my bare feet propped up on the desk.

Nope, all they care about is what they see on that dang screen….

Perception Based on the Digital Realm

We live in a time folks where the perception others will have of us has nothing to do with ‘stuff’. It’s has nothing really to do with what they see in the real world, but everything they perceive from the digital realm.

So if you, as a business owner and entrepreneur, truly want to taste success, start thinking day and night about your digital brand and perception. How do you come across to others online? Are you viewed as a thought leader? Do you have a community that further validates your ‘expert’ claims? Are you producing the content that’s required to be a mover and a shaker in your industry or niche?

These questions and many others just like them need to be clearly understood if you want to be successful. And it’s not a one-time thing either. It’s a subject of utmost importance until the day your business and brand no longer exist.

Let–It–Go

My point? If there is anything distracting you and your business from online greatness, drop it. Just let it go. I’ve been asked many times why I let go of my swimming pool stores. Many people thought it was a dumb idea and would hurt my image. But what they don’t understand is I know who I am, and I know how my customers make their judgements about me, and it sure as heck isn’t based upon those yellow metal walls. Nope, it’s all about the little digits on the screen, and when it comes to that screen, I’m going to make sure the impression is a lasting one.

Your Turn:

How has your branding shifted now that we’re in the digital age? And what are you doing with your blog/website/etc to improve the perceptions others have of you? Finally, what do you find is the biggest struggle with this online branding process?

As I’ve stated before, whether you’ve commented here 100 or 0 times, you’re always invited to share your thoughts and submit your questions below or in private on the contact form.

3 Amazing Ways Content Marketing Can Change You, Your Company, and Your Life

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:04:19 +0000

There is a movement afoot in businesses around the globe folks. And frankly, this is a movement that excites me more than anything I’ve seen in a long, long time—and it’s going to change the world of business as we know it.

Looking Within for Change

More and more, younger employees of companies all over the world are taking it upon themselves to introduce the power of content and inbound marketing to their CEOs and managers. Because the idea of social media, blogging, etc is so much more prevalent with the ‘younger generation’ (not always though), these 20 and 30 somethings are doing their best to convince their bosses that there is a better way of marketing than the methods that have been used over and over again for the past 50 years.

It is because of this movement that the #1 question I get from readers, other than how to build a blogging community, comes from those persons looking for the proper manner in which to introduce this new way of marketing to their boss/CEO. Such was the case about 8 months ago when I talked to a young man named Jason. (For the sake of privacy, I’m going to leave off his last name and company info.) After talking with him about this issue many months ago, I received the following letter (word for word) from him this past week. Please read it, as its simple lessons are as profound as anything I’ve ever written on this blog.

Hey Marcus.

I’m super busy today, but I was thinking about you. First off…THANK YOU!!! We spoke in the fall about Hubspot. Your case study was really important to us signing up for Hubspot. It sold my boss in 15 minutes. We also spoke on the phone for 15 minutes or so and you convinced me that smart people in a blue collar industry can dominate online with the help of Hubspot and a lot of hard work.

Hubspot has been amazing for us. We signed up in October 2010

We had 300 visitors in November. We had 14,000 in April. Our business has basically changed overnight. My boss is AMAZED. We’ve had to hire new people, buy new truck and machines, etc. Its been a crazy season. I also got promoted to Vice President.

I just looked at your pool website with my SEOMOZ tools. It was showing like 1100 root domain links, which is amazing!!!! I want help with Hubspot. I trust you.

I am starting a new website for our sister company,

Reach out when you can… Thanks!

Jason

As you might imagine, emails like this get me fired up. What’s even better, is that I’m starting to get them a lot. The simple fact is inbound marketing works. Content can change a business forever. And those businesses willing to embrace change will likely dominate their niche because of the antiquated methodologies of their competitors.

But beyond the benefits of content/inbound marketing itself, I was reminded of 3 powerful lessons with this experience:

1. Content Can Change Companies Forever: Just by getting on Hubspot and embracing inbound marketing, this company’s website went from 0 to 60 in a matter of no time (or ‘overnight’ as Jason said it). Seriously, going from 300 visits a month to 14k is astonishing, but such is the power of blogging (content) for small business when done right.

2. Content Only Needs One Believer: Granted, it’s not always easy to convince one’s boss of the merits of SM and content marketing. But nothing happens without the first initial effort. Simply because one man in this company had the guts to put it out there and approach ‘the boss’, every other employee in that company will now be able to feed their families easier and much needed jobs will be given to those persons who have likely been unemployed and struggling to get by for months. If that’s not motivating, I don’t know what is.

3. Content Leads to Promotions: How do you go from ‘fresh out of college’ to ‘Company Vice President’? As Seth Godin would say, you become a heretic. You push the envelope. You challenge the status quo. This is exactly what Jason did in his industry and now his entire life has changed.

Hey Boss, Call Me

For those of you reading this who have a boss with his or her head in the sand, that won’t embrace content marketing and social media, do them a favor and have them read this article. Then, if they’re still not convinced, put them on the phone with me. (No, I’m not kidding) It’s time your business was ushered into the information age—before it’s too late.

So as we go about our week my fellow readers, what say ye that we follow the example of Jason? Let’s push the status quo. Let’s challenge our bosses (or ourselves ) to reach new heights of excellence within our company. And more than anything, let’s all be a part of what might be the most important business movement in the history of the world.

Your Turn:

If you’re an employee of a company, what are you doing to ensure your boss/CEO embraces content marketing/SM and therefore stays on the cutting edge? If you’ve already embraced inbound marketing, what have been the benefits for your company? As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and have some great discussion below.

Oh, and one other thing before you leave. If you’re looking to be moved and inspired today, I’d ask you to consider reading Ingrid’s (from NittyGriddy blog) guest post on Troy Claus’ Entrepreneur Series. It is easily one of the best reads I’ve come across in some time, and I can promise you that the powerful prose alone will be well worth the trip over……

Have a wonderful week everyone.

7 Content Ideas that Will Blow Up Your Brand and Business in 12 Months or Less—Guaranteed

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:02:48 +0000

OK, we’ve heard all the phrases—Content is king, Content Rules, Content is Everything…Yes, yes, yes, it’s true, no doubt. But the real question is no longer about just producing content—it’s about writing stuff that truly teaches, inspires, and answers consumer questions. And not only that, it’s about producing content that stands out—that’s opinionated—and makes the world (your industry) take notice.

So the obvious question is how? How can your business come up with article ideas that will skyrocket your brand, garner web traffic, and also rock and roll when it comes to SEO (search engine optimization)?

That’s what this article is all about. Having coached in the last year businesses from all walks around the globe on this very subject, I’m stoked to discuss today simple yet extremely unique strategies that will not only give you stacks upon stacks of consumer and SEO friendly content, but will also leave you thinking in no time (once you look at your website’s analytics)—“Wow, how did this all happen??”

7 Content Ideas that Will Forever Change Your Business

1. Pricing Articles

I’m always amazed at how often I’ll go to a company’s website and they are afraid to discuss pricing. I’m telling you, this is just about the dumbest thing ever. For whatever reason, many companies want to have customers meet with a sales person before that evil thing we call ‘pricing’ is ever brought up.

But think about it for a second—When you’re interested in a product, what’s the first thing you look for when you’re on someone’s site? Yep, that’s right, you want to know how much the dang thing costs. And if you can’t find any pricing info? That’s right, you move on to the next site.

So if you’re a business owner and you’re not talking about product pricing on your website, then get with the program, because you’re not only losing business but it also appears as if you’re embarrassed about your own pricing. ( Keep in mind here that you don’t have to always give specific pricing per se. Ranges are fine, especially if your product or service varies in its cost.)

Just to give you an example of what I’m talking about, type in ‘fiberglass pool pricing’ in your little Google box. In the first couple of places you’ll see this article that I wrote about 1 year ago. And how many views has it gotten during this 12 month period? Well, to be exact, a decent 31,279 reads. Not too bad, eyy?

2. Cost Articles

I know what you’re thinking—“Marcus, you just talked about this.” Yes, I did, but in the eyes of Google and their algorithm, I clearly did not. You see, when it comes to product pricing, there is a large group of people that will type/search (let’s assume your company sells widgets) ‘Widget Pricing’ or ‘Prices on Widgets’ and then there is another group that will type in ‘Widget Costs’ or ‘Costs of Widgets’. Are you seeing what I’m saying here? When it comes to awesome content that gets major love from the search engines you need to write articles that address exact phrases and words, not just general ideas. This is very, very critical to understand if you want to be successful.

Just to shed further light on this, the most successful page on my pool website is far and away the fiberglass pool cost page, which, in the last year alone has been read exactly 54,305 times. (And no, I’m not kidding).

So to reiterate what I’m saying, the 2 most popular pages on my entire website both talk about the exact same subject, but address two very, very different words—cost and price.

3. Vs. Articles

Whenever I meet with a new client, one of the first things I talk with them about is their competing products and manufacturers. For example, let’s assume that your company sells John Deere lawn mowers. This being said, you are competing with handfuls of other lawn mower manufacturers, which also means your potential customer base has to choose between said manufacturers.

Let’s assume someone came to your store and got a quote on John Deer X model. Then, after going down the street or looking on the internet, they get a quote on a Husqvarna Y model. Being confused as to which is better, they go to Google for advice and type in John Deer X vs. Husqvarna Y: Which is Better? If you’ve written an article on such a topic, and it’s good, there is a very good chance you could show up on the first page of Google for said results.

A perfect example of one I’ve written is ‘Fiberglass vs Concrete Pools: Which is Better?‘. This article alone has garnered 56 inbound links and has been read 8,652 times in the last 15 months.

4. Problems Articles

Whenever a person is looking to spend money on a product, one of the first things they do is seek out the negatives or drawbacks to said product. For example, in the inground swimming pool industry, there are 3 types of pools—concrete, vinyl, and fiberglass. And considering that many builders like to blab all day long about the ‘problems’ of the other products (types of pools), consumers are constantly typing in Google ‘problem’ oriented phrases.

To give a powerful example of this, my business partner Jason (of Skyward Blog) once wrote a landmark article called Top 5 Fiberglass Pool Problems and Solutions. Because no one in our industry had ever had the guts/marketing sense to write about such a topic, it immediately shot to the first page of Goolge. And how has it done since? Well, in just over one year it has garnered 137 comments, 168 inbound links, and 25,589 views as of today’s date.

Seriously folks, this is an amazing content strategy and you need to do it today.

5. Review Articles

I love review articles. So do consumers. But for whatever reason, companies are afraid to write them. My question is this—We market and sell our products and services all day long, during which time we are comparing said products/services with other companies, so why are we so afraid to take these same thoughts and put them to pen?? Frankly, it makes no sense to me at all.

If you really want to see further what I’m talking about here, just type in Google any phrase that has to do with ‘fiberglass pool reviews’ and you’ll see one of my articles show up on the first page—every time.

6. Awards

Ahh yes, award articles. Man these work great! Here are a few I’ve written over the past couple of years with their corresponding stats:

4 Fiberglass Pool Manufacturers to Watch Out For in 2011: Written only 2 months ago, this article has garnered 118 inbound links and 1544 views

Large Fiberglass Pool Design Awards For 2010: 1749 views to date

Small Inground Fiberglass Pool Design Awards For 2010: 54 inbound links and 6,886 views to date

You may be asking yourself the question, “What gives me the right to give out awards to vendors/manufacturers in my industry?” The answer is simple—You have an opinion. And you’re an expert in your field. So share it.

As you can see, the traffic and SEO juice is exceptional.

7. Gimmicks

Every industry has its gimmicks. I see it every day in the internet marketing world, the swimming pool industry, and the many other fields in which I’ve assisted clients. It doesn’t matter the niche, they’re all the same, and there are going to be gimmicks, frauds, hacks, whatever.

But the main question is this: What are you going to do about it? Are you going to just let it be or are you going to nail your 95 Thesis to the church door and call them out? Yes, the latter will garner positive and negative attention from those in your field, but in terms of marketing and branding, there’s no question the results will be well worth it.

Here’s an example of a ‘gimmick’ article I’ve written before:

The Most Egregious Fiberglass Pool Warranty I’ve Ever Seen

So there you have it folks, 7 content ideas that should get your creative juices flowing and if followed through with, will have a huge impact on your company’s brand, web traffic, and bottom line. Yes, I know much of what you read above is a new way of thinking, but trust me, it will work, and if you have further questions as to how, contact me above or just email me at marcus1@thesaleslion.com and we’ll make it happen together.

Your Turn:

So my questions today are simple: Have you or your company ever utilized any of the content ideas above and if so, what were the results? Also, why do you think so many companies are afraid to produce content that talks about the things consumers are truly searching for—problems, gimmicks, reviews, etc. ? Jump in folks, this is an incredibly powerful subject, and I’d love to discuss it with you below.

The Technology Age Myth: Why Being Old is No Excuse Not to Embrace Internet Marketing

Marcus Sheridan — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:00:19 +0000

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

Ever heard the phrase? Sure you have. So have I. And do you know what else? I hate it. In fact, I think it’s the worst axiom of all time. Frankly, the theory that old dogs don’t learn new tricks has killed more businesses around the world over the past 100 years than any ‘bad economy’ ever could.

Bad Old Dogs…

Remember Henry Ford? He became an old dog that didn’t want to learn new tricks….and it almost cost him everything.

Remember K-Mart? They were Wally-World before there was a Wally-World…and now they’re a train wreck. How did it happen? A bunch of old dogs were at the helm.

And lest we not forget Blockbuster, the onetime ‘King of the video Jungle’ that now is scraping pennies together to pay their lawyer fees. While new dogs like Netflix were changing the world of movie rentals as we know it the geniuses at Blockbuster were busy ignoring everything that was happening around them.

‘Too Old for this Stuff’

I bring up these examples because now that I teach and consult businesses regarding their web marketing strategies I hear a common theme amongst many businesses owners—“I’m too old for all this computer stuff.”

What’s funny is that these same business owners are the ones making phone calls to the bank on Fridays to see if they can get a quick cash infusion just to make payroll.

It’s a sad cycle folks, and over the next 10 years or so the #1 reason why small businesses around the world will fail is because older entrepreneurs, the one-time cowboys and cowgirls of their industries, will be left behind. Up and comers, younger folks with an open mindset and no fear of technology and the internet, will take over.

It’s funny how leaders of previous generations are always the slowest to embrace the new ‘ways’ of the next generation. Leaders of the industrial age are still just that—industrial experts. Yet they’ve been deemed irrelevant by those persons fully embracing the information age.

Never Too Old

But here is the catch my friends. It needn’t be this way. Why?

Because you are never too old to embrace technology and the internet.

Yep, that’s right. I don’t give a rip how old of a dog you are, you can learn this stuff. You can be a ‘computer guy or gal’. You can learn the ins and outs of website design, content creation, video marketing, etc. You can, you can, you can.

The Coolest Couple Ever

Duncan and Debbie Page

A few months ago I had the pleasure of speaking at a marketing conference in Cambridge Massachusetts for Hubspot, arguably the leading inbound/web marketing platform in the world for small businesses. While there, I was thrilled to mingle with incredible people. Not only did I get a chance to rub elbows with superstars like Chris Brogan and Ann Handley, but I also learned the stories of some other remarkable marketers.

Of all the people I met though, I was most impressed by an older couple—Duncan and Debbie Page. What’s crazy about these two folks is that despite falling in the +50 crowd, both have, without a lick of previous knowledge, embraced internet marketing to its fullest.

Duncan, the owner of a fencing company that has been around in his family for over 100 years, became so frustrated with his lack of ‘web control’ a couple of years ago that he decided (instead of crawling in a hole) to do something about it. That’s when he found Hubspot and through their tools became his own webmaster. He also developed an incredibly popular fencing blog and because of the results and increased lead generation, took his business nationwide—all this from ‘an old dog’.

Peggy, Duncan’s lovely wife, is a lactation specialist. And just like her husband, Peggy, in an effort to stay modern and innovative, developed her own website (via Hubspot) and quickly found tremendous success through video and blogging. If you don’t believe me, just check out her facebook page which has a meager 2000 fans!

As I sat with Peggy and Duncan and discussed with them their inbound marketing strategies, one statement Debbie made gave me a smile I won’t soon forget. She said:

“Some older couples just talk about kids and family and stuff like that at the dinner table. And although we do this too, we spend quite a bit of time comparing our daily website analytics, stats, etc”

When Peggy told me this I could only smile at the idea of two “old dogs” (age only ) that have both embraced new tricks. Un-freaking-believable.

Age is No Excuse

My point, folks, is that there is no excuse. If you ever find yourself thinking you’re ‘too old’ to embrace web design, blogging, content marketing, etc; then you need to douse your head in water and slap both cheeks a few times, because you’re way out of touch.

Don’t allow yourself to be left behind. Don’t label yourself in any way other than an innovator and thought leader. I can promise you that although you may be looking up a steep mountain right now, eventually you will get to the top, likely quicker than you think, and you’ll be dang glad you made that simple decision to take the first step.

So what are your thoughts? Why do some many ‘older’ entrepreneurs and business owners shy away from technology and internet marketing? (Patricia, I would really love to hear what you have to say!)What have you found is the key to embracing the internet, no matter what age? (Comments will be rewarded with eventual fame and fortune, I promise )

The 8 Major Mistakes of ‘New and Improved’ Website Redesigns

Marcus Sheridan — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:01:41 +0000

Since returning from my conference in Vegas last week I have been very pleased to receive multiple emails from business owners who are stoked to embrace proper web marketing and finally bring their business up to speed with the information age. At the same time though, a large portion of these businesses owners are getting ready to make a monumental mistake. Why? They don’t realize this essential truth:

A New Website Doesn’t Mean Squat

That’s right, it doesn’t mean squat, at least in most of the cases. You see, the majority of ‘new and improved’ websites I see for small businesses are no more than a better looking version of their previous trainwreck.

It Ain’t About Looks

A web redesign has very little to do with ‘looks’ or ‘appearance’. In fact, the most successful web marketing small businesses understand that what defines a truly great website comes down to 2 essentials: Freedom and Content

What do I mean by freedom? Freedom means that you as a business owner can make immediate changes to any part of your website. Want to announce a sale? You can do it immediately. Want to post a new video? You can do that too. Want to quickly send out a mass email to customers on your list? No problem.

And what do I mean by content? To make a long story short, content means that you see your sight as an information vessel for consumers and you do everything possible to teach them the good, bad, and ugly of any possible decision they will make regarding your products or services. It means you blog regularly. It means you utilize video. It means you see everything you do as a teaching opportunity.

So my question to those of you who are in the process right now of getting up your new website is can you say these two simple things? Will your new website facilitate your freedom of design, creativity, and thought leadership or will it again be stifled, just as it has always been, by a webmaster that holds all the keys?

For those of you that have said ‘yes’ to these two imperatives, I submit a further look at the necessities of your new site, otherwise you are just spinning your wheels and wasting your dollars:

The 8 Essentials of a New Website Design

1. An information and consumer driven blog: At the very minimum, write at least one new article a week.

2. Video utilization and You Tube: Visually show all the steps and elements of your product or service.

3. Social proofs from existing customers, usually coming in the form of written and video testimonials.

4. Owner and staff bio pages: Tell us about yourself, your family, your goals, your mission….tell us about YOU.

5. Lead capture forms on every page: That’s right, every page. Whether is a blog subscription form, a free eBook to download, or a ‘contact’ form—you must give your clients an opportunity to take the relationship to the next level on each and every page of your site.

6. Social Media Integration: Sorry, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t like or appreciate such social mediums as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The only thing that really matters these days is what your customers like, and as anyone who has been alive will admit, consumers love social media. It’s a part of our society now, and there’s no turning back. So accept it, embrace it, and start using it today.

7. Some type of content management system: This is a little behind the scenes (the website viewer doesn’t notice) but it sure as heck is a must for just about any business in 2010 and beyond. Whether it’s a more advanced/complicated CMS like Drupal, Joomla, or WordPress—or even a more simplistic system like Hubspot—you need to be able to make immediate changes and additions to your website, whether you are a ‘computer guy’ or not. In today’s world, being a ‘computer guy’ is grossly overrated thanks to the power of content management systems.

8. A vision: Do you know where your website is going? Seriously, what’s the goal of the thing? If you don’t know this and if your site doesn’t reflect this vision, then you’re off track. Know your website’s destination, and then make this destination a reality.

I really do hope those of you that are in discussions with a web designer right now will consider this list. Don’t allow yourself do this half way and certainly don’t let a webmaster rationalize mediocrity. Do it right the first time. Make no exceptions. Don’t tell yourself that you’ll add this or that element later. No, put yourself in the position to do it right immediately(meaning you have the ability to build all of the above) and I can assure you that such a move will not only save you major time and money right now, but it will also lead to major web marketing success as you continue to add content and value to your new web vehicle.

Questions or comments? As always, you’re very much invited to put your thoughts below or don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Fake Identities, Cowards, and How to Truly Elevate Your Online Brand

Marcus Sheridan — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:27:24 +0000

Sadly, many businesses feel they need to be the Talented Mr. Ripley to establish their online brand.

I see it more and more, and frankly, it’s an action that makes me want to vomit. Just the other day, I was on a swimming pool forum and noticed how a supposed ‘pool shopper’, who of course had no identity, was speaking of his experience with a particular manufacturer and discussing why he thought they were great. The post was worded and titled in such a way that it was obviously written by said manufacturer for SEO and branding purposes. In fact, it was a blatant case of fake identity. Even worse, that same day the ‘manufacturer’ had, again under an assumed customer name, made multiple comments under other posts talking about how good of an experience they had with said company (i.e. themselves).

When I see such ridiculous and dishonest practices on the internet and on forums, I can only shake my head in disbelief. Why companies and businesses would choose to purport to be consumers is a clear sign that they have no clue in terms of how the internet really works and how to properly establish an online brand.

To Hide or Not To Hide, That Is the Question

To give you an example of what I’m talking about, the swimming pool forum I’m referring to, PoolSpaForum, has thousands of ‘members’. But despite all these members and despite the fact that so many are actually pool and spa professionals, a huge majority work under aliases and have no bio information.

The other extremely small minority is made of up people like me. They have real names. They have real photos. They actually fill out all the information on their bio forms. In short, they’re real people with real opinions and they care.

But the question is why do companies elect to use such a gutless and thoughtless approach ? Why not build your brand the honest and straight-forward way? There is only one good answer I can think of:

They Are Cowards and They Are Lazy.

Yep, strong words, but it’s true. Such companies are scared to have a voice, afraid to be right or wrong. They are also too lazy to put their thoughts on a forum, a blog, or a video for the world to see.

Fact is, before I got into the world of teaching about sales and marketing I developed my brand as a thought leader in the swimming pool industry. I’ve written an ebook, hundreds of blog articles, and produced hours of video for the sole purpose of educating consumers about swimming pools. And have I come under attack at times? Yep,sure thing. That’s what it means to have an opinion. Some will praise you, some will attack you, and such is the life of the guy or gal that bothers to have a voice.

But along with these attacks my business partners and I have developed a following. People know that we are going to say things like we see them, without all the bull that often accompanies an opinion. We are the antithesis of a politician and because of that, consumers trust and believe what we say.

And one other point about actually being a ‘real person’ on venues like forums, blogs, etc—This year alone I’ve sold 2 swimming pool projects because someone found out about me and my website on PoolSpaForum. In layman’s terms, that equated to about $90,000 in sales. In other words, while most companies are busy faking their identity and attempting to sound like a consumer, I’ve been happily building my brand, increasing my web traffic, and making more sales.

Which Do You Choose?

So that’s my simple challenge to you today. Never hide. Never fear criticism. Stand up, with chin high, and say what you feel about your product and niche. I can promise that if you only do this with a sincere heart, and contribute valuable content to your niche on a consistent basis, your brand will eventually skyrocket and your sales will follow the lead.

7 Major Mistakes Pizza Hut Is Making On Their Million-Dollar Website

Marcus Sheridan — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:38:25 +0000

I found myself ordering a pizza online this past weekend from Pizza Hut and considering I can’t seem to look at a website these days without noticing the good, the bad, and the ugly, a few things about this multi-million dollar company’s website really surprised me. Due to the fact that Pizza Hut has been known to spend over 15 million in advertising in a single month (no, I’m not exaggerating) to promote their products and brand, one would naturally assume their website would be utterly flawless.

But before I go into ‘the bad’, I do want to point out a few positives. Also, I’d strongly suggest you open up their site to see exactly what I’m talking about here, as this case-study, which can easily be applied to your business, will therefore make a whole lot more sense.

The Good

1. Calls-to-Action: Pizza Hut clearly gets it when it comes to calls-to-action buttons. If one looks at their site, they’re all over. Next to every food, one can easily see the ‘order now’ buttons.

2. They’ve Got an IPhone App: Yep, that’s right, Pizza Hut has their own app. Well done.

3. Ordering is Easy: Tonight was my first time ordering their food online and it was easy and fast. That’s all I can ask for, and the experience was certainly preferable in my opinion to calling one of their stores.

The Bad

1. Where’s the Video??: Seriously, I’m amazed by Pizza Hut’s lack of video marketing, at least on their website. They’ve got a visual product. They have a social product (people like eating pizza with other people). So why in the heck don’t they show more video? Eating a pizza is an experience. It’s not like eating celery. Show that experience Pizza Hut, will ya??!!

2. Social Media is Buried: This one is a huge mystery to me. Other than a few small icons on their home page, I really had to search through their site until I was finally able to find their social media hub, which is found under the title of ‘Under the Roof’. What’s crazy is that the guys and gals in their marketing department actually expect me to know that ‘Under the Roof’ will lead me to their social media page. Say what?? C’mon guys, make it easy for your customers to fan you, friend you, follow you, and most of all—talk to you.

3. Where’s the Lead Capture?!: Businesses almost always fall short when it comes to lead-capture forms on their website. A lead capture form is any form that a visitor can fill out and request information, and beyond their ‘order now’ process, Pizza Hut does a pretty poor job of this. If you want to understand exactly what I’m saying here, just click on their ‘Pasta’ page and notice the lower section of the column on the right side of the page. This space is empty (which is crazy in itself) and could easily have some type of really cool offer, free eBook (like “10 Ways to Make the Most Incredible Pizza in the World”), or even a YouTube video. But alas, it’s empty…

4. Most Pages are Invisible: Although I can understand Pizza Hut’s desire to make their site almost entirely focused on ordering their food, that doesn’t mean they should just bury the rest of their site, which is what they’ve done at the bottom of their home page. If you check out the links at the bottom like I did, I found some pretty cool stuff. But what’s the use of cool stuff if no one sees it? A little hint: NONE.

5. Where are the Happy Faces?: As I mentioned earlier, Pizza is a part of the American culture. Everyone loves pizza. It makes us smile. The trend starts with school lunches on Fridays and never leaves us in adulthood. This being said, count the number of smiles you see on the PH website. I could only find one page with photos of human beings actually enjoying the PH product. Hard to believe, isn’t it? Suggestion to PH: Show people eating your food and actually enjoying it

6. No Blog: Again, I can only smack my head on this one. How a multi-million dollar company can be so uninformed as to not see the power of content marketing (blogging) is beyond me. Don’t they realize they have some serious fans out there that are just waiting to learn more about everything ‘Pizza Hut’? Look, every niche has its mavens, and Pizza Hut is no different. Plus, the free searches and SEO they’re not getting based on their lack of content is incomprehensible.

7. No Social Proofs: Seriously, are you kidding me? How can there not be more testimonials, be it text or video, on the site? This one really, really surprised me, especially considering Pizza Hut has done entire TV campaigns around customer testimonials and social proofs yet they elect not to include this approach in their website…..baffling.

So there are 7 major mistakes on the Pizza Hut Website. As I mentioned earlier, hopefully you had a chance to look at the site as well and possibly come up with even more errors. In fact, doing this exercise often with other major company/brand websites can be quite the educational tool.

Finally, this example just goes to show that having an endless advertising budget by no means guarantees a company is actually handling their web marketing in the right manner. When it comes down to it, every business, large or small, has equal opportunity for greatness on the web. So don’t be like everyone else in your niche and miss the essentials. Take advantage of all the free and simple tools that are within an arms reach and just waiting to take your business to the next level.

Thoughts? As always, I’d love to hear your feedback.