More Than A Few Words

We are living in an era of unprecedented innovation. At the core of this explosive growth in new businesses, new products, and new ideas is the ability for anyone to access tremendous resources and tools from their desktop. Information and research, collaboration tools and 3D printing are drive the costs of launching a new idea down to a fraction of what it would have cost just a few years. ago.  any period in historyWe are living in an age of exploding innovation.  Every time you turn around a new 

Not all ideas are good ideas.  According to our guest Chris Hoyt, most even suck.  But even so, with the right team, and a willingness to listen to your customers, you can launch a successful business. 

If you were about to head out on a long road trip to somewhere you had never been, you would want a roadmap.  The specific outline, with milestones along the way, would tell you that you were heading in the right direction.  Just like a road trip, you are driving your business to a place you have never been before, so you should have a roadmap for that as well. In today's episode, Lorraine and Sam talk about how to start your planning process.    

As a business owner, you don't always get to spend your day doing the things you love. But if too much of your time is being spent on tasks you don't love, if you are starting to burn out it may be time to consider making changes or letting go.   Ryan Parshall realized he was burning out and sold his marketing agency.  Today, he works with other business owners to help them decide if it is time to flip or list. 

Innovative, unconventional and low-cost marketing techniques aimed at obtaining the maximum exposure. That is how Alan Silber of the Guerilla Agency describes his approach to marketing. 

For the most part, we think of podcasts as a method of reaching out beyond your organization. But they can be a very effective tool for internal communication as well. If your memo falls flat and your newsletters are ignored by your team, consider podcasting for internal communications. Podcasts are a great way to make windshield time productive. Modern workforce appreciates the flexible nature of on-demand content. They don’t necessarily have time when you want to talk, but they still want to hear your message in your words. Podcasts help you build a company culture, even if your workforce is scattered around the country or the world. They let you communicate the essence and meaning behind your message conveying the passion in your voice. This week, Jennifer Crawford joins Lorraine for a lively conversation on More Than a Few Words

When you leave your home you lock your door.  Makes sense, right? You wouldn't want anyone to steal your stuff. But what about your website? Do you lock that door, too?  This week Lorraine and Simon chat about adding an SSL to your website.     

We've added a new program to our line up. In addition to the weekly conversation with marketing professionals from around the world, we're launching Just a Few Words.   This is a quick daily marketing tip available as an Alexa Flash Briefing.  Every day Lorraine Ball shares a thought or idea you can put in to practice right away. So if you start your day with a few news headlines, be sure to add Just a Few Words.    

I love talking with business owners.  I am always surprised at where their ideas came from and what they learned along the way. Well, I discovered I am not alone in that curiosity when I spoke to Heather Chastain, the Queen of Words and host of the Podcast, My First Dollar.  Listen as she shares some of the most interesting things she has learned along the way.  And please, take a minute to tell us what you would like to hear next on More than a Few Words.  Our short listener survey will help us determine what we should share next. 

Many people think that influencer marketing is about paying someone to endorse your product.  While that can work, Shane Barker says there is much more to a successful influencer relationship.  It needs to be a collaboration, which each party involved brings something of value to the table and is in it for the long term.   Do you enjoy More than a Few Words?  We would like a little feedback about the program.  Take a short survey now. 

Often, potential customers don't know you have what they want, or even that they want what you have.  That's ok, you can peak their curiosity with an advertisement on Facebook. Once you have their attention, retargeting can keep your message top of mind.  This week, Jennifer Denney of Elevated Marketing Solutions explains how you can use these ads to warm up cold leads. 

Customers can smell advertising a mile away.  That's why inbound marketing, which drives potential clients to your website looking for information can be so powerful.   Instead of hitting them with a hard sell, you woo prospective customers with gentle tips that position you as a subject matter expert.   More than a Few Words is a weekly conversation about marketing.  What do you think of the program? We would love to know.  Answer a few quick questions now.  https://goo.gl/forms/5kXL3EW9ByadXFPR2

47 million Americans have smart speakers in their homes.  So whether they say Hey Alexa, or Hey Google, or even hello Apple these consumers are turning to these devices every day to turn on and off other electronics in their home, make notes, set a reminder and even buy items on Amazon. Lindsey Anderson (oneclicklindsey) thinks those speakers present an opportunity for marketers. How? As consumers turn on their speakers every day, they can sign up for daily briefs.  These 1 - 2 minutes of news updates, marketing tips, or coaching skills are delivered directly every day. Listen now to discover how you can use this powerful tool to grow your business. If you are intrigued and want to learn more go to smartspeakerwebinar.com to watch a 45 minute tutorial on how you can set up your daily briefing.  And check out Lindsey's new software product at SmartSpeakerHub.com

There is more to email marketing than just sending out a simple newsletter. With segmentation and click funnel tools, they can be an integral part of your email marketing. This week, Sam and Page sat down with Lorraine to talk about the tools they love, and a few they don't!  MTFW is a production of Roundpeg, an Indianapolis based digital agency. 

After the sale, the real work begins.  Unfortunately, many organizations do not have a specific process for a smooth handoff between the sales and execution teams.  Amy Woodall explains that without a well-defined onboarding process there are more chances to disappoint a customer as expectations are not clearly communicated.    

Thinking about selling your business? It doesn't happen overnight.  As Ryan Parshall of Peterson Acquisitions explains there is a lot of work to do before you are ready to sell.  The good news, you can start working on that today, even if you don't think you are ready to sell.  And when you are done listening to this podcast, grab a copy of Ryan's ebook.  Top 7 Best Ways To Prepare To Sell Your Business  

What if you could put your product or service in front of a prospective customer just as they are thinking about buying?  With Google Adwords you can. Leveraging the power of search you can build your sales funnel with pre-warmed leads.  Then using retargeting you can make sure those prospective clients see your ads again and again.  Sound complicated? It really isn't.  This week, Jennifer Denney of Elevated Marketing explains how it works. 

Hosting a conference isn’t as difficult as you think and Jennifer Crawford believes the pay off can be huge . Planning an event for 200 or frewer attendees gives you a chance to meet face to face with people you may only know through online events. The interactions allow you to build deeper connections with your community of customers, prospects, referral partners, and yes, even competitors. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Keep the focus narrow and you are more likely to attract the right people to the event. More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.

You don't need to be a WordPress wizard to craft a quality site. Content is key to getting your message across, and you shouldn't just focus on your design at the expense of your content. On this episode of More Than a Few Words, Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and Web Support Specialist Simon Efroymson talk about the many ways to improve your site's readability and searchability without having to rely on experience manipulating code. More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.

Trade shows are overwhelming. There are so many people to talk to, products to look at, and business cards to hand out. It seems easy to get lost in the flurry. You need to stand out. What are some things you can do to get noticed at trade shows? Roundpeg's Lorraine Ball and TKO Graphix's Randy Clark talk about their trade show experiences and ways to get noticed while behind the table. More Than a Few Words is a production of Roundpeg.