What Does Pizza And Karate Have To Do With Online Marketing?

Being my first article here, I was asked to make this about me: To introduce myself to you.

I hate talking about myself. As a long time blogger and podcaster my goal is to help my audience through my content. But this was the assignment so I'll give it my best shot...

 

Who Is This Guy?

I own a company called Nuclear Chowder Marketing, a digital marketing agency. We help businesses large and small get more business online (and offline).

Most of our clients come to us looking to improve traffic to their website. Our specialty is SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

However, we are different than most SEO companies. We’re not just concerned about traffic. Driving traffic is a piece of cake.

Our passion is in building traffic AND conversions. The conversion, when traffic turns into a customer, is the real secret to success for any business both online and offline.

Most businesses want more traffic. And that's important.

But what you do with that traffic is where the rubber meets the road (and where the real money comes).

Because of this we practice an integrated approach to online marketing which connects the dots from search to social to email to content and more.

Where It Started

In 2002 when I became part owner of a martial arts school. My role was to market the then struggling and very small business.

I immersed myself in all things sales and marketing. Coming from a technology background, I was also able to take advantage of emerging online technology… such as Google. That was a lucky stroke as online marketing was about to become a hugely important tool for any business.

Very quickly, the school went from struggling to one of the top schools in the country.

Opportunity Knocked

One day a parent of one of our students came to me and asked if I would help his business. He told me he was searching online for a pizza place and our school appeared in the search results.

He was so amazed by that and the fact he saw our school everywhere that he hired me to do the same for his business. In 2006 my digital marketing agency was born.

In 2010 I sold my share of the school back to my partner and went full time helping businesses with their online marketing. Today we are what I call a full service digital marketing agency.

We can handle about any sized online marketing need. We create simple to extremely complex websites and manage any level of online marketing for companies large and small.

What's In If For You

What brings me here as a contributor to this blog is my passion for teaching. I have always loved teaching, which is what originally brought me into martial arts school ownership.

I joined the Hartford Springfield Speaker's Network to better my speaking skills so I can share and teach more.

I want to challenge you to think beyond traffic in your business. I want to challenge you to adopt a fanatical focus on conversions.

My goal is to bring you content that will help you increase the conversions in your business. So you're not just attracting qualified prospects but turning more of them into happy customers.

Do You Have A Question About Online Marketing?

I hope you will enjoy and get value out of the content I’ll share here from my many years experience in online marketing and business. I'd love to answer any questions you have. Leave your question in the comments below and I'll answer in an upcoming article here.

About Mike Brooks

Mike Brooks is President of Nuclear Chowder Marketing, a Digital Marketing Agency. He is the author of The Nuclear Chowder Marketing Method book available in print and on Kindle. Mike is passionate about helping businesses and entrepreneurs get customers online. Website development, advanced search strategy, social media, email marketing and mobile are just a few of the ways Mike helps local business owners with their online marketing. Mike also speaks and trains people all over the world.

How To Build A Community With Your Podcast

One of the most powerful benefits of podcasting is that it allows you to build a global online community of raving fans. When you share your voice, you will attract the people who most need to hear your message. However, one of the limitations of podcasting is that you can't have a two way conversation with your listeners! Unless you are doing a live call in show, your listeners will hear you, but you won't hear them. And even if you do a call-in type show, you will never speak to the vast majority of people who are listening. Here are four tips for building an online community from your podcast:

#1) Name your community: My global community is called Stand Out and Be Heard and it represents my vision, which is to help coaches, authors and speakers to stand out and be heard through the power of podcasting. Give your community a name that will be enticing to your ideal listener.

#2) Give them somewhere to go: You want to invite your listeners to take a "deeper dive" with you and connect via email or on social media, where you can follow up with them. Until you convert your listeners to social media followers or email subscribers you can't have a two way conversation with them.

#3) Give them a reason to join: Be clear on the benefits of joining your community. People are invited all the time to all sorts of things. Why should they join you? What will they get out of joining the community? Will you offer free trainings? Will you provide networking opportunities? Make sure that you communicate the benefits of joining your community.

#4) Stand for something: In my experience, most people don't want to join yet another online group or be on another email list, but they do hunger to be part of a movement. I encourage you to connect with your "big why" and invite your listeners to join you on your journey. When you stand for something beyond yourself, it creates magnetic attraction and listeners will want to be part of your community.

About Doug:

Doug Foresta is a veteran podcast producer and host who has interviewed over 800 guests, including NY Times Bestselling Authors and Academy Award winners. He has helped over 1200 worldwide launch their own podcasts and offers a free 30 minute Expand Your Reach consultation where you can learn how to expand your reach with a podcast. To contact Doug call 413-883-5518 or email him at dougforesta@gmail.com.

5 Ways to Boost Your Book Or Business With a Podcast

I often get asked whether creating a podcast is worth the time and effort. My experience both as a podcaster and helping speakers, authors and coaches create podcasts is that it is worth the effort, but you have to be strategic and know what you're doing. Here are 5 ways to boost your book or business with a podcast:

1) Expand Your Reach Through Interviews: If you do an interview based podcast you can reach out to leaders in your field. What I recommend is to make a list of 5-10 thought leaders in your field, as well as influencers who can connect you with the people who most need to hear what you have to say.

2) Increase Your Credibility and Visibility: Whether you are doing interviews or a solo podcast (where it's you speaking without a guest) podcasts help position you as an authority. When you are the authority in your field, it helps you enroll people in your programs and services, and paves the way for people to read your books and other content. 

3. Create a Journey for Your Listeners: Many people will start podcasts, but few will stay with them, because they won't see results from their efforts. An important part of successful podcasting is creating a "journey" for listeners. Invite your listeners to join you on a teleseminar, or email you, or sign up for a free gift. It's not enough to create a podcast. You have to create engagement and an conversation, and invite and inspire your listeners to join you. Figure out what your "journey" is and give listeners a way to work and connect with you in a deeper way.

4. Get Listed on Industry Websites: A great way to boost your visibility and get the word out about what you do is to get listed on industry websites. A powerful way to do this is to interview leaders of organizations that are related to what you do. If you are not doing an interview based podcast, you can still get the word out by using a "curation" strategy. Mention the organizations website or events and put the links to their website on your show page. Then send the podcast to the organization. There is a very good chance that they will send your podcast out to their list and put it on their website. After all, it's an endorsement of them. 

5. Be consistent: A big part of what makes podcast so powerful is that it allows you to project yourself and your message to people all over the world. Make sure to release your podcast at a regularly scheduled day and time to build trust with your audience. Soon, your ideal listeners will be excited and looking forward to your new episodes. Those are the people who will be hungry to read your new books and buy your programs, products and services. 

Want to learn more about how podcasting can help you expand your reach and get your message out in a big way? Call me at 413-883-5518 for a free 30 minute consultation, or reach out at www.dougforesta.net  

Expand Your Reach Through The Power of Your Voice

        My name is Doug Foresta, and I help coaches, therapists, speakers and authors stand out and be heard through the power of podcasting. I began my own journey of podcasting in 2009 on Blog Talk Radio, and today I host and produce 3 shows, including Creating Change on Empower Radio and The Coachzing Show on iTunes and Stitcher Radio. In that time I've interviewed over 700 guests, including New York Times bestselling authors and Academy Award winners.

         What I'll be sharing with you in this blog is how to use the power of your spoken voice to get your message out in a big way to those who most need to hear it. I'll share with you the best of what I've learned in 6 years of podcasting and coaching hundreds of people to start their own podcasts. However, this blog isn't only about podcasting, it's about using podcasting as a vehicle for honing your message and speaking your truth.

         I believe that something magical happens when we speak our truth. When your ideal clients and prospects can hear the conviction in your voice, they immediately connect with you in a way that they never could through any other medium. If you have a message that inspires and uplifts others, but don't know how to reach beyond your current circle of influence, I'll show you how to get your message out to people all over the world.

         There is a saying that "we teach what we most need to learn." Growing up, I felt that my own voice was stifled, and it took me many years to have the courage to stand up and say what I really thought and felt. Podcasting gave me the platform to do that in a bigger way than I ever thought possible. I'll show you step by step how to create an online platform with a podcast, even if you don't have a big list or any online presence.  It is an honor to be on this journey with you, and I hope to motivate and inspire you to speak your truth in a way that increases your visibility, boosts your book or blog and helps you stand out and be heard.

        To learn more, visit www.dougforesta.net