Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

In episode #611, Eric and Neil discuss how you can improve your SEO without writing more content. Tune in to hear what steps you can take to increase site traffic without having to write new content.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Do SEO Without Writing Content
• [00:35] Use Google Search Console to see which pages have a high impression count, but low click-through rate.
• [01:01] In order to increase traffic to your site, improve your title or meta-description.
• [01:26] Neil’s most popular pages are the ones with a tool, his blog, and his homepage.
• [01:44] Whatever business you’re in, create a tool for it. You don’t have to do this from scratch! You can buy a script for what you need.
• [02:18] Buy other websites via BizBuySell, Flippa, or FE International.
• [02:49] Brian Dean runs Backlinko, has thirty-something blog posts and gets near 200,000 visitors per month.
• [03:05] He gets good traffic by improving his existing content.
• [03:33] You can generate traffic and raise your ranking by improving your website’s design.
• [03:37] Neil was the co-founder of Kiss Metrics and they added a lot of infographics to their site, which increased traffic.
• [04:01] That’s all for today!
• [04:04] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #610, Eric and Neil discuss 7 useful hacks that will double your leads. Tune in to hear what you could be doing to increase your business.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Double Your Leads With These 7 Hacks
• [00:33] Hack 1: Use the most relevant lead magnet.
• [00:38] A lead magnet is an ebook, a checklist, etc.
• [01:07] Hack 2: Remarket visitors to your site.
• [01:15] Show them a landing page with the opposite pitch of your main landing page.
• [01:33] Remarketing is effective, because people come to your site via different pages.
• [01:55] Hack 3: Use a pop-up tool to collect leads.
• [02:02] Great pop-up tools: Hello Bar and Opt-in Monster.
• [02:21] Hack 4: If you are doing B2B, use LinkedIn’s pre-populating forms.
• [02:48] Your conversion rate will go up, because it fills out the form for the potential customer, saving them time and effort.
• [02:52] Hack 5: Use chat bots.
• [03:02] You can use Facebook’s free tool, Intercom, Drift, or Many Chat.
• [03:33] Hack 6: Get people to subscribe or opt-in via push notifications.
• [04:05] Try using Subscribers.
• [04:40] Hack 7: Build tools and give them away for free.
• [05:12] UberSuggest is a great example of this.
• [05:20] That’s all for today!
• [05:22] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #609, Eric and Neil discuss whether you really need more backlinks to outrank your competition. Tune in to hear what you can do to improve your ranking.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: Do You Really Need More Backlinks to Outrank Your Competition?
• [00:34] Eric doesn’t think you need more backlinks.
• [00:54] Sometimes, a wikipedia post will rank higher than others because they have domain authority.
• [01:15] However, Eric and Neil don’t even check their domain authority anymore.
• [01:21] When you’re starting off, this is something you need to check, but once you are more established, it doesn’t matter.
• [01:41] Neither Eric or Neil even knows how many backlinks they have.
• [02:15] To win business, Eric’s company will show companies how many backlinks they have as compared to their competitors.
• [02:30] Once you’ve been working with a customer for a year or two, you produce good content, build natural links, create videos, create podcasts, and you no longer check on backlinks.
• [03:00] The simplest way to outrank your competitors: go to Google Search Console, check your URL’s with a lot of impressions, but low clicks, then re-write it by fleshing it out and adding in pertinent keywords. You will find that your ranking for those keywords will increase and you will outrank your competitors without having to build more links.
• [03:30] Sometimes, checking backlinks is based merely on ego, as nothing annoys people more than their competitors having more backlinks and higher domain authority.
• [03:55] Clickflow is a great tool that shows you when your impression count is too low. This means you should improve the title or meta-description.
• [04:16] Sometimes, adding popular keywords to your title will help boost your ranking.
• [04:42] That’s it for today!
• [04:46] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #608, Eric and Neil discuss what you should do in light of the fact that email marketing is dying. Tune in to hear what avenues you should pursue to mitigate the loss of traffic through email marketing.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: Email Marketing Is Dying (and Here's What You Should Do Next)
• [00:34] Everyone thinks no one uses email anymore, which is a false assumption, especially if you work in the corporate world.
• [00:55] Although email marketing is dying, that is only for the younger demographics.
• [01:15] Email isn’t as effective as it used to be, but as long as you leverage all the other channels, you can still do well.
• [01:40] Combine emails, push notifications, and chat bots; you will get back some of the traffic you lost through email marketing.
• [02:00] Neil spoke to someone who works in Dubai and he still makes all his money through email marketing to an older audience.
• [02:21] Eric loves to use Subscribers.com, Many Chat, and text messaging to market to a younger audience.
• [02:58] Sly Broadcast is a great tool that Eric loves.
• [03:18] This tool will allow you to drop a voicemail into someone’s inbox without having the phone ring.
• [03:40] Cut the fat on the tools, though. Too many tools spreads your focus too thin.
• [04:25] Neil’s team uses fewer than 10 tools internally.
• [04:32] They use Skype, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, AHREFS, SEMRush, Subscribers, Hello Bar, Hubspot, and possibly one or two more at the most.
• [05:00] Don’t go beyond ten tools, because it is overwhelming.
• [05:15] If you want to do well and remain actionable, using too many tools will prevent that.
• [05:30] That’s it for today!
• [05:32] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #607, Eric and Neil discuss what happened when they purchased backlinks. Tune in to hear whether this is still a valid marketing method.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: We Bought $100,000 Worth of Backlinks (and Here's What Happened Next)
• [00:40] Eric and Neil no longer buy links, but did so during the earlier parts of their careers.
• [00:55] They purchased random sites with no relevance to their industries.
• [01:30] Link buying is bigger than it used to be and Google isn’t banning any of the purchased sites.
• [01:55] Sites will spend $100,000 on backlinks, but they are not getting the traffic that they used to.
• [02:02] Google is now using a lot of factors such as brand queries, user metrics, on-page SEO, Hummingbird, and Rank Brain.
• [02:45] Paid advertising is the biggest trend right now and it’s working.
• [03:00] Buying links is the old SEO, instead you should think about ways to repurpose and create great content.
• [03:26] Neil uses blogging, video, and podcasting as marketing methods.
• [03:31] This all can lead to bigger and better opportunities.
• [04:12] That’s it for today!
• [04:16] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #606, Eric and Neil discuss how you can outrank your competitors simply by copying them. Tune in to hear how and what you should be copying.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Outrank Your Competitors by Copying
• [00:53] Single Grain went from 4000 visitors/month to 100,000 visitors/month by copying great ideas from his competitors.
• [01:20] Take the best techniques, posts, podcasts and spin it to make it more useful.
• [01:36] Dr. Axe is a website that crushed the competition.
• [01:58] Dr. Axe checked which of their competitors’ URLS were getting the most traffic, had the fewest backlinks, and then wrote better versions of those pages.
• [02:57] This got them to 20 Million visitors per month.
• [03:34] AHREFS is one of Eric and Neil’s favorite tools. It can do a content gap analysis, which will help you see where others are failing. Fill in that gap!
• [04:25] Neil wrote The Beginners’ Guide to Online Marketing. It cost him around $20,000 or $30,000.
• [04:51] It was a combination of the strongest pieces out there; he made it more detailed, easier to digest, and combined text with infographics to make it more appealing.
• [05:05] A lot of people are doing 10x or 100x content.
• [05:20] Think how you can apply Neil’s techniques to your product or service in your industry.
• [05:52] If you continually create new content on the same topic, Google won’t know which page to rank higher, so they won’t rank them well at all.
• [06:07] Make sure your pages are more detailed and don’t repeat content.
• [06:11] That’s all for today!
• [06:13] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #605, Eric and Neil discuss whether you should focus on quantity or quality when it comes to link building. Tune in to hear what you might be doing wrong.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: Quantity vs Quality: What's Better For Link Building?
• [00:43] Neil finds that neither proves more useful than the other. Slow and steady wins the race.
• [01:02] This means whether you post ten links per month or three with high quality content, consistency is the only thing that matters.
• [01:52] You never consider link-building when you’re starting your business, but it matters.
• [02:20] When starting out, focus on letting people know who you are and what your brand is.
• [02:45] Eric builds the majority of his links on Singlegrain.
• [02:56] He and his company focus on quantity and find that quality isn’t always a factor.
• [03:15] Now, Singlegrain pulls in 100,000 visitors per month.
• [03:25] Don’t post junk, but quality rarely matters.
• [03:45] Don’t always link back to your homepage, rather provide relevant information.
• [04:25] Though it’s not the sexiest answer, time is always your friend and visitors will grow in time if you remain consistent.
• [04:28] That’s all for today!
• [04:31] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #604, Eric and Neil discuss ways you can convert site visitors into repeat visitors. Tune in to hear how you can increase your conversions and revenue.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Convert Your Visitors Into Repeat Visitors
• [00:45] 25-30% of Single Grain’s visitors are repeat visitors.
• [00:48] Most people will have this percentage of repeat visitors.
• [01:12] Collect email addresses and re-market to them.
• [01:30] People on your email list will be the highest converting channel.
• [01:36] Emails account for 30% of Overstock’s sales.
• [01:55] Made a lead magnet.
• [02:10] Use Beacon.by to make checklists and ebooks. Other helpful tools are: Canva and Hello Bar.
• [02:40] Use multiple channels; try push notifications.
• [02:45] To facilitate this, try Subscribers, Push Crew, or One Signal.
• [03:00] Chat bots are still effective (not as much as last year). You can get 40% of those people to your website.
• [03:24] You can use RSS to blog.
• [03:50] It’s a quick and easy way to blast everything.
• [04:10] Neil write his emails manually, which may make his blasts more successful.
• [04:30] Tailor your titles and content to each outlet (email, social, etc.).
• [05:00] Use email, push, chat bots, and any new marketing channel to get people to your site.
• [05:14] The goal is to engage with people as many times as possible.
• [05:55] Check out Neil’s guides on Quicksprout.
• [06:12] If you Google online marketing, Neil is always one of the top results.
• [06:38] Don’t forget about retargeting!
• [06:50] That’s all for today!
• [06:52] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #603, Eric and Neil discuss ways you should emulate HubSpot. Tune in to hear the ways in which HubSpot is successfully converting people into customers.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Growth Hack Your Company by Copying Hubspot
• [00:35] Eric had one of the HubSpot VP’s, David Cancil, who is now the CEO of Drift, on Growth Everywhere.
• [00:47] David said that Hubspot got a lot of its clients/sales from it website grader tool.
• [01:04] When it comes to software, you want to give away something everyone wants.
• [01:18] Even if you release a cheaper version of coveted software and give it away for free, you will get a lot more traffic.
• [01:43] You can even apply this to physical products.
• [02:10] “Marketing is a race to the bottom.” -Neil
• [02:25] Neil bought and re-launched UberSuggest; did little to no marketing; and offered free versions of his competitors apps or software.
• [02:50] Russell Brunson offered a free book for which you only had to pay shipping.
• [03:15] Outgrow is a great free tool you can use and customize to suit your needs.
• [03:35] Lead Quizzes and the book Ask help you figure out what kind of questions you should be asking your customers.
• [04:10] Quizzes aren’t effective unless the product is relevant to the result of the quiz.
• [05:05] Hubspot personalizes the site to each visitor and welcomes you back by name.
• [05:24] Personalizing the experience will help conversion rates.
• [05:35] Amazon is also good at personalizing their experience.
• [06:05] You can easily use Upwork or CodePen or Top Down to hire workers/developers.
• [06:35] Product tools are the best way to market.
• [07:15] That’s all for today!
• [07:18] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #602, Eric and Neil count out 7 hacks that will help you increase your revenue. Tune in to hear these great hacks!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Simple Copy Hacks That'll Allow You to Sell Anything
• [00:35] #1: Take a look at what everyone in your space is doing.
• [01:03] Focus your copy on a niche instead of directly competing with others content.
• [01:33] By tailoring to a specific audience, your conversions will go up.
• [01:54] #2: Check out Backlinko.
• [02:01] All the posts are easy to read. Model yoru content after this.
• [02:40] #3: Integrate testimonials and case studies that prove your point.
• [03:10] Make sure you include more than one testimonial.
• [03:20] Make it more of a story.
• [03:33] #4: Emaildrips will help you draw inspiration on what to do next.
• [03:59] #5: Do the opposite pitch of what is on your landing page.
• [04:30] Most of your visitors won’t convert, but re-market to your core audience. Send them to a different landing page and try a more emotional pitch.
• [05:10] #6: Generate a sense of urgency (Swiped is a great resource for this).
• [06:15] #7: Make sure you have a relevant call to action.
• [06:45] Relate your calls to action to everything you see on your homepage.
• [07:04] That’s all for today!
• [07:06] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #601, Eric and Neil discuss the one thing that Marketers tend to overlook. Tune in to hear what you might be neglecting in your business plan.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic:The One Essential Thing That Most Marketers Miss
• [00:50] You can’t build something great without a great team.
• [01:22] Hiring and recruiting are the biggest marketing hacks out there, but people often don’t think about this.
• [01:41] Algorithms always change and it makes it hard to stay popular or “on top”.
• [02:20] It doesn’t matter what channel you’re marketing through, but rather your brand is most important.
• [02:41] Focus on providing an amazing customer experience.
• [02:48] Use Zappos as an example of great customer service,
• [03:51] The CEO of Priceline realized that at the end of the day, it was all about his team and the people that make up the company.
• [04:49] Who? Is a great book that will teach you about the psychology of team building.
• [05:04] Primal Branding is another good resource.
• [05:18] Instead of spending time and money on logo and image, spend the time with your customers.
• [05:45] That’s it for today!
• [05:47] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #600, Eric and Neil explain how you can generate traffic on Instagram. Tune in to hear how you can leverage social media in order to grow your business.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Generate Traffic From Instagram When You Have No Followers
• [00:40] Make sure you’re using the right tags.
• [00:43] There are tools like RiteTags to help you with this.
• [01:04] Promote your Instagram on your other social accounts.
• [01:10] Get the most engaged people to follow you.
• [01:18] The more engaged your followers, the more viral your post will end up being.
• [01:28] Eric finds the most engaged users in his industry and engages them on social media.
• [01:52] Start doing stories and when people watch, get them to go to your website.
• [02:13] Instagram Pods are a way of getting people together and like each other’s posts.
• [02:57] Eric likes Unity Influence, which is a platform where you can find influencers (NOTE: Eric has invested in this company).
• [03:22] When someone likes 20 pictures all at once, it doesn’t have as great an effect. If someone likes your photo and nothing else, your post will get a bigger bump.
• [03:54] Eric hired a company that kept reposting other people’s motivational quotes and doing power likes.
• [04:05] This doesn’t actually add value, so if you’re going to do something like that, you may as well use Canva.
• [04:25] You also need to have the right content that caters to your target audience.
• [04:32] Also, consider buying another Instagram account.
• [04:45] The account that you buy doesn’t have to be active before you buy it, but it should be in your field.
• [05:20] That’s it for today!
• [05:23] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #599, Eric and Neil discuss how you can run a virtual marketing team. Tune in for tips on how to manage remote workers.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How To Run A Virtual Marketing Team
• [00:33] Neil was listening to Masters of Scale and the CEO of Zoom was talking about how 50% of their talent are remote workers.
• [01:05] Eric hires people from all over and they work remotely.
• [01:17] He does it not because remote workers are cheaper (they aren’t), but because they are talented.
• [01:45] Eric and Neil have been tapping into the virtual market for 10-15 years.
• [02:07] When running a virtual team, people have to specialize.
• [02:31] Neil finds that communication is better when everyone is on site.
• [03:10] 1:1 meetings are key for direct reports.
• [04:17] When you want people to perform their best, give them KPIs and other marks to hit; goal-setting is key.
• [05:40] Eric’s team uses Bonusly, which allows you to award points to people, which then translate to online dollars. It becomes a recognition tool that encourages a bit of competition.
• [06:15] On the agency side, they use HubStaff, which tracks the time of your employees.
• [06:36] It’s important to have a record of the time your virtual employees are working.
• [06:54] This doesn’t mean you should be a micromanaging snoop!
• [07:25] If you have to do this, they are probably not the right employee.
• [07:40] Virtual employees need to have a lot of discipline.
• [07:55] Eric and Neil operate their businesses using the Traction model.
• [08:24] Eric read The Coaching Habit and thinks it contained useful information for running a business.
• [08:52] That’s all for today!
• [08:54] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #598, Eric and Neil discuss the 7 crazy ways you can improve your business. Tune in to hear how you can attract more customers and increase revenue!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Crazy Marketing Experiments That Will Change Your Business
• [00:40] #1: Run brand-related experiments.
• [01:04] Google relies on many factors when it comes to ranking and if people are searching for you, your rank will probably be higher.
• [01:47] #2: Build a repurposing framework.
• [02:35] Over 10% of podcast listeners make over 6 figures!
• [02:53] #3: Create your own podcast or advertise on some.
• [03:20] #4: Build a remarketing funnel that uses videos to tell your story.
• [04:19] Video has ten times more brand awareness than text or other forms of marketing.
• [04:30] #5: Showcase your daily life.
• [04:45] By documenting your work life, you will find that you will have an engaged community.
• [05:18] #6: What’s old is new again.
• [05:29] While people are spending on digital, this doesn’t negate the efficacy of older methods.
• [06:09] #7: If you are selling a high-ticket item and selling to wealthy clientele, consider sending a courier to their home or office with $1000 in cash and a note explaining that you want 30 minutes of their time.
• [06:50] A lot of people will take the call.
• [07:02] That’s it for today!
• [07:04] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #597, Eric and Neil discuss how you should market an ICO. Tune in to hear tips on how to approach marketing this new industry.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Market an ICO
• [00:33] An ICO is an “Initial Coin Offering”.
• [00:36] A lot of people are releasing cryptocurrencies.
• [01:03] If you are a marketing agency, when working with an ICO, you have to “cover your ass”.
• [01:55] Some of the ICO’s have bad websites.
• [02:21] They’re using bad animations and insider lingo that doesn’t help to further their business.
• [02:40] You will do much better if you don’t use insider lingo and instead create a simplistic video explaining your product and its value.
• [03:10] Keep it simple!
• [03:17] ICO are now maxing out their Telegram groups (which means they have more than 75,000 people in that group).
• [03:45] One way to grow your telegram group is to blast your email list. Eric did this when working with Polygram.
• [04:00] The first email drove people to the Telegram group.
• [04:15] They also airdropped tokens for free because of referral programs, etc.
• [04:44] Celebrity endorsements aren’t the best idea. Instead, use crypto-influencers, as they draw in the right type of customer.
• [05:20] Right now, there are a lot of people writing white papers. You want the write type of people writing these (professors, influencers, etc.).
• [06:00] You can use Inbound Junctions to create press for your ICO.
• [06:07] Leverage email lists.
• [06:10] Promote partnerships with other ICO’s.
• [06:15] Create a Reddit channel.
• [06:31] Engagement is so important.
• [06:50] Have people manage communities and chat rooms.
• [07:12] Facebook has banned any sales ads referencing cryptocurrency.
• [07:53] That’s all for today!
• [07:55] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #596, Eric and Neil explain how you can convert leads into customers. Tune in to hear what steps you can take to increase your sales revenue.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Convert Leads into Customers
• [00:34] Eric and Neil both get leads from their website, but only convert about 5% into customers.
• [00:52] Converting comes down to nurturing, because you have to coax people into being ready to buy.
• [01:05] If 5% of your leads are qualified, you could follow up in various ways, but it could take a long time.
• [01:48] Eric’s company sends an introductory email.
• [02:02] He has also created a great channel via the Growth Everywhere podcast.
• [02:29] Nurture people with content over and over.
• [02:39] Most of your site visitors and leads will buy right away, but many will be hard to convert over time.
• [03:03] Real-person engagement helps convert people who aren’t sure.
• [03:14] This means attending conferences, hosting live events, Facebook Live Q&A’s, etc.
• [03:40] When you do polls using Zoom, you can ask people questions that will help you find new ways to approach your customers.
• [04:05] See which of the people you are trying to convert are in your area and make sure they attend a live event.
• [04:54] You should also be engaging your customers on social media, which is a great way to convert.
• [05:16] When people have questions or problems, don’t pitch your product, just be there to answer questions and prove yourself useful.
• [05:46] That’s it for today!
• [05:58] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #595, Eric and Neil discuss the best ways to engage people on social media. Tune in to hear what you could be doing differently.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Engage with Your Social Media Fans When They Keep Ignoring You
• [00:36] Facebook recently tweaked their algorithm, which means you will probably have to pay more for paid ads.
• [00:56] Even if you do it wrong, you will get more engagement.
• [01:15] Neil used to only do text-based articles, but he found that videos gives him more reach and engagement.
• [01:41] Create more than one type of engagement.
• [02:27] Offer a giveaway that encourages referrals in order to participate.
• [03:01] Video is the content that currently drives the most engagement.
• [03:20] Eric and Neil were called out on their Facebook page for not engaging their followers and just leaving the page to operate on its own.
• [03:36] Ultimately, the person who called them out was right.
• [03:52] If you see people asking industry-related questions on social media, even if they are not asking you specifically, respond to them! This is a great way to get more customers and fans.
• [04:30] At the end of the day, Eric and Neil messed up and broke their process.
• [04:58] One way to engage your audience is to help people out when they are contacting you to ask questions.
• [05:03] Join industry-related groups on Facebook and get in the mix.
• [05:16] Messenger bots are a great way to engage people, as well. Try Mobile Monkey.
• [05:36] Do your best to integrate live feed options provided by Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, etc.
• [06:15] Make personalized messages for each site visitor, which will help to engage them (via chatbots).
• [06:46] That’s it for today!
• [06:48] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #594, Eric and Neil count the 7 unique marketing systems that always work. Tune in to hear what steps you should be taking to increase your revenue.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Unique Marketing Systems that Work
• [00:36] #1: Neil likes doing three meetings each week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday).
• [00:49] Every Monday, they split up into teams of three and brainstorm ways to further the business. On Wednesday, they implement those ideas, and on Friday they discuss the results.
• [01:18] #2: At Eric’s company, they have an “innovation meeting” twice a month.
• [01:25] They do it over lunch in a conference room and they discuss movements in the industry. Everyone must participate and share.
• [02:10] #3: Create a team and a system to make your content more popular.
• [02:19] In Neil’s company, they have a team that specializes in improving previous content.
• [02:54] #4: Refer to Traction: The Entrepreneur’s Operating System.
• [03:14] Eric’s team has this type of meeting every Monday. These meetings involve scoreboards, to-do lists, and quarterly rocks.
• [03:45] This allows his team to systematically move forward.
• [03:53] #5: A re-test system. Things that worked a year ago are not going to work today.
• [04:09] Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn authorization used to drastically increase conversions, but now, because of privacy issues, in some cases it is decreasing conversions.
• [04:36] When running AB tests or marketing experiences, list them out and note the results for each one.
• [04:43] Take all the winners and re-test them a year from then.
• [05:08] #6: Personalized and scale your marketing.
• [05:24] Clearbit has a nice API, which Eric’s company uses to enrich emails and chats.
• [05:46] On Growth Everywhere, Eric spoke with the CEO of Drift. The CEO spoke about how they like to tailor their website to each customer.
• [06:29] #7: The Zebra System: if it looks like a Zebra, walks like a Zebra, eats like a Zebra: it’s a Zebra.
• [06:37] Whoever your ideal customer is, it is now a Zebra. Within your marketing framework, make sure you are only targeting Zebras.
• [06:47] Campaign Monitor grew by doing email marketing for designers.
• [06:52] Convert Kit grew by doing email marketing for bloggers.
• [06:55] There’s nothing wrong with picking a niche.
• [07:09] As you’re focusing in on a specific demo, you’ll find that as you grow, you will start getting away from your Zebra. Don’t do that too early, because it will hurt your revenue.
• [07:18] Build a check-in every quarter to make sure your marketing is still focused on the Zebra.
• [07:31] Once you are hitting over $8 Million in revenue, then you can consider expanding your focus.
• [07:49] That’s all for today!
• [07:52] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #593, Eric and Neil debate whether you need to spend money on a nice office. Tune in to hear the reasons you may need a great office space.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: Is it Worth it Spending Money on a Nice Office?
• [00:51] In a collaborative environment, it’s good to have everyone in the same space.
• [01:14] Eric pays about $11,000 for three sections in co-working spaces.
• [01:35] Now, they’re moving into their own dedicated space.
• [01:49] Offices are good for recruiting, it’s a great space to bring clients into, and it’s nice to have a home base.
• [02:13] If you are looking to build a culture, you need to have your own dedicated space.
• [02:27] A crappy space creates a crappy feeling.
• [02:45]However, Neil thinks it’s a waste of money to have a nice office, even though offices do serve an important purpose.
• [03:10] He would rather save money on the office and spend it on food or other community-related activities and things that build culture.
• [04:07] Nice offices are good for creative businesses and it helps create a positive perception.
• [04:40] Marketing warrants a nice office, in Eric’s opinion.
• [05:01] Neil prefers to sublet for a year at a time.
• [05:54] He thinks it’s too risky to sign up for years at a time.
• [06:20] Consider whether your industry warrants having a nice office.
• [06:29] That’s all for today!
• [06:32] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #592, Eric and Neil discuss what you should do with your profits. Tune in to hear in what you should be investing.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: You Made a Bunch of Money. Now What?
• [00:45] If you make six figures, pay your expenses and live a minimalist lifestyle.
• [01:05] Put all your money back into your business.
• [01:28] Ray Dalio’s book has been helpful for determining what to do with your money.
• [01:54] Ray is a hedge fund manager; his book discusses the benefits and diversifying.
• [02:18] Warren Buffett typically makes ten to twenty investments at a time.
• [02:37] Invest back in yourself!
• [02:50] Invest back into your business!
• [03:22] Neil would take his profits and invest in more businesses.
• [03:40] He lost a lot of money this way. Focus on your core business.
• [03:44] Neil spoke with Brian Lee, head of Shoe Dazzle and Legal Zoom. He told Neil to have laser-sharp focus on his core business.
• [04:14] Only consider expanding when your core business has leveled off.
• [05:23] Eric watched a video about how to get richer.
• [05:45] He learned that taxes are 30-50%.
• [06:06] Eric recommends starting an LLC to run your expenses through.
• [06:21] That’s all for today!
• [06:25] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #591, Eric and Neil discuss the secret to engaging your customers in order to produce greater revenue. Tune in to hear the main thing you can do to generate sales.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Little Known Secret to Generating More Revenue From Every Customer
• [00:54] When you first sign up with Intercom, they have a great on-boarding email.
• [01:35] On-boarding is the biggest lever you can pull to generate more revenue.
• [01:53] When you buy a meal at McDonalds, they are always upselling (Fries? Super size?)
• [02:22] Upsell or downsell when people are checking out.
• [03:12] The upsell could be a software that does the work for you.
• [03:32] Your solution should be both speed and automation.
• [03:49] Dotcom Secrets is a great book about upselling and on-boarding.
• [04:05] Eric recommends Appcues, a cheaper option, or Intercom, which is known for their chat feature.
• [04:34] On-boarding isn’t just the first week, it’s about keeping customers engaged.
• [05:03] Customers who are successfully on-boarded are more likely to buy products and services.
• [05:40] That’s it for today!
• [05:42] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #590, Eric and Neil talk about delivering a remarkable customer service experience. Tune in to find out what it takes to create amazing experiences for your customers.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Secret to Delivering a Remarkable Customer Experience
• [00:35] If you really want to create amazing experiences that your customers love, you have to care about them.
• [01:00] Zappos goes above and beyond to delight their customers (fast shipping and easy returns).
• [01:45] Amazon bought Zappos some time ago and they are also a customer-focused company.
• [02:20] When Eric was in Japan, he stayed at the Prince Gallery and he found the customer service aspects remarkable.
• [02:36] He felt special and even minor details were attended to.
• [03:00] Think about creating remarkable experiences.
• [03:05] The Ritz Carlton does training in terms of customer experience and service; you can send your team there (for an expense), but they will learn a great deal.
• [03:30] Neil stayed in the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas and he saw notes that were left for employees and the customer service mantras they lived by.
• [04:25] They went above and beyond at no extra cost to Neil (except for tips).
• [04:55] The problem with affiliate marketing, is that you are really doing it for yourself.
• [05:27] That’s all for today!
• [05:29] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #589, Eric and Neil explain why you should hire developers to work as marketers. Tune in to hear why developers are so good at marketing.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: Why You Should Hire Developers as Marketers
• [00:35] Neil think developers are really good at understanding data and making changes.
• [00:54] They are amazing marketers because they are creative, make changes, and run tests without relying too heavily on others.
• [01:04] Marketers on the other hand, may have good ideas, but have to figure out how to get them implemented by someone else.
• [01:26] During Eric’s time at Treehouse, the CTO was a developer who would help him get things done.
• [01:36] The CTO didn’t know marketing, but learned as he went.
• [01:52] Engineers/Developers are self-motivated.
• [02:27] What Neil loves, is that they believe in the “quick and dirty” approach.
• [02:53] The one danger in hiring developers as marketers, is that they will sometimes run a lot of bad tests and you will lose revenue.
• [03:22] When you run a test and things go wrong, you will absolutely lose money.
• [03:52] Make sure that you have an individual contributor and also managers.
• [04:30] Neil thinks you should be paying $150,000-$200,000 for a good developer who understands marketing.
• [04:41] It doesn’t make sense for you to hire someone into this position unless you already have a business that is producing millions in revenue and you need more growth.
• [05:10] You don’t always have to pay a lot for good talent, but those with experience will cost more.
• [05:25] That’s all for today!
• [05:28] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #588, Eric and Neil discuss marketing tools that can help you grow your business. Tune in to hear which tools Eric and Neil swear by.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Unusual Marketing Tools That'll Help You Grow
• [00:37] Tool #1: Frame.io is a cool tool that allows you to leave feedback on videos to help push them through the creation process.
• [01:17] Tool #2: Zapier helps automate a lot of your marketing apps. It can connect with HubSpot or Drip.
• [01:50] Your marketing team doesn’t have to create systems to organize their output, because Zapier does it for you.
• [02:00] Tool #3: TubeBuddy allows you to AB test different thumbnails, schedule things ahead of time, and see which tags are viable for your YouTube videos.
• [02:15] It can also show you how other channels are doing in comparison to yours.
• [02:27] Tool #4: Full Story allows you to do user recordings “on steroids”.
• [03:00] Tool #5: Front is a collaborative email inbox.
• [03:15] You can assign emails to other people and make it available to them.
• [03:30] It also syncs with Base.
• [03:52] Tool #6: Clearbit helps you to connect with a lot of existing tools like Drip. It lets you know important background info on email and chat identities, so you know who the viable customers are.
• [04:44] Tool #7: Snip.ly lets you take posts and overlay your offer or content.
• [05:25] It helps to re-target people.
• [05:47] That’s it for today!
• [05:53] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #587, Eric and Neil tell you what to put in the very first email you send to customers. Tune in to hear why on-boarding is so vital to your success.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: Here's the Very First Email that You Should Send to Customers
• [00:35] Send an email that helps them throughout their journey and experience.
• [00:47] Setting them up properly will give customers a positive experience and makes them more likely to remain satisfied customers.
• [01:24] Getting people on-boarded the right way is key.
• [02:10] On-boarding is one of the most important levers you can pull and can translate to long-term growth.
• [02:30] Intercom’s initial email explains how everything works and how you can get started.
• [02:49] Pat Flynn will send an email introducing himself and uses the tags in Convert Kit.
• [03:20] Neil’s Co-Founder did a test with About.me and he was able to get their revenue to increase 40 or 50%, just by creating a nice “getting started flow”.
• [03:52] Make sure to include a checklist or steps, so that people have a path to follow.
• [04:15] Intercom has a chat or email on-boarding feature that allows you to choose a path that works for you.
• [04:43] That’s all for today!
• [04:48] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #586, Eric and Neil explain how you can get rich people to part with their money. Tune in to hear how you can convince rich people to invest or become clients themselves.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Get Money out of Rich People
• [00:43] Eric has gotten money from people by networking and then identifying what their companies’ challenges were and coming up with solutions.
• [01:04] He waited a few months to hit these people up for money.
• [01:30] Get to know people before you ask for money!
• [01:50] Give help, show your value, and offer something.
• [02:15] Always ask what challenges they are facing, which is a great conversation starter.
• [02:45] Have multiple touchpoints and remain top-of-mind.
• [03:20] Nextiva was founded by the guys who created Endurance International and iPowerWeb.
• [03:40] Eric didn’t pitch the Nextiva founder; the founder reached out to get Eric speak at a conference.
• [04:00] Eric went because he saw Steve Wozniak would be speaking at this conference.
• [04:10] They then developed a relationship and he came to Eric to ask for help.
• [04:27] Usually, this is unique, but the key is they had established a relationship before the topic of business was broached.
• [05:24] That’s it for today!
• [05:28] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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 In episode #585, Eric and Neil give you seven simple hacks that will increase your business. Tune in to hear how you can improve your ROI.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: 7 Age-Old Sales Hacks that Still Work Today
• [00:38] Hack #1:  Build a dream 100 (a list of clients you want to go after).
• [01:00] You can even build a dream 25, if that seems like a more attainable or realistic goal.
• [01:05] Hack #2: When trying to close a deal with a Fortune 100 company, send an email to the CEO that points out some weaknesses and solutions.
• [02:23] Hack #3: “The fortune is in the follow-up” -John Maxwell
• [02:42] If you follow up with the right people a couple of times, you will eventually receive a response.
• [03:10] Hack #4: Give before you ask.
• [03:20] Solve problems and educate people and they will be likely to become a paying customer.
• [03:50] Hack #5: Do something that stands out.
• [04:02] Some people bring a bottle of champagne or order tacos for the whole office, which will be sure to make you stand out.
• [04:37] Hack #6: Go to conferences.
• [04:46] Conferences are great places to get leads and will definitely increase your ROI.
• [05:17] Hack #7: Make your target the star.
• [05:35] Think about how you can make your target person or business a feature of your blog, podcast, video, etc. and it will entice them to work with you.
• [05:57] That’s all for today!
• [06:00] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #584, Eric and Neil explain why spending lavishly on business expenses is worth it. Tune in to hear what you should be spending your money on!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic:  Lavish Business Costs that Are Actually Worth It
• [00:38] Masterminds, which can cost $20,000/year, allow you to build great relationships with high caliber people.
• [01:22] If you have extra money, fly Business or First Class, because you can meet really interesting people who are valuable to network with.
• [02:35] Attend and speak at conferences.
• [02:49] “Brain Dates” at conferences allow you to speak to people you normally wouldn’t have the chance to speak with.
• [03:20] Even though they are expensive, it’s worth the splurge for the networking.
• [03:34] Spend a lot of money on your team.
• [03:45] Richard Branson told Neil, “You don’t build a big company without the team; it’s the team that makes the company. Don’t forget to take care of your team members.”
• [03:58] Gifts, bonuses, and perks like free lunch keep team morale up.
• [04:32] When you invest in your team, they will stick out the hard times.
• [05:15] Think about what your core values are and figure out how to help your team better their skills.
• [05:53] Consider nice clothes and expensive watches, which gives you the appearance of success and changes the way you are perceived.
• [06:22] Neil spent thousands of dollars on clothing and accessories and his business relationships improved.
• [07:10] Eric and Neil agree that credit card fees are worth it, because of the benefits and leeway they provide.
• [07:30] Spend lavishly on dinners! Take care of your guests and don’t cheap out.
• [08:05] That’s it for today!
• [08:10] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #583, Eric and Neil explain how you can boost your conversion rate by accepting bitcoin as a payment option. Tune in to hear if your business can handle a shift towards cryptocurrency payments.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Boost Your Conversion Rate by Offering Bitcoin as a Payment Option
• [00:45] On average, bitcoin has a daily fluctuation rate of 5%.
• [01:15] There are a lot of people who use bitcoin, so even though most people don’t, you could open up your business if you offer bitcoin as a payment option.
• [01:40] You will lose money in the short-term, but in the long run, you will make more.
• [02:06] Eric spent the most marketing dollars on Coinmarketcap.com and they only accepted cryptocurrency as payment.
• [02:28] Bitcoin has gone up in price, meaning that Coinmarketcap.com made money just by hanging on to it.
• [03:05] Stripe recently removed bitcoin as a payment option, because they didn’t think it was practical.
• [03:20] However, bitcoin is still popular.
• [03:45] If your margins aren’t that large, don’t accept crypto, because you may suffer cash flow issues.
• [04:08] You can always sell some off to pay for costs, but don’t accept crypto if you don’t have high margins.
• [04:21] That’s all for today!
• [04:25] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #582, Eric and Neil explain why you shouldn’t be too patient. Tune in to hear why patience in the short-term will kill your business.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Fact That You're Not Growing Fast Enough Because of 1 Thing - You're Too Patient
• [00:36] The moment you’re too satisfied, someone is going to come around and beat you at your own game.
• [00:56] The moment you’re patient in marketing, means you have decided to remain complacent.
• [01:15] Consider your business a fight to the death.
• [01:40] There are two things to consider: short-term, there needs to be urgency; long term, it’s important to be patient with some aspects of your job.
• [02:20] Business takes time, but in the short-term experiment!
• [02:40] Neil always says, “what else could we do to get better results right away?”
• [03:11] Push forward and look for new ways to grow.
• [03:30] Do the tactics that require long-term patience, but consider other marketing avenues at the same time.
• [04:09] Look for people who focus on one aspect of marketing and follow their example in that area.
• [04:40] It’s important to hire specialists, but also have a rhythm or cadence where people can be held accountable.
• [04:56] Read Rocket Fuel, it's about the concept of having a visionary and integrator on your team.
• [05:11] Also read
• Traction.[05:39] Get the tool 15Five, that checks in with your team each week and helps you keep your finger on the pulse of your company.
• [05:50] Neil does Monday, Wednesday, Friday meetings with progressive goals for each meeting.
• [06:35] He rewards his team for results.
• [06:51] That’s it for today!
• [06:59]Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #581, Eric and Neil explain how you can beat your established, monied competition. Tune in to hear steps you can take to beat your competitors at their own game!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How You Can Beat Your Competition When They Have More Money and Have Been in Business Longer
• [00:36] Neil gives away stuff for a cheaper price.
• [00:49] You can always undercut your competitors by offering the same thing for less.
• [01:16] Use the newest and greatest tech, because the competitors are probably using old, archaic technology.
• [01:26] Neil is going to do this to compete with Moz. Moz charges $99/month for their SEO tool, so he’s going to offer his SEO tool for FREE.
• [01:44] He can do what their doing for under $10,000.
• [02:01] These other companies have boards, executive teams, etc. While Neil can make decisions and act more quickly, because he doesn’t have to have all these groups weigh in.
• [02:16] Go where the competitors aren’t going.
• [02:25] These other agencies aren’t doing content marketing, podcasts, speaking engagements, or releasing tools. Zig where they zag.
• [03:00] Dropbox wasn't the first cloud in the game, but they offered their services for free!
• [03:10] Take your existing users and get them to help promote you for a reward.
• [03:45] Eric recommends reading Zero to One, which will help you figure out other avenues of marketing and competition.
• [04:05] When you want to beat your competition, if you are starting out, it’s a good idea to niche down.
• [04:35] When you’re competing with bigger companies, look at what they are not focusing on.
• [04:52] Translate your services into other languages and markets, which will help you remain competitive and may be a smaller pool.
• [05:30] Neil does this and finds there is less competition abroad and is winning in those markets.
• [05:43] That’s all for today!
• [05:48]Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #580, Eric and Neil discuss what you must know about Amazon advertising before anyone else. Tune in to hear how you can leverage Amazon Advertising for your business.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: What You Ought to Know About Amazon Advertising Before Everyone Else
• [00:35] Eric read a report that stated Amazon did $60 Billion in ad revenue and grew by possibly 60%.
• [01:12] Neil believes the stats are that Amazon ad revenue could reach $4.5 billion in 2018.
• [01:29] Eric and Neil suggest you start getting into the Amazon ad revenue game.
• [02:01] If you are doing America-based advertising, it’s time to pay attention.
• [02:09] Amazon Echo presents an advertising opportunity.
• [02:30] The profit margins on advertising are huge.
• [02:44] In another five to ten years, they may have wiped out brick and mortar retailers.
• [03:02] There are a lot more areas of advertising when you consider options with Amazon.
• [03:30] Make sure you jump on board, play with the advertising, and fine tune!
• [03:45] With the purchase of Whole Foods and the opening of the Amazon Go store in Seattle, they are taking over retail.
• [03:52] Eric and Neil saw a report that said Amazon is considering taking on FedEx.
• [04:25] It’s a new channel, whoever leverages it first will benefit the most.
• [04:55] That’s all for today!
• [05:01] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #579, Eric and Neil explain how you can create great content when you suck at writing. Tune in to hear great tips on creating killer content with less-than-stellar writing skills.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How You Can Leverage Content Marketing When You Suck at Writing
• [00:45] Just because you’re not good at writing, it’s ok! Everyone starts somewhere.
• [01:04] Think about your strong suit (what Eric calls your “content foundation”) and build out from there.
• [01:15] If Eric and Neil didn’t like writing, they could have just started with this podcast.
• [01:25] They have the podcast transcribed by Rev and they also get shownotes written by Podcast Motor; this means that things are being written without them having to write a single word.
• [01:46] Go to Jobs.problogger.net and hire a writer.
• [02:12] Use short and to the point paragraphs; this makes it easier to skim.
• [02:27] Use subheadings in your posts.
• [02:32] You need to have an intro with a hook.
• [02:55] A strong headline is key to getting readers.
• [03:22] Copyblogger will give you some examples of great headline formulas.
• [03:41] When you hire a writer, always give them an outline and make sure to get on the phone with them, so you’re on the same page.
• [04:06] You don’t have to be a good writer, you just have to be able to communicate well with a good writer.
• [04:25] Gary Vee doesn’t even write his own blogs; he gives ideas and outlines, but the content is written by someone else.
• [05:01] If you’re producing content, use the content re-usage workflow as a framework.
• [05:28] Content marketing is a 12-18 month journey from inception to results.
• [05:35] If you’re not the best writer and you can’t afford to hire someone, use Eric and Neil’s framework and just go out and write. The more you write, the better at it you will get.
• [05:55] You may notice that Neil has awful grammar and cannot spell; it’s ok, because he is providing valuable information.
• [06:35] That’s it for today!
• [06:38] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #578, Eric and Neil talk about more affordable marketing avenues. Tune in to hear how you can spend less money marketing your business. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How You Can Discover Affordable Marketing Channels That Have Huge Potential
• [00:40] It’s important to figure out who your target audience is and where they “hang out”.
• [00:58] Similar Web is a great way to see where your audience is. Alexa is another great option for this.
• [01:30] It’s important to see how people are using things.
• [01:45] The easiest marketing channels tend to get crowded fast, which causes cost to go up.
• [02:00] Similar Web will also tell you about email lists.
• [02:38] Neil likes to hit up websites directly.
• [03:14] Most people in the marketing world are doing online transactions, which means face-to-face meetings carry more weight.
• [03:54] Podcasting is underpriced attention.
• [04:05] Podcast advertising is affordable based on metrics Eric and Neil have used.
• [04:24] What’s old sometimes becomes new again.
• [04:35] Direct mail is making a bit of a comeback.
• [05:11] Neil pays for email blasts through various bloggers (he pays them to email their lists).
• [05:45] You can do outreach to the blogs to work out custom deals.
• [05:59] Only pay out Net 30 or Net 60.
• [06:10] That’s it for today!
• [06:13] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #577, Eric and Neil talk about when you should give up on marketing. Tune in to hear if, how, and when you need to call it quits.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How Long Should You Spend on Marketing Before You Give Up?
• [00:41] Neil gives up on tactics, instead of marketing as a whole.
• [01:00] He’ll try out five to ten tactics and keep whatever works.
• [01:20] In many cases, if you don’t experiment, you will just spin your wheels.
• [01:50] Eric was hanging out with the Zapier CEO and they agreed it is difficult to hand off marketing.
• [02:45] There are constantly new tactics, so you need to incorporate those into your workload.
• [03:15] Keep trying to improve all the time and integrate new techniques into your workflow.
• [03:35] You won’t see traction with SEO within the first six months.
• [04:00] Ahrefs will help you track your impressions and any traction you’re getting.
• [04:40] Be patient when working with long-term solutions.
• [04:45] With paid advertising, you need to make it work right away, because you will lose a lot of money otherwise.
• [05:48] You should look to grow your organic keywords by 10% month by month; for SEO, you should look to grow your top three keywords by 10% month by month.
• [06:07] That’s all for today!
• [06:11] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #576, Eric and Neil explain how you can get away with charging more and still be successful. Tune in to hear what “niching down” is and why it can help your business. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: 

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How You Can Steal Business Away From Your Competition - While Charging More Money
• [00:38] Niche down!
• [00:51] Make your business really specific (ex. a Facebook ad agency that specializes in working with educational companies).
• [01:08] You can charge more because you’re niching down and have specialized skills.
• [01:37] Campaign Monitor set out to be email marketing for designers. Niching down allowed them to make money and gain success, because they kept the job specific.
• [02:38] Drip just rebranded to be e-mail marketing for e-commerce.
• [03:07] Look at your “dream one hundred” and reach out to them and do a free analysis.
• [03:28] When you tailor your messaging to target a specific group, it will be easier for you to make things happen.
• [03:50] Apple started with a single computer and now have a whole line of products.
• [04:08] When you’re working in a niche, your conversion rates will go up.
• [05:15] You are able to charge more and make more, because there is less competition and you are offering a very specific service.
• [05:45] Eric’s company specializes in helping SaaS, e-commerce, and educational companies.
• [05:55] You can’t be everything to everyone!
• [06:01] That’s all for today!
• [06:05] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #575, Eric and Neil discuss the secret that Google doesn’t want you to know. Tune in to hear how branding and industry niches play a part.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: Something Google Doesn't Want You to Know
• [00:36] Google is emphasizing brands right now.
• [00:52] The most popular brands within a niche will be the top results.
• [01:20] If you focus on building a brand, you will do better in the long run.
• [01:41] Neil noticed that by leveraging branding, his ranking skyrocketed.
• [02:00] He took a lot of the currently popular models and had them hold up signs that said, “Who is Neil Patel?”
• [02:09] This caused people to increase searches for Neil.
• [02:23] He ranked high for online marketing after that.
• [02:55] Warren Buffett talks about building a moat (something to protect your business).
• [03:21] The new moat is building a brand.
• [04:22] By dominating the brand within your niche, you are guaranteed to do well.
• [05:03] By leveraging marketing channels with your brand, it will lead to success, but it will take a while to build.
• [05:24] It took 2-2.5 years for Eric to build his brand.
• [06:02] You can’t sell a personal brand, but you can sell a corporate brand with ease.
• [06:27] When you have a brand, you have more options available in terms of marketing.
• [06:45] A lot agency owners try to drag each other down, because it is so competitive.
• [07:04] Your brand opens you up to greater opportunities.
• [07:10] Listen to past episodes on how to build a brand.
• [07:23] That’s all for today!
• [07:27] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #574, Eric and Neil explain what makes content addictive. Tune in to hear specific ways you can create addictive content. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: 

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How You Can Make Your Content Addictive
• [00:52] Eric tends to follow long-form case studies.
• [01:10] He likes reports, custom data, and short videos.
• [01:28] Eric prefers Alex Becker’s content, because his videos are concise.
• [01:42] Neil thinks evergreen content is addictive. It should have these factors: entertaining, educational, or actionable.
• [02:06] Some visual aspect is always helpful.
• [02:18] The “How a Car Engine Works” animagraffs is a great example.
• [03:12] Brian Dean has a great SEO blog and Eric always reads his content, because there is always a unique spin.
• [03:48] Bucket brigade: a format where each paragraph is two to three sentences max.
• [04:15] Brian Dean attracts a lot of social sharing because of his great posts.
• [04:35] Neil finds that people like text and images in one post.
• [04:56] He is considering integrating podcast clips into his content.
• [05:15] Keep testing your audience to see what they want; it will vary from industry to industry.
• [05:35] Use BuzzSumo to find popular topics in your industry and to see when it was popular.
• [06:15] Design is an important facet of addictive content.
• [06:58] That’s it for today!
• [07:02] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #573, Eric and Neil explain why you can’t count on standardized techniques to grow your business. Tune in to hear why success is a numbers game. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: The One Thing That No Marketer Is Going to Tell You
• [00:35] The best tactics are not what's in marketers’ podcasts and blogs.
• [01:10] Marketers will not share their number one “thing”.
• [01:40] Marketers won’t necessarily know how to grow your business; their tactics will be standardized.
• [02:19] Facebook was naturally awesome, your product may not be that good.
• [02:30] Even the best marketers may not know how to solve your growth issues.
• [02:50] It’s all experimentation and it’s a numbers game.
• [03:37] Marketers will steal each other’s tactics and try to use them, even though they may not work for their specific problem.
• [04:08] Make sure you have a system of process to follow when experimenting.
• [04:29] Don’t expect the world from marketers: what worked in the past, won’t work today; what worked for one business may not work for another.
• [05:22] That’s it for today!
• [05:25] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #572, Eric and Neil explain ways that you can easily make 6 figures as a marketer. Tune in to hear how to prove yourself to be a valuable asset.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: 

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Simplest Way to Make 6 Figures as a Marketer
• [00:37] Go work for someone!
• [00:56] Working for someone was educational and lucrative for Eric.
• [01:45] Don’t switch jobs too frequently, because you will be seen as a job hopper.
• [02:10] However, switching companies can be more lucrative (raises, better benefits).
• [02:28] The easiest way to make 6 figures is to do a tear-down of a website.
• [02:52] Break down in Google Docs or Word where they can improve and how to fix it.
• [03:20] Email the document to the founder and CEO in separate chains.
• [04:29] There’s a good chance they will find you valuable and pay you just to solve the problems you outlined.
• [04:55] Eric used this method and emailed the CEO of Zynga.
• [05:19] It doesn’t matter if you’ve been marketing for 20 years or 1 year, identifying a problem and pointing out the solution is an easy way to prove yourself valuable and put you on the road to 6 figures.
• [05:52] Eric recommends chasing opportunity rather than salary, in most instances.
• [06:10] You don’t have to build a product, you could always do performance marketing.
• [06:35] That’s all for today!
• [06:39] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #571, Eric and Neil explain why it may be worth paying to join a Mastermind group. Tune in to hear if joining a Mastermind is right for you and how you can get the most out of the membership. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: Is It Worth It to Pay $20K for a Mastermind?
• [00:35] There are many Masterminds out there.
• [01:30] In the last episode, we talked about investing in yourself and attending these events is also investing in yourself.
• [01:51] Neil doesn’t attend these events anymore.
• [02:03] He has built up a great circle over the years and doesn’t necessarily need to go to Masterminds anymore.
• [02:28] Eric built a custom Mastermind, where they would have dinner and talk about business.
• [02:39] If you want to figure out how to set up your own Mastermind, Google “Mastermind Talks” or “Mastermind Dinners”.
• [02:47] Eric considers his Entrepreneur’s Organization to be a Mastermind group.
• [03:05] Creating this group has been the best decision he’s ever made.
• [03:37] Neil never joined EO, even though he’s been pitched on it. However, if he was just starting out, he would join.
• [04:10] When picking a Mastermind, you want to be with like-minded people.
• [04:29] If you’re a newbie, there is nothing wrong with joining a Mastermind with more experienced people, though experienced people should not join a Mastermind with a ton of Newbies.
• [04:40] Look for a Mastermind with people who share your mindset.
• [05:07] Make sure everyone has a similar philosophy.
• [05:22] EO streamlines the Mastermind process and is a worldwide org.
• [05:51] Once you’re in a Mastermind, after a year or two, you’ve already gained most of the knowledge you will need.
• [06:04] Neil recommends switching up Mastermind groups so the info doesn’t become static or stale.
• [06:40] That’s all for today!
• [06:43] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #570, Eric and Neil discuss how the rich get richer. Tune in to hear in which businesses you should be investing in.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How the Rich Get Richer
• [00:37] The way Neil makes more money is that he “invests in what he knows”.
• [00:53] He invests in his business and its marketing.
• [01:08] If you invest in yourself, you’ll get the highest ROI.
• [01:15] Neil has lost the most money investing in things he didn’t really understand.
• [01:48] Warren Buffett says the best investment you can make is in yourself.
• [01:55] There are two ways to invest in yourself: knowledge and your business.
• [02:15] When you invest in yourself, no one can take that away from you.
• [02:59] Once you build a business, you’re able to see your goals more clearly and see that you should invest in yourself.
• [03:50] Neil was doing a wire transfer the other day and the banker tried to pitch him on investments.
• [04:20] The perfect response to this kind of pitch is to tell them you don’t believe in investing.
• [05:08] Eric and Neil regret investing in long-shot, but great-sounding opportunities.
• [06:04] That’s all for today!
• [06:07] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #569, Eric and Neil explain different ways that you can market your business to the wealthy. Tune in to hear tips on gaining traction with wealthy business people.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Market to the Wealthy
• [00:35] Any kind of podcast can be marketing to the wealthy.
• [00:40] At least 15% of people who listen to this podcast make over six figures a year and listen to four or five hours of podcasts in general.
• [01:06] You can either create your own podcast or advertise during one.
• [01:20] Using Frank Kern’s method: Create a letter where you ask for five minutes of someone’s time and then send an envelope full of cash.
• [01:40] Tell them they can keep the money even if they don’t give you the five minutes.
• [02:18] Eric looked into attended/speaking at TED or Summit.
• [02:30] Some of the highest quality of people are at these large conferences.
• [02:50] Basic approaches also work: go on interviews, go on podcasts, reach out to bloggers with large audiences.
• [03:42] Try to get published on TechCrunch, Mashable, etc.
• [04:00] Networking is helpful and important.
• [04:18] When writing SEO content about super-technical aspects of your business, you’re more likely to reach the wealthy.
• [04:40] Eric and Neil have a live event that was successful, because a lot of people from different organizations showed up.
• [05:04] Join business organizations.
• [05:11] To be in EO, you have to make at least $1 million per year.
• [05:15] You can join EO Accelerator with under $1 million per year, as this is for younger people or startup businesses.
• [05:41] Without EO, Eric wouldn't have been able to save his business.
• [05:56] Eric has DM’d billionaires on Instagram and has made successful connections that way.
• [06:15] That’s all for today!
• [05:17] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #568, Eric and Neil talk about the difficulty of inbound marketing. Tune in to hear why inbound marketing isn’t an exact science and how you can use it to your advantage.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How You Are Doing Inbound Marketing All Wrong
• [00:34] Eric recently lost a deal to a content marketing agency.
• [00:47] The other agency was promoting processes and the execution plan was to create 500-600 word blog posts once per month.
• [01:04] Eric believes this was a weak approach, as 500-600 words is brief and you must provide quality overall.
• [01:44] Inbound marketing is not an exact science.
• [02:00] Generally, the formula for this unpredictable aspect of marketing is: you put in X and get back ?
• [02:33] In the long run you can make it more predictable.
• [03:00] Content marketing is building a lot of goodwill over time and you’re not trying to see an ROI immediately.
• [03:35] Being omnipresent, running ads, building out a funnel is all part of inbound marketing. If you’re able to build a machine like that, then you can stack paid ads on top.
• [03:48] ClickFunnels is doing something like $5-6 million a month because of his tight inbound marketing strategy.
• [04:25] When thinking about inbound marketing, you have to look at it as, are you willing to make an investment to potentially build up goodwill for a brand?
• [04:33] Eric spends $25,000/month on inbound marketing.
• [04:40] Some of that money includes salaries for content marketers.
• [05:10] For each closed deal, it costs Eric’s company $15,000 and they bring in at least $30,000.
• [05:58] Single Grain was getting 3,000-4,000 visits per month and all the leads were coming from Neil. It took two years to get that site rolling.
• [07:00] If you create junky content, you’re not going to get ROI, you’ll only lose money.
• [07:58] Think of inbound marketing as karma points and don’t focus too hard on ROI.
• [08:08] That’s all for today!
• [08:10] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #567, Eric and Neil discuss the new Facebook algorithm and how it will affect your marketing strategy. Tune in to hear how you can still be seen after the algorithm shift. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: What Facebook's New Algorithm Update Means for Marketers in Early 2018
• [00:36] Mark Zuckerberg recently announced a new algorithm that is supposedly about connecting people.
• [01:00] Facebook makes money off of advertising.
• [01:11] Your ads will have a tough time showing up organically, so get ready to spend money.
• [01:30] Historically, they have updated their algorithm for years, but this always increased their ad revenue.  
• [02:01] Neil has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to “buy fans”.
• [02:17] Every time Facebook updates its algorithm, it will be harder and harder for you to gain traction with your ads.
• [02:25] Don’t buy fans, instead spend the money to drive traffic to blog posts and websites.
• [04:00] Neil spent money on something that didn’t help his business, while Eric spent money on ads.
• [04:35] YouTube isn’t as “harsh” with their algorithm.
• [04:53] Anything Facebook sees as a weakness in their site, they try to improve upon using an updated algorithm.
• [05:15] Facebook needs to promote video more than anyone else.
• [05:34] Social networks are attention-based and they are constantly trying to buy your attention.
• [06:02] That’s it for today!
• [06:04] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #566, Eric and Neil talk about the new Facebook Analytics tool. Tune in to hear why and how you should be using it.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How You Can Use the New Facebook Analytics
• [00:50] In the recent months, Facebook has added the ability to look at funnels.
• [01:23] Now, you have the ability to check on funnels through a dashboard.
• [01:37] Amplitude is a great tool in conjunction with Facebook ads.
• [01:55] Neil feels that the data is still really off.
• [02:20] Even when you’re looking at conversions in Google Analytics, the numbers are always higher.
• [02:40] You have to be able to cross-reference your data (either internally or externally).
• [03:00] It’s free and in your best interest to look at Facebook analytics even if the numbers are a little off.
• [03:12] Think of touch-points, as well; think of this as a way to get more insights from your Facebook marketing efforts.
• [04:00] You need to track email as well as revenue.
• [04:13] That’s it for today!
• [04:15] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #565, Eric and Neil explain how to deal with burnout. Tune in to hear some tips on what to do if you reach your breaking point when it comes to content creation and still be successful.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Deal with Content Burnout
• [00:45] The people that succeed are very consistent.
• [01:18] If it ties in with your goals, you just have to power through it.
• [01:35] Once you get past the breaking point, you get a second wind.
• [02:02] When you’re burnt out, the quality of your content decreases.
• [02:18] Take a break instead of producing content when you’re burnt out.
• [02:50] Neil doesn’t take vacations.
• [03:00] Eric worked two to three hours per day on vacation.
• [03:30] When they were cranking through topics really quickly, they lost podcast listeners. They went back to the drawing board, refocused, and are now gaining listeners.
• [04:16] Eric and Neil both create content in advance, so they can have breaks.
• [05:00] That’s it for today!
• [05:02] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #564, Eric and Neil discuss ways you can scale your ads without decreasing your ROI. Tune in to hear simple ways you can increase your conversion rate and make more money. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: 

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Make Your Ads Scale Without Decreasing Your ROI
• [00:40] Make sure that you’re running your ads to one post ID on Facebook.
• [01:08] Leverage more than one channel.
• [01:38] When you run all the paid channels at one time, your ROI goes through the roof because people are seeing you everywhere.
• [02:05] Look at your funnel through a full funnel attribution standpoint. Use Wicked Reports.
• [02:49] Run a ton of A/B tests.
• [03:19] If you run A/B tests, you can start generating more sales.
• [03:28] Have upsells and downsells.
• [03:50] Continually try to offer clients more services.
• [04:12] Eric helped a client with strategy, but also upsold him and added more value.
• [04:51] Neil loves ClickFunnels to help scale up ads.
• [05:35] Russell Brunson talks about three highest converting funnels: free offer, webinar funnel, high-ticket funnel.
• [06:05] Neil used the webinar funnel.
• [06:18] You’ve got to know your numbers.
• [06:33] That’s all for today!
• [06:35] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #563, Eric and Neil lay out what they do with their blog posts and how it helps them succeed. Tune in to hear some great blogging tips! 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: The Bare Minimum You Should Do With Every Blog Post You Publish
• [00:38] Neil thinks he’s published 6,000-7,000 blog posts.
• [00:57] Neil always has a simple checklist for writing blog posts.
• [01:12] When using BuzzSumo, you need to look at what has worked in the last year.
• [01:33] Go after social traffic and search traffic (SEMrush).
• [01:52] Come up with better headlines, outline the post, then complete it.
• [02:11] Go above and beyond and be super thorough.
• [02:21] Add custom images from stock photos or graphs.
• [02:31] Email everyone you link out to in your post.
• [03:00] Reach out to everyone who shared similar articles and direct them to your article.
• [03:38] Take the article and put it into Ahrefs and see who links to it.
• [04:05] Eric’s strategy: automate the process of sharing to your social channels using Zapier.
• [04:39] Blogging Checklist is a great plug-in for WordPress.
• [04:55] Have a word count, image count, source count, etc. and put it on the checklist.
• [05:24] Think about how to upgrade or repurpose your content.
• [05:43] That’s it for today!
• [05:45] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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In episode #562, Eric and Neil discuss why you should probably not buy an expensive home. Tune in to hear on what you should actually be spending your money on.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: Should You Ever Buy a Multimillion Dollar Home?
• [00:34] The home Eric just sold was worth close to a million.
• [00:43] Neil has lived in some big homes.
• [00:55] Neil had an expensive condo on the Las Vegas Strip because the builder was selling them for less than their value.
• [01:20] Neil doesn’t think homes are valuable and a waste of money.
• [01:34] Neil’s friend has a two-bedroom condo and believes real estate is one of the worst investments.
• [01:52] You could make more money investing in Tech.
• [02:00] If you are interested in real estate, look up Grant Cardone, who has a funny YouTube channel all about it.
• [02:09] Eric’s mom is a real estate agent and she is always pushing him to buy a home.
• [02:31] Eric and Neil would rather invest in businesses and themselves.
• [03:19] All the homes Neil has ever purchased were for investments. He believes in staying in hotels and dumping money back into tech.
• [04:00] Instead of wasting money on a down payment, put it back into your business.
• [04:13] You are better off renting.
• [04:54] Warren Buffett talks about staying in your lane.
• [05:10] Eric and Neil focus on investing in what they are good at or that they understand.
• [05:38] If you choose to have a big home, use it to have dinners for entrepreneurs.
• [05:57] Dinners led to $200,000 in deals for Eric’s company.
• [06:15] Eric originally paid for dinners, but then found a way for his guests to pay for it.
• [06:23] He used Eventbrite and put a price on the ticket to dinner.
• [06:37] That’s all for today!
• [06:39] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing goodies giveaway!

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