MORE - The Digital Marketing Tech Tools Podcast

Marketing is predictable in its unpredictability. So how can you best set yourself up for success? On today’s episode of the MORE podcast, Ricardo is joined by co-founder and CEO of Hawke Media Erik Huberman to learn a methodology that’s helped Erik grow over 3000 brands successfully. 

Erik’s goal is to make marketing accessible and effective.

• He got his professional start by building e-commerce companies. 
• He eventually moved to marketing but soon realized the problems with both the agency and in-house models. So, he built his own marketing agency.

The Hawke Method- Three Principles of Marketing

• Awareness - Find new audiences and bring them into your business.
• Nurturing - There is a time period between when someone first sees your brand and when they finally purchase something (and that process can take months.)
• Trust - 75% of consumers will not buy from a brand they don’t trust. If you don’t have credibility yourself, that means utilizing third-party validation and reviews.
• Think of it as a tripod - you have to use these elements equally, or the whole thing will tip over.

Who is the ideal customer or user of the methodology?

• These three legs apply to virtually every company, so anyone can implement this methodology in your company's marketing. 
• In terms of who is the right fit for Erik’s company, there is an opportunity for anyone, regardless of vertical.

Practical application of the Hawke Method:

• It’s a framework - you can’t just make a laundry list of tasks and be successful.
• Use the framework to analyze and pivot your marketing strategy to adapt more easily and make more successful changes.
• For more information and strategies for the Hawke Method, pre-order Erik’s book The Hawke Method on Amazon or his website (hawkemethod.com.)

Erik’s Secret to success:

• Be financially disciplined and be urgent. People like people who get stuff done.
• To get in contact with Erik, find him on all social channels at @erikhuberman. If you’re looking to revitalize your company’s marketing efforts, visit hawkemedia.com to get a free audit.

Erik’s Book and Podcast Recommendations:

• Appetite for Self-Destruction by Steve Knopper
• HawkeTalk (A shameless plug for his own podcast)
• The Joe Rogan Experience (perfect while training for his half-marathon)

Public relations can be fun and engaging work. But the job also comes with monotonous activities that can drain any professional’s energy. This is a problem that WanderPR Ringleader Adriana Sol set out to solve by founding PR Sidekick - the ultimate support tool for public relations professionals. 

Adriana realized PR involves a lot of monotonous work. 

• Even worse, it’s expensive to do it all by hiring interns or junior employees.
• She saw a need in the industry, so she set out to create it herself.
• As the previous head of Miami’s PRSA chapter, she found professionals within her network to serve as beta testers.  
• Now, she gets sales every time she goes to chapters meetings. Her other primary lead generation source is LinkedIn, by using both the Sales Navigator and Cleverly. 

Sidekick is for all kinds of public relations professionals. 

• Adriana developed Sidekick intending to make it affordable. Many professionals can’t afford to hire more staff or may thousands of dollars for a media database. 
• Many nonprofit professionals also use Sidekick with great success, especially for one-person departments who could use the extra support. 
• If you’re looking for an agency, Sidekick is not a substitute. It doesn’t write press releases, work with influencers, or set up events. But it’s great to help ease the burden many professionals might feel.

What are the specific things a professional can expect from the platform?

• Sidekick creates media lists based on criteria for your specific need.
• It generates reports to show coverage, exposure, and the work you’ve done.
• It also can provide media lists and create event listings on websites like NPR and local media channels to spread awareness.
• While it currently doesn’t integrate with other platforms, but who knows what the future holds.

Adriana’s tips to stay in business: 

• Look for mentorship and leadership support; being good at something doesn't make you a good business owner.
• Hire help before you think you can afford it. The sooner you decentralize and designate essential tasks the better you’ll be.
• Take vacations, get an assistant, and set boundaries. Allow yourself to live a life apart from your business.

Adriana’s Book and Podcast Recommendations:

• Crime Junkie Podcast
• Up and Vanished
• Traction by Gino Wickman
• The E-Myth by Michael Gerber

Connect with Adriana on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on her PR adventures. And visit Go to prsidekick.com for a free trial.

Regardless of who you are or what career you hold, a change of perspective might be all you need to reach that next level. Today’s guest on the MORE podcast is Shane Whelan, an entrepreneur who went through multiple jobs before realizing the end goal he wanted. But, thanks to his own framework, he was inspired to take action and carry the fire to success.

It all started with Shane’s first business: 

• Shane unknowingly entered an extremely cutthroat business yet managed to achieve a six-figure company within its first year.
• That initial success caught the eyes of his competition, who began to take more action to reduce his business.
• Shane learned that competitors were spreading falsehoods about him, and those obstacles nearly defined him. But he realized his interpretation and the way he chooses to handle these obstacles define him.

For years, he journaled as a way to process and think.

• He would write about his interests and whatever he was into, from history to sports.
• Through this journaling process, he developed his framework idea (that later led to his book.) 

The central theme: get back to who you are

• We come into the world and into business with so much excitement about the future and the potential.
• We get beat down with noise and with competitors, gaslit by anyone with an internet connection.
• By reframing our thinking, we can remember who we are and get back to that excited little kid mindset.

This framework is built for anyone, especially those in the business world. 

• Shane wants to encourage the people around him to follow a path to look outward and see the bigger picture. 
• In it, he stresses the concept “the loudest person in the room is the weakest.”
• Let your competitors talk themselves into the ground. Stay solid, and you’ll foster curiosity in your work. Why get involved in something that doesn’t help you?
• Look outward and embrace the spirit of your customer.

Everyone wants to win, but do you want to dominate not just business but in life? This framework will help you learn how to do just that. Visit carryingthefire.io/ebook for a free downloadable e-copy of the resources and information.

Shane’s Book and Podcast Recommendations:

• The Great Big Book of Horrible Things by Matthew White
• Traction by Gino Whitman

Check out Shane’s podcast Carrying the Fire podcast, for more information and thoughts from Shane.

A great marketing tool doesn’t have to be well-known! After leaving the acting world behind, today’s guest Rory Knighton has amassed experience in the digital world building websites, writing code, and creating content for both himself and his clients. In today’s MORE podcast episode, he shares the tools he utilizes while creating content and how you can use them for yourself.

The end result of his content: put meaning behind your brand.

• When starting in the industry, Rory went around to businesses asking if they wanted a website. And, in the early 2000s, that was a very fancy thing.
• For the past six years, he’s been running his own eCommerce and video-focused agency, Runaway Collective. 
• Because of his specialty, his agency often creates video content. That means planning, filming, and editing content for clients (which can be a cumbersome process.)

Imagine photoshop for video, but easier.

• Normally when in video editing, you have to color, cut, and keyframe manually. 
• But the tool Runwayml delete backgrounds, all with the click of a button. Especially for greenscreen changing, it works marvelously well. 
• You can teach it to look for people in footage, color correct, it has many different capabilities. 
• The tool is still in beta, and it operates right in the browser and is a huge time-saver, especially when editing multiple client videos.

Sharing video footage is simple with Frame.io.

• A video collaboration tool, Frame.io allows you to send video content to collaborators easily, and it offers in-platform messaging with timestamps to make communicating edits a breeze.
• It has simple controls and menus, meaning anyone can pick up the platform pretty easily.
• There really isn’t a good alternative to either of these platforms. Vimeo is the most similar to Frame.io, but it’s not close.
• These platforms are beneficial to anyone utilizing video content (and everyone should be.)

Rory’s secret to staying in business: 

• Disclaimer: It’s incredibly hard. And anybody who says it’s easy is lying.
• For him, positive self-talk and delegating tasks help maintain forward momentum. 
• It can be tempting to do everything himself, but learning to delegate and asking for help when needed allows him to focus on quality over quantity.  

Rory’s final takeaway? If you aren’t using video, you should be. People retain 97% of video information, versus only 27% through image or text. It’s so much more engaging than the welcome copy on a website. To get in contact with Rory, connect with him on LinkedIn or visit his company website. 

Rory’s Book and Podcast Recommendations:

• A Hunter-Gatherers Guide to the 21st Century by Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein 
• 12 Rules for Life and its sequel, Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life: by Jordan Peterson
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Modern Wisdom Podcast with Chris Williamson
• The Keto Kamp Podcast with Ben Azadi
• Feel Better, Live More with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
• Business Anchors with Dan and Lloyd Knowlton

When it comes to utilizing different marketing tools and technology in your business, sometimes the best tool is simply a change in mindset! On today’s episode of the MORE podcast, Ricardo is joined by John Diggs to learn about the power of mind mapping and how you can use it in both personal and professional development applications.

John’s journey using mind mapping was born out of the recession:

• He owned a mortgage company in the early 2000s, and he did very well for himself. However, the mortgage meltdown of 2008 lost him everything.
• Now homeless, John moved in with his mother and looked for ways to reclaim his life and identity.
• A friend introduced him to mind mapping, so he researched it. Within five months (and thanks to this process), he transformed himself and landed a job as a mortgage software developer.

Anyone can use mind mapping: 

• There are apps and websites, and you could even make it yourself with a pen and paper.
• In its purest form, just draw a circle in the middle for your main idea, whether that’s a problem you have, a decision you need to make, or an idea you have. 
• Then, draw out related subtopics and ideas related to that central circle—draw them from those subtopics. 
• Continue that process until you’ve exhausted all of the granular details that might be applicable.
• For visually-oriented people, this is a great practice to see the way topics might be connected or what areas might need greater focus.

Some softwares make this process easier and more influential.

• MeisterTask has a mind mapping software (MindMeister) that John considers the best online mind mapping software available.
• They have a presentation version which is an excellent professional option when implementing that mind map in a meeting or conference.

What are some practical applications of mind mapping:

• You can connect and link your topics and subtopics to other websites, sources, files, and YouTube videos 
• You can create documents like executive summaries that you’ll actually want to reference later. 
• You can do three maps for free, but the sub is only $4 a month (and you can get 10% off when you use John’s code: diggit, at checkout.

To learn more about mind mapping, read some of John’s books:

• His first book, Love Life: Can You DIGG It?, discusses the seven powers John identifies to expand your personal horizons.
• His other books, I AM and Blessed and Grateful, detail these powers and how you can cultivate them for yourself. 
• John’s final book, DIGG This Too, identifies four more powers in the system that you can take advantage of for yourself in your life. 

You can find these books, free webinars, and more resources on johndiggs.com.

What is John reading?

• The Leader Phrase Book by Patrick Elane
• Sleight of Mouth by Robert Dilts

It can be challenging for startups, nonprofits, and freelancers to afford the tools and personnel necessary to develop professional and sophisticated social media content. Today’s guest, Erika Mayor, shares many of the free tools and platforms she uses as a freelance public relations and marketing consultant to help organize, create, and deliver content for growth.

Erika was a journalist before her career as a freelance consultant.

• While working at a local TV station in Florida during the 2005 hurricanes, she realized working at the station was burning her out.
• Because the station worked closely with the Red Cross (because of the hurricane relief they offered), they offered her a job in their communications department. This started Erika’s passion for nonprofit work.

Because nonprofits have so little funding, Erika had to wear many hats.

• In order to get everything done that she needed, Erika started to use tools that helped with different aspects of her job:
• Canva is a phenomenal free platform to create graphics and different content. 
• A scheduling tool like Later lets you plan out posts in advance so you can focus on tracking and extrapolating data from those posts.
• When it comes to digital marketing, video gets many more views than still imagery.
• Lumen5 and Videoleap are free video editing tools that help anyone create well-edited videos. Luman5 even makes video based on keywords with their extensive library of high-quality b-roll. 
• Snapseed is an app that edits photos, adds filters and is available on both Android and iOS.

Powerful project management tools you should use:

• Meistertask and asana keep tasks organized and help keep your team accountable as you work to complete different projects.
• Slack is an internal messenger app that leaves your email inbox free of clutter and less bogged down.
• For internal communication, relying on Gmail and outlook accounts will inevitably lead to things falling through the cracks.

Erika uses these platforms to a high degree of success:

• She had a client in the transportation industry, and she was working with an agency to support this client.
• The topics were heavy, complicated, and difficult to understand.
• Erika realized videos would be the best solution, so she and her team created videos with Lumen5 based on existing blogs (utilizing the platform’s b-roll) to generate content with better traction.

How has she stayed in business?

• She spent five years working exclusively on referrals, so she didn’t have a website or anything. Then she realized she needed to legitimize herself, 
• She believes in paying it forward. So, if you meet someone who could benefit from using these tools, please share them with them. (You never know how much easier it could make someone’s day.)

Erika’s book and podcast recommendations:

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (she found out about these on Tik Tok, but we won’t judge.)
• You’re Wrong About 
• Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

To get in contact with Erika, connect with her on LinkedIn.

It can be challenging for startups, nonprofits, and freelancers to afford the tools and personnel necessary to develop professional and sophisticated social media content. Today’s guest, Erika Mayor, shares many of the free tools and platforms she uses as a freelance public relations and marketing consultant to help organize, create, and deliver content for growth.

Erika was a journalist before her career as a freelance consultant.

• While working at a local TV station in Florida during the 2005 hurricanes, she realized working at the station was burning her out.
• Because the station worked closely with the Red Cross (because of the hurricane relief they offered), they offered her a job in their communications department. This started Erika’s passion for nonprofit work.

Because nonprofits have so little funding, Erika had to wear many hats.

• In order to get everything done that she needed, Erika started to use tools that helped with different aspects of her job:
• Canva is a phenomenal free platform to create graphics and different content. 
• A scheduling tool like Later lets you plan out posts in advance so you can focus on tracking and extrapolating data from those posts.
• When it comes to digital marketing, video gets many more views than still imagery.
• Lumen5 and Videoleap are free video editing tools that help anyone create well-edited videos. Luman5 even makes video based on keywords with their extensive library of high-quality b-roll. 
• Snapseed is an app that edits photos, adds filters and is available on both Android and iOS.

Powerful project management tools you should use:

• Meistertask and asana keep tasks organized and help keep your team accountable as you work to complete different projects.
• Slack is an internal messenger app that leaves your email inbox free of clutter and less bogged down.
• For internal communication, relying on Gmail and outlook accounts will inevitably lead to things falling through the cracks.

Erika uses these platforms to a high degree of success:

• She had a client in the transportation industry, and she was working with an agency to support this client.
• The topics were heavy, complicated, and difficult to understand.
• Erika realized videos would be the best solution, so she and her team created videos with Lumen5 based on existing blogs (utilizing the platform’s b-roll) to generate content with better traction.

How has she stayed in business?

• She spent five years working exclusively on referrals, so she didn’t have a website or anything. Then she realized she needed to legitimize herself, 
• She believes in paying it forward. So, if you meet someone who could benefit from using these tools, please share them with them. (You never know how much easier it could make someone’s day.)

Erika’s book and podcast recommendations:

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (she found out about these on Tik Tok, but we won’t judge.)
• You’re Wrong About 
• Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

To get in contact with Erika, connect with her on LinkedIn.

In today’s episode of the MORE podcast, Ricardo is joined by digital marketing strategist Fernando De Los Santos to discuss a tool marketing agencies and professionals should use to increase their growth. As a digital marketing strategist, he helps companies improve their digital marketing presence by driving quality leads and creating websites that convert. 

Fernando’s digital marketing passion started with his love of soccer.

• While building websites for local soccer clubs, Fernando realized he had a passion for everything digital. 
• In his senior year of high school, he participated in a web design course and immediately worked for another company. 
• Nine years later, he became a partner, and they decided to specialize in digital marketing.

The tool everyone should use: Semrush.

• Now considered an industry standard, Semrush can generate reports, create site audits, and perform keyword analysis to help develop strategies for your marketing efforts.
• While multiple platforms have some of the features of Semrush, no other platform holds all its capabilities on one platform.
• Because of its versatility, any marketing professional or marketing agency could find a use for the platform. However, it can be used by any business owner.
• Semrush be integrated with your social media channels to provide tips on improving your reach and engagement.
• While Semrush has different plans with different product offerings, they offer a free 7-day trial to see if the platform is right for you.

How has Fernando stayed in business for so long?

• His company, ABC Web Service, has been in business since 1998. 
• While he acknowledges that businesses need to make money, Fernando says it’s easy to stay in business when he’s passionate about what he does.
• Fernando’s book recommendation? The Irresistible Offer by Mark Joyner

To get in contact with Fernando, contact him at his company website, https://www.abcwebservice.com/.

Not all marketing tools have to be cutting-edge technology or platforms to be important. Sometimes all you need is a framework to shift your perspective to discover growth and increased revenue. On today’s episode of the MORE podcast, Ricardo is joined by the president and co-founder of Exverus Media, Bill Durrant, to discuss his book Digital Stone Age, which details what it takes to be successful in the digital world.

The Inception of the Digital Stone Age:

• Over the last ten years of meeting with marketers, his team realized a few mindsets pervaded marketing thought. 
• People were either digitally focused, pushing dollars to specific paid tactics, or traditionalists, focusing only with tv, radio, and mass communication platforms.
• Research and experience say it’s a medium between the two that brings the most success, which Bill talks about in his book. 

The book became a tool: 

• How do you get a business or a brand to think a certain way and take away learnings they can use to grow their business?
• Bill’s book is high-value for anyone thinking about or working in marketing. (Especially if your business is already seven figures.)
• If you’re running an operation or a business and want to understand the appropriate mindset, this book is for you.

Marketing is more than running ads on Facebook or Google. 

• It’s how you can get involved in showing your business’s applications in the real world.
• Digital media is less trustworthy than real-world interaction, but digital media in conjunction with traditional exposure is compelling in reminding people and driving them through the funnel.
• Don’t stick rigidly to something never proven successful to begin with.

Marketing is not just a cost or expense; it’s an investment.

• Think of it like dating. If you walk up to someone you’re interested in and directly ask them out without saying anything else, would you be successful?
• Conversely, having a conversation, letting them know and understand you, and then asking them out would be far more effective.

Bill’s practical marketing takeaways:

• The marketing funnel is the first thing to familiarize yourself with; it’s a great way to talk with consumers and B2B buyers.
• The funnel isn’t just a theory, it’s a language and timeline marketers today use to speak.
• Determine how your business fits into and implements that funnel, and you will be better able to track and develop growth.
• When it comes to service, it’s always about building stronger relationships for those whom you’re serving.

Bill’s book and podcast recommendations:

• Madison Avenue Manslaughter by Michael Farmer
• The Inner Work by Mathew Micheletti

• The Miracle Morning (Hal’s Podcast)
• The Lifestyle Investor Podcast with Justin Donald

Connect with Bill Durrant on LinkedIn.

Starting an eCommerce store comes with plenty of challenges. From the logistical complexity to shipping products, there is perhaps no challenge as daunting as the competition. In today’s episode of the MORE podcast, Ricardo is joined by Paul Kirch, CEO of Sellience, to explain a tool that helps small eCommerce stores stay competitive in the virtual marketplace: Cartfeeder.

Paul always wanted to start his own company.

• He eventually negotiated out of his sales contract and started a company doing sales and leadership consulting. However, it quickly transitioned to a marketing company because that’s where the demand was.
• Paul had started a radio show that eventually morphed into a podcast, and it ended up becoming a top 10 business podcast. While it has since been retired, it provided Paul a litany of knowledge to fuel his business.
• His digital marketing agency is Sellience, which focuses on marketing that drives sales, not just leads.

Operating an eCommerce business comes with many challenges.

• You’re going up against major companies that dwarf every small business owner.
• The problem with Shopify is if you’re operating on small margins. Setting prices either equal to or more expensive than Amazon will lead people to just go with Amazon. However, operating on small margins can be challenging since Shopify takes a portion of each transaction. 
• Paul created Cartfeeder, designed to give small business owners an eCommerce store that benefits them and maximizes profit.
• Before Cartfeeder, the other tool or solution was just to have static pricing. And that pricing was based on traffic to the site.
• Amazon uses a similar strategy (called Spiders) that tracks eCommerce pricing for similar products and will make an attempt to undercut you in price. 

A  quick case study: Amazon vs. diapers.com

• Amazon wanted to get into the diaper space, so they approached diapers.com and asked if they wanted to sell. They refused.
• Amazon started undercutting, offered free shipping, and providing other products catered towards mothers.
• Diapers.com approached Walmart and tried to sell. 
• Amazon, over one quarter, was willing to lose 100 million in revenue to squash diapers.com. And Amazon ended up buying diapers.com.
• The takeaway? Large companies have tremendous power to stay one step ahead of smaller companies. And this tool will give some of that power back to the small business.

How to get started using Cartfeeder

• Shopify has changed the game for a lot of small businesses. But they take a portion of your sales to stay in business, which isn’t the best option for companies with small margins.
• Go to Cartfeeder.com to check it out and receive a free audit to ensure you have the suitable systems currently in place.

Paul’s book and podcast recommendations:

• He is the co-host of a room with a group called Co-Founders Lab on Clubhouse.
• Getting There: A Book of Mentors by Gillian Zoe Segal 

Co-Founders Voice is a podcast about to launch that brings tools, tips, and strategies for people in the early startup stage. Follow Paul on LinkedIn to know when it officially starts!