If something happened to you today, how long could your business run before things started falling apart? How much time are you actually spending on value (i.e. profit) producing work and how much time is wasted on low-level, time sucking tasks? Get ready to save time, get more done, and be happier with the tips we’re sharing this week.

Productivity superstar Sebastian Marshall is the co-founder of Ultraworking, and writes 6000 words per week for Strategic Review. He shares the top the three things to do to set yourself up for consistent productivity and success, and the single most important question to answer before starting any project that will help you stay on track and achieve your goals. Also, find out what you need to start doing right now that will change the way you work forever (you’ll be surprised how simple it is).

Episode Highlights:

• 7:23 Is this your routine? What the not-so-productive cycle really looks like
• 12:25 The one question you should ask before every project or task
• 15:44 The time frame of productivity:  now, tomorrow, the week, the month, the year
• 17:31 How to estimate your time correctly to increase your productivity
• 21:00 Why having a monthly “theme” will help you become more consistent week to week
• 23:50 Working into the future: How working ahead just 1x can make you more productive  
• 25:32 Fine tuning the process: why you should be making your weekly work easier
• 29:30 How the #1 car company (Toyota) categorizes their work output and how you can too
• 33:25 Why handing off a project actually reduces productivity
• 36:30 How tracking the time of the work you do on your most important tasks may surprise you and how it can help you refocus
• 40:00 Here’s how Sebastian defines and then prioritizes his most important tasks
• 48:30 Asking yourself this one powerful question will help you define what you want to happen and what you need to do to get there
• 49:30 Describing what a work cycle is and how it can help you if you don’t know where to start your work
• 55:00 More about Sebastian’s Pentathlon and how you can join in the fun

Links and Resources:

• Ultraworking.com/ecommerce
• The Strategic Review
• Ultraworking Pentathlon
• Peter Drucker - The Effective Executive
• Sebastian@ultraworking.com

A mega PR hit can be the gift that keeps on giving -- so why aren’t more ecommerce business owners getting in on it?

This week, Peter Friis, CEO and co-founder of ESSIO Shower and CEO and founder of PR Volt, talks about how PR, combined with Facebook advertising, helped grow his business from 0 to $1 million in sales in just two years. Friis shares the key elements of successful PR campaigns, and what your product must have in order to get news editors’ attention. Find out how you can get started with PR for your business today, and the best way to package PR wins into ads that produce results.

Episode Highlights:

• 8:07 The two key elements to use when reaching out to editors for PR opportunities
• 10:20 How Good Morning America (GMA) helped Essio Shower focus their marketing efforts
• 12:01 Why using Facebook video ads helped get more conversions
• 15:30 How hitting a PR “homerun” like GMA can impact your ecommerce business even a year later
• 17:00 The two most effective ways to turn your PR “wins” into great advertisements
• 20:14 Videos on Facebook can be hard for converting on top of the funnel, Peter shares the ad objectives that are most most successful
• 22:30 Does your ecommerce have these key qualities? Then you should be doing PR
• 24:40 Here is what you should be looking for in a PR agency (hint: it’s not who they know)  
• 27:16 What to expect: the lifetime value of good PR for a brand/product
• 33:05 3 types of videos that are working on Facebook for Essio Shower that you can create too
• 36:05 The tools that literally built PR Volt from the ground up

Links and Resources:

• Essio Shower
• PR Volt
• HARO
• Cision
• Streak CRM
• Zapier
• Air Table
• Moz
• Diskbot

Peter Friis

• Peter@prvolt.com
• Clarity.fm/PerterFriis
• Twitter.com/spiritfriis

Have you ever wondered how a few brands crush it with their content marketing, while the vast majority of blogs fall flat? Are you interested in being able to track your blogging efforts? Do you want to know whether you should you be writing your content for shares or SEO? And how much is a realistic minimum investment (in both time and money) to make content marketing successful for you?

In this episode, Nat Eliason, former head of Growth at Sumo and the founder of Growth Machine, answers those questions, and more. Join us as Nat talks about what’s working in content creation, how to create a strategy, and whether you should even do it at all. He also drops the truth about the 80/20 strategy related to content creation vs. promotion -- and what he says just might surprise you.

Episode Highlights:

• 8:08 Who should be doing content marketing and what kind of content is successful?
• 9:20 What’s the minimum investment for quality content marketing?
• 13:00 The WIKI Strategy and how to use it to plan your content.
• 19:46 How to approach content marketing if you are a product (not service based).
• 25:04 Nat’s strategy for paid content -- what he does (and doesn’t do) will surprise you.
• 27:22 You’ve created the content, here’s when you can expect to see results.
• 30:00 Setting the record straight on the 80/20 rule of content marketing.
• 31:10 What Nat does his first two weeks with a new client to set them up for success (and you can do them too).
• 32:30 The #1 thing most blogs fail to do: Actionability.
• 37:11 Are you answering people’s questions or are you trying to entertain? Nat talks about what your priority should be.
• 45:44 What’s in Nat’s daily toolbox that makes his life better.

Links and Resources:

• Google Docs
• Trello.com
• Slack.com
• Zapier.com
• Edgar.com
• Quuu.co
• Wordable.io
• Ahrefs.com

Nat Eliason

• Twitter.com/NatEliason
• YourGrowthMachine.com
• Nat’s Wiki Strategy

You want the cream of the crop, the best of the best, the bee’s knees if you will. We’ve got you.

Everyone knows the right idea at the right time can have a huge impact on your business. In this episode, we deliver our favorite and most actionable segments of the last year in a bite-sized format you can put right to work.

You’ll discover the best way to start Influencer Marketing with Chase Fisher of Blenders Eyewear. You’ll explore the mysterious concept of Kickstarter “Super Backers” with Jeff Sheldon from Ugmonk. You’ll learn how to work less and make more with Tyler Sullivan of Bombtech. And last but not least, you’ll dive into a segment about “social proofing” your ads with Deidre Kelly.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights:

• 6:06 Outlining strategies to grow your brand with influencers…the tools
• 10:11 How to track influencer marketing
• 13:29 Discovering "Super Backers" and their value on Kickstarter
• 16:25 How much time you should commit to your Kickstarter video
• 20:15 How to set up Social Proof on your Facebook Ads
• 23:00 Facebook placements and where you should be putting your ads
• 27:39 How you can improve your business by finding the things you’re not good at
• 30:00 Grow your Ecommerce business: Eliminate the options

Links and Resources:

brandgrowthexperts.com/intensive

Chase Fisher

• Blenderseyewear.com
• 119: [Case Study] The Science of Influence: How To Double Your Business Using Instagram

Jeff Sheldon

• UgMonk/Gather
• 123: [Case Study] How Gather Raised Over $430K on Kickstarter

Deirdre Kelly

• Sum Digital
• Search Engine Journal
• Social Media Examiner
• 126: The Big Facebook Advertising Episode for Q4: Part 2

Tyler Sullivan

• Bombtechgolf.com
• 124: [Case Study] The Effort Illusion: How Working Less Allowed Bombtech Golf to Finally Explode

The holiday season is almost upon us -- do you want to maximize sales while minimizing stress? Are you ready to learn tips and tricks for standing out during this highly competitive time? If so, this is the episode for you.

Austin and Andrew share the top five things you must do to prepare for a successful holiday season. Find out the best email marketing schedule for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when to start (hint: it's probably earlier than you might think) and which customers to direct your messages to. And, learn how to make the most of your VIP relationships by giving them something special, and locking in high-quality sales before Black Friday hits.

Preparation is key this time of year, so get ready to learn how to make this your best holiday season yet.

Episode Highlights:

• 2:45 - The first thing you want to do to prepare for Black Friday/Cyber Monday
• 5:19 - How planning multiple offers for Facebook and Instagram might not be so easy
• 9:49 - Maximize your touch points by synchronizing your email & Facebook messaging
• 12:04 - Running through a sample Black Friday email campaign and how not to overwhelm potential buyers
• 15:22 - How to dial in your advertising the two weeks leading up to Black Friday
• 16:50 - Why prospecting before the holidays is so difficult, costly and not a great idea
• 18:44 - Austin’s Black Friday Tip #5: Reward your loyal customers
• 23:28 - How to segment your email list and incentivize your customers  

Links and Resources:

• 2017 Holiday Promotional Calendar
• Klaviyo.com
• Foxwelldigital.com
• Twitter.com/AndrewFoxwell
• Twitter.com/AustinBrawner

Do you want to know the secret formula for creating high converting Facebook ads? Are you ready to make video ads work for you? Then get ready for part 2 of our big Facebook advertising episode.  

Molly McCarty returns to share her plans for making Q4 a success despite high CPCs and CPMs. Deirdre Kelly joins us to talk about value-based optimization and what you need to know about this offering to ensure you get the most out of it for your clients. Deirdre also shares one of her secrets to creating great lookalike audiences - Klaviyo integration.

Klaviyo is one of our favorite tools - if you’re interested in a free trial, you can sign-up via this link.

Did you miss Part 1 of our big Facebook advertising episode? Check it out here!   

Episode Highlights:

• 2:50 - Molly sets the record straight on what creative converts the best.
• 5:42 - What the “gurus” are saying is great right now, but actually isn’t working.
• 7:38 - What your Facebook video needs to do in :15 or less
• 8:04 - Why strong creative and this seed audience will be mega important to your Q4 strategy
• 12:30 - How Broad Match DPAs are helping change the Facebook game
• 16:30 - Facebook is only getting smarter. Here’s how you can set your Broad Match DPAs up the right way
• 21:12 - Here is the ad creative that Deirdre Kelly is still most surprised by and why you should still be using it
• 25:15 - Why consolidation with your ad sets works and how to do it
• 30:35 - If you’re a summer focused brand, here’s how you can compete in Q4

Links and Resources:

• Brand Growth Experts
• Jon Loomer Business Manager Course
• Klaviyo

     Molly McCarty

• 3Q Digital
• Twitter/Molly_McCarty
• Molly At 3Q Digital.com     

    Deirdre Kelly

• SumDigital
• Twitter/DeirdreMMKelly
• Search Engine Journal
• Social Media Examiner  

Are you ready to put a Facebook advertising plan in place for Q4 that's actually going to drive conversions, and not just clicks? Have you implemented Facebook's recommended advertising tactics, but they just aren't giving your brand the results you desire? Well this episode has what you're looking for, and more.

David Hermann and Molly McCarty share the truth about what really works and what doesn't when it comes to Facebook's recommended advertising approach. Learn the important first step that's necessary before launching conversion ads, and the best ad layout to help you drive sales. And, get an insider look at Facebook's new feature: household targeting.

Enjoy part 1, and stay tuned for part 2 coming soon!

Episode Highlights:

• 6:37 - Do your ads have great social proof?
• 12:00 - Want to boost your ROAS? Launch DPAs
• 13:13 - Why it pays to go against Facebook’s recommendations
• 15:40 - What surprises you most right now with Facebook ads (David’s reply)
• 20:50 - What is your Q4 strategy? (David’s reply)
• 24:00 - Why you want this new targeting feature: Household Targeting
• 29:50 - Why you shouldn’t stop testing seed audiences
• 30:40 - oCPM bidding: when you should kick it into manual vs auto bidding
• 33:30 - Just getting started? Here are the seed audiences you should be starting with
• 35:12 - Surprise, Audience Network is a successful placement? No Way!

Links and Resources:

• Brand Growth Experts
• Jon Loomer Business Manager Course

     David Hermann

• Social Outlier
• Twitter/HermannDigital

     Molly McCarty

• 3Q Digital
• Twitter/Molly_McCarty
• Molly At 3Q Digital.com

Does the thought of cutting back on hours put fear in your mind? If so, you’re not alone. In this episode you’ll learn why cutting back on hours could be the secret to unlocking growth.

About a year and half ago, Tyler “Sully” Sullivan from Bombtech Golf found himself at a familiar entrepreneurial crossroads. Burned out from 80 hour weeks and frustrated by the limited time he had with his newborn, Sully decided to pull the pin on excessive hours. From now on he’d only work 2-3 days a week. That decision led to the fastest growth in Bombtech history. Now he’s working smarter, growth is easier, and spending more time with his family.

In this episode, you’ll learn what it takes to unlock growth, why you should do things that don’t scale, and how to start a community.

Episode Highlights:

• 8:56 How you can improve your business by finding the things you’re not good at
• 10:48 Do you want your business to grow? Eliminate the options
• 14:03 Why you should be using Facebook Groups to grow your test group
• 14:47 If you’re posting on social just about you, no-one is going to care.   
• 16:56 How eliminating the “I’m the Owner” mindset with your customers will help you scale your business
• 17:22 The social media post that lead to Bombtech’s first million in sales
• 20:22 Never underestimate a hand written thank you note
• 22:44 Pulling levers: why you should consider adding an ads specialist  
• 23:50 What's the hardest part of delegating? Hiring those who are skilled enough to take over
• 26:42 How bombtech is focusing on the customer & a new backyard game 
• 30:09 Why you should do podcast ads
• 34:53 The low bar we’ve all set for customer service

Links and Resources:

• Bombtechgolf.com
• Facebook.com/BombTechGolf
• Twitter.com/bombtechgolf
• Instagram.com/bombtechgolf

Have you ever thought about starting a Kickstarter campaign? Do you wonder how some people seem to have cracked the code on crowdfunding? If so, we’ve got an fantastic episode for you.

Jeff Sheldon set a goal to raise $18,000 and ended up with over $430K in pre-orders. In this episode, he unpacks the details of his recent blowout Kickstarter campaign. Jeff shares what it takes to hit a crowdfunding home run and how to avoid some unexpected consequences of Kickstarter success. Enjoy!

Episode Highlights:

• Talking the talk: The Kickstarter Process 5:40
• What set Gather apart from others on Kickstarter? 6:27
• Building Mass Effect: How to tease your product on Instagram 9:51
• Off to the Races: The first day of the Kickstarter campaign 11:30
• Discovering Super Backers and their value on Kickstarter 14:06
• The Facebook ROAS of Super Backers 15:50
• How much time was spent just on your Kickstarter video? 17:04
• The Future of UgMonk 19:59  
• What they don’t tell you: The downsides of running a Kickstarter campaign 22:56
• Recovering funds: Where did all the backers go? 24:52
• Where is Gather now in the production cycle?: 27:15
• Productivity hacks: What Jeff uses to stay on task 29:03  

Links and Resources:

• Dropbox paper
• Help Scout
• www.Ugmonk.com
• Facebook - UgMonk
• Twitter - UgMonk
• Instagram - UgMonk
• Jeff (at) UgMonk.com

Does it ever seem like there are brands out there who just have it figured out?

It's easy to look at other businesses and think "wow, they are crushing it" without realizing the work they put in to get there. Today, we talk about the work. Chris Lynch is a talented entrepreneur out of San Diego who's built a growing lifestyle brand called Everyday California. Life is good. But as he tells us in today's episode, it hasn't always been IPAs and sunny days. He's hustled, he's made mistakes and he's continued to iterate on his original ideas before finally getting to a point where growth is coming easy. In today's episode, we share a real life story of how EveryDay California spread its wings.

Do you struggle to get an ROI on Facebook?

You're not alone. In this episode, Jeremy Roberts shares how he's been able to grow his business while operating in the hyper-competitive space of women's clothing. What can you do when all your competitors are venture backed? Jeremy shares what has worked for him.

Key Takeaways from the Show

• The under estimated power of lifecycle marketing
• How he used direct mail for a massive ROI
• The mindset shift that let his business grow

Links / Resources

The Brand Growth Intensive - www.brandgrowthexperts.com/intensive

What's going on with Facebook's new analytics dashboard? Is it time to ditch Google Analytics? We'll tell you that and more in this latest episode. This is your unofficial breakdown on how to use Facebook Analytics to help grow your business.

Interview Highlights

• 1:30 The new Facebook analytics package overview
• 2:05 Why is this topic important to our listeners?
• 6:00 How many people have the analytics dashboard and who is using it?
• 7:14 People vs. pixel-based marketing…
• 10:05 How to make an impact on your business with FB analytics
• 15.09 The NEW-NEW stuff – building custom dashboards
• 17:18 Helpful examples for building dashboards
• 19:47 How to optimize with “Breakdowns”
• 22:30 How do the analytic results affect the way you serve ads?
• 25:31 How does the new FB platform help with event de-bugging?
• 28:30 Inside the mind of Andrew Foxwell…last minute tips!

Have you worked with Influencers to grow your business? Or thought about doing it?

This episode spills the beans with a real-life case study on how Blenders Eyewear used "Influencers" to help them grow to mid 7 figures. We cover both the big picture of whether or not you should use influencers, as well as the nitty gritty behind the scenes of how to make it work.

Interview Highlights

• How do you track success?
• How do you find Influencers?
• How do you manage the process?
• How much do Influencers cost?

Links / Resources

• BlendersEyewear.com

As you know, Facebook changes quickly and this episode is designed to give you a flash briefing on what is currently working for our clients.

Key Takeaways from the Show

• The current value of social proof (a Facebook hack)
• The Facebook Pixel's increasing IQ
• Large audiences and how they are changing the way you bid

Links / Resources

1. Foxwell Digital (Andrew's website)

My wife and I went on an extended working honeymoon through Asia for about 6 months and during that time recording episodes took a back seat. The good news is that we’re back and I have a bunch of solid episodes coming your way. This is our first episode in quite some time. Tune in to hear where we've been, what we have in store for the new show, and get to know my new podcast co-host, Andrew Foxwell. I'm excited to be back in the saddle and to bring you some of our best new training yet.

Links / Resources

1. Foxwell Digital (Andrew's website)

Drew Sanocki of Nerd Marketing joins Austin to discuss some advanced email marketing strategies for your ecommerce brand.

We go DEEP with some strategies that are working for 8-figure retailers including specific examples you can copy.

We also announce a very unique opportunity – [The 2-Day Brand Growth Implementation Intensive](http://www.brandgrowthexperts.com/intensive/) – a live event unlike anything you’ve attended before, hosted by Drew and Austin.

Key Takeaways from the Show

• The big shift that turned Drew’s first big Ecommerce retailer around.
• The role email marketing has played in Austin’s Ecommerce career.
• The benefit of fixed costs in email marketing.
• Typical list management issues that Austin discovers while consulting.
• Benchmarks for desktop and mobile opt-in rates.
• Responding to pop-up concerns.
• Segmentation and targeting: sending the right messaging to the right customer at the right time.
• “Good dog” and “Bad dog” automated emails.
• The only thing holding companies back from succeeding with these strategies? They don’t actually implement them.
• Drew and Austin are hosting an intensive email marketing workshop.

Links / Resources

• 1Apply for a spot in Drew and Austin’s Intensive Email Marketing Workshop.
• NerdMarketing.com

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