A major challenge when trying to attract new customers via your website is you’re relying on a digital medium to try and spark a human connection.

However, it is possible to hack into human psychology to influence the behaviour of your website visitors and get more people to take the actions you want them to take.

In this episode, I’m joined by freelance growth marketer and web design specialist, Steve Linney, who talks about how the layout, images, colours and language you use on your websites can make a massive impact on your conversion rates.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why you should avoid talking about mememe
• The role of psychology in web design
• Optimisation tactics and approaches
• How certain design elements can make a huge difference to where our eyes are drawn on a web page
• Tools you can use to help implement and track your optimisations
• How you can run low-risk experiments before making a major change

CONNECT

• Steve Linney on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevelinney/ , Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevelinney or Steve’s website: stevelinney.com
• David Richter on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-richter-clickpop/ or www.clickpop.co.uk

OTHER

Towards the end of the episode, we also discussed Steve’s latest project https://www.thetryb.com/ which aims to help people explore a mix of well-being experiences, including breathwork. Steve has also provided a useful resource about how Breathwork can make you a better marketer: https://www.stevelinney.com/blog/how-meditation-can-make-you-a-better-marketer/

LISTEN

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2rZo9Z5laMfQ9OsY9OVyPq?si=652f6e969f9e42ec
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-freed/id1731359462
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingFreedPodcast
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vbWFya2V0aW5nZnJlZWQv?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYgMzw6ryEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNg
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/08eb4a0a-cdfd-4cf7-8801-20f983579715/marketing-freed
• PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/series-3552796
• Podchaser:

Advertising on search engines can be a quick and effective way to get your business in front of the right people when they’re actively looking for a product or service you provide.

But with Google making it so easy for anyone to get started, unless you’re careful, you can quickly find you’ve hosed away all of your marketing budget on buying irrelevant clicks.

In this episode, I’m joined by David Miles from The PPC Machine, who shares some of the many tactics he has employed to help thousands of small businesses grow online, and some of the pitfalls that Google make all too easy for the unsuspecting marketer to fall into.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why the Google Partner Program can be detrimental to a consultant’s clients
• Settings and suggestions to avoid in your Google Ads campaigns
• How to get your ads to stand out from the crowd and increase your click through rate

CONNECT

• David Miles on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/googleadwordsguy/ or David’s website https://www.theppcmachine.co.uk/
• David Richter on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-richter-clickpop/ or www.clickpop.co.uk

LISTEN

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2rZo9Z5laMfQ9OsY9OVyPq?si=652f6e969f9e42ec
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-freed/id1731359462
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingFreedPodcast
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vbWFya2V0aW5nZnJlZWQv?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYgMzw6ryEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNg
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/08eb4a0a-cdfd-4cf7-8801-20f983579715/marketing-freed
• PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/series-3552796
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/marketing-freed-5619008
• Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/1000659902

When done right, PR can gain exposure for your brand that money simply can’t buy. But in many businesses, it’s an afterthought to a wider campaign and a last-minute press release is rushed out to little effect.

In this episode, I’m joined by freelance communications expert Maeve O’Sullivan who gives valuable insights into building relationships with journalists, strategic PR planning and embracing a variety of content forms to maximise your PR efforts.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The importance of integrating PR into campaigns from the outset
• Using embargos to warm up relationships before a launch
• How you can leverage media coverage to maximise its impact
• How to create press-worthy campaigns
• Why PR isn’t just about press, and how events, podcasts and other media can grow your brand

CONNECT

• Maeve O’Sullivan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maeveosullivan/ or Maeve’s website https://www.moscomms.com/
• David Richter on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-richter-clickpop/ or www.clickpop.co.uk

LISTEN

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2rZo9Z5laMfQ9OsY9OVyPq?si=652f6e969f9e42ec
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-freed/id1731359462
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingFreedPodcast
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vbWFya2V0aW5nZnJlZWQv?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYgMzw6ryEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNg
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/08eb4a0a-cdfd-4cf7-8801-20f983579715/marketing-freed
• PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/series-3552796
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/marketing-freed-5619008
• Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/1000659902

For the last 20 years, if you wanted to find something out online, you almost certainly used Google to start the process. But in what feels like the blink of an eye, AI has come along and promises to disrupt how people discover, interact with and understand the whole of the internet. Joining me today is Hannah Millist, founder of TwoGether Digital, where we'll talk about how Google is experimenting with AI and its search results, and how businesses can get their content to be SGE ready.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What SGE is
• How you can test SGE out before it gets released to the UK
• How AI’s integration into search results is likely to impact SEO and web traffic
• The type of content that Google seems to prioritise in its SGE responses

CONNECT

• Hannah Millist on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-millist-bb23b5188/ or https://twogether-digital.co.uk/
• David Richter on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-richter-clickpop/ or www.clickpop.co.uk

LISTEN

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2rZo9Z5laMfQ9OsY9OVyPq?si=652f6e969f9e42ec
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-freed/id1731359462
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingFreedPodcast
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vbWFya2V0aW5nZnJlZWQv?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYgMzw6ryEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNg
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/08eb4a0a-cdfd-4cf7-8801-20f983579715/marketing-freed
• PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/series-3552796
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/marketing-freed-5619008
• Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/1000659902

Failure to plan is planning to fail, and research by this week’s guest shows that most marketing teams are doing just that when it comes to their organisation’s social media.

In this episode, I catch up with Luan Wise a marketing consultant specialising in social media where, among other things, we discuss the need for clear strategies and measurable goals to ensure that social media aligns with business objectives and the different approaches and outcomes to expect when posting from your corporate profile vs your personal one.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The importance of strategy in social media and why it’s often overlooked
• Understanding your audience beyond demographics
• The differences between corporate and personal content on social media
• How to get non-marketing spokespeople involved in your social activity

CONNECT

• Luan Wise on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/luanwise/ or Luan’s website www.luanwise.co.uk/
• David Richter on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-richter-clickpop/ or www.clickpop.co.uk

OTHER

Luan’s books:

• Relax it’s only social media: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Relax-Its-Only-Social-Media/dp/153555729X/
• Planning for Success: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Planning-Success-practical-achieving-marketing-ebook/dp/B0CL5MD63S

Whether it’s fair or not, people generally don’t trust marketing, which is what makes customer case studies so valuable. Instead of just broadcasting a marketing message, your customers are sharing their stories in their own words.

In this episode of Marketing Freed, I’m joined by Rob Beadle who shares insights from his career as a B2B Technology Copywriter about how case studies can be used throughout the whole buying journey, and how businesses can systemise getting new case studies created rather than leaving it up to chance.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The versatility of case studies
• How case studies can be repurposed to get maximum value from them
• Why case studies shouldn’t be gated
• Whether to aim for household names or more representative customers as a vendor
• How to bake getting case studies created into your business processes

CONNECT

• Rob Beadle on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/robbeadleuk/ and https://robbeadle.co.uk/
• David Richter on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-richter-clickpop/ and https://clickpop.co.uk/

OTHER

During the episode, we mention Case Study Kickstarter, a useful guide that Rob has created to help businesses get started with creating case studies. You can download this free guide at https://robbeadle.co.uk/marketing-freed/

LISTEN

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2rZo9Z5laMfQ9OsY9OVyPq?si=652f6e969f9e42ec
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-freed/id1731359462
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingFreedPodcast
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vbWFya2V0aW5nZnJlZWQv?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYgMzw6ryEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNg
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/08eb4a0a-cdfd-4cf7-8801-20f983579715/marketing-freed
• PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/series-3552796
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/marketing-freed-5619008
• Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/1000659902

Keeping accurate, up-to-date information about your current and potential customers is crucial to effective sales and marketing activity. But, with increasingly complex tools to automate its analysis and associated activity, there’s a real risk to small businesses of ending up with just data instead of actionable intelligence.

In this episode of the Marketing Freed Podcast, we sit down with Simon Washbrook, founder of Popcorn CRM, a platform designed specifically for the needs of small businesses. Simon shares the importance of aligning sales and marketing, the pitfalls of complex CRM systems, tips on how to make your emails more effective, and what signals to look out for from your prospects that mean they’re ready to buy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why simplicity beats complexity in CRM
• The importance of sales and marketing alignment
• The human element in automation
• 4 types of email and how to improve their effectiveness
• Signals to look out for in your contact’s email and browsing behaviour that make them a hot prospect

CONNECT

• Simon Washbrook on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simondwashbrook/
• Find out more about Popcorn's simple CRM for small business at https://www.popcorncrm.co.uk/
• David Richter on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-richter-clickpop/

RESOURCES

• Take the 6-question quiz from Popcorn CRM and find out what small business CRM is right for you: https://popcorncrm.co.uk/crm-for-small-business-evaluation-tool-which-crm-is-right-for-you/
• And access Popcorn’s free learning centre here: https://popcorncrm.co.uk/crm-for-small-business-evaluation-tool-which-crm-is-right-for-you/#

Most organisations would never dream of allowing the imagery used on their website or brochures to be left to chance.

However, when it comes to the language used in written and verbal communication, only around a third of UK businesses have invested time and effort into their tone of voice.

And yet, the words you use make a huge impact on how you’re perceived, so investing in your brand voice could give you a significant advantage over the majority of companies who are lost in a sea of sameness.

In this episode of the Marketing Freed podcast, brand voice strategist; Bethany Joy shares her insights on working with companies to uncover their brand voice and embed it throughout their organisation.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why having a brand voice isn’t optional
• How to uncover what your brand voice is
• Ways to embed your brand voice throughout your comms
• Why a brand voice isn’t about being quirky, it’s about being authentic.
• When it’s appropriate to be aspirational in your brand voice without being misleading
• The importance of context
• Why a brand voice should be like a window

CONNECT

• Bethany Joy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dergal/ or https://www.bethanyjoy.co.uk/
• David Richter on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-richter-clickpop/ or www.clickpop.co.uk

RESOURCES

Throughout the episode, we refer to two papers Bethany has written. As you might expect, they’re full of intelligent, witty insights about brand voice. They’re beautifully designed too. Download them here:

• The nine immutable laws of brand voice https://mailchi.mp/406214432e49/nine-laws
• The five numbers that will clinch your case for brand voice work https://mailchi.mp/fa2f0e5ac63c/bethany-joy-five-numbers-clinch
• Example of the effect changing a single word has on a paragraph of copy from DeadHappy https://www.linkedin.com/posts/iambethanyjoy_willtherealbrandvoicepleasestandup-activity-7160527950201692160-6AA4?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

LISTEN

• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2rZo9Z5laMfQ9OsY9OVyPq?si=652f6e969f9e42ec
• Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-freed/id1731359462
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingFreedPodcast