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If you are trying to find easy internet site contractors in a detailed package, you definitely have no shortage of choices nowadays. You can not pay attention to a podcast or view a YouTube series without stumbling upon funded messages advertising Squarespace and Wix. On the other side, if you want to develop almost any kind of site of your very own yet you don’t want to do it from the ground up, WordPress has actually been a strong go-to selection for a multitude of years.

However, what happens if you just want to build a solitary website and also you do not wish to hide yourself knee-deep in HTML as well as CSS? It turns out that there are numerous choices in this area too, most of which provide basic drag-and-drop capability to make sure that nearly any individual can have an attractive internet site in an issue of minutes. Below are 3 of the better ones that I have actually located.

Mobirise
As its name suggests, Mobirise prioritizes the mobile experience. Front and center, the totally free internet site builder guarantees that you can “create incredible mobile-friendly web sites.” There’s “no coding” and also it’s “totally free” to make use of. Actually, it’s what I made use of to create the easy “landing web page”. I use that web page basically as a center to direct towards my blog, my freelance composing service, my publications, as well as my social media sites pages.

Depending upon your viewpoint, the demand to download and install and also install the Mobirise software on your computer– it’s available for both Windows and also Mac– can be an and also or a minus. It means that you can successfully deal with your site offline and shop your data in your area, but it additionally indicates that you can not utilize the device via an internet browser. That suggests you can not utilize it on a Chromebook, as an example, as well as you can not update your internet site on the go unless you have the software application as well as files reduced your laptop computer.

The core website building contractor application is cost-free to use. There are a variety of modules that you can drag into place, clicking the “equipment” icon to personalize shades, photos, message and all the rest of it. This is significantly targeted at non-techies “that are not accustomed to the complexities of web advancement.” If you want to open even more themes, templates and blocks, nonetheless, you will need to open your purse. The basic variation is typically good enough for a wide variety of individuals.

Elementor
Perhaps you truly like WordPress and also whatever that goes along with it. Possibly you want something that goes a little bit past the essentials, allowing you to utilize added plug-ins and optimizations. I don’t criticize you. You can still use WordPress to build a solitary web page. Instead of making use of the default editor, you can tip it up a notch with Elementor.

Like nearly every other product in this area, Elementor is likewise provided on a premium basis. The totally free variation actually is totally free, permitting you to use a drag-and-drop page home builder with 30 fundamental widgets. However, you will certainly need to upgrade to the pro variation (beginning with $49/year for one personal web site) to unlock 50+ advanced widgets, a design-oriented popup home builder, a visual type building contractor, parallax and computer mouse effects, 300+ pro design templates as well as more.

Along with serving as an all-in-one option for constructing your attractive website in WordPress, Elementor likewise claims you can “develop sites that fill quicker, as well as accelerate the procedure of developing them.”

Ucraft
Placed as a “complimentary web site contractor for hectic developers,” Ucraft allows you connect your domain absolutely free, complete with basic elements and SSL security. It’s simple enough to include and also transform shades as well as to tailor your content, as you would certainly get out of an internet building contractor. The catch is that your cost-free internet site will certainly have Ucraft branding.

One of the better staminas of Ucraft is that you reach choose from a wide range of customizable themes, “from artsy portfolios to appealing blogs as well as effective stores.” All of these layouts are receptive, so they’ll look terrific on both desktop and mobile phones. The interface is drag-and-drop, as you might anticipate, so it’s very easy enough to create simply the appearance you want. There’s additionally a SEO app that’s built right into it, making it simple to include meta titles, descriptions as well as social photos.

You can additionally get free cloud hosting by Google, something that actually sets Ucraft besides various other complimentary internet builders. If you don’t have your very own domain name to connect, you can secure free subdomain on Ucraft instead. There’s also a free logo design maker to solidify your branding!

Weekend Favs June 13 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one that I took out there on the road.

• SnackMagic: Stress-free treat coordination for teams, clients, remote employees, families or yourself
• EatOkra: Your guide to black-owned eateries. If you’d like to support local black businesses, or maybe just find a new favorite place to eat, download eatOkra now!
• 21-Day Challenge: For 21 days, do one action to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity. Plan includes suggestions for readings, podcasts, videos, observations, and ways to form and deepen community connections.

These are my weekend favs, I would love to hear about some of yours – Tweet me @ducttape

How to Add Affiliate Marketing to Your Content written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Matt McWilliams

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Matt McWilliams, “The Affiliate Guy” and the President of Matt McWilliams Consulting.  He provides marketing consulting to small and medium-sized businesses ranging from retail clothing to music instruction.

Previously, he was the Internet Marketing Manager at Legacy Learning Systems in Nashville, Tennessee. Legacy’s ‘Learn and Master series’ has a mission of “Bringing Personal Dreams Within Reach,” making difficult skills, such as guitar, piano, drums, ballroom dancing, and more accessible through multimedia self-education courses.

In 2010, Matt won the Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Awards Affiliate Manager of the Year. The Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Awards are affiliate marketing’s most prestigious, competitive honor for the leaders in the space. He has also won awards from ABestWeb, the leading online affiliate community, for his affiliate management skills and advocacy of affiliate marketing. He won the 2009 Affiliate Manager of the Year award there as well as leading Legacy Learning Systems to be named Most Improved Affiliate Program (with over 70% of the votes) and a second-place finish for Best Affiliate Program.

Questions I ask Matt McWilliams:

What you’ll learn if you give a listen:

• What makes an affiliate and a strategic partner
• When you should start affiliate marketing
• Key mistakes that are made by first-time affiliate marketers
• The best way to hire an affiliate manager

More about Matt McWilliams:

• To download a free report for the top 100 affiliates in your industry
• To connect with Matt McWilliams

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by .site.

Have you ever tried looking for a domain name? Chances are that the first few options you tried were not available. You are not alone!

Now you have the power to change this. You can get the exact domain name that you want on new domain extensions such as .site. It is short, it is simple-to-understand and it literally means “website” so it’s perfect for any website that you might be building.

In fact, I got myself www.selfreliance.site where I talk about my book ‘The Self Reliant Entrepreneur’ and share content to help people become self-reliant in their entrepreneurial journey.

You too can get your very own .site domain for as low as $1.99. Visit www.get.site. Search for your unique .site domain and use code ‘selfreliance’ to get 50% off on your domain purchase.

Mountainside Fitness is proud to announce that SilverSneakers group fitness classes are being introduced to several clubs across the Valley. These classes are exclusively for our elderly members to support them through their fitness journey. Classes will begin June 15, 2020. Here is a glimpse into the variety of SilverSneakers classes we will be providing: 

SilverSneakers Classic 

Designed to increase muscle strength, range of movement and improve activities for daily living. A chair is used for seated exercises and standing support and class can be modified depending on fitness levels.

SilverSneakers BOOM Muscle

BOOM Muscle incorporates athletic-based exercises that improve upper body conditioning. You’ll move through several “blocks,” which are groups of exercises that focus on different muscle groups. The focus of this class is on toning muscles and building overall strength.

Silver Sneakers Circuit

The SilverSneakers Circuit workout offers standing, low-impact choreography alternated with standing upper-body strength work with hand-held weights, elastic tubing with handles and a SilverSneakers ball. A chair is available for standing support.

SilverSneakers: EnerChi

EnerChi consists of easy-to-learn, modified tai chi forms aimed at improving well-being. Low-impact movements are practiced in a slow, flowing sequence to progress strength, balance and focus. Chair support is offered to facilitate standing stability and seated exercise options.

Silver Sneakers BOOM MIND

Strength. Confidence. Flexibility. BOOM Mind takes the best from yoga and Pilates and combines them into one fusion class. Designed to relax the body and mind with peaceful music and invigorating movements. The focus of this class is on core muscles, lower body strength and balance.

SilverSneakers Yoga

Get ready to move through a complete series of seated and standing yoga poses. Chair support is offered so you can perform a variety of seated and standing postures designed to increase flexibility, balance, and range of movement. Restorative breathing exercises and final relaxation will promote stress reduction and mental clarity. This class is suitable for nearly every fitness level.

Book your spot in one of our SilverSneakers classes on the MSF App and view the group fitness schedule for each club HERE. We have partnered with various health programs to provide free and affordable memberships for everyone. To see a list of health programs accepted at MSF, click HERE. 

The post SilverSneakers Group Fitness Classes at MSF appeared first on Mountainside Fitness.

The Guide to Great Podcast Guesting  written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch

Today’s show is part 2 on podcasting. If you missed part 1, I covered why every small business should have a podcast, you can go back and listen here. In part 2, I am going to talk about being a guest on one of the millions of podcasts that are already out there.

Podcasting has grown substantially over the last few years, one of the biggest reasons for this growth is because this form of media is so portable. The audio files can play on your phone, on the go, or at your desk. Take advantage of the fact that every major media outlet has gotten into the podcast game and needs guests.

Listen and learn:

• The benefits of being a guest on a podcast and SEO that comes with it.
• How to get on shows
• What to do to be a great guest
• Your checklist for promoting your interview

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Zephyr.

Zephyr is a modern, cloud-based CMS that’s licensed only to agencies. The system is lightweight, easy to use, and incredibly fast. And with an array of beautiful themes to choose from, you can get your clients’ websites up-and-running quickly and with less effort. Or, if you’d rather build a custom site, Zephyr includes agency services to be your plug-and-play dev shop.

Zephyr is passionate about helping agencies create great websites for their clients. To learn more, go to Zephyrcms.com.

How to Have a Successful Consulting Practice During Uncertainty written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Michael Zipursky

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Michael Zipursky, the CEO of Consulting Success. He’s advised organizations like Financial Times, Dow Jones, RBC, Omron, Sumitomo and helped Panasonic launch new products into global markets, but more importantly, he’s helped over 370 consultants from around the world in over 50 industries add six and seven figures to their annual revenues. He is one of the world’s top authorities on growing a consulting business.

He is the author of 5 books including Profitable Relations: How to Dramatically Increase Your Profits By Giving Customers What They Really Want, the Consulting Success System: How to Become a Successful Consultant, and the Masters of Consulting Interviews. His latest book Act Now: How successful consultants thrive during chaos and uncertainty is on amazon, audible, and kindle.

Questions I ask Michael Zipursky:

What you’ll learn if you give a listen:

• Where the opportunity of work is during these times
• Tactics in the marketing world that have come out of this uncertainty that will stick
• Key elements of building a platform for your business

More about Michael Zipursky:

• To connect with Michael on LinkedIN
• For a free copy of Act Now: How successful consultants thrive during chaos and uncertainty 

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Klaviyo. If you’re looking to grow your business there is only one way: by building real, quality customer relationships. That’s where Klaviyo comes in.

Klaviyo helps you build meaningful relationships by listening and understanding cues from your customers, allowing you to easily turn that information into valuable marketing messages.

Want to learn more? Head to Klaviyo.com/ducttape to schedule a demo.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve felt and seen the tension burst with the death of George Floyd and immediate protests, rallies  and looting (a lá 1992’s Rodney King trial and LA Riots). All of this unrest followed the killing (and #IRunWithAhmaud campaign) of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, among others. And of course, to top it all off, we are all trying to survive a global health crisis, this pandemic, and the enormous financial and surmounting mental health crisis. 

How does one even keep afloat during this time? How does one keep a healthy mind, heart and perspective with oneself, and with the relationships around you, especially the ones in your community to the ones you are in quarantine with? As someone who is also trying to survive, keep a level head on my shoulders, and do something in this time of social unrest, I wanted to share my tips on how to nourish and care for the heart, mind, body and soul during this difficult and unprecedented time.  

1. Limit/balance your time on social media: I can’t say this enough, but be mindful of how much screen time you’re having. Maybe set a timer; one hour a day, or 30 minutes in the AM or PM is a great target. Before the 1980s, computers and smartphones were non-existent and we got the news and world’s happenings through other people, the radio and the TV. It’s important to be aware of how much you are reading/watching, and remember a lot of these mediums want you to click (“click bait”) and take you down the rabbit hole, especially on social media. Media posts are ‘performative’ and video clips are meant to agitate (Facebook’s algorithms highlight those posts with the most emojis – aka those that can trigger and anger people). Pay attention to the weekly “screen time” summary set by your phones.
2. Posture/ergonomics: Acute or chronic pain can exacerbate feelings and emotions of sadness, frustration, anger, irritation and a lack of appreciation. Be mindful of your posture, especially while we’re all working from home and when you look down at your smartphone (hint: try not to have your neck tilted downward for extended lengths of time). If you’re seated, allow for some stretching breaks and consider taking calls while walking or standing. Make sure you make an appointment for yourself to stretch, take a virtual class, do some yoga movements and/or see a chiropractor. 
3. Volunteer, contribute, protest: Disadvantaged communities around the city and country need our support, especially the Black community. Now is the time to reach out, educate yourself and take action. Donate time, funds, goods, skills and do your part – this will enrich your soul and help those in need who have less of a voice.
4. Talk it out: Whether it’s a  friend, sibling, mother, religious leader, your therapist or your local, friendly café owner, connection is key during a time of crisis, anguish, depression and anger. Connection is one of the top factors to living longer and having an overall healthier and happier mindset.
5. Mind/body check-up: It’s important to check in with yourself when you’re feeling down or low. Have you been drinking enough water, sleeping enough, keeping tabs on how much processed sugar you’ve been eating?  Have you set a solid, realistic routine for yourself or are you finding yourself sleeping later and later and waking up later and later? A lot of my clients discover that they’ve been vitamin D deficient (from a medical check-up) and symptoms include fatigue/restlessness, depression, body aches and back pain. Make sure you’re keeping your body moving and getting enough sun, nature and Vitamin D.
6. Gratitude: Science has backed the long lasting benefits of gratitude and thankfulness. Just as some of the yoga enthusiasts practice before class, set a positive intention for the day, before you get out of bed, and see how it interweaves with your day. For example, recognize the ways nature helps in times of stress, or notice how your body does not fail you, but rather helps you through the day. Be thankful for helpers in your life, for a voice, for action, for a choice and for the health/fitness communities around us, keeping us on our toes to stay healthy in body, mind and spirit.

Remember there is no right or wrong for how you practice self-care in times of stress, and it’s okay to not feel okay. A lot of us don’t feel okay in the moment; we’re surrounded by repression, anger, frustration, fear, entrapment, anxiety and conflict. Realize that so many of us are feeling these moments of complete uselessness, and then feelings of calm, paralleled with moments of breakdown and then level-headedness. This is why it is utterly important to connect with others, check-in and talk to someone who might be able to help you. In this time of uncertainty, recognize that this time is not forever and find coping skills and distractions that will help you to feel even momentarily less stressed, and know that we are all feeling these feelings. 

Written contribution by Sandra M. Kim, a POC, Healthworks studio instructor, mother, daughter, sister, college consultant, and now psychotherapist, trying to survive and keep afloat during these times. For more information, please feel free to email Sandra at talktherapytuebingen@gmail.com and follow her on Facebook.

At Healthworks Group, we stand in solidarity with the Black community near and far against systemic racism and injustice. 

Weekend Favs June 6 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one that I took out there on the road.

• Inspireframe– Easily create website prototypes with thousands of real website components. No design skills needed
• SaaS Pages– Screenshots, tips and tricks to build the best SaaS landing page that can convert visitors to paying customers.
• Spoke– Save, transcribe, and share video highlights instantly. It works with all your favorite video conference softwares and many more.

These are my weekend favs, I would love to hear about some of yours – Tweet me @ducttape

Whether you attend our group fitness classes or lift weights on your own, protein intake plays an important role in recovery after a workout. Protein also provides several other benefits such as improved bone health, increased muscle mass, boosted metabolism and controlled cravings. Meat is the most common food source that one can get protein. However, there are also several ways to get protein on a vegan or vegetarian diet. 

Vegetables 

Yes! Vegetables DO have protein in them. Broccoli, spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts, peas, and potatoes are all protein-rich vegetables. They contain about 4-5 grams of protein per one cooked cup. This way you can get in your greens and your protein with one meal. 

Beans

Beans are a staple in most vegetarian dishes because they are filling, contain high levels of protein and they’re delicious! Most varieties of beans have a high amount of protein per serving but the most popular are black beans, lentils, kidney beans, and chickpeas (also known as the garbanzo bean). There are several ways to integrate beans in a dish, a personal favorite is chickpea by the sea which tastes exactly like a tuna salad. 

Seeds and Butters 

Every fitness fan loves peanut butter for its healthy fats and creamy flavor, but did you know that seeds and seed butter have high levels of protein? For example, one ounce of pumpkin seeds contains as much as 5 grams of protein.  Additionally, chia seeds are a popular choice because they contain about 3.4 grams of protein per two tablespoons! You can throw these into yogurt, juice, smoothies, or just about anything since they have little to no flavor. And if you don’t want to part with your peanut butter, try a peanut butter powder that gives you more protein per calorie.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is an ingredient that can be found in a ton of vegetarian and vegan meals. It is a deactivated strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and is sold as a yellow powder. It has a cheesy flavor which is a huge bonus for any meal. Two tablespoons of this stuff has about 8 grams of protein along with iron, and B vitamins. 

Plant-based Protein Supplements

If you aren’t a huge foodie or a picky eater, purchasing a plant-based protein supplement might be your best option. Many supplement brands make non-whey, plant-based protein powders that can be used post-workout or as a meal replacement. One scoop of a plant-based protein can have as much as 20 grams of protein. Mix your supplement with soy or oat milk for an extra protein boost. 

Sources: 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-to-eat-more-protein#section3

https://www.house-foods.com/eat-happy/10-best-sources-of-plant-based-protein-by-whitney-e.-rd

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-for-vegans-vegetarians#section17

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/protein-plant-based-diet/

The post The Power of Plant Protein appeared first on Mountainside Fitness.

Create Your Own Journey written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Laura Gassner Otting

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Washington Post Best Selling Author and Motivational Keynote Speaker, Laura Gassner Otting.

Laura delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and perspective generated by decades of navigating change across the start-up, nonprofit, political, as well as philanthropic landscapes. She dares listeners to find their voice, and generate the confidence needed to tackle larger-than-life challenges. She leads them to seek new ways of leading, managing and mentoring others.

Laura’s entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps.

She left a leadership role at the respected nonprofit search firm, Isaacson, Miller, to expand the startup ExecSearches.com. Laura also founded and ran the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, which partnered with the full gamut of mission-driven nonprofit executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists.

Laura is the author of Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose (2015) and the Washington Post Best Seller Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019).

Questions I ask Laura Gassner Otting:

What you’ll learn if you give a listen:

• Why the ideas in her latest book, Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life, are so important right now
• What to consider when thinking about “the new normal”
• Questions to ask yourself instead of accepting “the new normal”
• Laura’s favorite space in the entrepreneurship journey

More about Laura Gassner Otting:

• For more about Laura Gassner Otting 
• For more about the course: Limitless. Your Best Self.

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Zephyr.

Zephyr is a modern, cloud-based CMS that’s licensed only to agencies. The system is lightweight, easy to use, and incredibly fast. And with an array of beautiful themes to choose from, you can get your clients’ websites up-and-running quickly and with less effort. Or, if you’d rather build a custom site, Zephyr includes agency services to be your plug-and-play dev shop.

Zephyr is passionate about helping agencies create great websites for their clients. To learn more, go to Zephyrcms.com.

7 Reasons Why a Podcast Can Help You Grow Your Business written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch

Today I’m starting a two-part series on podcasting. More specifically why small businesses should start podcasting.  In part one, let’s talk about starting a podcast for your business. Later in part two, we will talk about being a guest on other people’s podcasts.

It doesn’t matter what business you are in, but particularly if you are in professional services, or an industry that requires a significant amount of trust, podcasting is a very hot marketing channel to help you build this trust right now.

The 7 Reasons You Should Podcast:

1. Easier than it looks
2. Podcasts can be repurposed
3. Used for networking and building referrals
4. Can build an emotional connection to your audience
5. You can make additional revenue
6. Increase traffic to your website
7. Podcasting is a long-form content that people can pay attention to

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by .store.

Have you ever tried to find a domain name and been given  the message, “Sorry, that domain name is already taken!”? You are not alone! But with .store, a new domain extension for eCommerce and online stores, you will get the domain you want!

What’s more, www.yourbusinessname.store, instantly tells people your website is a “store” and lets your brand do the marketing for you! So, go ahead
and get the perfect, memorable website URL for your online store at www.get.store​.​

Building Good Relationships Is the Goal of Great Networking written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Dr. Ivan Misner

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Dr. Ivan Misner who is the founder and chairman of the business networking organization BNI. BNI was founded in 1985, the organization now has over 9,400 chapters throughout every populated continent of the world. Last year alone, BNI generated almost 12.3 million referrals resulting in $16.7 billion dollars worth of business for its members.

Dr. Misner’s Ph.D. is from the University of Southern California. He is a New York Times Bestselling author who has written 24 books including one of his latest books – Who’s in Your Room? He is also a columnist for Entrepreneur.com and has been a university professor as well as a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of La Verne.

Called the “Father of Modern Networking” by CNN and one of the “Top Networking Experts” by Forbes, Dr. Misner is considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on business networking.

Questions I ask Dr. Ivan Misner:

What you’ll learn if you give a listen:

• How the BNI model can assist in relationship building during networking
• How building relationships is better during networking than being transactional
• The significant benefit your network and referrals can bring when they are your support network

More about Dr. Ivan Misner:

• For more about BNI
• For more about Dr. Ivan Misner

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Klaviyo. If you’re looking to grow your business there is only one way: by building real, quality customer relationships. That’s where Klaviyo comes in.

Klaviyo helps you build meaningful relationships by listening and understanding cues from your customers, allowing you to easily turn that information into valuable marketing messages.

Want to learn more? Head to Klaviyo.com/ducttape to schedule a demo.

No one can tell you how to feel right now. written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Well, the last few months have thrown us all for a loop; that’s for sure.

And now this, another chapter, one of unrest, undoubtedly related to the fear, hopelessness, and divisiveness brought on by heightened overwhelm of a pandemic.

Yes, riots and protests, sparked by another senseless death of a black man at the hands of a white police officer, are the logical boiling reaction to so many pent-up feelings and emotions.

And now, once again, as has been the case over the last few months, everyone wants to tell us how we should feel.

You can log on to Facebook and jump on one of the countless live broadcasts telling you how to feel. You can microdose on the news telling you how to feel, or you can overdose on the headlines and amplify those feelings beyond rational capacity.

So, what are you feeling?

Maybe it’s anger or frustration. Perhaps it’s fear and uncertainty. Maybe it’s turned to guilt because, you know, you’ve stayed silent for too long.

Don’t worry if you’re confused; people will tell you how to feel.

People will tell you to rise up, people will tell you to chill out, people will tell you that whatever you do, whatever you are thinking, it’s not enough.

But here’s the thing – only you can find and understand your truth.

I don’t know what you’re dealing with because:

• See, I had two loving parents who provided me with a fantastic childhood – maybe you didn’t
• I never wondered once where my next meal was coming from – maybe you did
• I never had to work so my parents could keep the lights on – maybe you had to
• I always felt incredibly safe in my home and my neighborhood – maybe you didn’t
• I assumed I could go to any school I wanted – maybe you couldn’t
• I can’t ever remember feeling unwelcome somewhere – maybe you can
• I’ve never been pulled over by a police officer to see if I had a gun in the car – perhaps you have

The point is that our feelings are our feelings, our actions are our actions, and we must deal with them – we must own them and act accordingly.

The only thing we cannot do is feel nothing at all.

We are all in a big fat storm in an untamed sea, granted we are in many different boats in that storm, but navigate with our entire being we must.

Weekend Favs May 30 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one that I took out there on the road.

• Zoom Backgrounds: Hundreds of virtual zoom backgrounds available, change your zoom background for your next meeting.
• GIPHY: Your top source for the best & newest GIFs & Animated Stickers online.
• Blush: An easy way to add illustrations to your projects. With collections made by artists across the globe, there’s something for everyone—and every project.

These are my weekend favs, I would love to hear about some of yours – Tweet me @ducttape

Get moving with this 15 minute EMOM from Under Armour trainer Saman Munir.

The post 15 Minute EMOM appeared first on Under Armour.

Engage your lower body in this 20 minute EMOM workout led by pro runner Vincent Crisp.

The post Runner’s 20 Minute EMOM appeared first on Under Armour.

How to Get the Best Out of Your Virtual Meetings written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Mike Fraidenburg

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Mike Fraidenburg, a certified mediator, natural resource scientist, and former government executive with broad experience helping organizations and executives who are struggling to work effectively in environments with a lot of conflicts.

Mike’s specialties are assessment and implementation of community-building programs to establish and then maintain positive working relationships across the boundaries between organizations and the community that cares about what you do.

His book Mastering Online Meetings: 52 Tips to Engage Your Audience and Get the Best Out of Your Online Meeting was published in January this year.

Questions I ask Mike Fraidenburg:

What you’ll learn if you give a listen:

• The difference between synchronous and asynchronous meetings
• Mike’s favorite tools for different meeting types
• How you can make sure everyone can participate even when they can’t attend the actual meeting

More about Mike Fraidenburg:

• For more about Mastering Online Meetings go here
• To learn about The Cooperation Company
• To buy Mike’s latest book Mastering Online Meetings

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by .store.

Have you ever tried to find a domain name and been given  the message, “Sorry, that domain name is already taken!”? You are not alone! But with .store, a new domain extension for eCommerce and online stores, you will get the domain you want!

What’s more, www.yourbusinessname.store, instantly tells people your website is a “store” and lets your brand do the marketing for you! So, go ahead
and get the perfect, memorable website URL for your online store at www.get.store​.​

Welcome to the Weekly Peak! This week we are talking about the war on sitting. Self-quarantine and self-isolation has severely impacted our level of activity throughout the day. Everyone has been spending a lot of time horizontally in our beds or on our couch so we put together some easy tips, tricks, and simple exercises to get you out of your seat. 

Chair exercises 

No workout equipment? No problem! You can get a full-body workout using just a single chair. Our partners at Silver Sneakers have put together a 15-minute total-body workout that is perfect to get a quick workout when you’re feeling stagnant throughout the day. Click Here to get your chair reps in. 

Get an elliptical for your desk 

Get your blood flow going at your desk with a mini elliptical that fits under any desk size. This product has over 2,000 reviews with a 4.5-star rating. DeskCycle allows you to burn some extra calories while still sitting in your weekly Zoom meetings. 

Download an app that reminds you to move 

It is easy to forget to get up when you are locked into a five hour Netflix binge (we know you binge-watched Tiger King in one night). Stand Up! A Work Break Timer will remind you to get moving by pinging your phone. It is completely flexible to your work schedule so you can set it, forget it and get out of your seat. 

Schedule a 30-minute walk into your day 

Another way to battle the war on sitting is to schedule a walk into your day. Taking a 30-minute walk per day increases energy levels and overall heart health. The American Heart Association provides a 6-week walk plan for beginners. Improve your health and prevent disease with this plan.  

Explore MSF at-home workouts 

Our team worked together to provide FREE at-home workouts during the pandemic. MSF has several options for working out at home including group fitness classes and daily PPZ routines. Visit our website or YouTube channel to view all your at-home MSF workout options. We are currently working on a library of On-Demand classes for Members. Stay Tuned!

As a reminder, we have opened ALL 18 locations in the Valley. Our staff is happy to be back and we are eager to serve our Members as they return to the gym at their own pace. 

The post How to Battle the War on Sitting appeared first on Mountainside Fitness.

Switch up your interval runs for this EMOM (every minute on the minute) workout led by pro marathon runner Stephen Scullion.

The post Marathoner’s 20 Minute EMOM appeared first on Under Armour.

Focus on Your Customer to Grow Your Business written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Simon Severino

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Simon Severino, CEO of Strategy Sprints GmbH, where their goal is to coach CEOs and their teams to ensure higher NPS (Net Promoter Score), higher sales conversion and faster execution.

Simon also teaches Growth, Strategy, and Innovation at select MBA courses across Europe. Simon is the host of a podcast The Strategy Show, a show from CEOs for CEOs, in every episode he promises you will find a new masterclass on how to grow and scale your business.

Questions I ask Simon Severino:

What you’ll learn if you give a listen:

• What are Strategy Sprints and how they work
• How to find the #1 bottleneck in companies
• How to focus on customer growth

More about Simon Severino:

• For more about Strategy Sprints

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Zephyr.

Zephyr is a modern, cloud-based CMS that’s licensed only to agencies. The system is lightweight, easy to use, and incredibly fast. And with an array of beautiful themes to choose from, you can get your clients’ websites up-and-running quickly and with less effort. Or, if you’d rather build a custom site, Zephyr includes agency services to be your plug-and-play dev shop.

Zephyr is passionate about helping agencies create great websites for their clients. To learn more, go to Zephyrcms.com.

See how hard you can push yourself in 7 minutes during this quick AMRAP with Under Armour trainer Marquan Jones.

The post 7 Minute AMRAP appeared first on Under Armour.

The Small Business Guide to Podcasting written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

The term podcasting has become mainstream these days and interest in this medium is on the rise and, rightfully so. Not only is it convenient for listeners who want topics that they’re interested in on-demand, but it’s also valuable for the person or business hosting them.

Below find seven great reasons every business should consider starting a podcast

Getting started is easier than it looks

The secret’s out, podcasting really isn’t that difficult to get started. People often assume that podcasts require a lot of fancy equipment and a large investment, and while you certainly can get to that point, you definitely don’t have to start there.

As long as you have a microphone that works, a way to record a conversation with guests (if you have guests), and a way to share the content with your audience, you’re really all set. Here’s a simple set-up that covers what you need.

• Microphone USB Mic such as a Blue Yetti
• Recording – You can use Squadcast, Skype or Zoom
• Editing – Garage Band or Audacity
• Hosting – Libsyn or Blubrry
• Publishing – Podcast on WordPress using Blubrry Plugin
• Distribution – iTunes/Apple, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, TuneIn

You can repurpose episodes into other forms of content

Since podcasting is audio-based, repurposing the material into other forms of content, such as video, a blog post or a series of blog posts, is a great way to create content without reinventing the wheel. Additionally, it helps to further expand your reach because part of your audience may not be podcast listeners, but they may be blog readers, and vice versa.

Rev.com is a great transcription service.

Podcasting is great for networking and building referrals

Reaching out to others to have them as a guest on your show is a great way to build your network and will also give you more chances to be asked to be a guest on other podcasts, furthering your connections even more. The more people you can connect with, the more you’ll increase the chances of referrals, leading to more opportunities and business for your company.

Along with networking and building referrals, podcasting can expand your public speaking skills as well which can lead to in-person speaking events (a great way to establish authority and credibility in your field).

It establishes an emotional connection with your audience

The format of a podcast allows you to develop a deeper relationship with your audience. You’re not hiding behind words on a page. Hearing your voice on a frequent basis makes your audience feel like they actually know you, and the more likely you are to establish an emotional connection with them, the more likely they’ll be to follow your brand and buy from you.

You can make money from it

Not all podcasters want or need to monetize, but if you are interested in making money from your show, there are a number of ways to do that, including:

• Sponsorships
• Affiliate marketing
• Product promotion (be careful with how you go about this, your podcast should be entertaining and educational, not “salesy” if you want it to truly be effective)

You can increase traffic to your website

The audio portion of your podcast can drive traffic to your website simply because it helps to build your credibility and authority on your topic which often makes your audience want to visit your website to learn more. Another way this boosts site traffic is that podcasts often come with show notes (at least they should) that people can review for resources and an outline of the show. If people are on your site reviewing the show notes, or even the episode transcript, they’ll be more likely to visit other areas of your site, which will increase the odds of them converting to customers.

Another way podcasts boost site traffic is that they often come with show notes (at least they should) that people can review for resources and an outline of the show. If people are already on your site reviewing the show notes, or even the episode transcript, they’ll be more likely to visit other areas of your site, which will increase the odds of them converting to customers.

Podcasting is a type of long-form content that people actually pay attention to

Hate to say it, but our attention spans are fading. We live in a world of information overload where we only have the time to consume small bits of information at a time. With podcasts however, you can consume them at times when other forms of content are unavailable (hopefully you’re not reading a blog post while driving to work in the morning). Whereas with a podcast, you can sit in traffic for an hour and consume valuable information. Since people are engaged with podcasts for longer periods of time than other content, this gives you opportunities to showcase your knowledge and expertise in a way that you’re unable to with other formats.

Podcast Guesting is a Killer Marketing Tactic

So far we’ve focused on creating your own podcast but there are many benefits associated with being a guest of someone else’s podcast.

There’s no denying that interest in podcasting has increased over time, especially within the last 5-6 years. I think this is for a couple of reasons:

• Content has become the air that drives so many channels
• It’s portable and allows for multi-tasking nature of it

The combination of the two has allowed the popularity of this medium to skyrocket, both from listening and production standpoints.

While I think producing a podcast is a great idea and can provide many benefits for your business, there are also a plethora of opportunities that are there in podcasting for any business owner, namely through being a guest on another person’s podcast. Let’s dive in.

Guest interviews

Putting yourself out there as a guest on podcasts (as opposed to traditional PR with radio and TV) is one of the best things you can do for your business these days, but let me be clear, in order to be successful with it,  you must put yourself out there and pitch yourself on an ongoing basis, and truly build this as a channel for your marketing efforts.

A podcast interview is not only content, it’s great quality content. It’s a tremendous way for you to build expertise, authority, and branding for you and your business. When people hear your voice, it adds a deeper level to building trust, and the more a person trusts you, the more likely they’ll be to buy from you.

SEO and the benefits of podcasting

My friend, Phil Singleton, is one of the most knowledgeable people on SEO that I know, and he recently stated (over this past weekend, in fact) that of all the time he has spent on SEO, podcasting may be the best SEO tactic to give you the biggest bang for your buck. Being a podcast guest provides the following benefits:

• Gives you access to an engaged audience
• The host does the majority of the work
• You have virtually no preparation (especially in comparison to guest blog posts)
• High production value will make the content more shareable
• There will likely be show notes that will drive links back to your website
• Reviews can help build authority and credibility
• There is a ton of repurposing potential with the content

At the end of the day, SEO really comes down to three main things:

• Keywords– You must know what keywords your ideal client is searching for
• Content– You must build those keywords into your content on a consistent basis
• Links– That content must be seen and shared by other people by acquiring links from other sites to link to that content. From that, Google surmises that it’s good content.

If you focus on those few things over time, you will show up, and likely rank highly, in search engine rankings. What this means, is that a guest appearance on a podcast is your content on steroids. You get high-quality content and awareness to the podcaster’s audience (podcasts get shared more than blog posts).

Guest blog posts are a lot of work and time-consuming. Even if a podcast doesn’t have a huge following, it will likely still have more engagement than blog posts and have the ability to get more shares than regular blog posts and you will get links back to whatever it is that you’re promoting.

To make this even better, a lot of podcasters, including myself, are also creating transcripts along with their podcast episodes to have the written word content go along with the spoken content. In many cases, if you appear on a podcast, and they don’t transcribe it, many podcasters will let you transcribe it and repurpose it for additional content on your site; again, which will help to boost your SEO.

How to get on shows

Remember, this is a consistent process, not just something you do every once in a while, so it’s important that you allocate time and attention to this. Below are a few ways you can approach getting on podcasts.

Google search

Google is great at showing podcasts. Start by searching with an industry you’re interested in and google “[industry] podcast” and see what appears. Simple enough, right?

iTunes

iTunes not only categorizes podcasts, they include related searches like Google as well.

Amazon

If you click on an author link, Amazon will show related authors, which can help expand your search.

From your research, build a spreadsheet of hosts you want to reach out to. Most podcasts have some form of contact information or a form asking people to pitch themselves as a guest.

Once your spreadsheet is filled out, one of the things I’d spend time on is to think of your objective for being on a show. Make the podcast host understand the value they’ll get by interviewing you.

From a content and link objective perspective, don’t worry about how big the show is or the size of the audience. Focus on the links and content and make sure they align with your objective.

In almost all cases, you need to go out and pitch people. I can’t emphasize this enough if you listen and subscribe to their show and know the host’s listeners, what they talk about, and how they deliver value, you’ll do a much better job of showing how you’ll benefit their listeners in your pitch.

These days, podcasters are looking for guests to have one-sheets that include your bio, why you’re a good fit, what you have to offer, places you’ve appeared, what others have said about you, and so on. If a podcaster is trying to decide between you and another guest, the one-pager can go a long way. The more professional you’ll look, the better your odds are of getting chosen for the show.

How to be a great guest

Your work isn’t done once you book the podcast. In order to be a great guest and get the most value out of this exposure, you really need to prep for it.

Subscribe and listen

If you want to be on a show, subscribe to it, or at least listen to it and really educate yourself on the host’s style and type of questions he/she may ask.

Don’t sell

The purpose of the interview is to educate or entertain the host’s audience. You may have the opportunity at the end of the episode to say where people can find you and so on, but nothing will turn an interview sour faster than selling.

Answer questions succinctly

A minute to 90 seconds is often too long for a response. Prepping will help you be clear and concise in your delivery.

Sound quality

Nothing is more frustrating than listening to a podcast with poor sound quality. Before you hop on the interview, confirm you have a solid internet connection or cell reception, and take the call in a quiet space to try to eliminate any extra background noise.

Show appreciation for the opportunity

Once you’re on the call, remember to thank the host for having you on the show and express your appreciation. Once the show is complete, be sure to leave a review for the podcast on iTunes.

How to promote your interview

After the show, most podcast hosts will send you a link to promote the show, and may even send you proposed copy for social media posts. Sharing and promoting your appearance makes a lot of sense. It helps spread the word and it’s good content that people may want to share. Look for multiple ways to promote it to your network.

After everything is said and done, ask your host for a review and use it in your marketing to boost your authority. If you own a local business, have them do the review through Google. Think of this as an opportunity to produce content and get amazing links and put your SEO on steroids.

One of the best ways to get the interest of podcast hosts is to let them know you’ll be a great promotional partner as well as a great guest.

Below is a checklist of potential promotional activities once you’ve been a podcast guest.

• Add it to Your Next Webinar
  • Do you host webinars? If so, why not make a highlight of your next one a chance to hear your recent podcast interview?
• Email Newsletter
  • When someone signs up to receive your email newsletter you can include photos, teaser videos, quotes and Click To Tweets from the actual interview in your emails.
• On Your Blog
  • Highlight the event with a blog post. You can include episode show notes, as well as the embedded video or audio from the interview. You can even repurpose your podcast interview into a long-form blog and then embed the audio of it at the end of the post.
• Social Channels
  • Please post links to the podcast, videos, graphics, quotes, and photos. Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, and Snapchat are all great for real-time engagement. Also, Facebook, Instagram Images, and LinkedIn offer the perfect platforms for promoting evergreen content.
• Retargeting and Paid Advertising
  • Paid advertising on social media can also be effective. With Facebook especially, you can create ads that are hyper-targeted for the ideal persona that will find value in your interview.
• Email Signatures
  • The average person sent 34 business emails daily. Now think about if you have advertised your podcast interview in each one of these. That gives you the opportunity to reach even more people.

How to Create Segmented User Experiences written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Your business doesn’t serve a homogenous customer base. Unless you’re an incredibly niche service, it’s likely that you have at least a handful of types of people who benefit from your products or services.

Because these types of customers are different from each other, they won’t all be won by the same kind of messaging. That’s why it’s helpful to create unique user experiences on your website that speak to each segment of your overall customer population.

Here’s what you must do to create a more personalized, segmented user experience for your website.

Create Target Market Personas

First thing’s first: You need to figure out what the segments of your larger customer population are. There are a number of ways to break an audience down into distinct buyer personas, and it starts with data. This might be data from your CRM, email service provider, website, or social media analytics.

Start looking for demographic and behavioral trends. Are there certain age groups, genders, or people from specific locations that do business with you? If you’re a B2B company, are there industries you work with often, or are your point-people in a particular department, or do they hold a specific job title?

Behavioral trends can help, too. Are there certain pages on your website that nearly everyone visits before they become a customer? Is there a particular email campaign that drives a lot of prospects to set up a sales call and eventually convert?

Finally, take a look at how these demographic and behavioral data points overlap. Is there a specific age group that responds well to a certain section of your website? Does your social media page generate a lot of interest from people in a particular geographic area?

If possible, it’s also a good idea to conduct some interviews with your existing customers. Hearing straight from the source about what problems your client solves and why they chose your client over their competitor can help you hone in on some of the other elements of the customer personas.

Once you’ve gathered all of your information, you can create your composite sketch of each type of their ideal customers: Who they are, what they need, and what they expect from you.

Allow for Self-Identification

Now that you understand who these different segments of your audience are, you can begin to create different messaging and experiences for them on your website.

The easiest way to ensure that each customer ends up on the path that’s intended for their persona is to allow them to self-select into the appropriate segment on your website. Websites do this all the time to great effect. Let’s say you own an architecture firm, and you handle both residential and commercial projects. On the homepage for the website, build a splash page with two separate buttons—one for those interested in each type of project.

Each button will take the visitor to a separate homepage for that specific audience, with a navigation bar that speaks to their needs (i.e. those who click on residential will see the portfolio for homes the architect has designed, and informational content about the process of undertaking home renovations).

Design Unique Landing Pages

I’ve already covered one instance in which unique landing pages can work on your website to speak to different audiences. This is also an effective tactic when you’re driving traffic from ads to your website.

Take, for example, a paid search campaign. Let’s stick with the architectural firm example and say that within your commercial work, you have two distinct personas: You work regularly with private schools and non-profit organizations. You design a Google Ads campaign targeted at private school leaders and board members. When they click the ad, rather than taking them to the generic landing page for commercial projects, why not create a landing page specifically about your work with other schools?

This customized landing page is effective in immediately addressing the pain points of your distinct persona. That board member of the private school might be somewhat interested in your work for other types of commercial properties, but when they see right off the bat that your architect has designed beautiful spaces that address the specific needs of a client in private education, that prospect feels an immediate connection to your work. They feel seen and understood, and you begin to immediately build trust.

Select Channels Based on Audience

Once you’ve captured the attention of each segment with an effective strategy to get them onto your website, continue to dazzle them with content that speaks specifically to their needs.

Of course, you want the meat of the content to be relevant to the audience. That means topics that matter, filled with advice and helpful information, rather than sales pitch after sales pitch.

But in addition to considering what you’re going to cover in your content, you want to think about how you’re sharing it. Typically when people think of content, they think blog posts, but there’s so much more to it than that: Podcasts, explainer videos, webinars, infographics, and ebooks—there’s a wide variety of ways to reach your audience.

For example, did you know that video, while a popular medium with all consumers, is even more effective with Baby Boomers? It might surprise you to learn that they watch 10 percent more videos on YouTube than Millennials. Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen Zers outpace Boomers and older generations when it comes to podcast listening.

So while you want to be providing a variety of content to each of the segments of your audience—because no one wants to be greeted with the same content format over and over again—think about ways you can lean into certain types of content for specific personas.

Invest in Hub Pages

Hub pages do a lot of good in organizing content on your websites. In addition to giving you great SEO juice and breathing new life into old content, it can also establish thought leadership in specific areas that are important to your different personas.

Let’s return to the architect example. If you know that your commercial clients are mainly in the private education and non-profit worlds, it makes sense to build hub pages around those two areas. One hub page can be specifically for that private school audience and include content that speaks to topics like fundraising and budgeting for major capital improvements, planning your construction around the school year, and designing a modern education building that speaks to what today’s parents are looking for.

Different segments of your audiences will have different needs and expectations when it comes to what they’re hoping to get from your business. By identifying these different buyer personas and creating specific customer journeys for various groups, you get a better chance at directly addressing pain points, building trust quickly and efficiently, and moving new prospects towards the sale even faster.

How to Create Your Referral Engine written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch

Today I want to talk about what is probably the highest pay off marketing activity right now. Obviously there is a lot going on in the world today. I find that a lot of people are looking around trying to figure out what they can do marketing-wise. Obviously a lot of businesses are being displaced. With the massive change businesses are feeling it is also being experienced by customers. Long time customers are being disconnected from longtime providers. Customers are being forced into changing their purchase behaviors, how they research, think, and buy.

This can be leveraged as a huge opportunity. Many companies are still looking at how to remake themselves. But I’m suggesting it is the time to look inward. To seek referrals from existing customers and strategic partners as the primary lead generation initiative. Listen to find out how to do this.

Tips discussed during the podcast:

1. Highest payoff marketing activity right now is referrals
2. How to ask your existing customers for referrals
3. Referrals can benefit both your business and customers
4. Some people may need what you do so reach out to them
5. Talk to other businesses to strategize and find ways to help each other
6. Make partnering up with other businesses successful and bring something of value to the table

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Klaviyo. If you’re looking to grow your business there is only one way: by building real, quality customer relationships. That’s where Klaviyo comes in.

Klaviyo helps you build meaningful relationships by listening and understanding cues from your customers, allowing you to easily turn that information into valuable marketing messages.

Want to learn more? Head to Klaviyo.com/ducttape to schedule a demo.

Weekend Favs May 23 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one that I took out there on the road.

• Userinput.io– Get real feedback on your website, SaaS or Ecommerce store
• Speakpipe– Allows your customers, podcast listeners, blog readers and fans to send you voice messages (voicemail) right from a browser without any phone calls.
• Indicative– The only customer analytics platform for product managers, marketers, and data analysts that connects directly to your data warehouse.

These are my weekend favs, I would love to hear about some of yours – Tweet me @ducttape

Try this balance and core workout from gold medalist Lindsey Vonn.

The post Lindsey Vonn’s Balance + Core Workout appeared first on Under Armour.

How to Define Your Path Towards Wellness written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Dr. Nancy Trimboli

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Dr. Nancy Trimboli, a health expert, and chiropractor with over 25 years of experience. She has taken the lessons she learned from her father, an Episcopalian priest, and from earning a black belt in Taekwondo and used those as the foundation for her compassionate care of patients and for the
hard work and dedication necessary to build a thriving business.

While in the heyday of her practice, Dr. Nancy created a multi-location, multi-doctor business with over 40 employees and she personally worked with up to 150 individual patients per day. This has allowed her to master the art of taking complex health issues and breaking them down into a concise and easy to comprehend manner. Dr. Nancy has facilitated over 800 workshops at her office. She shares her knowledge through platforms such as her YouTube channel (which currently has over 100 videos), Facebook live videos, and Stealth Health: Take Back Your Power and Unravel the Mystery of You, her first adult book. Her first children’s book, Little Squirrel Girl, is a true story of a baby squirrel who needed a chiropractic adjustment and watched sunsets.

Questions I ask Dr. Nancy Trimboli:

What you’ll learn if you give a listen:

• Where stealth ties into health
• Who to trust and who not to trust when it comes to finding your path towards wellness
• Benefits of taking time to destress

More about Dr. Nancy Trimboli:

• For an overview of everything Dr. Nancy Trimboli visit https://www.drnancy.health/
• To buy Stealth Health

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by .store.

Have you ever tried to find a domain name and been given  the message, “Sorry, that domain name is already taken!”? You are not alone! But with .store, a new domain extension for eCommerce and online stores, you will get the domain you want!

What’s more, www.yourbusinessname.store, instantly tells people your website is a “store” and lets your brand do the marketing for you! So, go ahead
and get the perfect, memorable website URL for your online store at www.get.store​.​

Join pro runner Will Leer for a mobility routine before your next run to help improve your range of motion.

The post Runner’s Mobility Routine appeared first on Under Armour.

Generating referrals is your highest payoff activity right now written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Many businesses have been displaced during this game-changing pandemic. I hope that you are not one of them.

One of the things, however, that few people are talking about is that the massive changes being experienced by businesses are also being experienced by customers.

In other words, buyers are being displaced from long-time providers or simply choosing this disruption as a time to rethink how to find, choose, buy from, and remain loyal to the businesses they patronize.

There has rarely been an environment in which more customers were forced into changing their purchase behaviors.

So while some businesses are still struggling with how to remake themselves, I want to suggest that right now is the time to look inward and seek referrals from your existing customers and partners as a primary lead generation initiative.

Ask your customers

First and foremost, communicate with your existing customers. Chances are they are being asked by friends, neighbors, and colleagues for new resources. (I belong to a couple of Facebook Groups where this has become common.)

Ask them to keep you in mind for referrals. Maybe even run a campaign offering bonuses for referrals.

Tell them why now

People need what you do, so if you’re confident you can help, you are doing a disservice if you don’t offer to help. All that to say, you should tell people you know many folks have been disrupted and find themselves looking to make a change – you could be that change. Own it!

Seek new partners

Strategic partners – businesses that also know lots of your ideal customers can be an excellent resource for spreading the word about how awesome you are.

Make a list of other businesses you admire who might serve your same kind of customer and start having conversations about working together. You can refer each other, make intros, or even find a way to co-market to each other’s customers.

Make it valuable for them

As you begin to reach out to potential strategic partners, think first about ways you can make the relationship valuable to them. Can you offer to write a guest blog or let them do the same, can you interview them, can you allow them to co-brand a great piece of content you have, can you do a free webinar for their audience? Can you refer a customer now?

This is how you get a potential partner’s attention.

Teach referrals

Lastly, if your ideal customers are businesses, then consider creating a campaign where you actively take some of what I’ve shared today to teach them how to get more referrals. Imagine how valuable you’ll become if you help them achieve the goal of getting more business – no matter what you sell to them currently?

Create a networking group of your current clients with the primary purpose of teaching referrals and I can assure you, you’ll start getting more referrals.

I wrote a book on this topic. If you want to get a bunch of ideas on referrals and teaching referrals, it’s the cheapest way I know – check it out The Referral Engine.

5 Types of Video That Improves Marketing Content written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Video content is a hot topic in marketing circles. We’ve been seeing studies for years now that video is the way people want to consume content. Search engines continue to reward businesses with video on their homepage with additional traffic. So if you haven’t yet embraced video, now is the time to start.

Oftentimes when people think of video marketing, they think of social media content. While there’s certainly a great case to be made for using video on social platforms (and lots of ways to do it!), incorporating video across other marketing channels is just as essential.

Here, let’s take a look at the five types of video content that can be added to any business’s marketing system. This will allow you to tell your brand story in a dynamic, engaging way.

1. Brand Story

Every brand has a story. Lots of entrepreneurs have fascinating tales of how they got the idea to start their business and the journey that they went on to get that business off the ground. But when we talk about core story, it’s not about where the brand has been, it’s really more about the customer’s story.

Every brand has a problem that they solve for their customers. It’s their own unique approach to solving the issue. This is what attracts customers to the business in the first place and keeps them coming back time and again.

Creating a video that tells your core story is a great way to establish trust immediately with prospects. A strong core story outlines a prospect’s problem, paints a picture of a world where the problem has been solved, and then offers up your business as the solution to the issue.

Putting a video like this front-and-center on your website sets you up for success with prospects. Not only do prospects feel seen and heard by what they’re seeing in the video—this is a brand that really gets my problem!—they also have a sense of connection with the people behind the brand.

When the business owner gets on camera and talks directly to their prospects about how they address their big concern, this wins their trust and builds a human-to-human connection from the get-go.

2. Service or Product Videos

You have gotten the attention of a prospect with your core story. Next, your prospect might want to learn more about the specifics of how your business can solve their problems. That’s where product or service videos come in.

It doesn’t matter what kind of business you run. A video showcasing your offerings can help to dynamically demonstrate all the pros of purchasing your product or service.

For more complicated products, like a new software system or a tool or machinery that requires some set-up, product videos can help eliminate some of the fear that a prospect might feel about purchasing a complex product. When they see how easy it is to set up and use in the video, they’ll feel more confident in their ability to do it on their own.

The same is true of videos that feature services. Let’s say you are a car mechanic. People are often distrustful of car mechanics, thinking they’re able to rip people off because most of us don’t understand how a car actually works. A service video, where the mechanic walks viewers through the standard inspection process and points out potential red flags along the way can help to eliminate prospects’ fears that they’re a scam-artist mechanic.

Even for simple products, video can help to bring the item to life. A product video for a children’s construction toy that shows the features of the completed model might sell a parent on the purchase. Or a video on a clothing e-commerce site, showing a model walking back and forth in items of clothing can give viewers a sense of how the shirt or pants look and move on a real person.

3. Client Testimonials

Testimonials, reviews, and case studies all play a similar role in the lead nurturing process. They offer social proof that your business is as good as you say it is. Of course, you have a vested interest in selling your business as the best business out there in your field. That is your job when you have your marketing hat on, after all! But customers don’t owe a business anything. Glowing feedback from customers demonstrates to prospects that the hype is real; you are as good as you claim to be.

Written reviews and testimonials are great, but videos can help to elevate that connection. By showing prospects an existing happy customer, you give them a taste of what their life could be like if they hired you. If you’re looking for tips on how to get the most out of your interview with one of your happy customers, check out these steps for putting together an effective case study.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s face it, scrolling through dozens of questions in a standard FAQ page is boring. Why not create the most engaging FAQ page possible by incorporating video answers onto the page?

This is also a great opportunity to get a number of people from the company involved in the video creation process. Have someone from each department get in front of the camera. They can each record a handful of answers to the FAQs that are most relevant to their role at the company.

First, this is a fun activity for the team members who participate. Additionally, it provides you with the opportunity to introduce prospects to even more of the faces behind the business. And the greater the sense of familiarity and personal connection you can establish early on, the more you will stand out in terms of trust and likability.

5. Personalized Sales Videos

Once you have won prospects over with great video content on your website, it’s time to take things to the next level. Encouraging your sales team to use one-to-one video in the sales process allows them to embrace personalization.

Using a tool like Loom makes it easy for even the least tech-savvy sales team in the room to record and send videos. Creating a personalized video, where they address the prospect by name and speak to their specific concerns and questions, makes that prospect feel special. They think, “If this business went through the trouble to record a video just for me, can you imagine the lengths they’ll go-to for me if I become a customer?”

Video content can play a role throughout all stages of the customer journey. Video can be critical to establishing trust, building a personal connection, and moving prospects down the hourglass towards their first purchase.

How to Improve Your Customer’s Journey written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch

In today’s podcast, I want to talk with you about something I’ve been thinking about a lot. It’s actually one of the key elements in my next book. But first, let’s start with some back story.  In the 80s, there was a brand that became a cultural hit called Members Only. Yes, I had a Members Only jacket, there, I admit it. The tagline for the companies’ line of apparel was, “When you put it on, something happens.”

Later we can talk about how goofy this is but today here’s my point – what if you could come to think about your customer or clients or patients or whatever you call them – as members.

Now, I’m not merely suggesting you create a membership aspect to your business. However, that might be a great model for you; I’m suggesting that you think this way about them.

If you did, it might change how you innovate, iterate, and support every aspect of your business.

In a stable membership relationship, your goal is to help every member get the transformation they are seeking. So, naturally, you would care more about them getting a result than you getting a transaction. If that were so, you would have to ask yourself much harder (or at least different) questions.

Questions to answer during the podcast:

1. Where are our customers now in terms of the results they want?
2. What are the characteristics of customers in each of these stages?
3. What milestones must they achieve to move to the next stage?
4. What activities or action steps must they take to achieve each milestone?
5. What systems must we create to ensure passage through the stages of the success journey?

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by Klaviyo. If you’re looking to grow your business there is only one way: by building real, quality customer relationships. That’s where Klaviyo comes in.

Klaviyo helps you build meaningful relationships by listening and understanding cues from your customers, allowing you to easily turn that information into valuable marketing messages.

Want to learn more? Head to Klaviyo.com/ducttape to schedule a demo.