Business Brain Food

Matt Holmes is so passionate about networking that he has become known as Matt “handshakin” Holmes. He even has a world record for the longest ever handshake, standing at the grand total of 46 hours! Matt first realised the power of networking when he landed a big contract as a result of his future employers seeing photos of him online shaking hands with people who had connections with that company. He now has his own agency (appropriately enough, called “Handshakin”), but in this week’s podcast he gave us some of his advice for free: Here are some of the highlights:

** When approaching someone online who you don’t know, be specific. Make them feel that they’re the only person capable of doing what you’re asking them to do.

** At networking events, don’t assume that just handing out your business card is the main goal. Have a conversation first before you go steaming in.

** Keep the ball rolling with the contacts you meet in real life. Follow up immediately online by adding them on one of your social networks.

** Wear a different hat depending on the networking event you’re attending. For example, consider if your goal is to find leads or if it’s to gain referrals. These two scenarios would require significantly different conversations.

** Get the job done quickly – it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s more important to strike while the iron’s hot (i.e. when your new contact/audience is receptive) than to wait longer and aim for perfection.

  The ever-increasing use of the online sphere has led some to believe that the formality of networking in person is a thing of the past, but this really is not the case. There is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting, but the many online networking opportunities out there are great for making the face-to-face meetings more likely to happen. And while there is much networking and business that can be done exclusively online, it is more important to understand how an online networking tool can link to ‘action’ in the real world (i.e. meeting for a coffee, doing some business etc.) than it is to be an expert at building up a load of online contacts. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The future of real-life networking

** The viability of networking groups

** How to stand out online

** The importance of building a personal brand

** The Conspire and Any Mail apps

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth AUD$500.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Matt’s website (handshakin.com/about-matt)

** Matt’s Ebook “6 Networking Strategies For Entrepreneurs” (http://www.handshakin.com/free)

** Matt’s own agency site: (http://www.handshakin.com/)

** Matt’s username on Snapchat is “handshaking”

** Matt’s twitter is (http://www.twitter.com/handshakin)

** Any Mail app (https://anymailfinder.com/)

** Conspire App (https://www.conspire.com)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  “Network is net worth” as Matt so rightly said. If you’re starting out in business you’re going to need all the traction you can get, so networking is a must. And if you’ve got an established business, don’t be complacent and assume you have all the contacts you need. By networking you ensure that your business doesn’t stand still. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF079_Building_Relationships_to_Build_your_Business_Matt_Holmes.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Tom Breeze has made it his duty to educate people on the massive potential of YouTube advertising. He was inspired to spread the word after the roaring success of a video advert he created for his previous therapy/self-help business. Having never done video advertising before, he uploaded his own advert to his site, and was amazed to see his lead conversion rate go up from 7% to 22%.

Since then he has created over 1,700 video ad campaigns and has analysed the data from every single one of them, so he certainly knows what he’s talking about! You really must listen to it, but if you’re still not persuaded, here is a sneak preview of some of his best advice:

** Video doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact sometimes the opposite is better. An honest and down-to-earth description of why something is good can be a lot more effective than a contrived sales pitch.

** Don’t forget, YouTube is not merely an entertainment resource. More people than you think are researching products/services on YouTube.

** It’s always the ‘right time’ for the buyer on YouTube, because they’ve just proven they’re keen by typing in a particular search term.

** When you’re starting out it’s best if you create a campaign that can quickly turn leads in to sales. A long lead time between initial traffic and the possibility of buying will make it very hard for you to measure your progress effectively.

  Think of YouTube as a place where people go window shopping, but a place where there still are not all that many shops.  Youtube advertising is so often overlooked in the marketing mix, so there is a great opportunity to make a real impact. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The ‘four p’ formula

** What an Indisplay ad is

** How to use key phrases to your advantage in YouTube searches

** The most effective use of skippable, pre-roll ads

** The optimum length of video ads

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Tom Breeze’s personal website (http://www.tombreeze.com)

** Tom’s Agency, Viewability (http://viewability.co.uk/)

** One-on-one 90-minute business assessment with Ben (http://www.businessassessment.com.au)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Remember, Tom has done 1,700+ campaigns in his time, so if he says there’s a gap in the market that can be exploited on Youtube, you should believe him!  Don’t think that you don’t need video advertising, and don’t think that it’s going to be too much hassle to pull it off.  Get cracking with it today! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF078_Crushing_YouTube_Ads_Tom_Breeze.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Mark Schaefer is an absolute guru when it comes to social media. Having worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies over a number of years, he left the corporate world to indulge his obsession for sharing his knowledge with others, as a lecturer and author of six different books.

In this week’s podcast we are lucky enough to hear Mark giving us a sneak preview of his new book, The Content Code. Mark was inspired to write the book when he kept being asked the same questions from business owners, i.e. How do we get started? How do we create the strategy? How do we respond to negative comments? How do you measure all this? Here are some useful snippets:

** You can’t have a digital strategy unless you have a marketing strategy.

** Can you easily complete the sentence “only we….”? If you can’t, then you don’t have a strategy.

** Don’t be a slave to the different social mediums. Think first what the best kind of content is that you can create, and then find the platform best suited to delivering it.

** Zone in on who is sharing your content and tailor your output for them and people like them.

** It’s not all about traffic! Interaction is the key.

  By 2020, the amount of info on the web is expected to increase by 500%, so it is vitally important to focus properly on your content in order to stand out. As Mark puts it, “the rules of engagement” with the public are changing almost daily, but the main social platforms do not change regularly, so businesses should not be intimidated by all of the different choices out there. A working knowledge of the two or three most useful social platforms for your business is all you really need. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** What makes a social media channel popular

** How a business works out where their customers are

** The future viability of blogging

** How to get your content seen and shared

** The ‘alpha’ audience

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** The Marketing Companion Podcast (http://www.businessesgrow.com/podcast-the-marketing-companion-2/)

** Content Code Audiobook. You can get it for free from Amazon by signing up to the Audbile Book free trial (http://www.amazon.com)

** Mark’s website (http://www.businessesgrow.com)

** Business Assessment free tutorial (http://www.businessassessment.com.au)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Every business needs to understand social media, but more importantly; they need to understand how people are using it to interact with their business. If you believe a man of Mark Shaefer’s experience, this is not as difficult as it sounds…… just buy a book and you won’t go far wrong! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF077_The_Content_Code_Mark_W_Schaefer.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

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