Learn Marketing Interviews

Hey, Mark here with a quick update about this evergreen interview series and my other podcast, The Podcast Accelerator (https://www.markasquith.com/listen).

In this episode I discuss why I'm putting Excellence Expected on a hiatus. For more information, read “Why I Stopped Podcasting & 5 Lessons I Learned Along The Way“. Don't forget, the more you expect from yourself, the more you WILL excel! The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode151/ (The End of The Road As We Know It) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Most of us live our lives with a solo economic dependency, meaning that we have only one main source of income. If we aren’t putting in the hours at our jobs or businesses, then no income is being generated. This main source of income is an active income; we need to be there, producing and… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode149/ (The 3 Step Guide to Your First Passive Income Stream) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Differentiating your business from a whole host of competitors can be tough and most of us fall back on what we think we should say when asked how our company differs from the rest. ‘We offer a professional service to the highest standards of quality.’ But your competitors say that too! ‘Our prices offer fantastic… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode144/ (How to Be Dramatically and Demonstrably Different!) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Content marketing has become hugely important to small businesses but it can be difficult to create engaging content on a regular basis. Some find it difficult to write blog posts, others find it hard to create imagery and sometimes we don’t even know what to create content about. Not only that, but there are some… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode142/ (Content Gone Wild – Give and Ye Shall Receive) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

The development of social media has made it so easy for all of us to connect and to spread the word about ourselves, our projects and our businesses. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have changed the way we do business and it seems like there’s a new platform coming along almost every week! With all the… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode141/ (Make Your Story Irresistible to the Media with This 5 Step Plan) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

We all love a good story, don’t we? Whether you enjoy watching movies or the evening news, listening to podcasts or the latest office gossip, stories are everywhere around us, even in business. The very best brands in the world tell us stories through their marketing, design and branding. Lots of small business owners think… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode137/ (The Art of Story Telling & How to Craft the Perfect Pitch with John Livesay) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

How many of your ‘friends’ on Facebook do you speak to regularly? If you’re like most people, it’s probably not a great deal. If you’re a small business owner, how much of your business comes through social media? Again, if you’re being honest, it’s probably not that much. That’s not to say that social media… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/create-real-relationships-with-the-king-of-relationship-development/ (Create REAL Relationships with the King of Relationship Development) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

The decision to rebrand can arrive for a number of different reasons. Perhaps your business has merged with another and you want to project a new image to reflect that. It may be the case that your branding has become dated and an update is required. Or it may even be that you are pivoting… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode133/ (Kyle Wilkinson’s Secrets to a Successful Rebrand) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Pivoting is something that we hear a lot about in business, especially in the startup space. Facebook began life as Facemash, Instagram grew out of Burbn and YouTube started out as a video dating site. All of these famous names started out moving in one direction and changed course for a variety of reasons. It’s… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode127/ (How Amy Schmittauer Successfully Pivoted SavvySexySocial and What You Can Learn) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

There are so many ways in which you can market your business these days but one of the most important, and most overlooked, is video marketing. One of the issues that most of us have with the idea of starting a video marketing campaign is that we don’t like to appear on camera. Another is… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode125/ (Bottle Your Brilliance: From Video Marketing to Media Coverage) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Social media has changed the way many of us interact, do business and, to a degree, live our lives. Networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are fantastic for marketing yourself and your business and newer platforms like Periscope and Blab are opening up new channels to reach potential customers. It’s all well and good… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode122/ (Put the Social Back into Social Media) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Getting customers to your website can be a difficult task. There are so many business out there vying for the attention of consumers and these days there are so many ways in which people can find solutions to their problems. But gaining traffic is only half the battle. Unless you can successfully convert those prospects,… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode116/ (The Secrets to a High Converting Website with Trajan King) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

The idea of creating a community around your business is something that a lot of us are hesitant about. It may be because we think that it doesn’t really apply to our business, or that it will take a lot of work. However, with the advent of social media, it doesn’t need to be such… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode115/ (How to Cultivate Loyal Fans Who Will Grow Your Network For You) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Creating a successful business from something that you genuinely have a passion for is the goal of most small business oweners. We all want to make money through sharing our expertise of a particular area in which we’re experts. Not all of us get to live that life though, as plans, and passions, change over… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode113/ (How to Take Your Podcasting Passion from the Personal to the Professional) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

We all want to work with the best clients that we possibly can. It’s easy in business to peek over the garden fence and look at who your competitors are working with. If they’ve made deals with some big names in your industry and you haven’t, it can feel a little deflating and a number… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode108/ (How to Win Those Dream Contracts as a Small Business or Startup) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Making first contact with a prospective new client can be a great feeling, especially if you feel that you’ve quickly built rapport and your product or service will be of real help to the client’s business. Realistically, though, how many times are we ever going to make a sale after speaking to a client just… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode104/ (Follow-up Success is Easier Than You Think with Amanda Holmes) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Building a following or community online is a pretty tough ask these days as the competition for the attention of users is fierce. Everyone seems to be offering more and more in terms of content and value to try and keep people on their sites long enough for a community to develop. As a result,… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode103/ (How I Built My Business By Giving Away Free Money) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Most small business owners know that they need to have an online presence in order to compete and stay relevant. Are we doing enough though? Are we getting the most out of the massive opportunities that come with doing business online? Are we engaging in digital commerce or ecommerce? And what’s the difference? We’re joined… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode102/ (Are You Digital Commerce Ready?) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

As small business owners, we all know that gaining a customer’s trust is very important. It’s common sense and it’s covered in all of the business books that we like to read. But, it can be easy to neglect when we’re chasing those sales and trying to grow our business. How can we not only… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode100/ (How to Build a Business Based on Earned Trust with Hani Mourra) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

It seems that everywhere we look, there are people who are developing successful businesses and making money online. Blogging, podcasting, publishing – there seems to be so many different options, but there also seems to be a saturation. How can we create and grow a successful online business in a very crowded marketplace? Our guest… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode99/ (Tooling Up for Digital Dominance) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Noise is something that all small business owners must contend with. It’s never been easier to connect with potential customers, but the noise from competitors, social media and other distractions can be deafening. Customers are now attuned to just switch off. Even if a client or prospective customer does hear what you have to say,… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode95/ (If You’re Speaking to Everyone, You’re Speaking to No One) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Each one of us, whether we’re small business owners or not, has had our fair share of tough times. Perhaps we’ve been through a painful divorce, or seen one of our business ventures fail. These challenging experiences and potentially painful memories can have a negative effect on our future endeavours. But, that doesn’t necessary have… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode94/ (This is Your Life – Market It! With Stacy Curtis from Write of Your Life) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

These days, it feels as if every minute of the day some form of advertising or marketing is battling for our attention. Television, radio, mobile, print and online advertising has reached such a level that it can be difficult to focus on any one product, service or company that can offer us real value. As… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode92/ (Cut Through The Noise & Generate Sales) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Brand and branding seem to be used interchangeably in business and society in general. Even if some of us know that there is a difference, that difference can seem a little vague. When we hear either word, most of us will quickly start to think about the visual assets of a business, logos and marketing… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode91/ (Brand vs Branding – The Vital Difference & Why It Can Make or Break Your Small Business) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Not only has social media changed the way we live and see the world, but it’s also become a powerful tool for business. There are now more ways to connect with potential clients than ever before but we have all seen examples of social media being used in ways which have negatively impacted businesses. Perhaps… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode87/ (Are You an Accidental Content Marketer?) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

These days, just having a website for your small business is not enough. Your site needs to be visible and it needs to generate leads that are going to help your business to grow. How can we drive traffic to our sites and also generate profitable leads? Quick fixes, keyword hacks and creating all manner… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode86/ (Digital Playbook – Generating Real, Paying Leads From Your Website) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Starting an online business can seem daunting. There sometimes seems to be too many different ways in which to go about it. The wealth of information that we have at our fingertips can also begin to feel overwhelming. We start researching an idea and come across something different in the process. Should I start a… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode84/ (Zac Johnson – You Can Make Money Online. Yes, You!) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Business is entirely driven by sales. At the end of the day, if you are not selling something, you are not making money. However, not everyone is a natural-born sales person. You may lack confidence, have self-esteem issues, or be afraid that you will be turned down. But you have to learn to sell without… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode81/ (The 3 Step Sales Secret) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

How many people have visited your website? What pages do they visit? How often do they visit? What did they buy? Whether you are a big or small business – the data you collect about your website visitors is vital. In a world of big data, the power for you as a small business could… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode80/ (Forget Big Data – Do You Want Clients or Customers?) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Marketing messages barrage us every day of our lives via email, billboards, commercials, etc. Unfortunately, small businesses seeking to market their own business dip into those avenues without really knowing what they are doing! Don't pretend, we've all been there. Don’t just throw cash at things and hope it sticks. Marketing is an investment, not a cost.… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode73/ (WARNING, your marketing might just work!) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

What is content marketing? How can your business take advantage of it? How can you learn more about it? More importantly, what can it do for your audience, influence and profitability? People are becoming more and more passionate and excited about content! Content marketing is a business’s ability to communicate a message to an audience… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode70/ (Building An Audience that Will Buy with Content Marketing Secrets from Chris Marr) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

The word “brand” is changing, in this world of people-to-people marketing, do you have the confidence to be you? Danielle Watson developed The Purse Process, which identifies four purse process personality personas such as Dumpster Debbie and Vanishing Veronica based on the items found in a handbag or briefcase – awesome, right? These personas identify the cycles… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode69/ (It’s OK to Be You – Branding Done Honestly) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Some people struggle with copywriting. If you get the copy wrong on your Web site, social media profile, online brochures, and other items – it can be detrimental. How do you write great copy? How do you maximise impact in a small amount of space and time? Before taking pen to paper, take the time… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode63/ (Words That Sell – The Secrets to Convincing Copy Writing) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tends to get a bad rap. Some say SEO is too technical, sensational, complicated, and frustrating. Many businesses dismiss SEO as an unpredictable waste of money. However, search is still responsible for most of the business done online. Don’t be on the sidelines when most business is generated through online searches!… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode56/ (The Perfect SEO Strategy for The Long Term) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

PPC. SEO. What do those stand for? If you don’t know, then you need to familiarise yourself with digital marketing for your business! PPC means pay-per-click, and SEO is search engine optimization. PPC is a way for businesses to pay for putting them at the top of search results as “Ads.” While SEO is free… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode48/ (Make This Year Your Most Successful Year Ever with Decisive Digital Marketing ft. Oren Greenberg) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

For start-ups and entrepreneurs, social media = marketing. Have a social media marketing goal and work hard to achieve it. That should be your strategy! Guy Kawasaki provides some practical tips on how to utilize social media: You do not need to hire consultants and experts to do it. Add videos and graphics to your… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode45/ (Guy Kawasaki – The Art of Social Media) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Welcome to the renaissance of podcasting! Well, it is not actually a renaissance – which is how many people see it. In reality, podcasting has continued to grow year after year. It just seemed like last year, the world finally noticed and paid attention to podcasting! Podcasting is a great way to consume very accessible… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode42/ (Why Your Marketing Strategy Needs a Podcast) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Do you use Google? Bet your customers and clients do! As a business owner or entrepreneur, you should utilise Google to your benefit! Google is known for changing its ranking processes and algorithms regularly. You need to make sure to change and adapt, as well. However, despite the ever-changing world, you can use search marketing… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode41/ (SEO Strategy – Rand Fishkin of Moz.com On The Future of Google) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

To build relationships with your customers, it’s important for businesses to create video content. Share videos regularly and make the customer experience more engaging and helpful. Customers want to see information rather than read it! There are several ways businesses can use videos to interact with customers. Videos can introduce new products, the company’s team,… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode40/ (How to Attract & CONVERT Customers with Video Marketing) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Where do you go to look for a job? Where do recruiters and employers look for potential employees? LinkedIn!  In business, so much starts with your LinkedIn profile. Everyone checks you out and makes decisions about you before ever contacting you directly. So you need to make sure your profile looks professional. Also, make sure to… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode38/ (Essential LinkedIn Hacks Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Use Twitter to gain new business leads and customers. Twitter is a game changer for businesses. It allows you to talk with your customers, not at your customers. Twitter has one distinct advantage. It has the Four R’s: real time, real people, real stuff, right now. Any and every business should be on Twitter. It… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode34/ (6 “B”s of Twitter Domination with Mark Shaw, Expert Social Media Trainer) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Personally, do you “like” businesses on Facebook? Do you write about your job or coworkers on Twitter? As an entrepreneur or business owner, do you have employees who post negative comments about your company on social media sites? Or do you have employees who are given access to the company’s social media sites and could… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode33/ (Who REALLY Owns Your Company Social Media Profiles?) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Mike Russell is the content man! He has generated so, so much information to help you and many others get started in audio / visual content marketing that no matter where you look online, you WILL end up at a piece of Mike’s amazing content. Content marketing is a low-risk and low-cost effort that allows… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode32/ (Next Level Content Marketing with Mike Russell of Music Radio Creative & New Media Europe (NMEU)) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Most people know about Pay-Per-Click advertising, but don’t know how to really make it work for them. Most people struggle with how to make the most out of PPC advertising and make the biggest return from what you invest. PPC advertising changes almost daily, so you need to stay up-to-date with all of the changes… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode29/ (Google AdWords Campaigns That WORK with Margot da Cunha from Wordstream) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Our guest needs no introduction … drum roll please … John Lee Dumas is in the house and prepared to ignite! That's right, John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneur on Fire joins me today to share how to build your own true fan base, something that is vital to the success of any business. What is the difference between… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode27/ (John Lee Dumas’ Essential Guide to Building 1,000 True Fans) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Greg Taylor is a web developer with a difference. Rather than marketing himself purely through ‘traditional’ channels, he has opened his mind and his business to a high quality content marketing approach with the goal of positioning himself as an authority in his field. This personal branding exercise that Greg continually undertakes is a hugely successful campaign… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode25/ (Personal Branding & Why it MATTERS with Greg Taylor) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Podcasting is EXPLODING but as a business owner, it's sometimes difficult to decide whether or not to invest in a new content platform and integrate it into your marketing mix. This week, the superb and amazingly personable Pam Forrester from the Magic for Less shares how becoming a podcast host has helped her business grow… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode12/ (Personal Branding via Podcasts) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

This weeks episode is all about finding the confidence to go ahead and start your own podcast. Following setting up Excellence Expected many business owners, entrepreneurs and friends have asked me for tips, guidance and advice on the right podcasting equipment for a new podcast. Based on the research I've undertaken myself in setting up… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode7/ (Stop Stalling & Start Podcasting Now!! How to Find the Perfect Gear for Your New Show) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Seeking to empower ourselves is what drives us, right? We all want to be better on our chosen path and that journey of continual self improvement often leads us to events intended to open our minds to methods, mid sets and techniques that we otherwise may not have found. I had the pleasure of attending… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode6/ (Conquer LinkedIn & Become Your Own Disciple – What I Learned at The Connected Business Conference 2014) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).

Google is vital to your business. You know that of course, but do you know how to maximise its impact and integrate its effects in to your wider marketing strategy? This week I chat to Tom Parling, founder of Ocere, a specialist online marketing business based near London. Tom has made a career out of… The post https://www.excellence-expected.com/episode5/ (Modern SEO Laid Bare And How You Can Master It) appeared first on https://www.excellence-expected.com (Excellence Expected, by Mark Asquith).