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The Top Entrepreneurs in Money, Marketing, Business and Life
Genius 24 year old launches agency. Now does $3m+ per year in revenue and is spinning out SaaS tools. Only a matter of time before one hits $1m. Will it happen this year with Organice - his slack tool for org charts?
On Ep. 69 of iPullRank's Rankable Podcast, Garrett Sussman hosts John Murch, Director of Software Engineering at iPullRank to discuss web scraping, SEO data, and new Google SERPs.John Murch is a Pittsburgh-based developer who stumbled into SEO while building WordPress websites in 2005. He has worked with small and large clients both as a consultant and in-house. John enjoys coding ideas and is currently Director of Software Engineering at iPullRank.He's been featured on OnCrawl and GrepWords, including producing tutorials on Injecting Search Volume into Google Search Console and Creating a Slack App for Quick Keyword Search Volume.The SERPs are changing. We're seeing all sorts of advanced rich snippets that are sourcing data from a variety of sites to significantly change the look, feel, and interactivity of Google results. John joined us to discuss what type of advanced SERP features he's been seeing, how it might impact SEO, and what we can do to prepare accordingly.In this episode, we also covered:Are SEOs even thinking about pixel height when it comes to SEO rank tracking?What to look for when building a bot to scrape SERP data.What are some of the limitations of web scrapers for SEO?What to look for in an SEO data provider.What do you define as a ‘good' data pipeline for reporting?
In der heutigen Episode ist der Jasper von Futurebens.co zu Gast. Futurebens.so eine Employee Benefits Plattform für nachhaltigen Konsum. Die Angestellten der Unternehmen können auf der Plattform vergünstigte nachhaltige Produkte & Services kaufen. Die Unternehmen selber können ihre Mitarbeiter dadurch besser binden und sich grundsätzlich mit einem nachhaltigen Standing positionieren. Wir reden über Futurebens einjährige Reise von der ersten Idee hin zu 200 akquirierten, teilweise riesigen Unternehmen. Darunter zum Beispiel AboutYou. Wie konnten sie ein so schnelles Wachstum erzielen, welche Faktoren waren entscheidend, welche Outreach Kanäle waren die besten, wie konnten sie eine Aktivierungsrate von 40% auf Angestelltenseite erreichen und welche Hacks haben sie auf dem Weg genutzt? All das und mehr erfährst du in der heutigen Episode bei Digital Growth!
The Top Entrepreneurs in Money, Marketing, Business and Life
Entrepreneur building Aikon Labs, the startup behind Ariv.ai and iEngage.ai
Welcome to the People Over Perks podcast by Leapsome. Each episode features an HR and People Operations leader, sharing behind-the-scenes details about their role and the processes they've put in place to build a high-performance culture in their company. We'll also discuss the future of work and how to make workplaces more humane and diverse.In this episode, we sit down with Till Neatby, the Co-Founder and Head of Culture at Marley Spoon. Till shares why the Head of Culture role was created, the big levers that have helped them scale their culture as they have they've grown to over 1,500 people, how they run employee engagement surveys, and a whole lot more.-------Show notes: - Till's book recommendation: 'The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable' by Patrick Lencioni.- The Slack App that Marley Spoon uses to schedule coffee meetings with colleagues is called 'Donut'.-------Subscribe to the People Over Perks newsletter: https://www.leapsome.com/en/newsletterJoin the People Over Perks Slack community:https://www.leapsome.com/en/slack-community
No business owner has ever made it to the top without having to overcome hurdles along the way. That’s a lesson that Jennifer and Brian know all too well after having faced their own hardships before starting their own legal services firm. In today’s podcast, we’re covering the ideas that many people harbor in their minds that keep them from taking the next step in their career. Brian and Jennifer break down the various motivators in our lives, and how a simple shift in mindset could change millions of lives. Today’s a unique podcast because we have two special guests, the founders of Leafy Legal Services and hosts of The Leafy Podcast, Jennifer Gligoric and Brian Price. This duo has dedicated their careers for the last 20 years to helping business owners, including real estate investors. Their latest endeavor was built with a passion for protecting those business owners and their assets from the cutthroat industries that they operate in. Between Jennifer and Brian, we’ve got a lot to discuss, and there are many pearls of wisdom to take from each of them. Their goal is to inspire people who want to start a business to start now and for those who’ve done it and are struggling to use these trials to their advantage. Some of the highlights you won’t want to miss include: A poverty mindset vs. an opportunity mindset. Internal vs. External motivation and confidence. Staying positive, even through tragedy. Separating yourself from your business using an LLC. The best lawsuit is one that never happened. If you have something to give to the world, do it now. “True confidence is actually an internal thing. You shouldn't really need anybody else’s approval...That’s very fleeting. Until you have your own internal confidence, you’re never going to be truly grateful...no matter how much you accumulate.” —Brian Price “Your biggest mistakes are sometimes your biggest launchpads.” —Jennifer Gligoric Podcast Summary: 2:25 - Brian discusses the tipping point in his real estate career: losing everything during the 2008 crash. 4:20 - Expectations vs. reality: what really happens when I “lose everything”? 6:04 - Jennifer’s inspirational story. From moldy bread to living fearlessly. 10:17 - Reaching for satisfaction instead of money. *Hint* the answer is gratitude. 11:38 - Do I generate confidence internally or externally? 14:48 - If you’ve ever wondered why some people just radiate positivity, here’s why. 16:40 - Asset protection: Brian covers the how and the why. 19:42 - Jennifer explains how Leafy Legal protects business owners from threats to their assets and operations. 23:55 - How “arms length” clauses can be applied to real estate. 26:43 - Brian’s first income hack: springboarding his career with affiliate marketing. 27:50 - Jennifer’s first income hack: investing her time into becoming a certified coach, plus writing a book. 30:26 - Jennifer and Brian talk about their biggest successes. 33:13 - Biggest piece of advice for income hackers: no contribution is too small toward your future goals. 34:47 - Even the most successful people started out where you are. 36:38 - “Overnight success” is really years of work behind the scenes. 38:24 - How can we share our financial knowledge with our posterity? 41:24 - Wrapping up questions with Brian and Jennifer. Resources: Who Moved My Cheese? https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Amazing/dp/0399144463/ How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: https://www.amazon.com/How-win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/8189297813 The Entrepreneurial Ethos by Jarie Bolander: https://www.amazon.com/ENTREPRENEUR-ETHOS-Inclusive-Resilient-Entrepreneur/dp/1634925505 Slack App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Slack&hl=en_US Waze App https://www.waze.com/apps Free E-Book - Asset Protection Basics for Real Estate Investors https://go.leafyassets.com/ap-ebook1
How did your company arrive at their name? For some, it’s just a simple matter of your own name; for others, it’s a clever play on words that illustrates the product or service that you provide. For Platform 81, however, it’s all about one man’s love of a football team. My guest on this week’s episode of ScaleUp Radio is Gary Mawhinney from Platform 81. They are a digital marketing agency, building high quality websites and then helping to market them. The name itself - Platform 81 - comes from the fact that Gary’s favourite team is Aston Villa, and they won the European Cup, in 1981. And that’s where the name comes from you. At least that’s Gary’s story. Platform 81 was set up in the middle of a recession, which some might say wasn’t the wisest move - but Gary maintains that it set them up for future success. As well as the timing of the start of the company, we also discussed: - The importance of experts within the business. Having employees who specialise in a particular area of your industry - Make sure that you’re using the skillset that you have in the best way possible - With the continuing lockdown, make sure that you adapt as well as keeping in touch with your client base, to see if their needs have changed What’s encouraging about Gary, and the whole of the Platform 81 team, is that last point that we talked about; the way that they have adapted to not just serve their current clients, but also to provide a very useful service for a whole group of people who have never used their services. You can find out more about Search Fresh by going to www.searchfresh.co.uk Gary can be contacted here: www.platform81.com or email info@platform81.com Richard Branson ‘Screw It, Let’s Do It’ - https://www.waterstones.com/book/screw-it-lets-do-it/sir-richard-branson/9780753511497 Lawrence Jones podcast - https://www.lawrencejones.co.uk/podcasts/ Slack App - https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/ Office 365 - https://www.office.com Zoom - https://zoom.us Adobe Creative Cloud - https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud.html Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.
Adam Conrad goes over building and deploying a Slack App with Phoenix and Elixir. It's all hosted on Gigalixir for about $50 / month.
Chris Cloutier is co-owner of Golden Rule Auto Care in Dallas Texas and CEO of Auto Tex Me. He spent many years in the software industry developing solutions for companies like Southwest Airlines, and Wyndham Intl. He’s worked for companies that understood the marriage of service and software, and have applied it in an effective way. Chris has his ASE C1: Automobile Service Consultant Certification Test (C1). He brings the business side to the business and his brother Pat brings the Braun. Chris is also a musician. Hear Chris’s previous episodes (https://www.autotext.me/) . Scott Brown is an ASE Master Certified Automobile Technician with over three and a half decades of professional service industry experience. He and his wife own Connie & Dick’s Service Center Inc., a 57-year-old independent shop in Southern California. With a strong focus on engine performance and electronics, Scott began collaborating with other industry professionals, online, beginning in the early 90’s. Since 1995, he has been an instrumental resource in the development of the largest online community of automotive service professionals, the International Automotive Technicians Network — iATN where he once served as company president. Additionally, he serves on the NASTF Board of Directors and is a member of the following associations: ASCCA, CAT, ETI, I-CAR, & SAE. Scott is the founder of diag.net. Find other episodes that have featured Scott (https://diag.net/) Key Talking Points: Productivity and efficiency hacks Communicate with your customers in their preferred method. Email, Text, Phone Software today is starting to think as our brains do. Smart Leverage digital technology. Look to reduce clicks within your systems Communication is the biggest deficiency in our shops. Communication between customers, technicians, service advisor and owner Communicating policies and procedures properly and clearly. Slack App- replacement for email, nonlinear communication style, documentation Shop management system used to dispatch jobs, technicians can communicate through it internally Toastmasters- 1 hour a week to improve speaking skills Tablet in every bay- eliminates back and forth wasted steps, saves time Scope Creep. The good thing about software it can do anything. The bad thing about software is it can do anything Process improvements need to be a continual improvement commitment Learning to improve diagnostic methods should have the same discipline that you go through when you do to the doctor: Weight, Blood Pressure. O2 every time every car. Document so you can see the base-case and changes upon visits (a performance analysis) Follow the same steps on every diag ticket. Look for indicators. Can help with prognostics Leverage the internet and software to work for you Laptop for every technician. Save wasted steps Every tech needs to have their laptop in their bay with two monitors. Mobile carts with test equipment Dual screens for service advisor Virtual vehicle at the front counter for customer education- focus on customer experience, excel above and beyond than other shops. Many benefits can come from viewing these video’s with your customer Don’t work in the business, work on the business. Wake Up! FAA and Doctoring continue to be a strong theme as it relates to improving our industry as it relates to certification of ADAS and deep system and diagnostic work We must embrace technology if not a business person will go the way of blockbuster Six Sigma Lean Delighters overtime become must-haves Technology assets are delighters for the customer and the shop DVI, Tex-To-Pay, WiFi, Virtual Vehicle, LED Menu Boards, Clean, Bright Resources: Thanks to Chris Cloutier and Scott Brown for their contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast. Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page highlighting all...
In this episode we talk to Michael Sengbusch, Co-Founder and CEO at Eletype. Want to get a no-fluff email that boils down our 3 biggest takeaways from an entire week of B2B Growth episodes? Sign up today: http://sweetfishmedia.com/big3 We'll never send you more than what you can read in < 1 minute.
Today on the Thoughtful Software Podcast, we’re sharing a conversation with our friend David Kravitz of Karma. Karma is a Slack application that’s designed to build High-performance team culture, build happier teams, set goals, track performance, and reward excellence.David, Andrew, and Fahad are sharing their thoughts on the psychology of rewards systems, handling positive and negative feedback, and what makes a great remote working culture. Remote offices are becoming more popular today and it’s pivotal to create not just a productive working environment, but an engaging community in the remote workplace.
Wade Foster is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zapier, a company that allows you to connect the apps you use daily in order to automate tasks and save time. The company was started back in 2011 as a side hustle for Wade and fellow founders, Brian and Mike. They now have 200 employees all over the world and over 100,000 customers. All 200 employees work remotely from different locations, they don’t have any office buildings. Some managers might worry about leading a remote team, but Wade says there’s really no difference between leading an in person team versus leading a remote team. Whether or not you can see your team, the only way to know if your team is getting work done is to see the work, not the people themselves. You may have employees showing up to an office space everyday, sitting at their desks all day long, but it doesn’t mean they are being productive. Wade says all managers, whether they have a remote team or not, need to understand the company’s goals, they need to know how to put teams together, and they need to be able to coach and mentor people. Wade believes it is also important for managers to regularly check in with their people to discuss work performance, experience, and even their personal lives. When it comes to building company culture Zapier works hard to make sure employees build relationships with one another. One way they help employees connect is through a Slack App called Donut, which matches up three employees at random. Those three employees have to find time every week to talk with their group. They can talk about anything--books, hobbies, family, etc...they just need to get to know each other. Wade says, “If you kind of already know the person and you know them on a human level, it just makes it easier to connect with them when you get into the trenches and have to solve something really, really tough” They also hold two large in person retreats every year where all 200 employees come together to meet up and connect. Hiring the right people is also critical when it comes to a remote workforce. Not everyone is a good fit for remote work. At Zapier they look for self-starters, who are motivated, and who have a go get it attitude. For any organizations looking to incorporate a remote work program Wade suggests, “...don't overthink it. Being a manager in a remote environment is not so different than being a good manager in an office. A lot of the things that you need to do are the same. So, find the remote equivalent of those things and make it happen”. What you will learn from the episode: How to manage a remote team Why Zapier continues to have a 100% remote workforce even now that they are growing Tools to use with a remote team What to look for when hiring remote workers How Zapier went from a side hustle to a successful business with over 100,000 customers Link from the episode: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wadefoster/
Добавляйтесь в друзья: ВК: Алексей Швецов https://vk.com/shvetsov4 Анастасия Редченкова https://vk.com/stasha_red Instagram: Алексей Швецов https://instagram.com/shvetsov4 Анастасия Редченкова https://instagram.com/stasha_red Не ограничивайте себя видеоуроками на YouTube! Узнавайте еще больше полезной информации! Общайтесь с опытными разработчиками, преподавателями и развивайся через личное общение!
One of the best ways to build a converting community by using content is still blogging. Our guest today talks about how she has used the Spin Sucks blog and the Slack App to build a vibrant community that converts into customers. As part of our...
One of the best ways to build a converting community by using content is still blogging. Our guest today talks about how she has used the Spin Sucks blog and the Slack App to build a vibrant community that converts into customers. As part of our series on how to grow and monetize your business by providing huge value to your online community, we invited Gini Dietrich on the podcast to share her insights on using content to grow a community. Question: Why do you still like Blogging as a marketing tool? Answer: It’s two things- it’s a creative outlet for me and it’s become its own brand and people expect it. Question: How has blogging changed over the years? Answer: Blogging is a huge undertaking. I spend about 25 hours a week of my time with a team of four supporting the blog. But you don’t have to blog. You need to weigh it against the results you are looking to obtain. There are other ways to build your brand awareness and credibility that you can use in addition to blogging, or even instead of it, like video, Facebook Live or Instagram Stories. You can embed these on your website or even on a blog-like news site. Question: How do you build a converting community using content? Answer: Think PESO, starting with O for owned. Create content that answers the questions your audience has? What are competitors doing? What things do your sudience pay attention to? The PESO (paid, earned, shared, owned) model was developed by Gini Dietrich and is now used widely by the Public Relations industry to describe the mix of communication that businesses should consider creating (see the links for more about the PESO model). Question: What are some tips you have for someone who wants to start a blog? Answer: Consistency, consistency, consistency. If you decide to blog, choose a day or days of the week or month that you’re going to do it and be consistent. Question: What would you say is the biggest advantage of blogging with all of the other channels available to us out there? Answer: It’s easy to optimize search results, but it allows you to think through issues and solutions and provide your best thinking which puts a human behind the brand and establishes credibility. Question: How are you using Slack with your blog to drive conversions and engagement? Answer: I was looking for a way to engage the community and introduced Slack to test it and see if engagement and community could be built there. The conversations on Slack are deeper, more thoughtful and respectful than on other social platforms. It has taken about a year to grow the engagement, but the conversion from the free community to the paid membership is 40%. Question: What are you working on that you would like to share? Answer: The Slack community is free, growing and has great conversations happening. To join, go to https://spinsucks.com/spin-sucks-community/. How to reach Gini Dietrich: Gini Dietrch is the Chief Executive Officer at Arment Dietrich, Inc., a virtual PR firm headquartered in Chicago. Inventors of the PESO Model, the agency educates PR pros and evolves the industry. She is also the author of Spin Sucks, a popular PR company. Website Twitter Facebook Tools, apps and links mentioned: PESO Model https://spinsucks.com/communication/pr-pros-must-embrace-the-peso-model/ Spin Sucks Slack Community https://spinsucks.com/spin-sucks-community/ 10 Ways to Come Up with Better Content Topics https://spinsucks.com/communication/content-topics-better-writer/ Feature Content that Answers Questions for Better SEO https://spinsucks.com/communication/feature-content-that-answers-questions-for-better-seo/ Take Action Figure out what your audience is searching for, what questions they have and what their issues are and create content like a video, or guest post on someone else’s blog. Share what you are doing with us in the Communities That Convert Facebook group (request access with the password, Action). How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or just go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!
Does technology work in the classroom? What's the deal with Chromebooks? Why does the Slack App hate Ben so much? Pete and I scratch the surface of how technology affects our daily habits and routines, or fails to affect it in some cases. We address questions about our older machines, getting teacher laptops updated, and wrap our brains around a tough "Stump Pete!" question about NHL arenas!Timestamps for this week's questions:0:58 What has Pete been up to?2:05 It’s time for teachers to update the OS on their laptops.3:07 Apple has now made all iLife and iWork apps free?!3:59 Do we ever sell the old Apple laptops or desktops?5:20 Our laptops are HOW old and still in service?6:15 Does the Technology Department need to be made aware of a laptop that’s extremely hot coming out of a cart?8:38 Ben wants to know, what’s the deal with Chromebooks?11:20 Why doesn’t the Tech Department use the Slack App anymore for inter-office communications?15:31 Pete wants to know, why can’t we make technology work in the classroom?18:16 Stump Pete!19:52 Erik wants to know, now that the Red Wings are moving to Little Ceasar’s Arena, how many NHL arenas are NOT named or sponsored after a company?You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter. Our professional Twitter accounts are Mattawan Learns and MCS Technology.
https://baremetrics.com/blog/product-launch-sequence Our 7 day launch sequence for announcing anything If you launch something on the internet and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? I know. Deep. But seriously, how do you launch/release/announce/publish something and make sure people do in fact hear? Here at Baremetrics we have a launch sequence that we use variations of for basically anything we put out: articles, products, features, news…anything. It’s a repeatable set of steps done over 7 days and one we’ve been optimizing over the past couple of years and one you can likely copy and use for your own company! Who doesn’t like copying?!?! Not all of these items will be applicable to everything you put out (you wouldn’t do a press release for a new blog post). Note: I’ll be using the words launch, release, publish and announce interchangeably here but ultimately I’m referring to “getting something out there”. Setting a launch date Whether you’re publishing a new article or releasing a major new feature, you need to give yourself a little lead time to get your ducks in a row. Usually, one week out is sufficient. If it’s something just absolutely huge (initial product launch, for instance), then two or three weeks would be more appropriate. Now, for the 7 day launch sequence! Day 7 Write out the story you’re telling When it comes to features and products, everything you do needs a story behind it. The mechanics of the thing you’re releasing aren’t the story…the problem you’re solving is where things get interesting. What you write for this isn’t necessarily something you’ll publish directly, but it helps focus how you present things, the copy you use on landing pages, what you pitch to PR folks, etc. Initial press outreach Not all things you put out will warrant a PR push, but if you can put a compelling spin on what you’re doing, getting some press coverage can go a long way. There’s not really any magic sauce for getting the press to cover you. So much of what does/doesn’t get covered boils down to the whims of the reporter and what else is in the current news cycle. Your best bet is to just cast the net wide and hope for some bites. Some tips for doing press outreach: Email journalists who’ve covered similar topics to what you’re announcing before as that means they’ve got at least some interest in what you’re doing. Make the subject line informative and compelling. Being spammy or vague won’t get you anywhere. In your first line reference their writing on the topic that you think is tangentially related to what you’re doing so it’s clear you’re not just blanket-emailing everyone. Keep the email to 4-5 sentences and mention when you’re launching and if there’s an embargo on the announcement. People need deadlines and including a hard date/time helps them prioritize your email. Partnership outreach Some of the things you may launch likely involve another company in some form or fashion. Start coordinating announcements or guest posts now. For example, when we launched Open Startups, I worked with our pals at Buffer to do a guest blog post for them, which gave Open Startups a huge boost and got it out in front of a much larger audience. When we launched our Slack App, we worked with the fine folks at Slack to be a featured app in their directory. If what you’re launching makes use of another company’s technology, they’ll likely want to help you promote it. Case Studies are a great format for this and something we did with Clearbit. Day 6 Create launch video Video is a great format to show off a new feature and give a bit of backstory on why you created it. We try to create short demo videos for both landing pages and general sharing for any major feature we release. You can see some examples videos here… Baremetrics Home Dunning Plan Insights These videos don’t need to be complex or overly polished…the more human they are, the better. Day 5 Create a landing page When you’re launching a new feature, having a direct landing page is crucial. It allows you to reference a feature from the perspective of “solution to a problem”. It’s also the perfect segue to a call-to-action (such as starting a trial or subscribing to a newsletter). We create landing pages for everything under the sun. Here’s a handful of them to get your creative juices flowing… Growing a Million Dollar Company Book Dunning & Retention Slack App Plan Insights Date Compare Stripe Analytics Recurly Analytics Braintree Analytics Subscription API Day 4 Press follow up The key to getting a response to anything is in the follow up. Send a follow up email to all the journalists you reached out to a few days ago. Trickle out a little more info about what you’re doing and why it’d be super interesting to them and their readers. Your goal here is to get some commitments to cover what you’re doing and to get them to write something the same day or the day after you launch. Create animated GIFs and images Creating shareable images and animated GIFs goes a long way towards getting additional traffic from social media. They’re also a great way to quickly show off new features to your customers in-app. We’ve got an entire guide to creating animated GIFs, and our pals at Buffer have an amazingly thoroughly guide to properly sizing social media images for various platforms. Day 3 Influencer & industry outreach You don’t get what you don’t ask for. Most people don’t mind you reaching out and asking them to help share something that you’re launching in a few days. There are a couple of big kickers here, though… Offer to help them when you mention what you’re launching In your first email, ask if it’s okay to share the link with them. Asking for permission goes a long way to not looking like a jerk. Use this type of outreach sparingly. Save it for the really big stuff, maybe 2-3 times a year max. Try to build up a relationship with these people well before you’ve got something to ask from them. Write article Whether it’s just a regular blog post or an article about the release of a feature, having it written a few days ahead will give you time to tweak the content and make sure it’s as error-free as possible. Day 2 The day before the launch is all about relieving launch-day duties. Pre-schedule as much as you can so you aren’t drowning in todos. Schedule a newsletter Ideally you’ve got an email list that you can send announcements to. A blog with regularly posted content is a really great way to build up a list that will pay dividends in the long run. Keep your email blast short (1-2 paragraphs at most) and include a link to both the thing you’re announcing along with a pre-populated share link (using something like Click to Tweet). Schedule in-app messages We’re big fans of in-app messages. We use them for all sorts of things (like increasing annual upgrades by 30%)! We also use them for major announcements. There are a number of tools for sending in-app messages…Intercom is our weapon of choice. Queue up social media Queue up social media posts to go out throughout the day using variations of images and bits of content. On a typical launch day we’ll post to social media 10+ times with different pieces of content. This is also the time to schedule additional posts throughout the coming weeks and months so coverage doesn’t just fall off a cliff! Day 1: Launch day! Publish/release/launch/announce Deploy, merge, pull, click, publish! Do all the things that make the things do things! Influencer follow up Follow up with those “influencers” (i.e. internet friends) who’ve agreed to help you spread the word and let them know everything is live and that they can share to their heart’s content! Submit to Product Hunt (and/or other communities) Not everything is worth submitting to Product Hunt, but it can be a huge influx of traffic for the right product or feature. I suggest submitting it first thing in the morning (by 8AM EST). We’ve had pretty great success with it, especially for free tools we’ve put out such as Open Benchmarks, Build vs. Buy Calculator and The Business Academy. Here’s a full list of all the things we’ve had on Product Hunt over the past couple of years. Depending on what you’re announcing, there are likely other communities such as GrowthHackers or Hacker News that are applicable. Respond to blog comments, social media, customer emails Finally, after you’ve put everything in motion, if all goes as planned you’ll spend the rest of the day interacting with the community and everyone’s response to what you’ve just put out. You should respond to blog comments, social media, emails, etc. quickly to keep buzz going as long as possible. Making it your own We do variations on these launch steps for nearly everything we put out. And while we’ve been using this for quite a while, we’re constantly making little tweaks to it. Try all the things we’ve mentioned, figure out what’s worth your time and effort and come up with a repeatable plan so you squeeze every last drop out of everything you put out!
Episode 022 – Discipleship Qualities to Seek in MenGreetings once again, BLASTers! This week's episode was recorded during a car ride to a Men's Discipleship meeting in Jacksonville, NC. So, what topic was on our minds? Discipleship, of course! Years ago Pastor Wayman Mitchell distributed an article in a "pastor's pack" at a Prescott Bible Conference. The article was based on a talk he gave at a men's breakfast and it focused on seven qualities that we should be seeking in our men.The first three qualities, which we expound upon are as follows:FaithfulnessThe ability to continue on with a project, vision, or ministry.RelationshipsThe ability to support and encourage a wife, maintain a marriage and have control over children. The ability to make and keep friends, resolve conflicts and remain flexibleFruitfulnessA person who possesses skills in follow-up, group ministry such as bible studies and bands and who communicates clearly. This person also has momentum in personal spiritual growth.We take a quick break and hear a little Newsboys...When we return from the break (which, in full disclosure, was a bathroom break for the rest of the men in the car), we discuss the other four qualities. We expound on each of these, they are as follows:FinancesSomeone who is capable of managing the finances of a marriage and meets their financial obligations in a timely and adequate mannerSelf-MotivationThe self-motivated can initiate and follow through on projects. They do not need a full game plan or hands-on guidance to finish the task.DisciplineThe disciplines of a spiritual life include prayer, bible study, evangelism and worship. There is also discipline in details, timeliness and availability form ministry that must be cultivated.TeachableLeaders and disciples must be receptive to discipline, correction and instruction from headship. This must be maintained when others are promoted, in times of laboring in obscurity and among one’s peers.What about you? How do you measure up against this list?We mentioned a couple episodes ago that we will be doing an episode regarding outreach ideas for the non-musically talented. We have now had several people express interest in us doing such an episode, so we will most likely do it next. However, we would love to hear from you if you have any ideas, things that have or haven't worked, etc. Are you receiving our email newsletter? When you sign up for the newsletter you will also receive an invitation to join our group on Slack. We are building a community with the Slack App, using it as a forum for our audience to discuss what you’ve heard on TheBLAST.Please leave us a review on iTunes, support this podcast by starting your Amazon shopping at theblast.org (click one of the buttons above), or leave us a voicemail. Also, any advertisers out there? Send an email to theblast@mail.com. We'd love to feature you.Until next time, Godspeed! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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In this episode, writer and game designer Anna Kreider joins us to talk about The Watch (and much more!). Play ListStar Wars World (00:44)Masks (04:18)Blades in the Dark (07:45) Giving Me LifeTetanus shots (16:29)Co-designing games (18:00)Slack App (19:44) The WatchOverview of The Watch (21:42)Transgendered and non-binary characters in the setting (22:39)Why is it important the protagonists are exclusively women? (23:33)Gameplay structure (27:06)Moves & mechanical frameworks (28:12)]What's next for The Watch? (31:45) General QuestionsHow did Anna get into game design? (32:32)Is hacking real game design? (34:38)Diversity in gaming (35:55) Final QuestionThou Art But a Werewolf (40:15) Links: Go Make Me a Sandwich: https://gomakemeasandwich.wordpress.com The Gauntlet: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104672702589306017985 Twitter: @GauntletRPG