More Than A Few Words

The Creative Process I am often asked, why I chose to name my company “Roundpeg.” The obvious answer was because I spent all those years in corporate, feeling like a square peg in a round hole, and this is where I fit! But there is more to the story. I wanted to build a business around the ideas of creativity, collaboration, and positive energy, and for me, creativity begins with a “R.O.U.N.D” process. R.O.U.N.D: Research, Originate, Unite, Nurture, Do It! Research If you want creative output, you need creative input! Collecting a variety of information, without worrying how it fits, is the foundation of the research phase. Input comes from everywhere, what you read, what you see when you are out for a walk, what you learn from others. Explore your environment. Look for new ideas, trends and tools. Seek inspiration everywhere. Take a walk and really look around you. I often find inspiration from nature. Learn something new. Enhance your education, expand your talents, abilities and skills. Look back to move f

I had a great conversation with Jason Barnard ( @jasonmbarnard  ) about online branding. Importance of Brand SERPs: One of the standout points Jason emphasizes is the critical role of Brand Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). He explains how they reflect a brand's online reputation and visibility, and why businesses should prioritize optimizing their Brand SERPs for better recognition and credibility. Knowledge Panels: Jason delves into the significance of Knowledge Panels, those information boxes that appear on the right side of Google's search results. He discusses how they can enhance a brand's authority and trustworthiness, offering tips on how to get your brand featured in these panels. AI and Future Trends: The conversation also touches on the impact of artificial intelligence in digital marketing. Jason shares his thoughts on future trends, suggesting that AI will continue to shape the industry in exciting and unexpected ways, influencing how brands interact with their audiences. Personal Branding: La

When it comes to marketing, it's easy to focus on activity. Just create a list of tasks and check them off as you complete them: Write five blog posts ✔ Send an e-newsletter ✔ Post status updates on Facebook and LinkedIn ✔ Schedule ads ✔ Create a landing page ✔ Send postcards ✔ Make phone calls ✔ As you check things off your list, you feel good about all you have accomplished. But when you focus exclusively on the activities of marketing, you're missing half the equation. It doesn't really matter how much marketing you do if you're not getting results. Whether you are doing your own marketing or you have hired a company to do these tasks for you, don't settle for a list of activities. You need to hold your marketing accountable for results. You need to focus on the productivity of your marketing, and that's harder to do. Productivity measures might include: Traffic or Interest: Did the actions create engagement on social media or drive traffic to your website or your storefront? Leads:Did people fill out a

If you’re looking to harness the power of testimonials for your business, this conversation with Danielle Klemm, a positioning and funnel strategist, is packed with insights. She packed so much information into the short conversation:  Here are just a few highlights.  There is a structure to a great testimonial Testimonials should follow a story structure with a beginning, middle, and end. When asked to give a testimonial, customers usually describe their experiences from the end point, but that isn't where your next customer is in their process  You need to guide the conversation starting from the problems they faced before using your product or service. Ask specific questions to prompt customers to talk about their initial challenges, the aha moments they experienced, and how your product or service solved their problems. This approach not only enhances the testimonial but also provides valuable marketing language directly from your customers. Do more with testimonials Beyond just posting on social media or

Seven years ago, I chatted with Luke Magsamen, who was a member of the Roundpeg team at the time, about marketing automation.  While tools have changed, the strategies we discussed are as relevant today to help you keep a business running smoothly, even while you sleep. Here are some key points from our discussion: Automated Messaging: Automated emails and messages can engage both new and existing customers without constant manual effort. This includes sending birthday wishes or reminding customers about abandoned carts. Essential Tools: To implement a successful automated marketing campaign, you need a good email program, engaging landing pages, and a comprehensive database of customer information. Personalized Campaigns: Personal touches, like birthday discounts or anniversary reminders, can re-engage customers effectively. Luke shared his experience with Dollar Shave Club, where a birthday discount prompted him to make an additional purchase. Ongoing Engagement: Automated emails can keep customers e

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with start-ups, as they look for name for their new business or product. The process is rarely easy, but always interesting. The process should start with a look at the ultimate customer and the unique elements of the solution being presented. Even in traditional industries, looking for a unique twist will help set the business apart. So what else should you consider on your quest to find the perfect name? Simple and Memorable: If the name isn’t short, punchy and relevant customers may struggle to remember it when it is time to buy! Prospective customers may do a Google or voice search for your business. If you name is hard to pronounce or spell, they may have trouble finding you. Relevant: It may or may not be descriptive, but it should evoke a feeling, perception, or impression in the mind of your target audience. Unique: If you want to trademark the name, it needs to be unique in the category. If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsl

One of the things that happened during Covid was that virtual events exploded.  And today, even as we return to in person activities, there is still a place for virtual events in your marketing.  That was the topic I dove into with Michael Tucker.  Here are some key points from the interview with Michael Tucker about virtual events: Building Trust and Credibility: Michael loves virtual events because they are a powerful way to quickly build trust and credibility with an audience. They offer an opportunity to teach, engage, and build relationships, which can expedite the sales process. High Energy and Engagement: Successful virtual events require high energy and engagement. Keeping the audience's attention is crucial, and this is best achieved by showing up with passion and enthusiasm, even if you’re not naturally an extrovert. The content should be crafted with the audience in mind, focusing on what is relevant and valuable to them. Starting Small and Focusing on Quality: It's important to start with the

I enjoyed the time I spent with Deborah Bowers, a seasoned marketing expert, to discuss the essentials of digital advertising for small businesses. Here are a few key points from our conversation: Importance of Digital Advertising: Deborah emphasizes the necessity of incorporating paid advertising alongside organic marketing to reach a wider audience and drive more sales Starting with Digital Advertising: For those new to digital advertising, Deborah suggests focusing on directional advertising, targeting people who already know they want a product or service. Spending more of your budget on people who are closer to the point of purchase is an effective way to stretch limited marketing funds.  Digital Search Ads: These ads appear to users based on their search behaviors across multiple platforms, allowing businesses to target potential customers without the need for a separate budget for each platform. Targeting and Budget Management: Deborah explains the importance of targeting specific demographics and sett

The internet is fueled by cats. Cute cats, funny cats, grumpy cats, cat photos and cat videos. It's cats, cats, cats, all day long. I'm actually okay with that because I like cats. We even had two cats, Clyde and Truman who lived Roundpeg  and if you followed us on social media you would see them regularly featured.  Clyde even had her own Facebook page and probably has more fans than I did. And it is this love of cats that kind of inspired us to do a fun promotion for our marketing seminars. We designed an ad with a headline that said:  Free Kittens with every seminar. If you read the fine print, we weren't giving away kittens but you did get a chance to play with our cats It was a little bit out there, so we wondered how our audience would react, so we created a more traditional version as an alternative.  We both graphics on Facebook and on LinkedIn, thinking we  we knew exactly how this was going to play out. We expected the kittens to do well on Facebook and  the more traditional version to score points

Monica Pitts, founder of MayeCreate Design and host of the "Marketing with Purpose" podcast brought her energy and humor to this conversation about your website.    Like me, she considers it a critical part of your overall marketing. Authenticity and Realness: She emphasizes the importance of using real images instead of stock photos and writing website content in your own authentic voice. Being genuine helps customers connect with you. Storytelling: Your business is unique. Even in a cluttered industry, you need to find your unique stories and tell it on your website instead of using generic marketing language. Consistency: Once you embrace your unique voice, you need to maintain it is message across all platforms, from your website and social media, to in person interactions.  This cohesive brand experience helps prospective customers understand who they will really be working with. Not everyone will appreciate your unique voice.  That's ok, the ones who do, will make the best customers. Practical Tips for

I know you think we’ve talked SEO to death, but the field keeps changing and there are different approaches. My guest Meg Casebolt explains many people think think SEO is incredibly complex and you need to have an expensive team come in to fix your website for it.  They also assume you must produce boatloads of content to be successful. She doesn’t think either of those things is true.  Today, the trick is not quantity, but content which clearly defines who you serve and how you help that audience.  Here are a few simple tips that can easily improve your SEO Optimizing Existing Content: Utilize tools like Google Search Console to identify what content is already performing well. Update and repurpose existing content, and create cornerstone pages that compile related resources, which can rank better in search results. Link Building and Authority: Effective use of internal and external links can enhance SEO. Linking to and from reputable sites builds credibility and signals to search engines that your content i

I'm sure you're familiar with the story of Prince Charming. He went trudging through his kingdom carrying a shoe looking for the prefect girl. He tried it on multiple people until he finally found his one true love. Well, that's a fairy tale but it has real applications for your marketing. In a way you have to be like prince charming. You have to go trudging through different types of marketing until you find something that fits. You're going to consider and reject a lot of things before you find that perfect marketing for your business. But here's the catch. Unlike prince charming you don't always get to live happily ever after. That dream solution is great this year but it may not be perfect next year and so you've got to be willing to go trudging through marketing solutions over and over again to continually find the best fit for your business.  If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business   https://mor

Your audience is out there. The people that are just dying to work with you. The problem is they don't know you exist.  Being a guest on a podcast can help those ideal clients get to know you. My guest, Jamie Atkinson, shared some great tips on how you can be invited to be a guest on more podcasts.  Podcasting for Visibility: Podcasting provides an easy platform for organic conversations, helping entrepreneurs reach new audiences and make more sales. Finding Podcast Opportunities: Utilize platforms like "Need a Guest" on Facebook, connecting podcasters with potential guests, making it easier to get booked on shows. Crafting Effective Pitches: When reaching out to podcast hosts, be transparent, do research, leave a 5-star review, and emphasize how you can promote the episode for a win-win collaboration. Consistency is Key: Spend time daily reaching out to multiple hosts. Aim for two podcast appearances per week to maximize exposure and reach new audiences. JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP  If you’ve enjoyed thi

A few weeks ago, I dropped a quick marketing tip about creating less content.  That advice might seem counter intuitive when you are engaged in the battles of the content wars.  But the trick is  finding ways to expand your content.  I shared some suggestions on how repurpose your content instead of reinventing the wheel. Now, I have one more suggestion.  Let AI do the work for you. Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating you actually publish that very stuffy, or all too bro style content.  Instead, let AI do what it does best.  Summarize transcripts of interviews and meetings.   Create bullet lists, social shares or blog posts from your original content.  Yes, you will still need to rewrite, but at least you have a starting point.  And my new favorite too is Opus Pro,  which will transform a longer video, into a series of short, binge-worthy clips.  If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business   https://m

Business owners often tell me they know some of their marketing is working they just don't know which part.  So as a result, they waste a lot of money on the wrong types of marketing. So I invited Sara Nay, of Duct Tape Marketing to join me for a conversation about how business owners can stop wasting money.  She had some great tips.   Strategic Approach Over Tactical Rush: Many business owners dive into marketing tactics without a clear strategy. Instead of blindly following trends or competitor actions, they should focus on understanding their target audience and crafting messages that resonate on the right channels. It's about thinking strategically about the entire customer journey, not just individual marketing tactics. Measuring Success and ROI: Another common mistake is not measuring the effectiveness of marketing efforts. Metrics like conversion rates, click-through rates, and customer retention are crucial for determining the success of marketing campaigns. Without proper tracking and analysis, bu

I love working with entrepreneurs. They’re excited and enthusiastic and their energy is contagious as they talk about their great idea. Unfortunately, I often have to tell these amazing people I can’t help them because excitement and energy is not enough to make a business successful. Usually it’s because their idea is only half-baked. There’s a good concept but they haven’t really done the homework to fill in the details. The gaps usually occur in one of several categories Not enough experience in the industry They haven’t thought through the fulfillment process Incomplete competitive assessment In this episode, I share a few examples of how half-baked ideas could have been completed with a little work and a little patience  but entrepreneurs are impatient. Don’t let this happen to you.  If you have an idea for a business do your homework learn about the industry, your competitors and your customers.  Give your idea a chance to succeed by putting it back in the oven for a little while. When you’re ready to

If you are like many small business owners, you're probably laying awake at night worrying about your business, working all day long and in your spare time, thinking about your business Well, according to Joey Drolshagen that's not the way to get ahead.   He suggests: Mindset Shift: From the traditional notion of hard work to a more strategic approach, Joey challenges the idea that exhaustive effort is the only path to success,. Awareness and Alignment: Many business owners dive into tasks without considering alignment with their goals, leading to burnout and inefficiency. Dynamic Vision: Your vision should inspire and motivate you, helping you make prioritize tasks and make better decisions. If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might’ve missed and other resources for your business :  https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/ Open-mindedness and Learning: Even if you have been doing this for awhile, Joey stresses the importance of having an open mind an

I love to tell stories. Not only because they’re fun, but because they’re great for business.  That’s why I was excited to sit down with master storyteller, David Hutchins a few years ago.   If you missed the conversation back then, here's you chance to learn more about storytelling.  The Power of Stories: Stories create connection and belief, which leads to better outcomes in business. Selecting the Right Stories: Choosing the right stories by strategically identifying the types of stories that align with a business's goals  drive engagement and shape the organization's culture. "Us at Our Best" Stories: These stories illustrate what it looks like when a business is delivering top-notch value and excellence. Intentional Storytelling: Hutchens stresses that storytelling should be intentional and methodical, crafting stories purposefully to achieve their desired results. Repetition and Consistency: The more often people hear the stories, the  more likely that people will engage with the business's vis

I love email .  It is not that I love getting email in my inbox. But I love email as a marketing tool.  There are a lot of people who say things like "email doesn't work" or "it's passe"  They argue there are all sorts of other tools. you can use that are so much more effective. Well,  I agree,  other tools do exist, but there are some things email does better than any other tool.  When I have permission to send you  an email we have an interaction that is one on one in your inbox.  There are no distractions. Even if it's only a few seconds I'm the only thing you're paying attention to. People open emails every single day.  They may ignore social media, taking a break from Tik Tok but too much of their life is still wrapped up in their email . So if you've got a marketing message. You need to be thinking about delivering it in an email. If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might’ve missed and other resources for your business :  https://morethanafewword

In life you are often judged by the company that you keep.  The same is true online, your reputation is influenced by who you run with and the clubs to which you belong.  You demonstrate those connections through backlinks. What are backlinks? How do you get them? Why do you need them?  Those are just some of the questions I asked Brandon Leibowitz What Are Backlinks? Backlinks are clickable links from other websites that point to your site. For example, if an article on Forbes.com links to your website, you gain a backlink from Forbes. The more quality websites that link to your site, the more credible and trustworthy you appear to search engines like Google. Strategies for Cultivating Backlinks: Analyze Your Competitors: Tools such as Moz, Semrush, and Ahrefs can help you identify who is linking to your competitors. By examining their backlink profiles, you can discover potential opportunities for your own site. Guest Posting: Offer to write valuable guest posts for other blogs in your industry. This prov