Marketing Without The Marketing

Email is your conversion instrument. It's 40 times more effective than social media in this regard, so building your email list is one of the most important things you can do for your business. It pays to get started early, with a plan for segmentation and some simple automation as well. The post Building Your Email List appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

Have you ever thought about starting a podcast? It's a great marketing tool, which is why I'm a big proponent of podcasting. Let's take a look at the criteria for deciding whether or not it could be a good strategy for your business in particular. The post Producing a Podcast: Pros and Cons appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

Cornerstone content supercharges your efficiency. It not only carries some the sales load, but it's good for SEO too. With a little investment of time up front, it can pay dividends for years to come. Let s look at why cornerstone content is so important, what it can do for your business, and a simple guide for how to get started. The post Creating Effective Cornerstone Content appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

What is GDPR and how does it affect email marketing lists? Here's an overview, with a practical way to be GDPR-compliant but not have to lose all of your subscribers. If you haven't done this already, it's not too late but it's time to take action so that you avoid a potential claim (and hefty fines). The post GDPR and Email Marketing: A Simple Set-Up Guide appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

We all start out scared. But in order to be successful, you have to learn how to quiet the voice of fear in your head. It takes time, but making the fear disappear puts you in a position of power. You make better decisions, attract better customers, and produce better outcomes. The post Making the Fear Disappear appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

In the early days of a new business, structure is critical. Otherwise, how can you be sure that you are spending time on the right things - and that you are building something that your customers want? Episode 124 is about testing your initial assumptions to make sure you're on the right track. The post Surviving the First Few Months of a New Business appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

Pinterest is often overlooked for business purposes. That's a shame. Because Pinterest functions more like a "personal utility," there's potentially more alignment between a consumer's goals and your business solution. Wouldn't it be nice to have your message welcomed instead of avoided? The post Why Pinterest Is on the Rise appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

What makes a great mentor, and more importantly, how do you know who will be the best mentor for you in particular? Here's a rundown of the key things to look for and key things to avoid. The post Finding Mentors and Models appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

The sooner you start interacting with and learning about your audience, the better. This starts on Day 1 of your new business it's too important to let it wait. A side benefit is that it gives you a system and structure for creating worthwhile content to serve your audience. Let's take a look at exactly how to do that. The post Day 1 of Your New Business appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

There's so much to learn when you are starting a business, and the challenges that you will face are as unique as your own fingerprints. It will be up to you to chart your own path, but it helps to have a map. That's why I created this 10-part series, taking you through my process as I built my own business. The post So You Want to Start a Business? appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

Mark Zuckerberg has vowed to fix the ills that have plagued Facebook over the past 18 months. There are 5 reasons why his plan won't work. The post Fixing Facebook: Why the Current Plan Will Fail appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

In the season premiere of Marketing Without the Marketing, we jump right into how the upcoming Facebook algorithm change is going to affect YOU as a small business owner. There are 3 big ramifications, and 3 things you can do to prepare yourself. The post Facebook Zero: What It Means for Small Businesses appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

You can draw people in with your creativity. Or your can repel them with annoying ads. We have a choice, and my strong belief is that the storytellers and artists will win, while the aggressors and interruptors will fall behind. Let's commit to making every interaction with your audience either educate, inspire, enlighten, or entertain. The post Creativity Is a Business Imperative appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

If we look at advertising like pollution, could we make the worst offenders pay a price for making us suffer bad ads? In this week's episode, I explore the concept of Advertising Offset Credits and the cost of aggressive, self-serving advertising. The post Advertising Offset Credits: Calculating the Cost of Ad Pollution appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

There are some big changes coming to Facebook. Continuing the thread from last week's episode, here is some speculation on how this might affect the Facebook Ad platform and a major change to the News Feed that Facebook is currently testing outside of the U.S. The post More Speculation About Facebook’s Future appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

As the harsh spotlight illuminates dark posts, Russian ads and who-know-what-else, expect a backlash against Facebook. It may come in the form of regulations or user revolt, but it's going to change Facebook a lot. It's not a matter of if, but when. So if you use Facebook to promote your business or connect with customers, what can you do to prepare yourself? The post Facebook Is Headed for Trouble: The Coming Storm appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

Acceleration is something that most entrepreneurs seek, but often find to be out of reach. My guest this week is Kelly Roach, a former Fortune 500 executive who has an amazing story of career acceleration - both in her corporate career and in running her own agency. Kelly shares her story, along with strategies that you can apply to your own business. The post From Adversity to Acceleration: Business Growth Strategies from Kelly Roach appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

Do you have someone creating content for you? A writer, designer, video producer, or developer? If so, you want to make sure that you have clear ownership of the rights to that content. Episode 112 is about the risks of not having an IP clause in your vendor contracts. The post How to Make Sure You Actually Own the Rights to Your Content appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

You can't force me to be loyal - that's something you have to earn. Yet you see companies use a variety of methods to lock us in or make it difficult to leave. These cheap, short-term tactics may guarantee today's revenue, but they will never add up to tomorrow's loyalty. The post The Customer Is Always Free to Go appeared first on Control Mouse Media.

Signing a contract is often a big commitment for a client, and I want them to feel like the investment is low-risk. Here's my counterintuitive approach to writing a contract that is clear and simple, fair to both sides, and starts from a point of mutual trust. The post Contracts Are Not a Trap appeared first on Control Mouse Media.