Free Webinar Wednesdays

Tracking Insights that Matter with WSI’s Andreas Mueller-Schubert

Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2020 @ 1 pm Eastern

This week’s show is the conclusion of a series of shows dedicated to sharing detailed information on the various chapters that appear in WSI’s 3rd edition of the best-selling book, Digital Minds. You can get your copy now on Amazon at https://bit.ly/wsibook-3.

As the saying goes… if it MATTERS, you must MEASURE it. Well, in the world of digital marketing the good news is you can measure practically everything and anything you want. But the challenge for most business owners and marketers is determining WHAT you should be measuring and then knowing what to do with the data once you have it.

Data is everywhere these days. From Google Analytics showing you information about your website to social media statistics that reveal engagement, like, comments… There’s certainly no shortage of information. But you need to glean insights from what the data is telling you so that you can take actionable steps towards improving what’s not working - or better yet - maximizing the efforts that are working to achieve top results.

This week on the show, which is the final show in our Digital Minds book series, I’m excited to have yet another WSI colleague and good friend join me to wrap things up. It’s been a great series of episodes and certainly hope you got a lot out of them - as I know you will with this final show and Andreas’ insight.

About the Author - Andreas Mueller-Schubert
Andreas’ educational background is in Marketing (MBA) and Engineering (MSc.Eng), and he held senior management positions in the internet industry for over 20 years. As General Manager at Microsoft and Siemens, he managed multi $100M global businesses, executed several acquisitions, and drove innovative IP based solutions to global market leadership.

Andreas has always been passionate about internet-driven business model innovations and the new opportunities this creates every day. Analyzing data, understanding the competitive landscape, and creating successful marketing strategies have always been his strength. This has enabled him to deliver well-performing growth plans for his previous employers and now, for his WSI clients.

Establishing a Customer Loyalty Strategy with WSI’s Jason McCoy

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 @ 1 pm Eastern

This week’s show is a continuation in a series of shows dedicated to sharing detailed information on the various chapters that appear in WSI’s 3rd edition of the best-selling book, Digital Minds.

No matter what your business – Manufacturing, Construction, Retail Sales (Storefront or E-commerce), Service, etc. – the ultimate goal is to reach a relationship with a customer. We are all familiar with that arrangement and we focus vast amounts of resources marketing for that purpose. But do we really want to attract these customers for a one off sale or are we looking for a continued mutually beneficial interaction?

It costs up to 5 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. An existing customer that has a relationship with you is also 50% more likely to branch out from the item that you currently provide to them to another item that you offer and 31% more likely to spend additional money with a business that they frequent.

Marketing to acquire new customers is extremely important. Unless you exclusively want a series of “one-night stands”, developing lasting relationships will provide a more robust bottom line. This discussion will guide you towards understanding how important the Customer Experience is to your business and extending your relationships with customers to increase their Life Time Value (LTV).

Meet the Author - Jason McCoy
As an Industrial Engineer and Marketer, Jason McCoy is an avid customer experience advocate. While starting his career as a Process Improvement Specialist, he was ultimately recruited to develop improved product offerings while at AT&T.

He has invested significant time listening to the Voice of the Customer (VOC) to understand customer motivations and goals to develop industry-leading offerings. As an Entrepreneur and Executive, Jason has led both small and global businesses that focus on opportunities such as utilizing technology to simplify life and improve lead generation strategies.

The Changing Role of the Customer with WSI’s President, Valerie Brown-Dufour

Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2020 @ 1 pm Eastern

This week’s show is a continuation in a series of shows dedicated to sharing detailed information on the various chapters that appear in WSI’s 3rd edition of the best-selling book, Digital Minds.

It’s no secret that today’s customers are much different than they used to be… especially now thanks to the culture-changing impact of COVID-19, social distancing, and shelter-at-home orders. Now, more than ever, customers are having to rely on the online world as a proxy for the “real thing,” and even when we do get to go out, having to wear a mask and remembering to keep at least 6-feet from another person is a real challenge.

While the arrival of a global pandemic was not even a thought in anyone’s mind at the time the third edition of Digital Minds was released, it was apparent at the end of 2019 that consumers' buying habits had started to change. The ever-evolving role of digital strategy and online marketing must continue to adapt to help businesses connect and engage with their audience. The status-quo is not an acceptable means of building your brand online, and this session will help put you in the mindset of why embracing a digital focus is critical to your long-term success, regardless of what industry you are in.

Meet the Author - Valerie Brown-Dufour

Valerie first joined WSI in 1999. As President of WSI, Valerie is responsible for providing support and education to the WSI global network. She is also charged with managing the innovation of the WSI business model as a whole.

Valerie works to ensure WSI Consultants are provided with the tools, systems, and support they need to remain top amongst their competitors.

 

Managing and Nurturing Your Database with WSI’s Alison Lindemann

Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 @ 1 pm Eastern

This week’s show is a continuation in a series of shows dedicated to sharing detailed information on the various chapters that appear in WSI’s 3rd edition of the best-selling book, Digital Minds.

As we find ourselves in one of the most challenging times of our careers, communication with our clients has never been as critical as it is now. Reaching out to customers and prospective customers with appropriate, targeting messaging leads to higher ROI. 

With the latest advancements in technology, there’s no need to rely on paper notes or excel spreadsheets to run your business! There are many new solutions for housing your prospect and client data, depending on how much work you need the platform to do for you. Many companies use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to help their sales and support teams, and a growing number use Marketing Automation software to aid their marketing department in generating more and better leads.

We will review the basics of managing your customer database to increase profitability. We will also chat about Marketing Automation as a strategy to generate better and more leads!

Meet the Author - Alison Lindemann

After 17 years in the corporate management world, Alison joined the WSI team in 2004. Consistently a top 25 revenue earner within the WSI network and a WSI Top Gun, Alison’s digital agency is located in the Los Angeles area. Alison has expertise in both traditional and digital media, as well as strategic planning, competitor analysis and search engine optimization. 

Her agency offers a full array of digital marketing services which include web design, search marketing, social media, email marketing and marketing automation. Alison holds a BSBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis - Olin Business School, and holds the CPCU Designation, ARP Designation and numerous certifications including Advanced Social Media and Adaptive SEO. She is very involved in the non-profit world and sits on the board of Soroptimist International of GSCV as well as Circle of Hope.

Converting Your Website Customers Into Leads with WSI’s Chuck Bankoff

Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2020

This week’s show is a continuation in a series of shows dedicated to sharing detailed information on the various chapters that appear in WSI’s 3rd edition of the best-selling book, Digital Minds.

Driving perfectly good traffic to a mediocre website is NOT a marketing strategy. Consumers now have the attention span of a goldfish, so a performance-based website must be designed around your customers' experience with your company, not just about your company.

Your website is useless without visitors, but it’s less than useless if those visitors don’t convert to customers. Even a small uptick in your conversion rate is more powerful than a large increase in traffic. There are a lot of moving parts to building a conversion ready website, but this session will cover proven strategies that you can use to transform your website into a consistent source of qualified leads.

Meet the Author - Chuck Bankoff

Chuck Bankoff is an International speaker, author, and trainer to Internet consultants in over a dozen different countries. He is a charter member of WSI’s prestigious Top Guns community and contributes as a member of their Internet Consultants Advisory Council.

Chuck’s areas of expertise are search engine marketing, social media management, website design, landing page design and conversion technologies. Chuck is also a three-time co-author of the bestselling “Digital Minds” series.

Chuck holds a variety of digital certifications including Google AdWords, SEMPO, HubSpot, SharpSpring, and eCommerce certification from USC Marshall School of Business. Chuck is based in Orange County California, USA where he has been practicing digital marketing since 1999.

Implementing Inbound Marketing Best Practices by WSI's Marco Marmo (presented by Eric Cook)

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2020

This week’s show is a continuation in a series of shows dedicated to sharing detailed information on the various chapters that appear in WSI’s 3rd edition of the best-selling book, Digital Minds.

The days of “pushing your content” in front of consumers is coming to an end, as the tactics of interruption and distraction are no longer working. The concept of “inbound” marketing, developing content and providing information that pulls people towards you, is a much more effective long-term strategy to attract customers and grow your business.

But when it comes to building out a strategy that may be a complete 180-degree change from what you’ve been doing, where do you start? The good news is in our latest edition of Digital Minds we’ve got an entire chapter that helps point you in the right direction! 

About the Author - Marco Marmo

Marco Aurelio Marmo is an MBA professor at FGV, one of the leading business schools in Latin America. He is ranked among the foremost consultants in the WSI world and has been recognized as a Top Gun and a Top 25 Consultant since 2015. Marco holds an MBA in Communications and Marketing and a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from FEA-USP.

He has received recognition in two categories of international awards: WSI People’s Choice Awards, and Top WSI Consultant for Latin America and the Caribbean. His main projects have been conducted in the areas of SEO, digital media, social media, and inbound marketing. His national and international background endorses his work in several business segments, such as health, real estate, industries, products, and services. His team develops solutions from marketing to lead generation to turn leads into actual sales; all with a focus on delivering a strong ROI.

Key Elements to Planning Your Digital Strategy with WSI’s Carlos Guzman

Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2020

This week’s show is a continuation in a series of shows dedicated to sharing detailed information on the various chapters that appear in WSI’s 3rd edition of the best-selling book, Digital Minds.

To reach your desired audience online, you need to have a digital strategy in place. Calling it a “Digital Strategy” and not a “Digital Marketing Strategy” is correct because you should approach the process at the highest level. The digital world should be part of the business strategy, not a subset of the marketing strategy.

It should be an essential component of the mental framework of business owners, as well as C-Level strategists and marketing officers, CMOs. In today’s webinar, we review the Digital Strategy planning framework and convert it into an easy to follow checklist that becomes a very useful tool.

As marketer, consultant, and head of a digital agency, it is very important for me to understand the business strategy of my customer. When working with large companies, we usually find that they have a strategy already outlined which, in some cases, includes the digital component; therefore, we can intervene and define implementation. With medium size and small companies, however, things are a little more challenging, because oftentimes the strategy is not outlined in a document, it resides merely in the owner’s or CEO´s mind, and it doesn’t always include the digital component.

Based on our experience, having a checklist that helps you build a digital strategy is highly valuable. That being said, we’ll help you start to prepare a checklist in a way that will compliment an existing digital strategy. You’ll be able to validate everything has been considered. On the other hand, if you do not have such a strategy, you can think of a set of questions that will help you draft the initial version.

Reviewing business strategy concepts can be helpful to prepare or validate your digital strategy. We’ll talk about some concepts from several published authors and experts in strategy that should be part of your checklist during the webinar.

About the Author - Carlos Guzman
Carlos Guzman is a recognized expert within the WSI global community where he holds a badge as a Top Gun. He contributes as a member of the Internet Consultants Advisory Council, the WSI AdaptiveSEO Consortium, the WSI Google Alliance and other groups developing best practices for the WSI system.

He has received acknowledgements for “Outstanding Contributor,” “Top Deal” and “Top Consultant,” and frequently writes and lectures on digital marketing. Carlos also leads Prospect Factory; a top-ranked full-service digital marketing agency in Mexico who works with medium-to-large companies, government institutions, and political parties in LATAM.

Digital Minds Chapter 7: Shortening the Sales Cycle with Conversational Marketing

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020

This week’s show is a continuation in a series of shows dedicated to sharing detailed information on the various chapters that appear in WSI’s 3rd edition of the best-selling book, Digital Minds

In the recently released 3rd edition of the book Digital Minds, I had the pleasure of authoring the chapter on “conversational marketing,” a relatively new way to build relationships online and help enhance conversions and connections.

During this week’s webinar, I walk attendees through the concept and how technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence), personas, automation, and chatbots are changing the way both consumers behave online, and how businesses provide service and support.

About The Author - Eric Cook

Eric Cook is a former 15-year community bank executive, now serving the financial services industry as a digital strategist and award-winning web designer with WSI since 2007.

Cook is a sought-after, nationally-recognized speaker in the banking sector and is on faculty at six banking schools across the country where he educates community banking professionals on how to build relationships and credibility online.

He’s also a 2003 graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, holds undergraduate degrees in business and psychology, as well as an M.B.A. in general business.

So Proud of to be Part of the WSI Family During this Time of Crisis

Date: March 25, 2020

This week on the show I share some insights on the evolving situation related to COVID and its impact on our business, and their customers. LinkedIn recently released the ability for Events to be associated with company pages, instead of individuals. And while you're still not able to create a virtual event and are required to enter a physical address, my gut tells me this capability is coming in the near future. They've also released 16 LinkedIn Learning training sessions that are available for free to help individuals better cope with the new normal of working remotely.

I also share our new TikTok account, as our digital marketing agency has taken a step to try and get outside of the box and try something different. With more people likely having time to spend on the fastest growing social networking platform, we felt it would be a fun way to share some information as well as hopefully get some people to smile during these challenging times.

Lastly, I wrap up by talking about an Open Forum event WSI Corporate orchestrated for our internal consultant community last week, which brought consultants from around the world together to share their expertise around the Coronavirus situation. It was humbling as well as inspirational to be part of the expert panel and to my fellow hear colleagues provide valuable advice and tips on how to continue not only our business, but more importantly make an impact in the lives of our customers.

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Reactions and Observations from Community Bankers

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2020

This week on the show we take a break from the typical digital marketing and online content to talk about some of the actions taken by our community bank customers and friends in the industry to help keep their customers informed and supporting their local small businesses. 

Even before the Coronavirus arrived, community banks have played a vital role in the lives of the communities they serve, but with the challenges we are facing today, things like giving away gift cards from local businesses and ordering takeout to feed their employees go a long way. You’ll hear about these, and other ideas, that you may be able to use in your business to help one another survive these trying times.