More than a Few Words
1,038 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 88 ratingsA marketing podcast for business owners. The brief conversations of this marketing podcast are filled with practical tips from business owners and marketing professionals from around the world.
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Episodes
#630 Convert Prospects with Video
August 18, 2021 02:00 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBMore than a Few Words is a Marketing Conversation for Business Owners. Sometimes you just have to jump in. Video is so important as part of your marketing mix, and most business owners are not expert videographers., but that's ok. Our guest Nina Froriep says you just need to start. Jump in! You will improve over time. the trick is to do it consistently. These do not need to be long videos. As a matter of fact, they can be as short as one minute with one key talking point and one call t...
#629 You are Doing SEO Wrong
August 15, 2021 09:35 - 58 seconds - 1.09 MBThe Marketing Minute is a quick bite of marketing from Lorraine Ball, host of More than a Few Words You probably don't want to hear this. I'm going to do it SEO wrong. You're spending all your time focused on what search engines want, worrying about stuffing your pages with keywords, inbound links, and outbound links. But search engines don't buy from you, people do So I want you to think about SEO differently. Start focusing on content that answers questions real people have about yo...
#628 Time to Go Global
August 12, 2021 10:29 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBThe world is getting smaller all the time. Today, even small business can afford to compete globally. This week we talked with Wendy Pease about free resources, and tips for business owners interested in selling their product internationally. Did you know that every state offers grants that subsidize the cost of getting ready to export your product?
#627 What Story Does Your Company Tell?
August 10, 2021 10:11 - 10 minutes - 9.17 MBOrganizations, movements, products, companies thrive or fail when their stories thrive or fail. So if you have a deeply resonant, emotionally significant functionally relevant story, then the organization will continue to thrive. But when that story fails to continue to be relevant, that's when the demise starts happening. This week, our guest Kurian Tharakan talked about the types of stories leaders need to tell about their businesses About Kurian Kurian Mathew Tharakan is the founder...
#626 Don't Overwhelm Your Website
August 08, 2021 10:25 - 1 minute - 1.77 MBThere are lots of cool tools and features that you can add to a new website. The problem is sometimes companies try to do everything; ,stunning layouts with drop downs and rotating and parallax effects,. They think using all of those tools makes the site look sleek and modern. In reality, what you end up with is a jumbled mess. So as you look at your website, step back and ask some basic questions. What do you want visitors to do? Does this tool or feature make it easier or harder for th...
#625 Innovative PR Ideas
August 03, 2021 10:32 - 11 minutes - 12 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox Every business owner knows an article in the news can be a great boost to a business. The question is how do you get the media to notice you. Our guest Mickey Kennedy explains it is not by sending another boring release about your product or service. You need to be creative, finding a unique angle,. One way to do that is with a survey that uncovers an unusual da...
624 Why Blog?
August 01, 2021 10:21 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBOne of the most interesting findings in this year's digital marketing survey was on the topic of blogging. Fewer small business owners than ever told us they were using blogging as part of their marketing. And even those that do blog, are blogging less often. Why is this a big deal? Because blogging is such an important part of your internet marketing strategy. It provides content to feel your social media updates, and it helps you build credibility. Blog posts provide a place to showcase ...
#623 CopywritingTips
July 29, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutes - 10.2 MBThe marketing podcast More than a Few Words is hosted by Lorraine Ball. Each week she interviews marketing professionals from around the world. This week, our guest, Breanna Gunn is a copywriting professional. She shared tips on how to create content which gets noticed and drives results. To begin with she suggests you need to tell a story and make it engaging. Build the relationship with your reader by making it about them and not you. Your readers are human, and they are selfish a...
#622 Get Rid of Limiting Beliefs
July 27, 2021 10:03 - 10 minutes - 10.2 MBEach week, host Lorraine Ball chats with marketing and business professionals from around the world. This week, Connie Jones, author of WARRIOR ARISE, brings her perspective on how our beliefs limit our success. We create these upper limits for ourselves fueled by messages we have received starting early on in childhood about who we are and who we are not. And who we are supposed to be. We create patterns of playing roles that are consistent with those messages, but sometimes the me...
#621 Crisis Management Plan
July 25, 2021 10:46 - 1 minute - 1.91 MBLet's face it, sometimes mistakes happen and things go wrong. How you handle the situation will often determine whether your smallest mistake becomes a big crisis Even if you can't predict what will go wrong, having a plan in place outlining specific steps in case of a mistake will make it easier to respond. This is true in the real world or on social media, where your Twitter or Facebook page can absolutely blow up. Things to keep in mind as you're thinking about your emergency or crisis...
#620 Take the Fear Out of Networking
July 22, 2021 10:08 - 10 minutes - 8.64 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox If the thought of attending a networking event leaves you shaking with fear, our guest Sean Tyler Foley has some advice for you. 1) Stop looking for your next potential client. Flip the script and look for people you can help. 2) Instead of worrying about your opening pitch, practice some opening questions. 3) When you are asking questions, you have the power...
#620 take the Fear Out of Networking
July 22, 2021 10:08 - 10 minutes - 8.64 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox If the thought of attending a networking event leaves you shaking with fear, our guest Sean Tyler Foley has some advice for you. 1) Stop looking for your next potential client. Flip the script and look for people you can help. 2) Instead of worrying about your opening pitch, practice some opening questions. 3) When you are asking questions, you have the power...
#619 Accountability Tips
July 20, 2021 14:04 - 11 minutes - 11.5 MBEvery week, Lorraine Ball, chats with marketing professionals around the world. This week, the conversation is about Accountability. Her guest, Don Markland shared thoughts on developing an accountability habit for your business. 1) Accountability starts with you. While you may find others to help keep you on track, you must take responsibility for actions and results. 2) There is no ego in accountability. You must be ready to listen and respond to feedback, taking ownership without e...
#618 Why Should I Buy From You?
July 18, 2021 09:11 - 59 seconds - 1.15 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week Why should I buy from you? That simple question is at the heart of every sales conversation. The question is simple, but the answer is more complex. There are actually three parts to the answer. Part one: Your answer must demonstrate an understanding of the customer's problem. ...
#617 Do It Yourself SEO
July 15, 2021 09:52 - 10 minutes - 11.4 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox SEO can be very technical as you focus on the the code and signals you send to search engines about your site. But, according to our guest Dr. Ty Belknap it doesn't have to be. The single biggest thing you can do to improve your SEO is write, because search engines love words. Rich page content, 2,000 words or more is what will drive SEO. That wall of text may lo...
#616 The Button
July 11, 2021 10:05 - 1 minute - 1.88 MBThis week in our marketing minute, Lorraine Ball continues the conversation about building a successful inbound marketing campaign. Once someone starts to fill out your form, you want to be sure they take that last step to submit the form. But the truth is, people don't actually like to submit. Although that is almost always the default choice when you build a form it is actually one of the least effective phrases you can use. Here are some better choices Use a word that commands action:...
#615 Take the Overwhelm Out of Social Media
July 08, 2021 10:02 - 10 minutes - 10 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox Social media used to be fun and games. But if you're doing it for your business sometimes it's a little stressful. Our guest Tamay Shannon says it doesn't have to be if you know how to approach it. She says much of the stress comes from the overwhelming feeling you get when you try to decide what to say or how to say something. Business owners also feel stress a...
#614 Win the Hour, Win the Day
July 06, 2021 10:31 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBMore than a few words is a marketing conversation for business owners. Each week, host Lorraine Balls spends a few minutes chatting with guests about things every business owner should know. This week, Kris Ward, author of Win the Hour, Win the Day shares tips on how to shift how you spend your time. Her formula is 60% creation and only 40% administration., because it is the time spent on creation which moves your business forward. About Kris Ward She is an author, podcaster coach,...
#613 The Submission Form
July 04, 2021 10:43 - 1 minute - 1.47 MBLast week I shared a few tips building effective landing pages. This week we're going to turn our attention to the submission or inbound form because this is where the magic happens. The first rule of submission forms is the more you ask for, the less you'll get. Every question you add is going to reduce the number of people who take the time to fill it out. So only ask for what you really need. If you're never going to call the person don't ask for a phone number. Keep it to name an email...
#612 Money Matters
July 01, 2021 10:01 - 10 minutes - 10.5 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners. Hosted by Lorraine Ball marketing experts from around the globe share tips, tricks and inspirational marketing and business ideas. With Neuro freedom your objective is to align our mind, how you view the world to create your reality. It takes practice but if you can identify core beliefs that unconsciously drive your behavior you can begin to shirt your world. Many business owners have money blocks which are uncons...
#611 Social Media in Five Minutes a Day
June 29, 2021 10:45 - 11 minutes - 11.3 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners. Each week, podcast host Lorraine Ball chats with marketing professionals from around the world. This week, David Trotter shares his formula for creating social media content in just five minutes a day. The key is planning ahead. Take time to look at the month and map out your content. Start with the holidays, not just the major ones, but the annual pet day or donut day. Next think about the big promotions in your ...
#610 The Landing Page
June 27, 2021 09:42 - 1 minute - 1.5 MBLast week I shared a few tips on building your offer. This week we're going to focus on the landing page. The landing page is your opportunity to convince prospective customers to say yes, I want that. When building a landing page remember it is a single purpose page. Your visitors are not going learn anything else about you. That information will simply distract them from completing the submission form. A great landing page starts with a clear, concise headline, you want to keep it sh...
#609 Which Social Media Platform Is Right For You?
June 24, 2021 09:16 - 11 minutes - 11.3 MBMore than a Few Words, hosted by Lorraine Ball is a marketing conversation for business owners. Social media can be overwhelming, because it seems as if there is a new platform every week. So, as a small business owner how do you decide which social media platform is right for you? Our guest Megan Brame suggests you commit to just a few so you avoid creating Zombie accounts that seem to stumble around with no real life Start with your ideal customer. Once you understand that person, th...
#608 A Podcast about Podcasts
June 22, 2021 09:55 - 10 minutes - 10 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners, hosted by Lorraine Ball In this episode, our guest Anna Parker-Naples explains podcasting can be an incredible business tool when it's done properly. Part of the value lies in the connection that often happens between the listener and the host. As a host you can go from virtually no audience on other platforms to having thousands and thousands of downloads. The trick is to start by thinking about who to you actually wa...
#607 What Can You Offer
June 20, 2021 10:17 - 1 minute - 1.47 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week A great auto response campaign starts with an exchange, you offer something of value to a prospective customer, and in return, they give you their contact information. What can you trade? The short answer is anything; any information that you have access to, that a prospective custome...
#606 Get More Done By Noon
June 17, 2021 10:33 - 10 minutes - 10.8 MBIf you are like most entrepreneurs, you always have too much to do on any given day. It often feels like you are a gerbil on a treadmill, because I keep running, but you don't get anywhere. This week, our guest David Rule, author of Done by Noon. shares some tips on how to take control of your time. He starts by stepping back to the reasons most of us started our business to begin with, FREEDOM. He divides the conversation in three freedoms, time, creative and financial. We want to do...
#605 What to Write About
June 13, 2021 14:02 - 1 minute - 1.63 MBThe hardest thing about blogging is staring at that blank sheet of paper trying to decide what you should be writing about. The answer is pretty simple, write about the things that you know that your customers don't. That may be is a little oversimplified so here are some ideas on what you can write for your next blog post. Start with industry trends. Customers like to know you're staying up on the latest industry information. Share things you've discovered. Then there are frequently as...
#604 Get Noticed by the Media
June 10, 2021 10:45 - 11 minutes - 11.7 MBMore than a Few Words, a marketing conversation hosted by Lorraine Ball. If you are like most business owners, it is a struggle to stand out in a crowd. You can elevate yourself above the rest with a little bit of publicity. Before you begin, you need to understand the difference between editorial and advertorial content. You can't approach the news editor with the idea in mind that you are going to pitch your product or service You need to bring an informative angle that will educate the...
#603 Social Relationships
June 08, 2021 10:27 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing and business conversation hosted by Lorraine Ball. Why do business owners need to build social relationships? Aleya Harris is pretty clear when asked that question. She believes relationships equal sales. You're posting on social media to position yourself as a helpful expert, to show you understand the problems of prospective customers. You want to show people that when they work with you, they're going to get quality solutions. And while you are b...
#602 - Explore, Evaluate and Embrace
June 06, 2021 10:01 - 1 minute - 1.76 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week How do you decide which digital trends deserve attention and resources and which don't? So how did I answer the question? Simple, our strategy is explore, evaluate and embrace. The first part of the strategy is staying ahead of the curve by reading, reading, reading. There's no single...
#601 Local Business Buckets
June 03, 2021 09:07 - 11 minutes - 11.3 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox Today we are going to dive into local marketing, connecting with customers who are around the corner and down the street. The range of marketing choices for local businesses can be overwhelming. Our guest Laura Cole broke the conversation into three buckets: online, search, and then mobile marketing, Online marketing: Get your website in good order. This is your on...
#600 Teach Your Way to Success
June 01, 2021 12:07 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBThis marks the 600th episode of More than a Few Words, a marketing conversation hosted by Lorraine Ball. Even if you’ve never thought of yourself as a teacher it is time to look strategically how a course might support your business. Start with the opportunity that is right right in front of you, people who would love to work with you and hire you but aren’t quite ready. Maybe they can’ afford your services, or they are still in exploration mode. A course can fill the gap. Our guest Jeanni...
#599 Invite Me In
May 30, 2021 10:16 - 1 minute - 1.59 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week There was a time when the doorbell rang, you would jump up and fling the door open in the hopes of entertaining a neighbor, friend or unexpected guest. But things have changed. We're a lot more cautious these days about who we invite into our homes. This can create real challenges...
#598 Take the Quiz
May 27, 2021 10:59 - 9 minutes - 9.81 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox What if you could determine who in your audience is your best client in just 180 seconds? With a well designed quiz your prospects will actually self-select, telling you with their answers if the are good, great or mediocre prospect. It starts with asking people to self-assess where they're at on a scale of one to 10 in relationship to the results you can help t...
#597 Social Media is About Ego
May 23, 2021 10:04 - 1 minute - 2.54 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week Social media is all about ego. No matter how many followers and fans you have, it's always fun to see a new follower, a retweet, or reply, like, love or share. All of those things signal to us that we've been accepted and esteemed by the community. And that feeling of acceptance is r...
#596 Go Local with Google My Business
May 20, 2021 10:29 - 10 minutes - 9.83 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox As a business owner, the most important thing is for people to be able to find you. More often than not, they're going to Google to look for you. Unfortunately, you're competing with companies that are much larger than you. But you have an advantage if you're a local business, That advantage is Google My Business because Google plays such a vital role at each tou...
#595 Privacy vs Convenience
May 18, 2021 10:11 - 10 minutes - 9.15 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox Since the dawn of the internet, or at least the dawn of social media, there's been this ongoing battle between consumers and media outlets, over how much information they actually have access to and how much they share with their advertisers. On the one hand, we want to protect our privacy. But on the other hand, as business owners, that information is critical. ...
#594 The Are of the Hashtag
May 16, 2021 10:46 - 1 minute - 1.79 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week Hashtags. That little symbol that you see in front of a single word or group of words is an integral part of how Twitter and Instagram work. They allow you to group your message with other messages on the same topic, but there is an art to crafting a good hashtag. And if you're thinki...
#593 The Digital Economy
May 13, 2021 09:03 - 10 minutes - 10.1 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox When I started my marketing company in 2002 it was a traditional agency built on pen, paper, and direct mail. . But somewhere along the line, we became a digital agency and began playing seriously in the digital economy. What is it and how can you take advantage of it? Well, that's what we talked to Naresh Vissa about. He says the digital economy is the new 21st ce...
#592 Yes, And
May 09, 2021 09:13 - 1 minute - 1.88 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week A friend of mine who is an improvisational artist, and a marketer told me there were many things he learned when studying improvisational comedy that he could apply to marketing. The first is the rule of the Yes. And.... In an improvisational interaction, anytime someone says anythi...
#591 Content Calendar
May 06, 2021 10:12 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball When it comes to content marketing, the process is key. Without structure, you are always chasing the program instead of driving it. The most basic content marketing tool is a content calendar. The document allows you to plan ahead, and track your progress, building more effective content over time. There are software tools that will help you manage content, but sometimes a simple spread...
#590 Do It Yourself Video
May 04, 2021 10:28 - 9 minutes - 9.85 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox These days, video is so affordable and so easy to create it should be a part of every small business owner's content program. We have access to powerful equipment and gear built right in to the phone in our pockets. Your smartphone, let's you make quick videos on the fly which can look really good if you know a few tricks. Figure out your audio. Sure you are sh...
#589 Branding Your Team
May 02, 2021 09:32 - 1 minute - 1.82 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week Real branding is so much more than just your logo, business card and letterhead. A real company brand encompasses what you want people to think and feel about your brand. And so beyond the color and logo, there's also messaging and tone, and how your brand is extended not just on your...
#588 Introduction to Enneagrams
April 29, 2021 10:20 - 8 minutes - 8.67 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball, founder of the Digital Toolbox As a business owner, your relationship with your employees and customers is core to being effective in your role. Those relationships actually start with understanding who you are as a person. That's why like Myers Briggs and DISC Profiles are so helpful. But there are other tools, and in this episode we dive into Enneagram types. These types are based on a pe...
#587 Build Real Relationships
April 27, 2021 09:21 - 11 minutes - 11 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball Our guest, Thomas Libby spends a lot of time on LinkedIn. And the time pays off, because he uses the platform to help people get to know, like and trust him. Why isn't it effective for everyone? Often it is because they treat it like a platform and not a chance for a conversation. for example, you wouldn't walk up to somebody on the street or walk into a meeting and immediately launch into a s...
#586 Are You Ready for Gen Z?
April 25, 2021 10:40 - 1 minute - 1.6 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your week Generation Z, those people born after 1996 make up 1/3 of the US population. And even now they have a buying power of $44 billion. This generation grew up with technology and social media, so as you look forward, you need to build a sales model and marketing channel that keeps that i...
#585 Sales Stories
April 22, 2021 09:54 - 10 minutes - 11.8 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball I love a good story. I love to listen to a good story and tell one. Stories are a valuable element in building your personal brand, marketing your business, and as you will discover today, they can add value in your sales process too. As our guest Tom Jackobs explains your need two types of stories in your sales process. The first is your personal story which explains why you do what you ...
#584 Home Court Advantage
April 18, 2021 09:35 - 1 minute - 2.19 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner. Just like a professional athlete, every salesperson knows it is always easier to sell if you have a home court advantage. If a customer will come to your office or showroom, you’ve already scored the first point. But if you are in the plumbing, roofing, electrica...
#583 Widen Your Reach with Online Courses
April 15, 2021 10:43 - 10 minutes - 9.94 MBMore than a Few Words is a marketing conversation for business owners hosted by Lorraine Ball As a small business owner, particularly if you are in a service industry, like coaching or consulting your build practice one customer at a time. If you want to grow your business, you have to find ways to break through the capacity constraints of a business that revolves solely around you. This week we chatted with Molly Mandelberg on how to leverage your skill set and expand from one to one s...
#582 404 In Style
April 11, 2021 09:28 - 1 minute - 1.55 MBThe marketing minute is a shorter version of the popular More than a Few Words podcast. Instead of a conversation with a marketing professional, host Lorraine Ball shares a quick tip to start you on your day as a business owner. If you've spent any time at all on the internet, you've landed on 404 page telling you the page you requested cannot be found. There are usually instructions to try refining your search or use the navigation above to locate the post. If that's what the message loo...