Online Genius Podcast

In today’s episode, I’m going to level with you and address what I see as a growing problem in the online marketing space — people thinking that business doesn’t require hard work. There’s a growing notion that you can pick and choose the work you do in your business and you don’t have to do anything that’s hard.  Basically, the anti-hustle culture has gone too far and is trying to convince you that hard work isn’t what it takes to be successful. There is some truth that hustle doesn’t equal success, but this is a false argument. Hard work is necessary to get success. It isn’t sufficient to get success, but it is necessary. In this episode, we’re going to face the facts. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Why you have to do the work to be successful Where the idea of not having to work hard is coming from Why you have to put in the work, especially at the beginning of your business journey Why you can’t look at someone further along in their business journey to tell you what you don’t have to be doing Why

Today I’m interviewing my friend Melaine Howe. Some of you may remember that Melanie is the reason that I embraced the “more cowbell” concept in my business. In this episode, we dive into how she found her current niche: live video. She also shares openly about the challenges she has faced in building her business and how live video can help you grow your business. This is a fun episode, so be sure to tune in. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Melanie’s journey into the online marketing space and how her ideal client has changed over the last 4 years How Melanie found herself hanging out more with her peers than her ideal audience and how she learned to leverage that How Melanie has processed some of her false starts in her business Some of the common problems that Melanie and Bobby have faced Why action is difficult but also the most important way forward How Melanie decided on her niche and how that changed her business Why consistency has been a problem for Melanie and how she made it work for her Why

In today’s marketing fundamentals episode, we’re talking about an important economic concept: barriers to entry. These are factors that make it more difficult for a newcomer to enter a market. Barriers to entry protect existing businesses from competition and tend to allow monopolistic pricing. Let’s dive in and discuss why you need to create barriers to entry in your online business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Where barriers to entry are high, you tend to have higher prices and profits Where barriers to entry are low, you have to bring prices down because of competition Regulatory and professional requirements are examples of barriers to entry High start-up costs in a market create a barrier to entry Switching costs are another type of barrier to entry (e.g., banking) Technology requirements can create also a barrier to entry In the online space, there aren’t many barriers to entry — this means it’s easier for you to get started but it’s also easy for your competitors One way switching costs show

Today’s episode is a little unusual cause we’re going to talk about why your business sometimes needs to be “boring.” The reason we need to talk about this is because the most common message we hear about business is that it should be “fun” all the time. We need to talk about the distinction between enjoying what we do in our business and having fun. Your business will involve work, but there should be more to life than your business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: The different types of personality challenges people face/create in business The challenge of being a “multi-passionate” entrepreneur Your attention is spread too thin You confuse your audience The challenge of being a constant “tinkerer” You don’t allow enough time to get data to make a decision Constantly trying to make adjustments to evergreen products before you know what you should change The challenge of constantly having new ideas Acting too quickly before you can tell if the idea is worth pursuing Always chasing new ideas

Today I’m interviewing my friend Heather Sager about speaking from stage. Heather recently led a session in my group coaching program, and I wanted more people to be able to benefit from her expertise.  Just to be clear, when we say “stage,” we’re not just talking about a physical stage. We’re talking about all the ways you speak to your audience. If you don’t feel confident speaking to your audience, this episode is for you. Heather and I might look like opposites, but we both have a lot of experience with public speaking, so we had a great time talking about the ups and downs of speaking, messaging, and running a business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Why speaking is a marketing tool Why Heather struggled with her messaging and what she did about it What Heather’s breakthrough realization was How Heather talks about messaging What ingredients you need in a presentation and why there isn’t a specific recipe Why presentations need to be clear and structured and aligned with your style and audience W

In today’s short marketing fundamentals episode, we’re diving into the question of what is holistic marketing and why it matters for your online business. This concept of marketing is well-known in the traditional marketing world, but it hasn’t fully translated into the online business space. We’ll cover what holistic marketing is (and isn’t) and what it looks like in your business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: What holistic marketing is Relationship marketing Integrated marketing Internal marketing Performance marketing Why you need all four aspects of holistic marketing in your business Why a broad understanding of marketing is necessary for business RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: BADA$$ Online Marketing University Free Privacy Policy BADA$$ Online Marketers Follow Bobby on Instagram

Today we’re talking about the most overlooked part of your online business: customer experience. We talk a lot about the cool stuff that happens in the front-end funnels but not so much about what happens after people buy. Focusing on this part of your business will give you more bang for your buck than anything else. We’ll look at 3 reasons it’s important to “wow” your customers (and audience) and how to actually impress people. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Impressing your existing customers will get you repeat customers It costs more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one If you don’t “wow” your customers, you’ll continually have to acquire new customers To get repeat customers, you have to deliver Impressing your existing customers will get your referrals Referrals are basically free leads Having a program that gets results and takes good care of customers is the foundation of an affiliate program Why your program needs to get people the results you promised them You need to ove

Today we’re talking about designing a visual brand. My guest, Patrick Sesko, is a designer who has years of experience working with traditional brands to create visual assets. Now he works with online entrepreneurs to help them with their visual branding. Patrick also contributed a course on branding that you can access for free in BADA$$ Online Marketing University. We’ll be talking about the struggles that Patrick has faced in his business, especially due to the pandemic. Be sure to stick around to catch his best branding advice for online entrepreneurs. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Patrick’s journey into the online course space Some of the struggles Patrick has faced along the way Some of the make-money schemes Patrick and Bobby have observed The different ways that Patrick and Bobby deal with overwhelm How the pandemic affected Patrick’s business and how he pivoted as a result Why it’s important to be consistent in your business Why most people don’t have both an eye for design and messaging Com

In this episode, we’re going to be talking about the 7 Ps of services marketing and why they matter to your online business. Last week we covered the 4 Ps of marketing that apply to all businesses. This week, we’ll talk about the other 3 Ps that apply to services businesses. It’s important to recognize that when you’re in the online marketing space, you’re really in the services industry because you’re not selling a physical product. That’s why we need a plan for the other 3 Ps. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Product — what is the product you’re delivering Price — what pricing strategy will you use Place — how are you going to deliver the product Promotion — how you message and advertise about your product People — the people who work in your business and help serve your clients Process — establishing a process to help people get results and create efficiency Physical evidence — establishing credibility and helping customers recognize the successes they’ve made RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: BADA$$ O

Today we’re talking about an important issue: why your business, course, or membership has to solve a real problem. As I’ve listened to the types of businesses and courses that people are creating, I’ve noticed that many entrepreneurs are coming up with ideas that don’t solve real problems. In this episode, I’m sharing a few important questions you need to ask before you dive into a business or course idea. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: What a business really is Why the ultimate goal of your business should be to make your customer’s life better The common mistakes people make when coming up with a business The question you need to ask when you’re building a business The areas where you can most easily start a business: health, wealth, relationships, recreation Why the type of solution you offer affects the size of your market and how much you can charge Why your solution has to address a problem your audience recognizes they have How to make sure your product is actually providing the solution Why y

Today I’m talking with Arfan Husain who is the Facebook Ads coach in my group coaching program. Arfan and his wife help coaches grow and scale their businesses. As they built their business, they experienced a lot of ups and downs both personally and as business owners, and Arfan shares about his mental health struggles with us today. Be sure to stick around for the second half where he breaks down the latest trends with Facebook ads. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: How Arfan got started as a Facebook ads manager and how his business grew from there The personal mental health struggle Arfan faced at the end of 2020 and how he had to make changes to his business so he could take care of himself How a successful business can create stress for entrepreneurs How Arfan discovered that his rates were too low and why he decided to raise them The routines Arfan put in place to protect his mental health The types of ads Arfan runs for clients What’s going on with Facebook ads after the iOS changes Why you can’t

Today we're discussing one of the fundamental principles of marketing that not many online marketers are talking about. Marketing is more than selling, but most people in the online marketing space are only focused on selling. In this episode, we’ll break down the 4 aspects of marketing that you need to think about for your online business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Product—finding and developing the right product that satisfies the needs of your customer, finding demand then creating a product to meet the demand rather than creating demand for a product you create Price—what people pay for your product, this is much more complicated than what most online marketers are teaching, and includes constraints, discounts, payment plans Promotion—the communication between you and your buyers, this is what gets all the attention in the online marketing space, involves the right message to the right person at the right time Place—the means of delivering your product to your customer, the big choice is thin

Today’s episode is a bit of a kick in the backside. We’re going to be talking about why creating content is important for your business. This episode won’t focus on the how-to because I recently did a whole series on that. Instead, we need to have a candid discussion about the fact that most people aren’t regularly creating content in their business because it’s hard. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Why the notion that business should be easy is causing people to think they don’t have to do hard things It might be hard for you to do things that are necessary for you to build a successful business, but you still gotta do it The hard truth: if you’re not creating regular content, you’re going to have a hard time building a successful knowledge business Why content is necessary for a knowledge business and is the core of our marketing efforts Content establishes you as an expert Content is how you attract people into your world Why you need content that delivers a real message and demonstrates your expert

Today is the second half of my conversation about the money stuff with Mel Abraham. Last week we talked about how to think about money in your business and the major health crisis Mel faced.  This week we’re looking at how to set up systems outside your business so that you don’t have to worry about building a business that you can sell.  WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Why money problems are a symptom, not the cause Why your business needs to be cash flow positive  Why short-term and long-term goals look different How much should you be taking out of your business once you are making money Have an emergency fund of 3-6 months (especially if you have a team) 50% of profits to be used for your lifestyle 50% to build your money machine Why it’s difficult to sell a personal brand business and why you have to build it to sell How to think about debt and cash flow What a sinking fund is and how it can help your business How pre-selling events can cause problems in your business What a drip account is an

In today’s marketing fundamentals episode, we’re going to dig into the issue of brand voice. As subject matter experts and content creators, we need to have a solid understanding of this concept so we can apply it in our businesses. Let’s dig in and discuss the benefits of defining a consistent tone and approach to messaging for your business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: What a brand voice is. What a brand voice is not. Why you need to know the overall impression you want your audience to feel when they interact with your brand The difference between your personal voice and your brand voice Why brand voice is more than words or phrases How brand voice impacts the type of content you create Why all the aspects of your brand voice need to fit together Why brand voice matters for your audience Why your brand voice needs to be consistent and coherent across the board RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: BADA$$ Online Marketing University Free Privacy Policy BADA$$ Online Marketers Follow Bobby on Instagram

Last week we talked about the fact that you actually do need subject matter expertise to run a business. But that’s not all you need. Today we’re going to talk about the expertise outside of your subject matter that you need to master in order to build a successful online business. There are multiple kinds of expertise you need in your business Yes, you need to be an expert in your field, but you also need other kinds of expertise Front-end marketing  You need to be able to attract an audience You need to master your messaging You need a general understanding of the process of marketing You also need content expertise This is about presenting information in a way to attract people You need to create content for the level where your audience is You need to build skills in delivering your message (written, audio, and video) How you serve your customers In addition to the basics, you need to deliver a “wow” experience This is one of the most important parts of business Your service will cause people to tell

Today I’m talking with my friend Mel Abraham about how entrepreneurs should be handling their money. Unfortunately, this is an area where a lot of online business owners get in trouble, so I figured it was time to call in an expert for a frank discussion.  Mel was an accounting professional for years, and now he teaches people how to use their business to create financial independence in their lives. In this episode, he shares the basics of business finances and how his own personal health crisis inspired him to make financial education his focus. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: What caused Mel to pivot from accounting to online business and how it turned out The first product he created Why Mel didn’t go all in with his online business at first The 3 things you need to do to start your online business Preparation Evaluation Execution How hard work fits into the business equation Why turning your passion into a business changes your relationship with your passion Why you need a plan and a safety cu

On Thursdays, we’re going to start a new series where we break down some of the foundational concepts of marketing. To kick things off, today we’re answering the question, what is digital marketing? We’ll break down a few misconceptions about digital marketing and look at what it really is. It’s important for online marketers to know about traditional marketing because we’re doing the same thing but online. Instead of newspapers, billboards, and television, we use digital channels like email, social media, and blogs. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Digital marketing is marketing using digital channels What is different about digital marketing? The ability to communicate at scale in a customized way Digital marketing allows you to tailor your messaging The focus is still on sending the right message to the right person at the right time You should understand and leverage the strengths of your particular communication channel RESOURCES IN TODAY’S EPISODE: BADA$$ Online Marketing University Free Pri

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about the topic of expertise. The gurus out there are telling people that they only need to be a step or two ahead of their audience and don’t need actual subject matter expertise in order to make money.  But the reality is that you do need expertise if you want to build a business that will be successful in the long term. We’ll look at why you need expertise whether you’re in a crowded market or a brand new market and why being only a step or two ahead of your audience could backfire. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: The 3 reasons you need expertise  You’re in a crowded market You’re going to have a tough time standing out if you can’t be at the top of your market How can you position yourself as an expert in the market if you don’t have expertise and why would people choose you (unless you were significantly cheaper...) You're in a market with no competition No competition suggests it’s not a viable market or you’ll struggle once others enter your market If

In today’s episode, I’m continuing my conversation with Andrea Ames. While Andrea’s background in the corporate world as a technical content writer helped develop her expertise, there were still a lot of things she had to figure out. We dig into the ups and downs of her journey and how she experimented to figure out what her people wanted. She also shares practical ways you can improve retention in your business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: What people wanted Andrea to help them with and how this led to some challenges Why she decided to focus on content and what the outcome of this was Why some of the traditional online marketing efforts didn’t work with her audience How a mindset of experimentation helped her move forward Why most step-by-step programs don’t work Why you must understand what your audience wants Practical ways to get people engaged How challenges and positive reinforcement can benefit your customers and your business The value of an unexpected reward The first question to think ab