Jay Today Podcast

We're all about finding new ways to be helpful to fans and customers instead of always trying to sell to them, and these two new examples of Youtility will knock your socks off.During a recent trip to Arizona, Jay heard an awesome commercial on the radio about a car dealer who bought a band for one of its Facebook fan's wedding. The Valley Honda Dealers participate in what they call "Random Acts of Helpfulness," and this radio commercial showcased their helpful nature, not their car promotions. While we're not sure what the outcome was in terms of ROI, that is one helpful treat that this fan will never forget.Another great example of Youtility is one that can actually save lives. A couple of college students developed a nail polish that people can use to help detect the presence of date-rape drugs in their drinks. Learn more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nail-poli... SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Greg Taylor (http://twitter.com/grtayl

A recent statistic showed that 80% of the average American's time online is spent on 15 websites or fewer.It's likely the same scenario for the way Americans shop and watch TV - we choose our favorite 5-15 places or channels to spend our time.This is extremely important for marketers because while you should focus some of your efforts on your own website content, you should focus more of them on the other websites and channels out there that your audience is already visiting such as Facebook, Youtube, Slideshare, and more. Think of your content marketing as a digital dandelion - your website is the stalk and the other networks and channels are the seeds. The magic of successful content marketing really lies in the seeds, because your website will never be one of the 15 websites that the average American spends most of their time.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to David Meerman Scott (http://twitter.com/dmscott) who is a prolific author an

Hubspot recently announced their IPO, which raised a lot of questions among marketers and business people alike. Tom Webster, a fantastic research and analytics guy at Edison Research, wrote a blog post for Convince & Convert about the IPO that sparked a huge discussion (http://www.convinceandconvert.com/dig...).Brian Clark was one part of the discussion, and he brought up his opinion which was that at the end of the day, the product itself matters more than the marketing. Ultimately, marketing is dependent on the entire company. If your company's products or services aren't great, the marketing team won't be appreciated, even if they're doing great work. Likewise, great companies with great products have marketers that are often overappreciated and overrated because they make the team that is already good look great. At the end of the day, there is only so much marketers can do, and it's important to take a team approach to business and marketing for success.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT

THE SHOWToday's episode comes to you live from Fargo, ND, where a new announcement from the PGA is sparking some serious debate.The Ryder Cup has banned the use of social media by fans and players.Seriously?This is the most ridiculous concept I have ever heard of. Perhaps they're trying to protect their video rights, or perhaps they are living in the stone age, but this is a terrible decision. The PGA is absolutely insane. And they'll realize it soon after this event.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Josh Lysne (http://twitter.com/jlysne), who work for Flint and Ad Farm and is a good friend and client of Convince & Convert. OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a simple and affordable video production company. Follow @candidio on Twitter. Sprout Social (http://sproutsocial.com), a social media management and analytics company that Jay uses for much of his social media every day. Follow @sproutsocial on Twitter.ABOUT JAY TODAYJay To

After an experience in a hotel with the famous Sleep Number bed, I realized that having the option to choose my sleep number when I wasn't familiar with it wasn't easier for me - it was harder. And this same paradox of choice plagues businesses just as much as it plagues travelers. If you offer too many choices, people will get lost and give up. I see this most commonly on business websites, where multiple links, navigation bars, and color schemes take away from what exactly the company wants me to do on their site.Remember only include options on your website that either drive a specific behavior or lead someone directly and consistently to your desired funnel. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Lee Odden (http://twitter.com/leeodden), who runs the TopRank Online Marketing Blog (http://www.toprankblog.com/) and consults on all things digital marketing and social media. OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a simple and affordable v

There are 2 marketing trends that we can glean from a pine tree:1) Marketing sideways: It's not always about your products and services. Sometimes, it's taking something that would be useful to your customers and giving it to them to offer additional value. This pine tree, for example, was provided to a friend by their real estate company to make their yard more beautiful.2) Small business: In addition to a free pine tree, the real estate company offered $1,000 off the next real estate purchase. This is a great way to create loyal customers, especially for smaller businesses that can offer that personal touch. Speaking of real estate, my new ebook, Youtility for Real Estate, is now available for pre-order here:http://www.amazon.com/Youtility-Real-...SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Adam Buchanan (http://twitter.com/adam_buchanan), who does social media for Cabela's, and this very pine tree was found in his yard!OUR SPONSORSCandidio (htt

Unless you're selling advertising, website traffic isn't really the goal.In some recent research, the Content Marketing Institute found that the number one thing that ineffective content marketers have in common is that they use website traffic as a key success metric. Instead of measuring views, consider actionable metrics like whether visitors tell their friends about you, make a purchase, or fill out a contact form. These deeper metrics are much more valuable when figuring out whether your content marketing has been successful.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Jon Loomer (http://twitter.com/jonloomer) best person out there for Facebook advertising. Check out his blog and his courses for more information (http://www.jonloomer.com/).OUR SPONSORSCandidio (http://candidio.com), a simple and affordable video production company. Follow @candidio on Twitter. Sprout Social (http://sproutsocial.com), a social media management and analytics com

If you ever see a headline that says that something is dead, walk away immediately. I recently saw a LinkedIn article that staked the claim that content marketing is dead. Content marketing has been around for hundreds of years. There's no way it's dead. But what bothered me about this is that this article has gotten over 13,000 views. So, did the author do this for attention? Or does he really believe that content marketing is actually dead? Here's the truth: Nothing ever dies. It just changes. So if you're listening to something, watching something, or reading something that says "X Is Dead," run for the hills.To say that something is dead is a lazy and irresponsible way to get attention. Don't do it.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Tom Martin (http://twitter.com/tommartin) who actually knows a lot about sales and conversation marketing. His new book, The Invisible Sale (http://www.amazon.com/The-Invisible-S...), as well as his tweets

Sometimes when we try to use technology to solve problems, there's an easier way. I have a personal story about this, which happened over Thanksgiving. I was going to a friend's farm to enjoy a deep fried turkey with some friends, when we realize we didn't have enough oil. We drove over to the grocery store, only to realize neither one of us had our wallets. We couldn't pay for the oil! Being the tech-type that I am, I went through every money app on my phone - Paypal, my banking app, Apple Pay, and others. I wasn't able to use any of them to pay for the oil at this grocery store.Just when we thought we were out of luck, my friend made a novel suggestion:"Why don't we just ask someone?"Somewhat ashamed that I hadn't thought of this myself, we were able to convince someone to lend us the $15 to buy the oil with the promise that we would pay him back (more than double what he spent for his trouble). Instead of using the "Uber" for whatever app on your phone to get something done, why not just pick up the phone

Is our addiction to Twitter ruining journalism? Last week, I saw an article from People.com about Elon Musk, who is the founder of Tesla and SpaceX. It turned out Elon is divorcing his wife (again).The interesting thing about this article was not the content, but the last sentence, which said that Elon Musk did not immediately tweet out a comment about the divorce.Are people's tweets really what journalism is all about now? Are journalists unable to pick up the phone to get a statement about their reports or are they only going to use public tweets as facts? I get it. It's tough to be a journalist these days and budgets are tight. But if you're still a working journalist, you need to hold yourself to a higher standard of reporting. Monitoring the Twitterverse is not journalism, and it's a lazy way of reporting. I hope this isn't the end of journalism as we know it.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Rory Vaden (http://twitter.com/rory_vade

The problem with technology is that it forces you to think that everybody uses technology.What's happening at CES and the sharing economy in big cities isn't really happening in smaller town. This is a dangerous game to play because we think that everyone is using technology and social media, we start to create products and services that won't be consumed by the masses.Take this ad that I found in my local paper - it's for a baby monkey doll called Clementine. If you order this weighted monkey doll for $99.99, you can expect to receive it at your house within 10-12 weeks (unless mobile app-delivered marijuana at your door within minutes or Amazon next-day delivery service).This ad isn't from 50 years ago, it's from yesterday. There is a large percentage of this country that's more like that consumers who want a baby monkey doll than who want to know about the technology at CES.You are not your own customer, and if you can remember that, you'll be better off.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT S

When brands start using phrases like "bae" and "on fleek", it's not the slang that's the problem, it's the targeting. One recent article about this use of slang among brands stated that they see it as a desperate attempt to connect with their audiences, and proof that they're not doing a great job of it. I don't have a problem with brands using youth culture slang, especially if those brands are targeted to those younger demographics. The biggest issues occur when brands use that kind of language on Twitter.Demographically, Twitter reaches a really broad cross-section, but has no ability to do any sort of targeting unless you pay for it. As a result, brands are pumping out this language to anyone in the world whether it makes sense to them or not. This is a problem. If you're going to use any kind of slang, make sure you're using it on the networks and to the audiences that actually know what you're talking about and can use that language in a sentence, otherwise you're totally missing the mark.SUBSCRIBE: htt

You may think there are many things that could keep someone from doing their best, but the reality is that there's really only one reason why. Some people don't do great work because they're not passionate - they don't love the client they're working with or the project they're on. Some people are stretched too thin - they don't have the time to devote to doing great work.The truth is that if you are passionate about your work and really love what you're doing, the time issue will fix itself. You make the time or find the time to be great because you want to, and everyone will benefit as a results.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUTToday's Sprout Social shout out goes to Peter Shankman (http://twitter.com/petershankman), who has a new book coming out about how to make passionate friends and fans for your brand. Check out his book, Zombie Loyalists (http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Loyalist...)Also, we have started a new Twitter account for Convince & Convert, so please take a look

The problem with technology is that it forces you to think that everybody uses technology.   What's happening at CES and the sharing economy in big cities isn't really happening in smaller town. This is a dangerous game to play because we think that everyone is using technology and social media, we start to create products and services that won't be consumed by the masses.   Take this ad that I found in my local paper - it's for a baby monkey doll called Clementine. If you order this weighted monkey doll for $99.99, you can expect to receive it at your house within 10-12 weeks (unless mobile app-delivered marijuana at your door within minutes or Amazon next-day delivery service).   This ad isn't from 50 years ago, it's from yesterday. There is a large percentage of this country that's more like that consumers who want a baby monkey doll than who want to know about the technology at CES.   You are not your own customer, and if you can remember that, you'll be better off.   SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/ja

The economy is getting better than ever in the United States, and here's how I know it's true.   I was in New York City having lunch with a friend, and while the restaurant is generally good, the service was terrible. I couldn't even get a water refill. This experience reminded me of my thesis:   When service is bad, the economy is good.    This is because when the economy is good, the people who end up taking service jobs fall down the ladder of expertise. While it might be frustrating to get bad service, this might actually bode well for our economy. What do you think?   SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00   SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUT   Today's Sprout Social shout out is for Laura Hall (http://twitter.com/laurahall), a super bright public relations professional in New York. Follow her on social media.    OUR SPONSORS   Candidio (http://candidio.com), a simple and affordable video production company. Follow @candidio on Twitter.    Sprout Social (http://sproutsocial.com), a social media management and

Social media is never going to get the credit it deserves when driving commerce and here's why:   My wife gave me a brand new laptop bag for Christmas (for the first time ever, I told her exactly what I wanted). I had heard about the bag from my friend Rohit Bhargava, who recommended it in a private Facebook group that I'm a part of. The bag is not sold in the United States, so I gave my wife the link.    As a result, the bag company will never know that I heard about it from social media. Instead, they'll see it as direct traffic or potentially organic traffic from Google.    This is an important reminder for marketers. Just because you can't always see the impact of social media doesn't mean it doesn't exist. This is why brands are using surveys more and more to figure out what social media's true value is. How are you measuring the value of social in your marketing?    SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/jaybaer00   SPROUT SOCIAL SHOUT OUT   Today's Sprout Social shout out goes to Rohit Bhargava, a fantasti

You think you might need new or more content this year, but it's possible that the content you need might be right under your nose.In all of the marketing trends and predictions for 2015, I've been saying the same thing: This year is going to be the year of cooperative content.What do I mean by this? I mean that the content sources that you have at your disposal are vast and untapped. Everyone that works for you, every customer you have, and every business partner is potentially a content creator. You can use their skills and knowledge to create new and interesting content that helps drive revenue. Stop thinking of content as some Hollywood film that you have to create and start considering the ways you can get your content out quickly. These Jay Today videos are recorded in my house with my iPhone, for example, yet we still get thousands of views each day.You have so many content sources at your finger tips, and my challenge for you in 2015 is to figure out how to use them.SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/

When are companies going to learn that nickel and diming their customers isn't going to work in the long haul? For a 5 year period, I spent 100 nights per year in the same room at a Marriott hotel in Phoenix. I was there so often, in fact, that the manager invited me to his going away party when he switched jobs.But I've recently learned that Marriott has petitioned to have all outside wireless connections banned in their hotels because, as they say, they're worried about people hacking their systems.We all know, however, that it's because they want to charge for their wifi instead of letting customers access it for free. On the other hand, other major hotel brands are now offering FREE wifi because they realize that wifi isn't an amenity. It's a basic right to customers. It reminds me of a few months ago when I was at Disney and they were charging per refill of soda. This is ridiculous. You're treating your customers like cattle. Enough of this. You won't see me at a whole lot of Marriotts in 2015, that's fo

We're being told to do more faster, but is that always the best way?    The brisket that I made for Christmas Eve took about 12 hours when all was said and done. As a barbecue judge (it's true!), I've learned that all the best barbecue takes a really long time.    And although we're often better off now to be fast than be good, sometimes our customers don't want that. They want to self-serve educate and then make decisions later.   Gary Vaynerchuk said it best. He says that the problem with most marketers today is that they act like 19-year-old guys who want to close the deal on the first date.    Instead of always trying to close the deal, make sure you give your customers a second option besides "buy." Give them a chance to do something else, like subscribe to your blog or newsletter. That way, when enough time goes by for them to trust and feel comfortable with your brand, they will indeed want to give you their money.   As it turns out, all the great things in life actually require you to go slow.   SUBSC