Creating a strong recognizable brand should be a high-level goal of any marketing strategy. Every other marketing tactic should contribute to that goal.

Strong branding comes with trust and loyalty, and hence with higher conversions and free sales generation channels, like word-of-mouth.

And yet, there’s no single answer as to how to go about creating a strong brand. There’s no single path to it. You need a lot of time and resources, but on top of that you need a unique creative approach.

Let’s discuss how creativity helps build a stronger brand and how to find inspiration.

About @Dapzury

Dapzury Valenzuela is a brand builder and marketer as well as Art Direction Professor @uatedu

As a marketing consultant and educator for the past 20+ years, Dapzury worked with creatives and forward-thinking companies that range from eco-friendly products to VR in fashion

Questions we discussed

Q1 How did you become a digital marketer? Please share your career story!

My story begins all the way back to high school when I was part of my yearbook club and first was introduced to desktop publishing. I began moving away from adding content on graph paper manually to designing spreads using an early version of Adobe Illustrator.

I studied traditional art in L.A. and then graphic design in AZ. which led to my first job as an in-house graphic designer and product developer for a sustainable products company. I returned to college for my graduate degree in visual communication while maintaining my full-time job.

As I grew my skill set, I began freelancing and taking on clients that ranged from local government agencies to creative entrepreneurs and ultimately launched my own business. I was invited to teach a night class at a local college and fell in love with teaching and transitioned into higher-ed while still working in industry helping startups and SMBs develop their brands, and marketing strategy.

Currently, I teach at the University of Advancing Technology (@UATedu) in the Business Technology, Advertising Art, and Digital Marketing programs. I also run our Student Innovation Project (SIP) for all majors where students create an innovative tech-based product or service and develop an MVP.

It’s crazy when I realize I’ve been using Adobe products for almost 30 years using it to execute client work and teaching Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign to my students. It’s been a privilege for continue my work in both the private and public sector.

Q2 Why creativity is important for any branding strategy?

Creativity is the fundamental source where anything is possible. It is where innovative ideas are born and only through practice can we help manifest them into reality. I love marketing because it is the intersection of creativity and technology. Having been exposed to tech for as long as I have, I continue to be fascinated by the developments and efficiencies of programs that allow creatives to express themselves and their ideas. Brand strategy can only be implemented when you clearly articulate who you are, why you exist, who you are serving, and what value you are providing. Creative output should be aligned with your brand based on what you say and do, but more importantly, what your audience or customer says about you.

We also have to remember that each one of us is creative. Sometimes we think only artist, musicians, poets, etc. are creative.

Everyone has creativity in them. We just need to learn how to channel it.

Q3 How to find inspiration? Can you learn to be creative?

I find inspiration everywhere. I’m an avid reader, and books offer me a great deal of wisdom that I apply to everything I do. I also appreciate nature, art, music, and fashion. Design books, museums, art shows, creative exhibitions, festivals, conferences, talks, and any experience that opens your mind to creative thought can help to stimulate creativity.

Everyone is creative and everyone can learn to be more creative. I believe you have to have internal peace to allow creative ideas to come forward. The practice of mindfulness and meditation, along with having a growth mindset helps you to maintain a childlike perspective on life that keeps things new and exciting! 

One great brainstorming app is @MiroHQ. I use it to collaborate on team projects and organize my thoughts.

Q4 How to encourage and develop creativity within your company?

One of the most important things an organization can do is allow its members to express ideas in a variety of ways. This can include brainstorming sessions during meetings, messaging apps that make real-time collaboration easy, or by giving people the opportunity to lead projects they are passionate about. When your members feel they can contribute their strengths, they’ll be more likely to go above and beyond to exceed expectations.

Every single employee is the CEO of their life, and they exchange their precious time in exchange for compensation and the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and expertise with the hopes that they’ll grow within our organization until their cup is full. 

Truly understanding your employees and knowing what matters to them will help you harness their creativity.

Active listening and follow-through are critical to establishing trust amongst each other.

Q5 What are your favorite branding technology you recommend using?

I start off each day with a quick search of the latest in technology. I’m in awe of the expediential growth of apps, programs, systems, and hardware. I personally use the following:

• Inspiration: @GuidesBranding, @verge, @WIRED, @TechCrunch, @Entrepreneur, @Inc
• Brainstorming: @MiroHQ, @LucidSoftware
• Creative Execution (fee-based):  @Photoshop, @Illustrator, @InDesign
• Creative Execution (free):  @AdobeExpress, @canva
• Management:  @trello Collaboration: @discord, @microsoftteams, @zoom
• AI:  chat.openai.com, agentgpt.reworkd.ai., firefly.adobe.com

Since we are such a tech-centric university @UATedu, our students see #AI as an additional tool that much be used in an ethical manner much like many of our other tools, i.e. image manipulation in Photoshop. It’s how you approach tech and learn to use it for good.

Our previous branding chats:

• Building an Effective Personal Branding Strategy with @CynthiaLIVE #vcbuzz
• Start Investing in Your Personal Brand with @AnthonyGaenzle #vcbuzz
• Digital Branding Twitter Chat with Shelly DeMotte Kramer @ShellyKramer
• Self-Branding Twitter Chat with @ChadPollitt
• How Blogging Helps Brand Yourself & Sell Your Services: Twitter Chat with @DreBeltrami
• Relationship Building Twitter Chat with #BrandChat Founder @mariaduron
• Self-Branding Twitter Chat with @ChadPollitt
  Building Online Career: Twitter Chat with @AngelaAlcorn

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Personal branding is the best investment of time and effort you can ever make.

You invest in yourself, your community, your knowledge, experience and your leadership.

One of the best ways to build a personal brand is using content marketing. Let’s find out how to do it!

About @wendymarx

Wendy Marx @wendymarx is a branding and marketing expert who helps professionals market themselves so they’re not solely dependent on referrals.

Her book, “Thriving at 50+” draws on over 25+ years experience, and her own career reinvention

Questions we discussed

Q1 How did you become a digital marketer? Please share your career story!

A key reason to build a personal brand is differentiation. My career didn’t go from A to B in a straight line. My career has gone from A to F to D to C to B.

I have had at least 5 careers and have 3 master’s degrees and joke that I could sell them on the black market.

I got into digital marketing my last career, a marketing and PR agency owner, when everything started to go online. I started blogging and using social media. What made it exciting was that I, a small agency, could compete with the larger folks.

Digital marketing leveled the playing field.

Q2 Why build a personal brand and how much time does it take on a daily basis?

It never fails to amaze me when I see profiles that simply say VP or Business Coach. They’re as differentiated as cardboard.

Another reason is credibility and trust. When you deliver valuable content and demonstrate your expertise, you’re perceived as knowledgeable and worth knowing.

A2: Your personal brand is yours, no matter where you work or whether you're in business for yourself. It follows you wherever you go professionally, so it's worth investing in. Time spent can vary from day to day, but it is a long-term commitment. #vcbuzz #personalbranding https://t.co/1jS9C52gjT

— Jaime Shine Marketer | Writer (@jaimeshine) June 20, 2023

And here’s another reason. Networking and opportunities. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t know @annsmarty from social media. I’ve gotten clients, speaking gigs, and other opportunities from branding myself. It opens doors to jobs, partnerships, even book deals.

A2 #vcbuzz Even brands are looking to "humanize" themselves and build "relationships" with their customers. Why not be the face of your own brand as and when you build it?

It takes at least 30 min of sustained activity every day to build & maintain a personal brand. https://t.co/t6zKgboBVa

— Rohan Ayyar (@searchrook) June 20, 2023

No matter how much time you spend it’s important to be consistent.

You also want to have quality content. Nothing worse than spending a lot of time but delivery dreck.

A2 As a "certified networker" (from BNI's sister organization, Referral Academy, in Gothenburg), personal branding like a diamond with many facets, is the way to go, according to my view. #vcbuzz

— Martin Lindeskog🫖🧉 (@LyceumPeripatos) June 20, 2023

Q3 How can content marketing help you build your personal brand?

Content marketing is a way to demonstrate your expertise. By consistently, underline consistently sharing useful content, you position yourself as an industry expert.

Think useful content, educational, not strictly self-promotional.

It’s important to carve out a niche for yourself and focus on a few topics. Otherwise, you dilute your influence.

A3 Contributing well-researched and thought-out content for larger sites is the best way to get more visibility for your personal brand.

It is what brought me writing work and invitations. And why so many people know Ann @SEOsmarty

Think of the sites she's published on #vcbuzz https://t.co/kl9tm1V94P

— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) June 20, 2023

Remember to be vulnerable and authentic. People respond to that and spot a phony in a second.

Share some of your personal story and case studies showing what you’ve done for others. This all differentiates you.

Content marketing increases your visibility. It helps you reach a wider audience and attract new followers.

Content marketing is the fuel to personal branding. It helps you stand out and be recognized.

A3 I have been a content creator since I started blogging in 2002. It got me in contact with @anitacampbell of @smallbiztrends. Thanks again to @Shawn_Hessinger for having me as a guest on Small Biz in 15 min. on #podcasting. #vcbuzz

— Martin Lindeskog🫖🧉 (@LyceumPeripatos) June 20, 2023

When you consistently produce valuable content, you attract the attention of industry peers, influencers or potential collaborators.

A3. Use #contentmarketing to meets your audience’s main needs while staying tightly themed to your care values. #vcbuzz https://t.co/Jjb5gILj1t

— Jeannie Hill (@essentialskill) June 20, 2023

Q4 How to stand out and get noticed? How to draw people in and prompt them to follow you?

Showcase your expertise in a niche. Don’t try to appeal to everyone, otherwise, you’ll appeal to no one.

Become the go-to person in your field by providing valuable and useful content.

Think of different formats to present your content whether YouTube, podcasts, newsletters, social media, you name it.

A4 Dare to have a different opinion and share it if you're sure you are right.

If you don't have that courage, share unique perspectives.

Or do original research and publish the results. #vcbuzz https://t.co/e2n5OO9gCO

— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) June 20, 2023

The idea is to encircle people with your expertise. No matter where they go, they find you.

Be authentic. Don’t put on airs or be someone you’re not. People can spot a phony immediately.

Don’t be afraid to take a strong point of view. This will help you stand out and be attractive to people who appreciate someone who’s original and authentic.

Show that you genuinely care about others. Respond to and answer questions and help others.

Keep learning and share your learning with your followers.

A4: Curate and create. Curation introduces you to new people and delivers a wider range of voices to your communities. Creating original content helps you establish thought leadership, share your knowledge and attract new clients. #vcbuzz #contentmarketing https://t.co/I6kLhxzRQ1

— Jaime Shine Marketer | Writer (@jaimeshine) June 20, 2023

Q5 What are your favorite brand-building and content marketing tools?

I’ll start listing a few and hope everyone shares their favs.

A5 @BuzzSumo hands down the best tool for researching what to write.

Others to look at are @audience_key and @surfer_seo

I use all three. #vcbuzz https://t.co/Kswb3EBmYt

— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) June 20, 2023

One of my favorites is #Trello. A great way to organize and collaborate on content.

@canva is great for easily creating designs. I even created an attractive Christmas card there.

I find @Grammarly helpful especially when you’re writing copy quickly and make silly errors. It keeps you honest. I find @Grammarly keeps you on your toes so you don’t make stupid mistakes when you’re typing too quickly.

Answer the Public is great for coming up with content ideas. It also helps with SEO.

I want to call out here @LinkedIn Creator Mode. It gives you more visibility on LinkedIn and who doesn’t want that?

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention #AI tools like ChatGPT. I find they’re great for generating ideas, doing first drafts, and editing.

Our previous branding chats:

• How to Leverage Creativity to Create a Strong Brand w/ @Dapzury #vcbuzz
• Building an Effective Personal Branding Strategy with @CynthiaLIVE #vcbuzz
• Start Investing in Your Personal Brand with @AnthonyGaenzle #vcbuzz
• Digital Branding Twitter Chat with Shelly DeMotte Kramer @ShellyKramer
• Self-Branding Twitter Chat with @ChadPollitt
• How Blogging Helps Brand Yourself & Sell Your Services: Twitter Chat with @DreBeltrami
• Relationship Building Twitter Chat with #BrandChat Founder @mariaduron
• Self-Branding Twitter Chat with @ChadPollitt
  Building Online Career: Twitter Chat with @AngelaAlcorn

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How much can your business be effected by your competitors’ SEO tactics directed against your site?

There have been lots of debates whether negative SEO can be effective, and Googlers tried to calm everyone down saying they could deal with that.

Well, it’s not always the case. We’ve seen lots of cases where online businesses were losing search visibility over their competitors’ actions. So can you protect your business?

About @katobkato

Brian Kato @katobkato has worked with countless businesses in order to improve their search engine rankings and overall marketing strategy.

Read more about Brian and connect to him through his site: Loveland SEO And Digital Marketing

Questions we discussed

Q1 How did you become an SEO? Please share your career story!

I started my SEO career as a project manager and developer. Having a background in coding definitely helps when it comes to diagnosing issues with websites.

In addition to SEO, I also enjoy neuromarketing and direct response. Blending these skills has allowed us to be nimble and adapt to a variety of circumstances.

that would be awesome! Neuromarketing is definitely a fascinating subject. interestingly enough, it's also used within some SEO dark arts as a soft skill, such as social engineering and information exploitation. There are both the light and dark sides to everything #vcbuzz

— Brian Kato (@katobkato) June 27, 2023

absolutely. that's what I find fascinating about this field of study. it involves any psychological trigger that could potentially sway or influence someone #vcbuzz

— Brian Kato (@katobkato) June 27, 2023

A1 #vcbuzz Had worked in sales, became a writer in the finance and real estate industries, heard about SEO and wanted to learn more – found it an attractive career move because there is always something new to learn

— Peter Mindenhall (@PeterMindenhall) June 27, 2023

Q2 Put simply, what types of “SEO dark arts” exist and how they may impact a website?

There are a number of “dark arts” that exist. A few examples:

• entity poisoning
• brand jacking
• cloaking
• nefarious link building
• hacking and XSS injections

The purpose of dark SEO either to build a business up (artificially), or to disrupt a business.

it's definitely shocking, but I feel people should probably know about this rather than pretend it doesn't exist. Negative is SEO is a very real thing #vcbuzz

— Brian Kato (@katobkato) June 27, 2023

Entity poisoning has been a very interesting one I’ve seen recently. as we all know, entities and topical clusters are what help Google better understand a brand. However, entities can also be used to create confusion around a brand.

definitely. in most cases, it falls into one of the two categories: inflation of metrics or disrupting a business as day-to-day operations. #vcbuzz

— Brian Kato (@katobkato) June 27, 2023

I totally understand your perspective. However, consider a vertical like rec/med MMJ that has a market cap of $510 million – $2.1 billion. Follow the money and it's really simple to find people's motivation #vcbuzz

— Brian Kato (@katobkato) June 27, 2023

Q3 How to be proactive when it comes to negative SEO? How to get prepared?

Build your brand! One of the worst attacks I’ve seen recently involves brand poisoning. While entities aren’t anything new in the industry, I have recently seen them weaponized for negative SEO

It’s also important to understand the right mindset when considering how dark SEO arts work. While most content marketers are concerned with quality from the few, most dark arts are concerned with scale and volume.

I recommend any business taking audit of their links, mentions, and associated topical clusters (who’s linking to you). Look at the actual serp and see if there’s anything odd that pops up.

A3 #vcbuzz Maintain a solid site, hosting etc. Spammers are going to spam – learn about and know where and what to do about it (DMCA takedowns, cease and desists, handling forum owners tactfully etc)

— Peter Mindenhall (@PeterMindenhall) June 27, 2023

Q4 How to know if you are under attack? If there is a traffic dip, how to identify it is due to a negative SEO attack?

Oooh. This is a good question. The answer is “sometimes” you’ll get a heads up. If the person is an experienced negative SEO, you’ll see the attack once it’s far too late and the damage has already been done.

On a more obvious level, you can look for any anomalies in traffic or on the serp. I would not rely solely on an SEO tool. Take a look at how things are being rendered on the SERP from multiple locations.

Get familiar with reading source code. A good number of on-page exploits can be uncovered this way.

+10. It is key that marketers use their brains. Some things can't just be right. It ends up backfiring on your credibility #vcbuzz

— Montse Cano (@MontseCano) June 27, 2023

Take your website security seriously. I see a lot of people who have wide open gaps in their web security that can be exploited. One of the most common is leaving specific ports open or incorrect email records.

It frustrates me to no end, but nearly 80% of clients that I audit, have email records that can easily be exploited with just a simple line of code… leaving them wide open for phishing attacks and email spam.

A4 #vcbuzz A lot of the time you're probably not "under attack" – it will be something else entirely. Regular maintenance (periodic crawls – even if only partials) keep an eye on GSC and GA for erroneous urls etc

— Peter Mindenhall (@PeterMindenhall) June 27, 2023

A4. This is where regular audits and continuous monitoring can save the day, and more #vcbuzz

— Montse Cano (@MontseCano) June 27, 2023

Q5 What are your favorite SEO tools?

Google Analytics 4

@netpeaksoftware or @screamingfrog are absolutely MUST haves. I also frequently use @seopowersuite, @semrush, and @ahrefs

A good mix: Google Search Console for site/performance analysis, GA for conversions/channels, Ahrefs or Semrush for competitors, Screaming Frog for technical audits & other tasks, plus tools like Also Asked for topical analysis & chrome extensions (Ayima, Ahrefs, etc.). #vcbuzz

— Ethan Lazuk (@EthanLazuk) June 27, 2023

I’m also loving a number of AI tools for SEO. In particular, I’m really liking some of the browser extensions that enhance ChatGPT.

#A5 Also, you'll need @Majestic, especially when you're talking Dark Arts SEO, @oncrawl is good too #vcbuzz

— Remco Tensen (@RemcoTensen) June 27, 2023

A5 #vcbuzz Without question @screamingfrog been a user for years and it's paid for itself more times over than I can count to

— Peter Mindenhall (@PeterMindenhall) June 27, 2023

Our previous technical SEO chats:

• JavaScript SEO with @bart_goralewicz #vcbuzz
• WordPress Technical SEO with @_brendamalone
• Structured Data and SEO with @richiesnippets
• Core Web Vitals and Why Care with @Brad_Bauer
• Website Migration with @JacobStoops
• SEO after a Redesign with @JeffLouella
• Develop an Effective & Realistic Scope of Work for a Website Redesign with @JonMikelBailey
• Starting and Managing a Successful Niche News Website w/ Barry Schwartz @rustybrick
• How to Set up Fully Functioning, Living and Breathing Affiliate eCommerce Website with Patrick Coombe @pmkoom
• How to Improve Your Site Structure? with Bobby Kircher @bobbykircher
• SEO Migrations: Tips and Steps with @Renee_Girard
  SEO Entities and Google’s NLP with @KrystianSzastok

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Search engine optimization is one of those industries that has lots of tools, and every month there’s a new tool to test.

Which tools are you using?

Are you looking for more to play with?

Let’s discuss!

About @EthanLazuk

@EthanLazuk is an SEO professional based in Florida. He has been working as a digital marketer since 2015 and a full-time agency-side SEO since 2019.

Connect to Ethan on Linkedin!

Questions we discussed

Q1 How did you become a digital marketer? Please share your career story!

I was a grant writer for a non-profit organization and became a digital marketer somewhat by luck when I joined a digital agency’s content team. More and more I gravitated to SEO and soon it became my core focus.

Part of what I love most about SEO is that it’s a constant learning journey. I’m looking forward to sharing some of the tools I use and picking up tips from other digital marketers on what they’re using as well! #vcbuzz

Yes the changing digital landscape keeps its exciting and there is always something new to learn#vcbuzz

— Smita Poojary (@Smita_DigiMarke) July 11, 2023

Q2 Google Analytics has historically been our #1 tool to use. Now that it is switching to GA4, do you have any tips on how to transition smoothly?

My first thought is to get the GA4 property set up or migrated from UA as best you can from the start. Whether that’s using the Setup Assistant, following tutorials, or reaching out for assistance, you want accurate data.

I prefer ChatGPT for most tasks. Especially now with Link Reader and other plugins.

A2
Yes would totally agree to this
-Get specialised help from agencies or partners
– Watch tutorials and guides
-Ask for help to set it up accurately from the start
-Keep checking it to make sure it's setup correctly #vcbuzz

— Smita Poojary (@Smita_DigiMarke) July 11, 2023

Once you’ve got the GA4 data streams connected and are tracking the events/conversions you need, try building Explore reports. With custom reports, you can analyze your key data. Many great tutorials out there!

A2 I have mixed feelings about Google, so how about testing a new tool, e.g., @AnalyticsForWP? I wonder if Google will be able to fix the GDPR stuff in the future? #vcbuzz

— Martin Lindeskog🫖🧉 (@LyceumPeripatos) July 11, 2023

We may need to look beyond GA as well and aggregate other data sources, like GSC, CMS analytics, or other analytics tools. Looker Studio offers ways to visualize data, as can ChatGPT Code Interpreter.

A2 I hope everyone realizes they have to leave @GoogleAnaltics and migrate to #GA4 NOW

“Universal Analytics will no longer process new data in standard properties beginning July 1, 2023.Your data will still be in Universal Analytics until Dec 31, 2023." #vcbuzz

— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) July 11, 2023

Here's another I had handy for page exits. Can also be customized to your needs! #vcbuzz https://t.co/c08wj5pYAp. .

— Ethan Lazuk (@EthanLazuk) July 11, 2023

A2b Also, you really need to do THIS:

"In GA4, data defaults to only saving two months of data.

Change the default to 14 months. If you fail to change the default that data will be lost. Free GA4 only retains data for 14 months."

Details in https://t.co/JgrOXZrUqx #vcbuzz

— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) July 11, 2023

A4 I agree with @EthanLazuk that the smoothest transition has been to migrate over to GA4 – trying to preserve historic data.

But for all intensive purposes – GA4 is so overly complicated. One needs to search to hard find the info needed. It's unfortunate, at best.#vcbuzz

— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) July 11, 2023

I think it mainly comes down to they report differently. This article has some good insights! https://t.co/R2iDe9E2xT #vcbuzz

— Ethan Lazuk (@EthanLazuk) July 11, 2023

Q3 Which new (AI) tools were you excited to discover recently?

I’ve been increasingly using AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard and playing around on Google SGE or the new Bing since I first got access. But what I continue to discover are new integrations of AI in everyday places.

Being able to use ChatGPT in Google Sheets or AI text generation in CMSs like Shopify or WordPress or tools like Semrush and Ahrefs opens up ways to work efficiently and explore new possibilities, responsibly.

An AI tool I was excited to discover recently is ChatGPT Code Interpreter. (If you’re a Plus user, it should be available!) Upload data, like a GSC export, use a good prompt, and it can analyze, visualize, and organize data in cool ways.

It is! The sheets add-on was especially helpful for me lately. #vcbuzz https://t.co/kT88LCAgNI

— Ethan Lazuk (@EthanLazuk) July 11, 2023

Q4 Which tools have changed the way you do SEO?

It’s hard not to say ChatGPT first. From content research and editing to structured data or code validation, building regex for GSC, or analyzing data sets and more, I find myself using ChatGPT with greater frequency.

While not a tool, per se, I’ll also say using Google SGE has impacted how I think about SEO. While we don’t know what the final iteration will look like, SGE leads to interesting discussions for future SEO strategies.

+1 for @Buzzsumo! #vcbuzz

— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) July 11, 2023

I’ll also give a shoutout to tools like AlsoAsked and Keyword Insights that allow us to analyze PAA data, keyword clusters, or SERPs and expand our thinking about content opportunities and user intent/needs.

– Cora
– Frase
– ChatGPT (and the integrations with Sheets and Docs)
– ScrapeSpider (like Screaming Frog, but with CyberSec components as well)#vcbuzz

— Brian Kato (@katobkato) July 11, 2023

Relatedly, using the free Google Cloud Natural Language API demo can be a fun way to think about entities in content. (Surfer SEO or similar tools can likewise be helpful for this.)

I’d also say Microsoft Clarity was a game changer for me. Seeing user behavior across websites gave me new appreciation for design, CRO, and other disciplines that overlap with SEO.

Q5 Which SEO tools are you using on a daily basis?

I log into GSC daily to check for websites’ performance, trends, and issues. While not used daily, I also find Bing Webmaster Tools to have many helpful features, like its SEO Reports.

A5: GA4, GSC, Semrush, and a secret weapon for quickly checking a page: Blue Button extension for Chrome. #vcbuzz

— Don Dingee (@don_dingee) July 11, 2023

I also generally use a tool like Ahrefs or Semrush for competitor research or other insights, as well as Screaming Frog, often with GSC or other API data. There are also several Chrome extensions I couldn’t live without. (Ayima makes good ones!)

A5 SEO Tools
– screaming frog
– schema. org
– GSC
– G-Trends
– Bing WMT
– GBP
– chatgpt
– Google dev tools#vcbuzz

— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) July 11, 2023

The last tool I use daily is … Twitter. I try to log in throughout the day to see what other SEOs are writing about and sharing. I learn so much from others that fuels my own exploration and growth as an SEO.

A5 I use @Audience_Key and @surfer_seo almost every day I'm writing for clients. #vcbuzz https://t.co/JXnVkWECyh

— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) July 11, 2023

Our previous chats on SEO tools:

• ChatGPT & Other AI Tools for SEO with @pierrefar
• Tools to Boost Link Building Strategy with Anthony Randall @tonyxrandall
• Visual Content Marketing Tips, Trends and Tools: Open Mic
• How to Protect Yourself from the SEO Dark Arts with @katobkato
• SEO for a News Publishing Site with @KyleW_Sutton

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Content marketing can help you achieve many goals, including brand awareness, relationship building, organic visibility, etc.

But can it make your brand more trustworthy?

Here’s why and how to create trust-building content…

About @DebComanWriting

Deb Coman @DebComanWriting is a content conversion strategist and host of the #SocialTrust Twitter Chat.

She helps service-based business owners create, share, and engage with trust-building content to get more sales, referrals, and collaborations.

A frequent podcast guest and speaker, Deb was featured by BuzzSumo in their Top 100 Content Marketers to Follow Right Now and NOW Marketing Group’s Top 113 Digital Marketing Experts to Follow.

You’ll find her on almost all social media platforms and at DebComan.com

Questions we are going to discuss

Q1 How did you become a digital marketer? Please share your career story!

Q2 What is trust-building content? Which topics can help your brand build trust through content?

Q3 When and how can trust-building content be amplified?

Q4 How can you measure an impact? How to tell if you are doing the right thing?

Q5 What are your favorite content creation and marketing tools?

Our previous content creation chats:

• Content Creation Mistakes with @himani_kankaria #vcbuzz
• How to Engage Experts from Your Team in Content Creation with @CrystalontheWeb
• Content Creation Strategy for Nonprofits with @justincox
• International Content Creation Tips with @ZephSnapp #vcbuzz | ViralContentBee
• Creating Content Strategy that Drives Brand Growth @carmenhill
• Managing Content for a SaaS Brand with @JoshuaCHardwick

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Hashtags remain key to success on many social media networks, including Twitter and Instagram.

But how do you promote a hashtag for it to drive views and trends?

Let’s discuss!

About @RoseHorowitz31

Rose Horowitz @RoseHorowitz31 is a Pulitzer-nominated journalist and the founder of #WomentoFollow, which became a global hashtag that reached 12 million views in its first two weeks.

Rose has been published in The New York Times, Forbes, and created content for Citi’s Money and Life and Morgan Stanley.

Subscribe to her Youtube channel!

Questions we are going to discuss

Q1 How did you become a digital marketer? Please share your career story!

Q2 Please tell us about the #WomenToFollow hashtag and how you came up with the idea?

Q3 How did you promote the hashtag for it to generate so many views in such a short period of time?

Q4 Are you concerned about Twitter’s future now that there are so many questionable changes happening to the platform?

Q5 What are your favorite Twitter tools?

Our previous Twitter marketing chats:

• What is Twitter Spaces & Why Should Marketers Care with @ColfaxInsurance #vcbuzz
• How to Make the Most of Your Twitter Chat with Alan K’necht @aknecht #VCBuzz
• Get Your Content Re-Tweeted, Pinned and Shared on Auto-Pilot: ViralContentBuzz RSS Feature
• Twitter Marketing Productivity Twitter Chat with Tim Fargo @alphabetsuccess #VCBuzz
• Reputation Management Twitter Chat with Brittany Berger @bberg1010 of @Mention #VCBuzz
• Social Media Analytics Twitter Chat with Ruxandra Mindruta @RuxandraRux of @Brandwatch #VCBuzz
• Twitter Management Chat with @KirksFletcher of @swftsocial #VCBuzz

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Search Console is one those few SEO tools that I use on a daily basis (for a variety of sites).

Now with Google switching to GA4, I use it even more.

Let’s discuss the most useful reports inside Google’s search console and how to make the most of them!

About @MihaiAperghis

@MihaiAperghis is entrepreneur, SEO and tech geek. He is the founder of Vertify, creator of Search Analytics for Sheets and product expert in the Google Search Central Community.

Connect to Mihai on Linkedin!

Questions we are going to discuss

Q1 How did you become a digital marketer? Please share your career story!

Q2 What are your favorite reports inside Google Search Console which help you create an SEO strategy for a site?

Q3 Let’s talk about your awesome tool – Search Analytics for Sheets. How does it make Search Console data even more useful?

Q4 How to use Search Console (and your tool) to increase your organic traffic?

Q5 What are your other favorite SEO tools?

Our previous chats on SEO tools:

• Best SEO Tools with @EthanLazuk
• ChatGPT & Other AI Tools for SEO with @pierrefar
• Tools to Boost Link Building Strategy with Anthony Randall @tonyxrandall
• Visual Content Marketing Tips, Trends and Tools: Open Mic
• How to Protect Yourself from the SEO Dark Arts with @katobkato
• SEO for a News Publishing Site with @KyleW_Sutton

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Google officially announced their “Helpful content system” in 2022 with an official update.

Now that some time has passed, we have more data to evaluate how it may work and what it is Google actually wants.

About Rohan Ayyar @searchrook

Rohan @searchrook is no stranger to #vcbuzz. Not only is he joining our chats regularly to share great insights, but he has also hosted one on building an engaged email list.

Rohan Ayyar is an experienced marketer who has worked agency side as well as in-house in the SaaS industry, developing data-driven strategies for SEO, PPC, social media, and content marketing.

Questions we are going to discuss

Q1 To make it easier for us to understand, what’s Google’s official definition of “helpful content”?

Q2 Have you seen sites that were hit by this update that recovered rankings? What is it that they did?

Q3 How can content creators create more helpful content?

Q4 When doing content audit, how can an SEO consultant evaluate the helpfulness of content?

Q5 What are some SEO tools that can help audit and/or create helpful content?

Our previous SEO chats:

• How to Protect Yourself from the SEO Dark Arts with @katobkato #vcbuzz
• JavaScript SEO with @bart_goralewicz #vcbuzz
• WordPress Technical SEO with @_brendamalone
• Structured Data and SEO with @richiesnippets
• Core Web Vitals and Why Care with @Brad_Bauer
• Website Migration with @JacobStoops
• SEO after a Redesign with @JeffLouella
• Develop an Effective & Realistic Scope of Work for a Website Redesign with @JonMikelBailey
• Starting and Managing a Successful Niche News Website w/ Barry Schwartz @rustybrick
• How to Set up Fully Functioning, Living and Breathing Affiliate eCommerce Website with Patrick Coombe @pmkoom
• How to Improve Your Site Structure? with Bobby Kircher @bobbykircher
• SEO Migrations: Tips and Steps with @Renee_Girard
  SEO Entities and Google’s NLP with @KrystianSzastok

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Search engine optimization always consists of multiple repetitive tasks that need to be performed on a regular basis to advance your strategy.

These are hard to organize and complete because they don’t necessarily drive immediate results, so they may often be put aside.

And yet your SEO success relies on those tasks to be consistently completed, and here’s where an SEO workflow comes in handy…

About Ryan Jones

Ryan Jones has worked in SEO since 2015. He is a content creator for SEOTesting.com, covering most SEO topics but with a specific interest and expertise in testing and delivering ROI through SEO.

Subscribe to Ryan’s newsletter over at Marketing on Mondays!

Questions we discussed

Q1 Please tell us about your career in SEO and digital marketing! How did you become an SEO and an entrepreneur?

I (@RyanJonesSEO) started my career at 16, so very early on, via an apprenticeship with a local digital marketing agency. Immediately fell in love with digital marketing, and specifically SEO!

Since then, I’ve spent time in various positions across industries. I’ve worked in-house, for agencies and worked on my own freelance projects. Hard to believe, but I’ve worked in digital marketing for close to a decade now!

I am now the Marketing Manager at SEOTesting, responsible for growing the company through SEO, and other marketing methods including paid advertising, social media marketing & doing cool things like this!

The tool itself has been around for a while, started with @nickswan building a tool to meet his personal needs at the time, which then rolled into beta testing with a few friends and now launched a full-scale paid tool!

The position itself, I’d worked with Nick a few times on a freelance basis, and when the position (Marketing Manager) became a viable option for the business, we both saw it as a great fit. The thrill of working for a startup is like nothing I’ve had before!

Q2 Where does SEO testing fit into an SEO workflow?

SEO testing can fit almost anywhere within an SEO workflow! If you’ve got an SEO workflow to cover your entire strategy, from concept to “completion” then you can have a complete SEO testing strategy outlined within that.

It can also fit within various “smaller” SEO workflows, including content creation and optimisation. For example, you could have a process for testing content refreshes every 6-12 months outlined in a content workflow. SEO testing can measure the results of these!

I know @serpstat uses to have those "checklists" of tasks that need to be performed regularly (like content refresh, rankings check, etc.) These could be your templates! #vcbuzz

— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) August 15, 2023

#VCBuzz A2.

Personally, I view Testing as a distinct and separate process (nothing relies on it).

It doesn't technically "fit" into anything else,
it's an (optional) addition,
but will often itself be similar to an existing optimisation workflow.

— Darth Autocrat (Lyndon NA) (@darth_na) August 15, 2023

Q3 What exactly is an SEO workflow?

To put it as simply as possible, an SEO workflow is a set of steps that individuals and/or teams can follow to achieve a result when working on SEO campaigns.

It can be over-reaching, listing out the steps for an entire SEO strategy, or you can have an individual SEO workflow for different steps within your SEO strategy itself. Such as creating new content, refreshing outdated content or testing meta title changes!

It really depends on where your SEO workflow fits into your organisation. You could have a workflow for keyword research, content creation or even link building outreach.

For example, if you were setting out a workflow for content creation, an example of the steps could be:

• Competitor research.
• Keyword (cluster) research.
• Planning the content.
• Writing the first draft.
• Editing & review.
• Content amendments.
• Publish.

#VCBuzz A3.

A workflow is a described process.
It can be shallow/general (a sequenced checklist),
or it can be detailed (flow chart with conditions such as time, audience, or metric targets met or not etc.).

But the idea is the same:
everyone should know what, when, how.

— Darth Autocrat (Lyndon NA) (@darth_na) August 15, 2023

Q4 Do you need an SEO workflow?

No. You don’t need an SEO workflow. That being said… They are incredibly useful for business, of all types and sizes, to have in place.

Ensuring you have a good SEO workflow, or multiple workflows, in place is crucial for many business types.

It will allow you to become more efficient, keep processes in-place no matter who is working within a team. It will also allow you to train new starters up quickly in how you, as a business, do things.

Crucial for growing companies!

My general advice? If you’re regularly partaking in tasks such as:

• Content creation
• Link building and acquisition
• Content refreshes
• SEO testing
• Etc.

Then you should invest in creating some SEO workflows for you and your team to follow.

#VCBuzz A4.2

You'll also find that having documented procedures and processes makes it far (far!) easier when taking on new staff, or pushing work out to 3rd parties.
It permits them to get up to speed, faster – and meet a minimum level of "correctness" far sooner.

— Darth Autocrat (Lyndon NA) (@darth_na) August 15, 2023

Q5 Let’s talk about tools! Which tools should be used to create an SEO workflow?

You’ll need a project management tool like Monday or Asana to outline the steps within your SEO workflow/s, assign tasks and monitor the progress your team is making.

You’ll also need access to a suite of SEO tools, like Ahrefs, Semrush or SERanking! This will help massively with tasks like:

• Competitor research.
• Rank tracking.
• Backlink monitoring.
• Content research.

Collaborative tools are also crucial. At SEOTesting, we use Google’s suite including Google Drive, Google Docs and Google Slides. You can also use Microsoft Office and pair that with a file management system like Dropbox.

#VCBuzz A5.3

But, for me – the biggest one is Docs.

There's nothing like a well structured,
detailed set of files,
with good naming conventions,
that interlink (and ref. by name/section/para).

The difficulty is producing such items is costly,
and requires feedback cycles.

— Darth Autocrat (Lyndon NA) (@darth_na) August 15, 2023

Q6 Please tell us more about @seo_testing and how we can use it for various SEO tasks!

We have a suite of SEO testing tools to make SEO testing a quick and easy process, including:

• Single page tests.
• Group testing.
• Split testing.
• URL switch tests.

We’ve also created a large range of reports so you can make better use of your Google Search Console data! The data that you’d usually need to export, merge and spend precious time on, now can be viewed (in-app) at a glance!

Find queries and pages that have improved or declined in impressions and clicks, week on week. Find new keywords your site has just started to rank for. Find content that has decayed over 12 months. And much, much more!

Find more information at seotesting.com! We have a 14-day free trial with no credit card needed to sign-up. So you can start testing straight away and see how the tool can help you and your business!

Our previous chats on SEO tools:

• Making the Most of Google’s Search Console with @MihaiAperghis
• Best SEO Tools with @EthanLazuk
• ChatGPT & Other AI Tools for SEO with @pierrefar
• Tools to Boost Link Building Strategy with Anthony Randall @tonyxrandall
• Visual Content Marketing Tips, Trends and Tools: Open Mic
• How to Protect Yourself from the SEO Dark Arts with @katobkato
• SEO for a News Publishing Site with @KyleW_Sutton

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Gone are the days when we could easily track and reverse-engineer any given buying or decision making story.

These days this journey can start on one device, continue on a different device and finalize in days.

It is even more complicated in a B2B niche when this journey can also be shared among several people within a decision making unit.

This is where “omni-channel” lead generation comes into play. Let’s discuss!

***Add #VCBuzz chats to your calendar here.

***Please sign in here to follow the chat -> twchat.com/hashtag/vcbuzz

About @AaronWeiche

Aaron Weiche @AaronWeiche is co-founder and CEO of @Leadferno which powers businesses to create conversations and close more leads faster with omni-channel messaging.

Aaron is also co-host of the SaaS Venture podcast.

Questions we discussed

Q1 How did you become a digital marketer? Please share your career story!

Thanks for having me! I started my first business (Sports tours) in 1998 and needed to build a “web page” to help market it. I bought a few books, built my first website … which led to me building websites for other small business owners.

I fell in love with how fast the web evolves, the ability to create and market in so many new ways. I spent the next 15 years starting & running digital marketing agencies in the Minneapolis area. Web design, mobile apps, search, local SEO, social.

7 years ago I jumped from agency to software (SaaS). I was fortunate to join GatherUp, reputation management software. Ultimately became CEO, led it to being acquired in 2019. Now I have started @Leadferno to convert more leads, faster with text.

Q2 What does “omni-channel” mean and why is this term so hot these days?

Omni-channel is all about providing a seamless experience for consumers to communicate and buy from you. No matter their channel or device. Simply put “Meet your customers where they are”. Don’t make them do it your way, give them the options they want.

Omni-channel has boomed for a few reasons.

• 1- Customers WANT options & ease.
• 2- Channels are expanding with chat, text, messaging & how we can interact with them.
• 3- The ability to have process & tools to tie channels together is growing.

Q3 How can salespeople be trained to use an omni-channel approach?

Be prepared. Ask your prospects & customers how they want to communicate. MOST IMPORTANT -> Understand your sales process & how ANY channel can support that process at any step. Use the right tool at the right time!

A great salesperson today reads and reacts to process/communication needs and makes it EASY for the customer.

Q4 How can content help in omni-channel lead generation?

Great content can support & feed omni-channel lead gen really well! I love seeing companies/people positioned as experts, researchers, thought leaders. This makes it easy to ask questions because you build trust. You are the go to.

Then make asking questions EASY. You want questions, these are buying signals & opportunities to build relationship. A quick question over text, chat, messaging, email or a call should all be options. Get conversations started!!!

Include, and market that you have easy options to ask questions or engage. Write calls to action that promote the ease of interaction. “Questions? Just text us!” …. We’re the one to talk to & it’s easy to talk to us!

When using multiple channels, make sure to use link-in-bio tools to make it easier for your followers to find you elsewhere.

Q5 What is @Leadferno and how does it work?

@Leadferno helps businesses generate more website leads & close them faster. Prospects can text you right from your website & your business can respond from our shared inbox to SMS and Facebook messages in one app.

We do this by: 1- Making your calls to action (CTAs) always visible. 2- Make communication easy, 2-way texting and messaging is how more consumers want to communicate now. 78% of consumers want to text businesses.

We feel that SMS / texting is just getting started. Text WITH customers, not AT them. It’s a low barrier to entry, a known experience for the consumer, intuitive, quick. @Leadferno makes launching & managing messaging easy!

We’re about to publish some updated research. In our other studies we see a bit of swing, but not as much as you might think. Texting has really saturated the market across all groups.

We have customers using across B2B and B2C. The channel of text is powerful and each industry has it’s own benefits for supporting sales and service.

Yes, we have a desktop app making it easy for power users to really handle multiple conversations, transfer conversations to other team members and more. For the consumer, they’re just in their messaging app they use everyday!

Our previous lead generation chats:

• Twitter Lead Generation with Liz Evangelatos @AskForLiz
• Twitter Lead Generation with Angela Hemans @angelahemans
• Social Listening for Lead Generation with Magda Urbaniak @Meg_Urbaniak
• Creative Lead Generation and Conversion Optimization Tactics w/ @DeanLynn
• Lead Generation Tips and Tricks with Mike McDonald @MikeSMcDonald
• How to Build Leads with Creative Quizzes with @JeremyEllens @leadquizzes
• How to Generate Leads with Assessments, Surveys, & Quizzes w/ Stefan Debois @sde77 of @surveyanyplace

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