Brief Summary
Neil Patel discusses the future of digital marketing, highlighting the increasing competition and the need for businesses to adapt to thrive. He emphasises the shift towards omnichannel marketing, the importance of user metrics, the power of branding, and the necessity of focusing on conversion rate optimisation (CRO). He also touches on the value of mentorship and continuous learning to stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
- Digital marketing is becoming increasingly competitive, requiring businesses to adapt.
- Omnichannel marketing, user metrics, and branding are crucial for success.
- Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) is essential to maximise ROI.
- Mentorship and continuous learning are vital for staying ahead in the field.
Introduction: The Future of Digital Marketing
Neil Patel introduces the topic of the future of digital marketing, noting that the landscape is more competitive than many realise. He highlights the importance of understanding emerging trends and adapting strategies to not only survive but thrive. He emphasises that the insights he shares are based on extensive experience working with companies of all sizes, from Fortune 100 corporations to small businesses, and his unique position of working with platforms like Facebook and Google.
The State of the Web: Blogs, Companies and Voice Search
Neil presents some thought-provoking statistics about the current state of the web. He points out that there are over a billion blogs, questioning the need for more generic content. He notes that all enterprise companies are now leveraging digital marketing, and startups are primarily using raised capital for sales and marketing. He also highlights the increasing importance of voice search, which is expected to account for 50% of all searches, raising questions about monetisation strategies.
Marketing Spend and Conversion Rates by Channel
Neil analyses marketing spend by channel, noting that Google and Facebook dominate in terms of revenue and market cap. He explains that while SEO generates a lot of clicks, paid advertising often provides a better ROI due to its direct intent and targeted landing pages. He also observes that social shares are declining, indicating the need for paid promotion to gain traction on social media platforms.
Content Publishing and Organic Search Traffic
Neil discusses the shift in content publishing, with more content being distributed across multiple platforms like Medium, Tumblr, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. He clarifies that Google doesn't penalise duplicate content, encouraging marketers to republish content across various channels to maximise reach. He also notes that organic search traffic is increasingly directed to informational blog content, emphasising the importance of blogging for generating conversions.
Traffic Gains and ROI: Translations and Conversion Optimisation
Neil reveals that translations and updating existing content are the biggest drivers of traffic gains. He highlights the untapped potential of translating content into different languages to target less competitive markets like India and Brazil. He also emphasises that conversion rate optimisation (CRO) provides the biggest ROI for companies, despite often receiving the smallest investment.
Omnichannel Marketing and Competitive Analysis
Neil stresses the importance of omnichannel marketing, noting that it's becoming increasingly necessary to leverage all available channels due to market saturation. He suggests using tools like Semrush, WhatRunsWhere, BuiltWith, Ahrefs, and Wayback Machine to analyse competitors' strategies and identify opportunities for improvement. He shares an example of how Expedia improved their pay-per-click CPAs by going omnichannel.
User Metrics and Beating Google
Neil explains that user metrics are crucial for improving search rankings. He shares his experience of manually optimising pages in Google Search Console to improve click-through rates (CTR). He recommends using keywords like "how to," "list," "free," and "tips" in title tags and meta descriptions to attract more clicks. He also mentions ClickFlow as a tool for automating this process.
User Metrics on Social Media and the Importance of Comments
Neil highlights the importance of user metrics on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. He reveals that comments are the most important factor in determining how viral a post goes. He encourages viewers to leave comments on his Facebook posts to see the effect firsthand.
Branding: The Solution to the Cesspool
Neil emphasises the importance of building a brand, quoting Eric Schmidt, the ex-CEO of Google, who stated that "Brands are the solution, not the problem." He explains that Google and Facebook are increasingly relying on brand signals to combat fake news and determine which sites to rank higher. He recommends using email marketing, push notifications, and Messenger bots to keep your brand top of mind.
Building a Brand and the Rule of 7
Neil discusses the "rule of 7," which suggests that people need to see your brand multiple times before they remember it. He shares his experience of acquiring Ubersuggest and leveraging its existing brand recognition to generate more traffic. He also recommends using Google Correlate to identify related keywords and create content that helps people, ultimately building a stronger brand.
Traffic vs. Conversions: The Formula for Success
Neil shares a cautionary tale about his past startup, Kissmetrics, which had high traffic but failed to achieve a high valuation compared to its competitor, Mixpanel. He concludes that traffic alone is not enough and that the real formula for success is "traffic plus conversions cubed." He stresses the importance of focusing on conversions to maximise ROI.
Personalisation: The New Conversion Rate Optimisation
Neil argues that conventional CRO techniques like pop-ups are becoming less effective due to overuse. He suggests that personalisation is the new frontier of CRO, recommending the use of tools like Intercom to create personalised experiences for each user. He also highlights the importance of product tours and animated elements on checkout pages to improve conversions.
Thinking Like a Winner: Mentorship and Continuous Learning
Neil emphasises the importance of mentorship and continuous learning to succeed in digital marketing. He encourages viewers to find mentors, attend free events, and listen to podcasts like Eric Siu's "Growth Everywhere." He stresses that marketing never stops evolving, so it's crucial to continually test and learn. He advises focusing on low-hanging fruit, such as CRO, to stay ahead of the competition.
