SHAUN NESTOR

advisor to coaches and consultants

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  • Agencies & Brands

    Coronavirus could be “tipping point” for Work From Home (WFH)

    /

    Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, said the coronavirus crisis will be a “tipping point” for WFH programs. She expects that 25-to-30 million U.S. employees will regularly work from home within the next two years — up from 5 million who do so half-time or more now. What do you think? Has your business been altered by work from home? Are you expecting to maintain this? Adopt some elements? Go back to your previous routine? Link

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    Shaun Nestor

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    The Pandemic is Causing Us to Search for Less Biased News Sources

    April 16, 2020
    Inbound Marketing for Real Estate

    Inbound Marketing for Real Estate Professionals

    March 2, 2016

    3 Tips to Convert Your Existing Website to a Sales Machine

    August 11, 2014
  • 3 Tips to Rejuvenating a Stagnated Marketing Department
    Agencies & Brands

    3 Tips to Rejuvenating a Stagnated Marketing Department

    / No Comments

    Regardless of your business size, it can be difficult to know which tasks to keep in-house and which to outsource. The answer is different for virtually everyone. For example, if you are an accountant, outsourcing your bookkeeping does not make a lot of sense. However, if you are a travel blogger, it makes perfect sense to outsource your financial tracking. When it comes to marketing, there are a couple of popular trends: either keep marketing wholly in-house with a marketing department or outsource it entirely to a marketing agency or firm. What happens when you feel like your marketing has stagnated overall? Or how do you deal with an outside…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    Best Practices: Dos and Don’ts in Podcasting

    March 9, 2015
    Helpful Marketing Strategy

    I Don’t Know

    March 1, 2018

    How to Know Exactly What Your Prospect Is Thinking

    May 18, 2015
  • 5 Early Warning Signs of a Bad Client
    Agencies & Brands,  Leadership

    5 Early Warning Signs of a Bad Client

    / No Comments

    There comes a time in your freelancing career when you realize that the money just isn’t worth it. The money isn’t worth putting up with a bad client. Sometimes, it’s better to just walk away. As a freelancer, it took me a long time to realize I don’t have to accept every job that comes my way. Some extra cash is always nice, but today, I place more value on finding a good professional match. I would rather have three clients who I truly enjoy working with than six clients who I dread talking to. As a freelancer, you don’t have to accept every client. Sometimes it is best to walk away.…

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    Emily Esposito

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    How to Find and Identify the Right Mentor

    June 30, 2015
    Group around the campfire - Your Circle

    Your Circle

    March 27, 2018
    expedited service

    If Everything Is Expedited, Nothing Is

    December 23, 2014
  • Decline Freelance Projects
    Agencies & Brands

    The Polite Way to Turn Down Work

    / No Comments

    It may seem counterintuitive to have a plan to turn down work – but as many experienced freelancers and consultants can attest, not all clients are good fits for your services. An associate recently discovered this after spending a considerable amount of time going back and forth with a prospect on the terms of their work agreement. The longer the negotiations, the more wiry my associate felt about the entire relationship. Who can blame her, is this how the entire process would be with this client? Yes. In my experience, when a client is unreasonably difficult or demanding even before signing a contract, they are telegraphing their post-contract behavior. As a professional, and…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    Time Invested is Not Time Wasted

    Time Invested is not Time Wasted

    March 13, 2018

    How To Be Intentional With Your Time

    December 9, 2014

    How Contributing to Question & Answer Sites Boosts Your Marketing Efforts

    April 21, 2020
  • Script for firing a client
    Agencies & Brands

    How to Fire a Client [3 Scripts!]

    / No Comments

    We spend so much of our professional lives fearing that we’ll get fired from our jobs that when the tables turn, we have no idea what to do or say. Becoming a freelancer, consultant, or owning your agency means that you have the power and flexibility to take on the projects you want and work with the clients you like. That also means that you’ll inevitably be faced with firing a problem client, which can be as scary as getting fired yourself. Here’s a quick guide about why you’d want to fire a client, what to say, and how to do it: Why Would You Fire a Client? Not all…

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    Emily Esposito

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    Leadership Quotes

    Stop Waiting. Start Creating.

    December 4, 2015

    How To Develop a Social Media Strategy

    August 1, 2015
    Why You Should Publish Your Prices Online

    Why You Should Publish Your Prices Online

    May 7, 2015
  • Agencies & Brands,  Social Selling

    The Cost & Value of Qualified Leads

    / No Comments

    According to a recent study by Ascend2, 70% of B2B marketers cite improving the quality of their leads as the most important objective of a lead generation strategy. Spending time on less-qualified, or even not-qualified leads, is a costly initiative for any B2B entity. Not only is the sales team’s attention divided, but they spend an incredible amount of energy and time on folks who are not likely to close. It’s not enough to just get more things done, you focus on doing the most important things. Click To Tweet It is imperative for organizations to examine their current lead generation efforts and evaluate where time and resources could be better spent.…

    Read More
    Shaun Nestor

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    Helpful Marketing Strategy

    I Don’t Know

    March 1, 2018
    The Perfect Sales Pitch

    The Perfect Pitch: How to Excite Customers and Close Deals

    January 22, 2015
    How to respond when someone asks you out for coffee

    How to Respond When Someone Asks You for Coffee [Template]

    September 3, 2015
  • Marketing Automation Example
    Agencies & Brands,  Content & Inbound Marketing,  Social Selling

    3 Marketing Automation Ideas for Coaches and Consultants

    / No Comments

    Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could automate all your emails? And never have to type out another introduction email or thank you email again? Well, now you can. Sort of. Marketing automation can be intricate, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Click To Tweet With marketing automation, you can automate all your incoming business emails. You can trigger emails to send based on certain criteria, like sending a thank you email after someone refers a friend to your website. And the best part is: you don’t have to type a thing. It all happens automatically and behind the scenes. Contrary to popular belief, marketing automation is not reserved…

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    Emily Esposito

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    Facebook Hopes You Forget, Not Forgive

    January 15, 2021
    The Case for a Beautiful Website

    The Case for a Beautiful Website

    March 26, 2018

    [Webinar] 3 Ways to Generate Qualified Leads Through Social Media

    April 15, 2015
  • How to Deal with Client Change Requests During a Project
    Agencies & Brands

    How to Deal with Client Change Requests During a Project

    / No Comments

    We’ve all been there. Your client emails you three weeks into a project and requests a major change. This isn’t the kind of change that requires some minor copy edits or design tweaks. No. This is the kind of change the necessitates a complete redesign or a total revision of the project scope. You can’t stop clients from requesting project changes; but you can turn them into opportunities. Click To Tweet The bad news is that you can’t stop this from happening. All clients will inevitably change their minds at some point during a project. But, you can set expectations and mitigate these changes so you keep your sanity and…

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    Emily Esposito

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    How Social Media is Changing the Sales Process

    How Social Media is Changing the Sales Process

    September 1, 2015

    The Best Guide to SEO for Beginners

    January 22, 2014

    7 Tips for Writing Blog Headlines

    July 7, 2014
  • 4 Keys of Successful Agencies
    Agencies & Brands,  Leadership,  Pursuing Your Passion

    4 Keys of Successful Agencies

    / No Comments

    In real estate investing, there are a few key strategies successful investors use to mitigate their risk: Never over-extend yourself Buy in a single market that you can monitor, study, and understand Never buy based on emotion Look for an angle to add value to an existing investment Never manage a property from a distance With the right principles in place, the particulars take care of themselves. Click To Tweet Running your agency or consultancy is no different. Whether you are just starting or looking to grow, these strategies can make or break your business: Your Time Is Limited Do all you can to outsource what others can do. Develop a…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    I Have a Dream

    January 19, 2015

    5-Minute Guide: Getting Started in Podcasting

    February 23, 2015
    Overcoming Social Media Challenges

    How to Overcome The Biggest Challenges of Social Media Marketing

    July 13, 2015
  • Elements of a Social Media Sales Strategy
    Agencies & Brands,  Content & Inbound Marketing,  Social Selling

    3 Critical Elements of a Successful Social Media Sales Strategy

    / No Comments

    Imagine showing up to run a race and learning that there is no formal course. Or that your cross-country road trip partner has not planned a single detail between point A and B. Such is the same for marketers using social media without a clear goal. Creating an ideal customer persona does not lock you into an exclusive contract with this audience. It serves as direction behind your messaging. Click To Tweet Any social media marketing should be driven by a strategy. Having a map or blueprint of your action helps keep teams accountable, helps maintain consistency, and helps track ROI — the return on investment — for your social…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    5 Quick Wins for Brand Leaders on LinkedIn

    November 12, 2014
    Creating Content: Long-from or Short-form

    What Kind of Content Should You Create: Long or Short?

    February 23, 2016
    Social Media Sales Workshop

    Selling on Social Media Workshop – Today

    November 11, 2015
  • Agencies & Brands,  Content & Inbound Marketing,  Resources,  Social Selling

    Blab Just Changed Personal Branding With Live Embedding

    / No Comments

    I talk a lot about content marketing and personal branding. Moving forward, nearly every person will be their own “brand” regardless of their current employer. This is even more relevant for consultants, industry experts, coaches, authors, advisors — those of us whose livelihood depends on successful personal branding. For advisors and consultants, using Blab’s live embedding feature is a must for branding continuity. Click To Tweet   Blab’s Announcement This week, red-hot startup, Blab announced that users can now embed live Blabs on their own websites. This is awesome because your audience will see live Blabs, and never need to leave YOUR page. They can watch, chat, and call in — live. After the…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    Content Marketing Statistics for 2014

    February 10, 2014
    How to Respond to Negative Reviews Online

    Negative Reviews Are Opportunities Many Entrepreneurs Miss

    February 5, 2018
    Replacing Urgent with Important

    Replacing Urgent with Important

    February 24, 2016
  • Freelance vs Agency
    Agencies & Brands

    Freelance vs Agency: Which One Is Better?

    / No Comments

    Zero commute, working in your PJs, doing your laundry during the workday — freelancing sure sounds appealing, doesn’t it? But then you think about happy hour with colleagues, learning from incredibly smart, experienced colleagues, and working with big, national brands. And then agency life sounds pretty sweet, too. Agencies come with security, while freelancing brings flexibility. Click To Tweet It’s an age-old debate: agency or freelance? Freedom vs stability? Autonomy vs relationships? Freelance vs Agency: Which One Is Better? There’s no right answer, but here are some pros and cons of each: Freelancing: The Good Let’s start with arguably the biggest benefit of freelancing: flexibility. You can work where you…

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    Emily Esposito

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    How To Use a Buyer’s Journey to Increase Sales

    February 4, 2014

    How Much Does Content Marketing Cost?

    May 17, 2016
    B2B Sales Objections

    How to Overcome the Greatest Obstacle in B2B Sales

    September 5, 2016
  • Agencies & Brands,  Content & Inbound Marketing,  Leadership,  Social Selling

    Better Marketing

    / No Comments

    Once a year or so — usually around this time — I feel internally challenged to step up my writing, better my consulting, and improve my marketing strategy. Last year I launched Daily Marketing Minute, a 90-day personal challenge that was opened to the public. Better marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all. Click To Tweet This year, I’m fascinated with an aspect of true marketing: ads that people share. Regular people. Sharing ads. Now that’s marketing. What does it take to create an advertisement that delivers so much value that consumers are eager to share their experience with others? There are examples, here, here, here, here, and here. Those are the popular ones.…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    7 Life Hacks for Freelancers

    7 Life Hacks for Freelancers

    April 5, 2016
    3 Tips to Rejuvenating a Stagnated Marketing Department

    3 Tips to Rejuvenating a Stagnated Marketing Department

    August 15, 2016
    The Best Tools for Tracking and Growing Your Social Media Engagement

    The Best Tools for Tracking and Growing Your Social Media Engagement

    January 11, 2016
  • Pitching a Prospect
    Agencies & Brands,  Social Selling

    The Costly Misstep Agencies Make When Pitching A Prospect

    / No Comments

    Eight out of ten agency owners I speak with are making the same fatal mistake when pitching their services to prospects. That’s a full eighty-percent! Even more concerning is the misstep is so easily correctible. Once freelancers, consultants, and agencies realize how to fix this, they experience larger contracts, longer retainers, and higher close rate. Who wouldn’t want those things!? When you lead with value to the client, you close more sales at higher rates. Click To Tweet So what do so many agencies do that cause them to lose the sale? They show the value for themselves, not the prospect. It sounds simple, yet nearly every agency I work…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    Remove Frustration with Social Media Scheduling

    November 30, 2015

    How to Know Exactly What Your Prospect Is Thinking

    May 18, 2015
    4 Ways to Handle Unpaid Invoices

    How to Manage Unpaid Invoices

    July 13, 2016
  • Agencies & Brands

    Should You Charge Late Fees?

    / No Comments

    “Our bookkeeper is on vacation!” “It must have gotten lost in the mail!” “I never saw that invoice…” Here they come. The never-ending stream of excuses for late checks. Getting your clients to pay you on time is one of the most frustrating and most common issues you will face as an agency owner. But, however annoying it can be to constantly nag clients, managing late invoices comes with the job. If you regularly have to deal with the same group of late-paying clients, it may be time to consider imposing a late fee as part of your pricing model. Chasing checks every month costs you time, which will cost you money…

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    Emily Esposito

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    Leadership Quotes

    The Foundation of your Sales Strategy

    April 15, 2016

    The Most Important Customer Review of Bidsketch You’ll Ever Read

    January 21, 2014

    3 Major Reasons Your Marketing Efforts Are Not Successful

    August 1, 2015
  • Agencies & Brands,  Social Selling

    The Best Way to Approach New Clients

    / No Comments

    Client outreach is a huge part of business development. Yet most sales folks are stuck using methods that are outdated or just ineffective. Should you continue cold calls? Mass emails? The best way to approach a new client is to look for ways to genuinely build a relationship with them. Here are some tips on how to attract new clients Use Content To Share Your Expertise First, start with blogging about the needs of your clients. I would encourage you to create a blog schedule and begin publishing regularly. The topics of those blogs should be very, very specific to the needs of your ideal customer. For example, “3 Ways Your…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    On Difficult Times

    March 31, 2020
    Inbound Marketing for Real Estate

    Inbound Marketing for Real Estate Professionals

    March 2, 2016
    Leadership Quotes

    Everything Works Out In The End

    March 18, 2016
  • Why You Should Publish Your Prices Online
    Agencies & Brands

    Why You Should Publish Your Prices Online

    / No Comments

    You can find anything online. From stalking former high school friends to ordering your groceries, we have grown accustomed to accomplishing any task we want on the Internet. With millions of search queries right at our fingertips, we expect to find the information we need in seconds. And, when that information isn’t available, we move on to something else. Case in point: restaurants. I bet that you are more likely to go to a restaurant with 50 Yelp reviews than a restaurant with zero reviews. In the absence of information, we grow suspicious. When information just can’t be found, we immediately start having doubts. The fear of being undercut is an advantage for…

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    Emily Esposito

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    How B2B Trade Shows can Benefit from Social Media

    February 6, 2014
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    Professional vs Personal Social Media Profiles: How to Differentiate

    August 13, 2015
    Operating with strategy takes intent and determination

    2018 Is The Year of Strategy

    January 10, 2018
  • Agencies & Brands

    How to Tell Your Clients You’re Raising Your Prices

    / No Comments

    It’s hard enough asking your boss for a raise. But, it’s a whole new ballgame when you’re the boss and you decide to increase your rates. First, it can be hard to tell if you are really justified in charging more for your services (you don’t have someone like a boss to “approve” the raise). You also don’t want to come across as greedy to your clients. And, it can be really challenging and uncomfortable to figure out how to tell your clients you’ve essentially given yourself a raise. Well, it turns out, these two scenarios are more similar than they may seem. In both cases, you have to be…

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    Emily Esposito

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    The 3 Biggest Pricing Mistakes

    April 21, 2015
    Establishing Thought Leadership and Authority

    Establishing Agency Thought Leadership and Authority

    January 15, 2015
    How to Find and Work with Freelance Writers

    Inside Scoop: One Writer’s Tips on How to Find and Work With the Best Freelance Writers

    March 15, 2016
  • Agencies & Brands

    The 3 Biggest Pricing Mistakes

    / No Comments

    Pricing is one of the trickiest things about starting a business. Why? Because we all get scared about setting prices. If you charge too much, you’ll lose clients. If you charge too little, you’re leaving money on the table. If you’re charging the same rates as your competitors, you’re just being a copycat (and you’re not placing enough value on the unique services you provide). With something so important as pricing, you can’t afford to be scared or unsure. Your agency’s success and growth depend on the money you’re bringing in. Period. You could provide the best content creation services in the whole city, but if your pricing is off, you just won’t…

    Read More
    Emily Esposito

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    Script for firing a client

    How to Fire a Client [3 Scripts!]

    March 1, 2016
    How to Write Successful Case Studies That Land You More Clients

    How to Write Successful Case Studies That Land You More Clients

    July 18, 2016
    How to Achieve Work-Life Balance as a Freelancer

    How to Achieve Work-Life Balance as a Freelancer

    May 11, 2016
  • Agencies & Brands,  Social Selling

    Respond Within 10 Minutes for Best Results

    / No Comments

    “Respond within 10 minutes for best results.” That is the helpful tip found on the bottom of every email notification real estate giant Zillow sends to agents. It is no surprise that a quick response to a prospective client, regardless of the industry, results in improved close rates and overall customer satisfaction. The early bird gets the worm, as they say. Here are 3 quick tips to improve your response time to prospective customers 1. Use Marketing Automation The use of automated marketing has up-ended the sales process in recent years. Tools like Marketo, HubSpot, SalesForce, and ActOn have made it fairly easy to create workflows and triggers to separate…

    Read More
    Shaun Nestor

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    How to Know Exactly What Your Prospect Is Thinking

    May 18, 2015
    content marketing strategy

    23 MORE Industries That Can Benefit From Content Marketing

    September 10, 2015
    Give Thanks

    What if Giving Thanks Included More Giving

    November 25, 2015
  • Agencies & Brands

    Cultivating a Culture of Confidence Within Your Agency

    / No Comments

    Confidence is extremely sexy. Just ask anyone in the dating scene, a mate with confidence is attractive. In fact, a recent survey from Men’s Fitness Magazine found that nearly 80% of women identified self-confidence as the sexiest trait a man can possess. (Men, let’s be careful not confuse confidence with arrogance. One is desirable, the other is repulsive.) Obviously confidence is a big deal in the dating scene. But what does it have to do with running an agency? Turns out, the parallels between developing a romantic relationship and a business relationship are quite similar. That said, it stands to reason that a prospective client wants to see confidence exuding…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    Knowing where to start your marketing efforts

    Where Are You Starting?

    January 31, 2018
    How to Grow Your Business Through Referrals

    8 Tips to Build Your Business With Referrals

    January 27, 2015

    Pay What You Want Marketing Consulting

    December 20, 2019
  • Agencies & Brands

    Money on the Table: How to Price Your Agency’s Services

    / No Comments

    Isn’t it funny how much of a difference pricing can make? A t-shirt that costs $12.00 may seem overpriced, but $9.99 seems so much more affordable, even though the actual difference is only two dollars. Pricing is so much more than numbers and monetary value. It can say a lot about quality of services, competition, and value. And, it’s a tricky thing. If you price too low, you may not be able to sustain growth and you’re less likely to go the extra mile. If you price too high, you get beat out by a lower-cost competitor. Pricing is so much more than numbers and monetary value. It can say…

    Read More
    Emily Esposito

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    The Importance of Client Onboarding

    November 18, 2014

    An Attitude of Gratitude

    November 27, 2014

    Best Practices: Dos and Don’ts in Podcasting

    March 9, 2015
  • Agencies & Brands,  Content & Inbound Marketing,  Social Selling

    How Top Producing Real Estate Agents Use Blogging [Quick Tip]

    / No Comments

    The key to using a blog to attract new customers is to identify the burning questions your customers are asking — and answer them. “But what about giving away all of my trade secrets?” “What if my competitors read what I’m writing?” You will never cannibalize your business by providing valuable information to your prospective client; in fact, just the opposite. The more you share, the more trustworthy and credible you are in the eyes of your visitors. Hint: if you can give away all your knowledge, you are 1) not continually learning, 2) not an expert. Hint: if you can give away all your knowledge, you are 1) not…

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    Shaun Nestor

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    Leadership Quotes

    Success Takes Time. Don’t Quit

    January 1, 2016

    What are the topics to write about for a digital marketing agency as a content creator?

    April 13, 2018
    Facebook homepage after privacy disaster

    Social Media Privacy?

    April 18, 2019
  • Agencies & Brands,  Content & Inbound Marketing

    Setting the Course: Creating a Strategic Plan for Your Agency

    / No Comments

    To say agency life is busy may be an understatement. Work isn’t confined to the normal 9-5 schedule, and it can feel like there are never enough hours in the day to find new business, make sure existing clients are happy, contribute to projects, and lead a team of employees. Oh, and you still need to make time to think about the future of your agency and where you want to be in the next five years. Creating a strategic plan for your agency can easily fall on the backburner. It can seem like there are more pressing issues in the present, like an unhappy client or an impending deadline.…

    Read More
    Emily Esposito

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    How to Weave Your Passion Into Everyday Life

    How to Weave Your Passion into Your Everyday Life

    July 9, 2015
    How Does Content Marketing Generate More Sales

    How Does Content Marketing Generate More Sales?

    January 13, 2016
    Your Best Birth! Online Childbirth Education Course by Alise Marsh

    Your Best Birth! Online Childbirth Education Course by Alise Marsh

    February 17, 2018
  • Agencies & Brands,  Pursuing Your Passion

    9 Keys to Finding Your Agency’s Passion

    / No Comments

    I believe each day is a blank canvas of opportunity or disappointment. Sure, there are days when nothing seems to “go right”, but there is an overarching joy found when you actively pursue your passion. When things get hard, it is important to maintain focus on that internal passion to overcome the challenges you’re experiencing. There are some things you just can’t teach, like passion and excitement. – Laurie A Meacham As an agency owner or leader within your organization, the job is even harder because your team expects you to fearlessly lead and keep the course. If you find yourself wavering, or lacking that internal drive, I’ve outlined 9…

    Read More
    Shaun Nestor

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    Give Thanks

    What if Giving Thanks Included More Giving

    November 25, 2015
    Knowing where to start your marketing efforts

    Where Are You Starting?

    January 31, 2018

    Best Practices: Dos and Don’ts in Podcasting

    March 9, 2015
  • The Perfect Sales Pitch
    Agencies & Brands

    The Perfect Pitch: How to Excite Customers and Close Deals

    / No Comments

    As Don Draper of Mad Men once said, “You are the product. You feeling something. That’s what sells.” When you pitch potential clients, you embody your agency and the services provided. Your confidence, manner of speaking, body language, and personality can build long-lasting relationships or come off as a sleazy sales pitch. When you pitch potential clients, you embody your agency and the services provided. Click To Tweet Not all of us can be as smooth as Don Draper, with his immaculate suits and Old Fashioneds. But, we can learn how to excite potential customers and close the deal: How to Excite Potential Clients Case studies Customer success stories and…

    Read More
    Emily Esposito

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    Leadership Quotes

    To get more clarity

    March 11, 2016

    Money on the Table: How to Price Your Agency’s Services

    February 16, 2015

    How To Develop a Social Media Strategy

    August 1, 2015
  • Establishing Thought Leadership and Authority
    Agencies & Brands,  Leadership

    Establishing Agency Thought Leadership and Authority

    / No Comments

    Would you like your agency to be seen as the ultimate expert in your space? Do you want to improve brand awareness and visibility to new audiences? Do you want to uncover exciting data and trends? All of that can start with a blog post. Well, it’s not as simple as that, but it’s a great starting point. Establishing agency thought leadership requires a well thought-out strategy to write helpful content, establish your voice on social media, and build up your brand through guest posting and original research. Establishing thought leadership and authority attracts the right clients to your business. Click To Tweet The key to branding yourself as an…

    Read More
    Emily Esposito

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    How to Tell Your Clients You’re Raising Your Prices

    April 30, 2015
    3 Reasons You Need to Start Using Content Marketing Today

    3 Reasons You Need to Start Using Content Marketing Today

    August 9, 2016
    How to Start Blogging for Your Business

    How and When to Start A Blog For Your Brand

    August 3, 2015
  • an agency roadmap
    Agencies & Brands

    An Agency Roadmap for 2015

    / No Comments

    As we kick off 2015, I am excited to introduce a series revolving around the success of your agency. Over the next 6 weeks, I will be delivering real advice for agency owners and independent consultants. My true passion is helping others unlock their passion. I believe when you are aligned with your calling, there is a unique fulfillment that cannot be manufactured. It comes only from living out your calling. Going forward, I will be talking about unshackling the chains that hold us back as agency owners and consultants. Ultimately, we are called to be leaders for our employees and families; with that in mind, we need to be…

    Read More
    Shaun Nestor

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    Books I Read in 2017

    December 22, 2017
    blue and white logo guessing game

    Facebook Hopes You Forget, Not Forgive

    January 15, 2021
    How to Attract More Backlinks to Your Site

    How to Attract More Backlinks To Your Website

    March 24, 2016
  • Agencies & Brands

    10 Timeless Marketing Resolutions for Agencies

    / No Comments

    Around this time of year, it is easy to make “New Years Resolutions”, but what about resolutions in general? Here is a list of 10 marketing resolutions agencies should consider regardless of the time of year. 1. Make your agency website the authority for prospective clients. 2. Create a content marketing strategy that centers around the client, their needs, their business, and their problems. 3. Get out of the traditional agency advertising mentality. If you need to try something new, do it. Experiment. 4. Always be thinking mobile-friendly (seriously, we still have to talk about this?) 5. Explore new platforms: video, podcast, interviews, skywriting, book publishing, or collaborations. 6. Always be…

    Read More
    Shaun Nestor

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    Leadership Quotes

    When You Can’t Lead Others

    February 19, 2016

    How to Tell Your Clients You’re Raising Your Prices

    April 30, 2015

    Passion or Hobby? Take This Quiz to Find Out

    July 23, 2015
  • Metrics to Measure for Agency Health
    Agencies & Brands

    27 Metrics for Monitoring Your Agency’s Health

    / No Comments

    How are you doing? No, really. How are you doing? How is your agency doing? Here are 27 metrics for measuring the health of your agency going into the new year: Sales revenue Referrals Pageviews Time on page Bounce rate Page load time Conversion rate Ranking key-phrases Social media advocates Customer attrition / churn Number of blog posts published Mailing list subscribers Premium content offers Employee satisfaction Cost of client acquisition Operating productivity Gross margins Monthly profit / loss Overhead costs Inventory on hand Hours worked per process Client lifetime value Product metabolism (how fast you release updates) Customer support / helpdesk scores Year-Over-Year sales Product revenue percentage Accounts Receivable…

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    Agencies & Brands

    Proposals? Statement of Work? Quote? Agreements?

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    What does your agency call the document you send to clients before starting work? According to a survey of agencies by the team over at Podio, the actual terminology varies greatly, but “Proposal” took the lead with 73% of the votes. Does it matter if the document is called a proposal? Quote (44%)? Statement of Work (23%)? Recommendation (8%)? Agreement (26%)? Contract? Something else entirely? The varied responses point to a “sense of an organic, evolving process that varies from agency to agency, client to client, and project to project” the Podio team reported. I hope agency owners can take away a key lesson here: There is no right or…

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    When creating a sales pitch or slide deck, it is easy to start with information about your company. It is natural, since we want to convince the prospect that they are in good hands and can trust us. Scratch that. You must understand the client’s hierarchy of needs and create a succession of ‘yeses’. 5 Key Elements to a Well-Structured Sales Proposal 1. Emphasize The Client’s Needs, Goals, and Objections Clearly repeat the needs of the client to reinforce that you have their interest in mind. Articulate the goals, as you understand them, and the objections they are facing. This establishes the issue and sets a clear starting point for your…

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    Twice I have made the same mistake. The third time, I am learning.  🙂 In two different businesses, in two different places, in two different markets, I made the same mistake. That is, not talking about the project soon enough, loud enough, or often enough. There is a balance between keeping a lid on a project, leaking just enough information at just the right time, and operating in stealth mode. When you are working on your next project — whatever it may be — consider your realistic timeline for announcing it. If prospective customers don’t know you exist, they won’t know to buy. Jeff Walker, Michael Hyatt, Seth Godin (here,…

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    Agencies & Brands

    What Will Kill Your Agency

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    Most agencies have likely performed a SWOT analysis; it seems almost like Business 101, by now. But what about answering the question, “What will kill us?” What does your business truly depend on? What is the root source of your success? While reading Arun Sundararajan compare and contrast the cultural differences between Airbnb and Uber, I was reminded of insane lengths Airbnb will go to for their customers. Adam Jackson discovered that one of his guests had stolen a pizza cutter from his kitchen, so he tweeted about it and Airbnb overnighted a new one to him with this cute apology note. You see, Airbrb understand that their business relies on…

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    Hope For The Best

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    “It used to be, you would take an ad out in the Yellow Pages, get a few signs, and hope for the best.” Except times have changed; and ‘hoping for the best’ is not a strategy. Any marketing strategy, regardless of your marketing budget, product, brand, reach, or target, should be: Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely What is a SMART Goal? Specific includes what you want to accomplish and how you intend to accomplish it. Who, what, where, when, how, and why? Measurable means a quantifiable unit to gauge the overall success of the campaign. How will you demonstrate that the goal was met? Attainable means understanding the current limits of…

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    How Answering Frequently Asked Questions Can Be A Sales Asset

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    Likely, in the course of your daily business, you answer the same questions over and over. Perhaps you have answered them on the phone or via email to customer inquiries. Take a few moments to format these responses into blog posts and publish them on your website. These new frequently asked questions will serve as entry points for new sales prospects as they search the web for answers; the posts also serve as a quick resource to send to customers – freeing up you and your staff to keep the business moving. — About the Daily Marketing Minute The Daily Marketing Minute is my project for the last quarter of…

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    Onboarding, the “getting started” process of bringing on a new client, user, or member, is perhaps the most critical element to the long-term success of that user. As agencies, we spend a considerable amount of time focused on acquiring leads, nurturing them to prospect, and closing them as a new customer … … then what? The Onboarding Phase of your organization sets the tone for the balance of the relationship. The client deserves to know what to expect next. What are the expectations? What do they need to do? What are you going to do? What happens if someone fails those expectations? Onboarding a client sets the tone for the…

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  • Agencies & Brands,  Content & Inbound Marketing,  Leadership

    Don’t Build Your Castle In Another Man’s Kingdom

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    Online, it is easy to chase the latest platform. For brands, it is especially easy to drop everything to explore uncharted territory to be the first to market. This exploration, however, often causes brands to abandon their previous outposts in search of a new promised land. Social media platforms are outposts. Use them to reach new lands, new markets, and new followers. Click To Tweet Worse still, is building your entire castle where an outpost ought to be. An outpost is a listening station; used to observe and report back to the main castle. Outposts can be won and lost in the changing tides of war. Castles are controlled and…

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  • Agencies & Brands,  Content & Inbound Marketing

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    “I wanna talk about me.” More than just a song by Toby Keith, “I wanna talk about me”-mentality is the number one mistake brands make on their blog. Take a step back, read your last 5 blog entires. Are they brand-focused or buyer-focused? When you write for your audience, you transform the relationship from buyer-seller to buyer-advisor. — About the Daily Marketing Minute The Daily Marketing Minute is my project for the last quarter of 2014. Each day, I will deliver bite-sized, fat-free nuggets of sales and marketing insights. In an increasingly noisy sales and marketing world, it is easy to lose track of why you do what you do. Ultimately,…

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    5 Quick Wins for Brand Leaders on LinkedIn

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    LinkedIn is the social hub for B2B networking. In fact, it is the number one source for referral traffic to the Never Mind Marketing site. So how can you use your LinkedIn profile to attract new visitors, close more sales, and build deeper professional relationships? Look at these five LinkedIn tips that you can tackle before lunch: 1. Profile Picture Members with a profile picture get 14x the number of views. Have a crisp, clean headshot that shows the real you — not some posed, awkward, fake smile. People want the real you and, as humans, we are able to detect deceptive smiles in an instant. 2. Accurate Headline Use…

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    Of course, shipping is just a placeholder for: Publishing your work Calling that client Requesting the referral Writing the blog post Sharing your expertise Booking that speech Asking for the promotion Enrolling in continued education Creating your own learning series Seeking out the ideal customer Reaching out for a donation What are you waiting for? It is easy to come up with excuses and many reasons why not — but they are never the root cause. They are innocent victims easy to pick on. They don’t fight back. They are vague. They are opaque. No, ultimately it is the fear of not being perfect that holds us back. If you…

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    Attention, Chief Marketing Officers, There are changes in your industry that you need to be aware of. These are transitional moments that will define the next generation of marketers and separate the prosperous from the lacking. Your buyers are mobile: They access your content on multiple screens and from multiple geographical locations. Your marketing campaigns must be responsive to the viewing device (phone, tablets, desktop, etc) and physical location (think of the opportunities for brick and mortar stores) Your buyers are ready to meet: Your marketing plan needs to meet the needs of the buyer where they are. Intimately understand your buyer’s decision-making cycle(s) and know how to reach them at each level. One-size-fits-all…

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    Notice I didn’t say new customers. Or prospects. Closed business – people that actually pay you money for your products or services – should have the biggest impact on your go-forward marketing. Those who have opened their checkbook, signed the dotted line, and accepted the handshake have great insights that you need to acknowledge. Why did they choose you? Where did you hit a home run? What made you stand out — good and bad — from your competition? This is one of the most treacherous times and one of the best times to let your closed customers influence your marketing strategy. But (and it’s a big but) you have…

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    The line between traditional advertising and digital advertising is beyond blurred — it no longer exists. And you don’t have to choose between traditional and digital. They should support and promote one another for greater impact. Regardless of platform, your marketing strategy is to strengthen your brand’s relationship with customers. — About the Daily Marketing Minute The Daily Marketing Minute is my project for the last quarter of 2014. Each day, I will deliver bite-sized, fat-free nuggets of sales and marketing insights. In an increasingly noisy sales and marketing world, it is easy to lose track of why you do what you do. Ultimately, I believe that relationships will transcend the daily grind we face…

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    Set Yourself Up For a Successful 2015

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    Next week marks the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2014. Wow! It is hard to believe that 2014 flew by with barely a wink and a nod! For the final quarter of the year, I am focusing my efforts on delivering daily, bite-sized nuggets of inbound sales and marketing insights for busy business owners and managers. In an increasingly noisy sales and marketing world, it is easy to lose track of why you do what you do. Ultimately, I believe that relationships will transcend the daily grind we face in sales and marketing. Each day, I’ll share insights and tips to grow your business and connect with your customers…

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    Here in the US, this day serves as the unofficial end of summer. Where school buses and shorter days wait just around the corner. Labor Day was first introduced to recognize the hard work – the actual labor – of the industrial revolution. Days were long. Work was hard. It was laborious. Seth Godin puts it well: In the old days, we could measure how much grain someone harvested or how many pieces of steel he made. Hard work meant more work. Now, we have confused the act of laboring in the field or factory with “hard work”. Often, work made harder through our own internal motivators. He goes on to say:…

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    Business isn’t easy, here are 11 business survival tips for young start-ups or old pros. They serve as good reminders to keep the plain things the main things. Happy Friday 1. Be Willing To Learn Everyday 2. Have the Desire to Make A Real Difference   3. Dedication Runs Deeper than 9-to-5   4. Resist the Urge to Sell. Be Helpful Instead   5. Connect With the Right People 6. Embrace and Be Comfortable with Change   7. Take a Consultative Approach   8. Differentiate From the Pack   9. Always be Ready to Negotiate   10. Inspire Everyone Your Speak With   11. Tell Great Stories   Slideshare 11 Essential…

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    $10,000 Worth of SEO Advice: Free

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    Here it goes, advice I charge companies $10,000 to receive – available to you for free. How do I rank #1 in search engines like Google or Bing? How do I attract more website visitors? How do I convert more visitors to leads? How to I show up for more than just one keyword in search engines? How do I demonstrate authority and expertise within my industry? How do I attract more interest from news organizations and media outlets? How do I demand top-dollar for my products or services? How do I get more fans on Facebook or more followers on Twitter? How do I combat negative reviews? How do…

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    As a small business owner — and a nerd — I am always seeking out new technologies that will improve the efficiency of the Never Mind Marketing process, both internally and for our customers. When it comes to drafting proposals and estimates for clients, many agencies simply slap a new client name on the coversheet and call it good. Very little thought goes into the actual content and salesmanship of the document responsible for securing growth within your company. This is a horrible way to approach getting new clients and referrals! For a long time, we were using an outline found within the book, Getting Started In Consulting by Alan…

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Hi! I’m Shaun Nestor.

I bring clarity to coaches, consultants, leaders, and entrepreneurs who feel lost, overwhelmed, or frustrated by the challenges of running a business.

Schedule a Consultation

Recent Posts

  • Comments are dying
  • Facebook Hopes You Forget, Not Forgive
  • Cautionary Advice about Facebook’s Paid Online Event feature
  • Your Brand Community
  • Coronavirus could be “tipping point” for Work From Home (WFH)

About Me

I have been a digital marketing and business strategist for more than 15 years and thrive by helping business owners and leaders remove frustration and gain the clarity needed to market their business.

Too often, I see business lead get bogged down in the technical weeds and lose sight of their passion.

I’m here to bring clarity to the process.

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Copyright © 2021 Shaun Nestor | All Rights Reserved
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