Lindsey has been in marketing and business development for more than 15 years. She started out deep in the trenches of email list building by collecting emails on a clipboard at a local bar and agonizing over terrible handwriting (beer really does wonders for fine motor skills) as she hand-entered these emails into her email system.
Luckily, email list building has come a long way since then – and so has she.
In her decade + of experience, she has written a book, launched her own coaching business which she took from 0 to 6 figures in 8 months, spoken at all sorts of conferences all the country, taught college courses on digital marketing, left her mark on the health and wellness industry, and encountered pretty much every type of marketing platform that can be imagined (and created, as the industry has evolved).
How did you get into Digital Marketing? What interested you in learning Digital Marketing?
Lindsey Morando: I really fell into marketing years ago. The only thing I knew when I graduated from college was that I really liked talking to people. Marketing seemed to be the best way to do it! I transitioned into launching digital brands in 2011 when I was the Marketing Director for a fitness facility.
The owner had a large personal brand, and we needed to take his products from DVDs to digital. At this point, I started to learn more about funnels and launches and loved being able to build things from the ground up.
According to you, what are the advantages of conventional marketing over Digital Marketing? Do you think that Digital Marketing is a threat to the future of conventional marketing?
Lindsey Morando: I actually think that they go hand in hand and they share a ton of the same principles. Take for example a lead magnet. You need a lead magnet to collect email addresses and introduce people to your brand. From there, people get to know you and potentially end up buying from you, if you provide enough value.
If you looked at that example in conventional marketing, it would be giving someone a free 14-day gym trial to come into the gym, try it out, and hopefully they become a member. Or going to the grocery store and getting a food sample and then buying what they are trying to promote.
Share about your 3 favourite Digital Marketing case studies. What did you like most about them?
Lindsey Morando:
- ChordBuddy: With this one, we originally used Hello Bar to collect email addresses. We were collecting about 1000 email addresses per month but we weren’t getting the sales we wanted! So we changed one thing, instead of asking for an email to get the discount, we actually just allowed people to click the button to get the discount! With that one change, we increased emails by 50%.
- Hellobar.com: We did a simple test with a pop-up that had no real graphics, just the text-sharing that 98% of your website visitors are leaving without taking action, let us show you how to save them. This helped us bring in an additional 900 sign-ups per month! We used a page takeover on exit.
- Nutrition Secrets: We were collecting around 10 email addresses per day on the site. We created a quiz and displayed it on a pop-up upon exit. We started collecting 50 email addresses per day from this.
According to you, what are the top 3 mistakes committed by organizations today in leveraging Digital Marketing?
Lindsey Morando:
- Showing Up On Every Platform: Too many people are spreading themselves thin. They are on every social media network and as a result, they aren’t able to build strong communities on any of them.
- Not emailing your email list with valuable content: There is a ton of focus on collecting emails and growing your list. I find that too many people forget about the most important part, nurturing your list! You have to provide valuable content to keep your list engaged.
- Not Showing Up On The Right Platform: I find that business owners aren’t actually taking the time to evaluate where their ideal clients are online. As a result, they are often times marketing to the wrong audience or in the wrong place!
Between Agency and In-house, which approach would you recommend for a maximum value of Digital Marketing? Why?
Lindsey Morando: This depends on budget and team. I am a firm believer in outsourcing what you are not best in the world at! That is where agencies can come in.
How do you ensure increasing Digital Marketing’s relevance and influence in the organization?
Lindsey Morando: I think you have to educate the team! When you learn, teach the team!
Which are your 3 favourite Digital Marketing Tools?
Lindsey Morando:
- Hellobar of course!
- I love canva.com
- Leadquizzes is great
Why do you think it’s important for entrepreneurs, marketing professionals and students to learn Digital Marketing today?
Lindsey Morando:
- For Entrepreneurs: It is how people are communicating and buying. You have to get in front of your audience and the majority of buyers are online.
- For Professionals: I find that a lot of organizations and corporations are behind on digital marketing. Learning all about it can allow you to apply it in your role and bring added value to your company.
- For Students: It is a great skill to learn because most jobs are requiring it! This will give you the extra edge you need in the job market.
What are the top 3-5 skills you look for when hiring a candidate for Digital Marketing profile?
Lindsey Morando:
- Are they using it themselves?
- Community Building: Building a community online is KEY. I look for those that know how to grow a community of raving fans.
- Are they educating themselves on how digital is continuing to change and evolve?
What is your advice for newbies, who are looking at building a career in the Digital Marketing industry?
Lindsey Morando: The best thing you can do is pick an area of digital and become an expert in it! Do this through taking courses, attending conferences, finding a mentor! By niching down, you are going to bring even more value to the marketplace (and often times make more money).
How do you stay updated on the latest trends in Digital Marketing? Which are the Digital Marketing resources (i.e. blogs/websites/apps) you visit regularly?
Lindsey Morando: I listen to podcasts every day, from Amy Porterfield to Pat Flynn to Neil Patel! I also attend conferences and read books. I also ask the team members around me for support. If they are an expert in something I want to learn about, I ask them for help!
Share the names of 3 people you respect when it comes to Digital Marketing.
Lindsey Morando:
- Neil Patel
- Marie Forleo
- Amy Porterfield
You led the webinar ‘3 Must Haves to Convert Your Website Visitors into Sales & Long-Term Customers’. How was your experience in leading the webinar?
Lindsey Morando: It was awesome!
Please share top 3-5 takeaways from the Webinar you led for our community.
Lindsey Morando:
- Establish your website goal, before you even begin to think about anything else. Know what action step you ultimately want your website visitors to take.
- Come up with a free offer that provides a solution to your customers paint points!
- Test! You always need to test anything you put on your site.
Do you have any suggestions for us to further increase the values of our Digital Marketing Webinars?
Lindsey Morando: Nothing at the moment!
How do you see Digital Media evolving in future? What are the top 3 trends that you foresee for 2019?
Lindsey Morando:
- I actually think digital marketers are going to have to get far more involved in their courses and communities, whether it be through being present in the course community or doing coaching calls. People are sick of buying a course and not being successful with it.
- Authenticity: People want to see the real you. I think you are going to see more people doing away with filters and all of the professional shots.
- Video: I definitely think we are going to see a continued rise in the video!
Would you like to share a few words about the work we are doing at Digital Vidya?
Lindsey Morando: I love the work you are doing educating your community on digital marketing! Being a student whether you are an industry leader or just starting out is key. I love that your team is providing content for people of all levels.
