Growth Machine Marketing Podcast

We usually talk about content as a marketing tactic to grow a business. But what if content is the business? This week, we're diving into the world of creators with Gil Kruger. Gil is the founder of Best Regards Media, a talent management and production company that represents some of the best narrative storytellers on social media. We talk about: What the Creator Economy actually is How creators...

When is a social strategy the right way to go and when is SEO the right way? We're joined by Ashley Rector, CEO of Quimby Digital, for a fun convo between agencies about the pros and cons of each of our approaches. We dive into: When we each recommend our clients DON'T use our services Tips for SEO best practices on social media The best ways to use paid ads and social content for lead generation...

What happens when you stumble into content creation, and suddenly thousands of women see their story in yours? In this episode, Nora Schlesinger and Lindsay Rios sit down with Paige Connell, a content creator who built a deeply resonant platform by talking candidly about motherhood, mental load, and the invisible work so many women carry. Paige shares how she unintentionally grew her following, an...

We're not going anywhere... but our name is. After years as the Growth Machine Marketing Podcast, we're rebranding to something that better reflects what this show has become: a space to explore how real people use content to build meaningful brands. In this short episode, you'll hear why the change felt necessary, what you can expect going forward, and why we're so excited about the future of The...

Frank Buscemi and Tom Eisbrenner from MBE Group share their POV of the acquisition of Growth Machine. We talk about how the merger process went on their end of things as the buyers, covering: Why they wanted to buy us How they chose Growth Machine Their biggest fears in the buyout process What they learned merging our two companies Advice for business owners looking to acquire a company Show Notes...

It's Q&A time! Nora and Heather tackle listener questions, including: How do you build a better content strategy when your current content is suffering? Should I be optimizing for Google Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI tools? I have a limited budget and want to do SEO, paid ads, and social media, but can't afford all of them. Where is the best place to start? If you plan to sell in the future, wh...

Want to make sure your content agency doesn't fire you? This week, Heather and Nora are breaking down the must-haves every business needs before diving into content marketing. Without them, you might be setting yourself up for failure. From choosing the right CMS to nailing your brand voice, we're covering everything that makes content agencies want to keep working with you for a long time. Show N...

As our VP of Content, Heather has hired hundreds of writers in all sorts of niches. There are writers who pop right off the page and make her want to talk to them immediately, and there are writers who get disqualified before she's even opened their portfolio. She's sharing all her tips and answering new freelancers' questions in this advice-packed episode. You'll walk away knowing how to structur...

We're being acquired, and we're spilling all the tea about what the process was like from start to finish! Nora will go over how she knew it was time to sell the company, how it felt going through the acquisition process, and what she learned along the way. Show Notes: (1:02) Big news at Growth Machine! We will share our experience and takeaways for you out there who may be going through or are co...

Heather, Lindsay, and Nora spent a few months trying to post on what could be considered the lamest social media of them all: LinkedIn. We all took different approaches and each found at least some degree of success building up a LinkedIn network and getting more followers. We share what worked, what miserably failed, and our pleasant surprises in navigating the cringey waters of LinkedIn. Show No...

Welcome back to the Growth Machine Marketing Podcast! In this episode, we're peeling back the curtain on a project near and dear to us: Transforming our own blog into a high-performing, strategic asset. It's a story of starting from scratch, building a strategy, and practicing what we preach. You'll hear from our Senior Director of Client Strategy, Leilani, on how she spearheaded our blog's overha...

The Growth Machine Marketing Podcast is back! And we're excited to jump back in with a topic that has been all the buzz lately. Our VP of Content, Heather, and CEO, Nora, are here to discuss both sides of the AI coin. Does it have a place in content marketing, what are its limitations, and what is Google's algorithm favoring? We chat about: The accuracy of AI checkers Why human-generated content r...

In the season finale of the Growth Machine Marketing podcast, CEO Nora Schlesinger and Head of Marketing Amanda Natividad debrief on SEO and content. They discuss: How SEO knowledge can make you a better writer Why SEOs and writers also need empathy to be effective What we wish clients and marketers knew about SEO When it's time for you to focus on SEO When it's not time for you to focus on SEO An...

Here's a milestone for the Growth Machine team: our first unblinded case study! Ben Siegel, CEO and co-founder of Scholars, joined us in a webinar where he talks about Scholars's content and marketing strategy. We edited this webinar into this week's 25-minute episode. Enjoy! Show Notes 1:21 - Ben Siegel, CEO and Co-Founder of Scholars , talks about their decision to include content from the very...

Impulse purchases are just a story we tell ourselves. Stewart Hillhouse, Head of Growth at Customer Camp, joins the show to tell us why. He explains: it's actually a series of experiences that ultimately trigger customers to purchase. And in the end, "impulse purchase" is the excuse given in the event a purchase doesn't work out. Stew and I also discuss: Measuring success of his podcast What to kn...

If you work in content marketing, you know John Bonini. He's the Director of Marketing at Databox, and he also owns the widely popular Some Good Content Patreon, where he distills expert yet tactical advice for content marketers at ever level. He joined us on the show to discuss: How journalism informs good marketing Brand content that has a point of view (and why it matters) How content fuels mar...

One of the questions we hear most is: How do you hire and manage content services when you yourself are not a content marketer or an editor? Our very own VP of Content, Heather Leith, joins us today to answer that question. Heather manages our team of editors who publish over 100 articles per month for Growth Machine's clients. We chat about: A scalable way to properly learn brands' various styles...

As soon as I began following SEO expert Kameron Jenkins' work, it was clear to me how friendly and accessible she makes SEO to everyone at all levels. So I was super excited to have her on the show. Kameron is now a content lead at Shopify and we got to talk about: Communicating the value of SEO to the c-suite Balancing a content strategy across short and long tail keywords Knowing when it's time...

There's a three-step framework to user onboarding. And you can apply to your marketing efforts as well — to ensure that your brand is top of mind to your audience. Adapted from psychologist BJ Fogg's habit-forming framework, Ramli John, Managing Director and ProductLed and author of the new book, "Eureka," explains how it applies to user onboarding journeys: Make it easy. (Create helpful content t...

Having grown dozens of brand new websites, we've never seen a smooth up-and-to-the-right chart of organic traffic growth. Our theory is that this has to do with the Critical Authority Threshold, a threshold you cross after some combination of publishing regularly, link building, and patience. It usually takes six months. Learn more about this theory in our 8-minute audio version of our blog post,...

There are two ways a company can carve out its differentiation: by out-innovating the competition, or by competing on your messaging. As categories become more crowded, brands nailing their messaging is going to become more important. Peep Laja, CEO of Wynter, joins the show today to dive deeper into his marketing philosophies, and how Wynter is helping companies validate the effectiveness of thei...

A viral loop within The Knot accomplishes something you'd never guess. Their wedding style quiz gives brides and grooms-to-be suggested venues and style inspiration. But it actually grows their B2B business with wedding vendors. Learn more about this viral loop — and how you can create your own — in this 9-minute audio version of our blog post, " Create Viral Engagement Loops To Drive Customer Ret...

We'll just say it up front: spend half your time creating, and half your time distributing.  In this 9-minute audio blog post, " Finding Balance Between Content Creation and Distribution " Amanda Natividad, Head of Marketing for Growth Machine, distills the expert content creation and distribution advice of Steph Smith, Head of Trends for The Hustle.  What makes Steph the expert? She published a w...

YouTube is 16 years old. But it's only recently that companies have realized the value in having a channel. One of those companies who has seen success? B2B app agency Headway.io. Amanda Natividad, Head of Marketing for Growth Machine, talks with marketer Jacob Miller about how YouTube fits into Headway's marketing strategy. You don't want to miss this episode because it's not often you hear from...

In content marketing, you're often told to find your niche — to carve a path through unchartered territory with a narrowly defined audience.  But what if instead, you zeroed in on your key differentiator? And THAT was your competitive edge? In this 9-minute audio version of our blog post, " Don't Find Your Niche — Find Your Key Differentiator ," Amanda Natividad, Head of Marketing for Growth Machi...