• Marketing with Meaning: How to Build a Purpose-Driven Brand
    Mar 10 2025

    Marketing isn't just about selling—it’s about purpose, meaning, and engagement. In this episode, I sit down with Minter Dial to explore how brands can align internal culture with external messaging, create meaningful customer relationships, and even incorporate play into work. We’ll also dive into the power of self-awareness and how knowing thyself can transform both business and life. This is an episode filled with inspiration and actionable insights.

    Guest Links

    • Connect with Minter on LinkedIn
    • Minter's Website
    • Check Out Minter's Books on Amazon

    Learn More:

    • Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon
    • Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon
    • Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/
    • Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo
    • Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/
    • Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer
    • All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com
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    46 mins
  • The Death of Traditional Social Media Marketing (And What Comes Next)
    Mar 7 2025

    Social media has changed, and if you're still using it like a business instead of a content creator, you're falling behind. The truth is, algorithms don’t care about follower count anymore—they care about content. So what does that mean for your business? You have two choices: become a content creator or leverage user-generated content. Which path will you choose? I’m breaking it all down in this episode.

    Learn More:

    • Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon
    • Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon
    • Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/
    • Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo
    • Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/
    • Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer
    • All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com
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    15 mins
  • Beyond the Numbers: How to Unlock Marketing Insights That Drive Action
    Mar 4 2025

    Data is everywhere in digital marketing, but are you truly using it to your advantage? In this episode of the Your Digital Marketing Coach podcast, I sit down with Brett Townsend, Senior VP of Strategy at Quester, to break down how brands can go beyond the numbers and uncover real insights that drive action.

    Marketing analytics is more than just reporting results—it’s about finding the hidden patterns and consumer narratives that can shape better campaigns, stronger products, and deeper customer relationships. Brett shares his expertise from working with major global brands like Pepsi, Doritos, and Walmart, along with insights from his book, Insights on the Brink: Revitalizing the Market Research and Analytics Industry.

    If you're a small business or marketer looking to turn data into meaningful strategy, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways.

    Guest Links

    • Connect with Brett on LinkedIn
    • Buy Insights on the Brink: Revitalizing the Market Research and Analytics Industry on Amazon
    • Quester

    Learn More:

    • Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon
    • Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon
    • Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/
    • Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo
    • Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/
    • Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer
    • All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com
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    39 mins
  • The LinkedIn Growth Hack No One Is Talking About (Yet!)
    Feb 28 2025

    If you're trying to grow your business on LinkedIn but struggling to get traction, you’re not alone.

    What if I told you that LinkedIn content could be optimized just like SEO?

    In this episode, we’re diving into a brand-new way of approaching LinkedIn content—using AI tools that analyze top-performing posts and provide insights to maximize your reach and engagement.

    I’ll break down how these tools work, why I’m giving them my official thumbs up (even after recommending sticking to ChatGPT before), and how you can start using them to get better results.

    If you want to stop guessing and start strategizing on LinkedIn, this episode is for you!

    Recommended Tools List (affiliate links)

    • Taplio
    • ContentIn
    • SayWhat

    Learn More:

    • Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon
    • Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon
    • Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/
    • Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo
    • Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/
    • Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer
    • All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com
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    11 mins
  • Brand Building is Not a Luxury—It’s a Growth Strategy
    Feb 25 2025

    Brand awareness isn’t just for big companies with deep pockets—it’s a critical part of growing any business, including startups and small businesses. But many companies focus only on short-term sales and performance marketing, missing out on the long-term benefits of building a strong, recognizable brand.

    In this episode, I sit down with James Hurman, the founder of Previously Unavailable, to explore the science behind advertising effectiveness. James shares why businesses struggle to grow beyond their initial customer base and how creative, evidence-based marketing strategies can help. We discuss the balance between performance marketing and brand-building, the power of storytelling in advertising, and the critical role of creativity in making campaigns more effective.

    If you’ve ever wondered why some brands seem to attract loyal customers effortlessly while others fade away, this episode is for you. Get ready to rethink your marketing strategy and unlock the true potential of your brand!

    Guest Links

    • Previously Unavailable
    • Connect with James on LinkedIn
    • James' book Future Demand on Amazon

    Learn More:

    • Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon
    • Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon
    • Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/
    • Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo
    • Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/
    • Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer
    • All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com
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    38 mins
  • From Digital First to AI First
    Feb 20 2025

    This episode explores the imperative shift from a digital-first mindset to an AI-first approach in marketing, emphasizing how to incorporate AI into internal processes for enhanced efficiency and creativity. Throughout, I discuss strategic alignment, process documentation, custom AI models, training with quality data, and automation for maximum impact.

    • Discussing the transition to an AI-first mindset
    • Importance of aligning AI with marketing objectives
    • Utilizing AI as a second opinion for marketing strategies
    • Documenting processes for optimized marketing activities
    • Creating custom GPTs tailored to brand needs
    • Training AI with quality data for better outputs
    • Scaling efficiencies through automation for marketing tasks

    Learn More:

    • Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon
    • Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon
    • Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/
    • Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo
    • Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/
    • Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer
    • All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com
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    28 mins
  • Is AI Content Hurting Your Google Rankings? Insights from Originality.ai’s Jon Gillham
    Feb 18 2025

    This episode dives into the pressing issue of AI's role in content marketing and its implications for search engine rankings. We discuss the risks of over-reliance on AI while emphasizing the importance of maintaining quality, originality, and a human touch in content creation.

    • Exploring the balance between AI efficiency and content quality
    • Google’s stance on AI content and implications for rankings
    • The role of Originalityai in ensuring high-quality content
    • Recent trends in AI-generated content and their consequences
    • Future directions for AI in content marketing and editorial integrity

    GUEST LINKS

    • Originality.ai [affiliate]
    • Connect with Jon on LinkedIn

    Learn More:

    • Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon
    • Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon
    • Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/
    • Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo
    • Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/
    • Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer
    • All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com
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    38 mins
  • 400 Episodes, 7 Themes: The Digital Marketing Playbook for the Future
    Feb 15 2025

    This 400th episode of this podcast revolves around insights into 7 pivotal digital marketing themes that have emerged from the top 25 episodes of my recent 100 over the last 2 years.

    You will learn how to integrate essential aspects like artificial intelligence, content creation, branding, and influencer partnerships to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

    • Embracing AI for enhanced marketing efficiency
    • Importance of authentic content in social media
    • Developing strategic influencer partnerships for brand credibility
    • Psychological principles shaping effective branding
    • Maximizing customer experience through marketing automation
    • Fostering business growth through leadership and collaboration
    • Ensuring visibility and discoverability in the digital age

    Feel free to reach out to me at neal@nealschaffer.com to provide feedback or suggest themes for future episodes!

    Learn More:

    • Buy Digital Threads: https://nealschaffer.com/digitalthreadsamazon
    • Buy Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth: https://nealschaffer.com/maximizinglinkedinamazon
    • Join My Digital First Mastermind: https://nealschaffer.com/membership/
    • Learn about My Fractional CMO Consulting Services: https://nealschaffer.com/cmo
    • Download My Free Ebooks Here: https://nealschaffer.com/books/
    • Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/nealschaffer
    • All My Podcast Show Notes: https://podcast.nealschaffer.com
    Show more Show less
    34 mins