Don't assume, even if you think you know (with Matthew Woodward)
Listen to this episode to learn:
- The importance of using the basic knowledge of offline sales in the digital marketing space;
- The one mistake most digital marketers constantly make;
- How people managed to inject human emotion into the stark SEO world;
- The worst thing that can happen if your new business fails;
- Why asking basic questions leads to understanding a person’s perspective on the subject you’re interested in.
A few ideas that stuck with me:
- The power of observation – As digital marketers, we base many of our decisions on the data we are provided with by the different analytics software. However, the caveat to this approach is that we risk forgetting that behind those numbers there are real people with complex motivations and intentions. To remain connected to human nature, we can rely on observation - one of the most underused tactics. Questions like “Why did people take that decision? What problems are they facing? How can I connect that to a solution and a product?” can be especially revealing and can only be answered by paying attention to the human behavior. We can learn more by doing that than by reading any charts or books.
- Living versus existing – Finding and pursuing our passion is the element that differentiates these two notions. Experiment and see what works for you, what helps you grow, what makes you tick, and what gives you energy, because, at the end of the day, if you’re in a job or if you’re running a business that you don’t love, it will be hard to find the work-life balance that we’re all looking for.
- Never assume. Always ask questions – Matt emphasized that even if we’re sure we know the right answer, it doesn’t hurt to just ask - it might actually unveil new opportunities. Setting aside our ego and keeping an open mind to other people’s perspectives on a particular subject allows us to broaden our understanding of the answer, even if it’s something we consider basic.
About Matt Woodward:
Since 2012, Matt has been publishing detailed tutorials and case studies focused on helping people grow their business and reach new levels of success, by increasing search traffic and profits.
Over the years, his blog - matthewwoodward.co.uk - received a bunch of awards and has helped thousands of people.
On top of his consistently great work, Matt is very transparent about his process. He published a monthly income report for nearly six years, complete with details about his journey of taking his blog from zero to a million dollars. He shares exactly what he did each month and why he did it, along with all of his traffic sources, income, and expenses.
Key Discussion Points:
01:35 – How Matt got started in digital marketing;
04:20 – The reason why Matt built his first website and what he learned from that experience;
08:40 – The one thing that stayed the same throughout the evolution of the Internet – seen through the eyes of an SEO specialist;
13:24 – What Matt has learned about human nature by working in the SEO world;
19:02 – Why Matt decided to move to Costa Rica;
25:24 – Matt’s transition from the corporate world into starting a business on his own;
35:50 – What is Matt’s first question when he interviews someone;
38:57 – The story of Matt’s income reports that he published every month for 6 years;
45:16 – The benefits of always asking the questions whose answers you think you already know.
Connect with Matt:
Resources mentioned in the episode:
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