Create Like the Greats

In this episode of Create Like the Greats, Ross sits down with Max Branstetter from the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share his journey from a fantasy football blogger to the founder of Foundation, a leading content distribution agency. Ross reveals how his passion for fantasy football led him to build essential skills in writing and content creation, ultimately shaping his path to entrepreneurship. He also dives into the concept of "Create Once, Distribute Forever," offering practical insights into maximizing the reach of your content. Plus, he shares valuable lessons on work-life balance, hiring your first employee, and even the wisdom gained from top deathbed regrets. This episode is packed with strategies and stories that can inspire creators and entrepreneurs alike.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. Workcation

Ross explains how a well-planned workcation can boost productivity while balancing work and relaxation. By aligning work hours with team availability in different time zones, he managed to stay connected without sacrificing downtime. The key to a successful workcation, he emphasizes, is having a trusted team and systems in place that can operate smoothly in your absence.

2. From Fantasy Football Blogger to Agency Founder

Ross takes us through his evolution from a passionate fantasy football blogger to becoming the founder of a successful content distribution agency. He highlights how his obsession with the game gave him the writing and content management skills that would later become the foundation for his career. More than just a hobby, fantasy football taught Ross about community building, long-form content creation, and the realization that the internet could unlock global reach and endless opportunities.

3. Create Once, Distribute Forever

Ross outlines his approach to content distribution, emphasizing the importance of sharing content across multiple platforms. His philosophy is simple: If your content has value, it deserves to be shared continuously. In his book, he provides tactical steps on how to leverage different channels like email, social media, and online communities to maximize reach. His goal is to help creators overcome the fear of self-promotion and fully embrace the power of distribution.

4. Hiring Your First Employee

Ross reflects on the challenges and triumphs of hiring his first employee. He offers practical advice on finding the right person, delegating tasks, and building a team that can thrive without you micromanaging. According to Ross, hiring the right people is crucial to scaling your business, and trusting them is key to personal and professional growth.

5. Lessons from Deathbed Regrets

Drawing inspiration from studies on deathbed regrets, Ross shares his thoughts on living a life without major regrets. He encourages listeners to take bold steps in their careers, prioritize experiences, and make the most of their time. For Ross, it’s a reminder to pursue passion projects and not wait for the "right time," because life is too short to live cautiously.

Resources:

• Foundation Marketing - https://foundationinc.co/
• Create Once, Distribute Forever - https://rosssimmonds.com/book/
• Wild Business Growth Podcast - https://maxpodcasting.com/wild-business-growth-podcast/

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In this episode of Create Like the Greats, Ross unpacks the recent Google leak with expert precision. Discover how the leak's revelations can transform your approach to content creation and SEO. From diving deep into the nuances of crafting quality content to enhancing user experience and leveraging Google’s resources, Ross provides a treasure trove of insights. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a burgeoning content creator, this episode is packed with strategies to elevate your digital presence and secure that coveted top spot in search rankings.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. Content Quality: Relevance, Originality, and Comprehensiveness

High rankings in search engine results rely on crafting content that is relevant, original, and comprehensive. Ross emphasizes the importance of collaborating with niche experts and industry professionals to infuse your content with diverse perspectives and in-depth insights, aligning with Google’s criteria for valuable content. Ross explains why content must not only meet but exceed reader expectations by providing clear, actionable, and expert-backed information. He discusses the necessity of creating content assets that truly serve and add value.

2. Enhancing User Experience: Streamlined and Intuitive Design

Superior user experience significantly boosts SEO performance. Ross recommends optimizing website usability to ensure quick and easy access to information. Strategies include image compression for faster load times, conducting mobile usability tests, and organizing content logically to enhance user engagement and satisfaction.

3. SEO Insights: Engagement Metrics and Anchor Text Diversity

Ross explores various SEO factors such as click-through rates, dwell time, and the strategic use of anchor texts. He emphasizes the necessity of creating clickable and diverse anchor texts to avoid penalties and improve link equity, crucial for robust SEO.

4. Leveraging Google's Ecosystem: YouTube Integration and Internal Linking

Given Google’s expansive reach, including its monetization of YouTube, Ross advises using this to your advantage by driving organic traffic to Google-hosted platforms. He also underscores the importance of internal linking with relevant keywords to boost site visibility and engagement.

5. STAT Tool

Throughout the episode, Ross credits STAT by Moz as an indispensable tool in Foundation’s SEO arsenal. He discusses how STAT assists in competitive analysis and tracking SERP positions, providing crucial data that informs SEO strategies and helps brands maintain a competitive edge in search results.

Resources

• How to Write SEO Content According to the Google Leaks - https://foundationinc.co/lab/google-algorithm-leak
• How Brands Can Use STAT To Thrive Amidst SERP Chaos - https://foundationinc.co/lab/stat-seo-serp/
• STAT Search Analytics - https://getstat.com/foundation-exclusive

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“Work smart not hard.” This is one of those ideas that sounds great on a billboard. Sound perfect in a tweet. And might even get someone a few email subscribers for suggest that it’s the truth. But as much as this is a great catch phrase:

It doesn’t speak to the reality of who gets ahead in life.

People who get ahead work both smart and hard. That’s right. You can do both.

And it’s a combination of both working smart and hard that differentiates the best from the rest.

Take two people with the same intelligence, same circumstances, same privileges and understanding of the world and give them the same amount of hours in a day. These people are just as smart as one another on day one.

These people have access to the same resources. But one person decides that they’re going to work two extra hours every single week without impacting their 8 hours of sleep each night.

There are 52 weeks in a year. In year one, the person who puts in an extra two hours has 104 extra hours of training, learning, execution & perspective.

In year two, that person has 208... In year three, that person has 312..

In year four, that person has more than 400 extra hours of experience under their belt in comparison to the person who they started with.

Who do you think will have the bigger advantage?

Let's talk about it.

—--

Join hundreds of content creators, marketers and B2B SAAS brand owners and get content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week >>> https://foundationinc.co/newsletter

Ross Simmonds is the CEO and founder of Foundation, a content marketing agency that partners exclusively with ambitious B2B brands looking to create and distribute content that inspires action and produces sales and leads.

Ross hosts the weekly podcast "Create Like the Greats" and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.

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In this episode, Ross explores the power of ChatGPT to enhance your content creation process. He shares 30 prompts that can inspire engaging content and increase productivity.

Key Takeaways:

1. ChatGPT's ability to adopt the persona of any author can assist in writing content inspired by their unique style.

2. Utilize ChatGPT to generate a list of 20 titles, but be aware that creating all the accompanying content within seconds may be challenging.

3. Leverage ChatGPT to develop content that drives sales, such as creating posts answering frequently asked questions about your service.

4. Use ChatGPT to generate ideas that stimulate engagement, like sparking a debate on controversial topics such as pineapple on pizza.

5. Combine different topics with ChatGPT, allowing it to find parallels and create fresh content ideas.

6. Explore ChatGPT as a brainstorming technique for social media content creation.

7. Take advantage of ChatGPT's content analysis and trend prediction abilities to create proactive social media content.

8. Generate listicles effortlessly with ChatGPT, creating top 10 tips and tricks lists for your product or service.

9. Leverage seasonal content to inspire ChatGPT and generate relevant and timely content ideas.

Resources and Tools:

AI Marketing Console

ChatGPT

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In this episode of Create Like the Greats, Ross shares insights on why he wrote “Create Once, Distribute Forever”. This book serves as a comprehensive guide for individuals and businesses striving to effectively distribute their stories and engage with their target audience. In this episode Ross provides a glimpse into the Create Once, Distribute Forever sections and how it can help you master content distribution. Don't miss the opportunity to read "Create Once, Distribute Forever" for a deeper dive into enhancing your content distribution efforts.

Detailed Breakdown

1. Distribution 101

In this section, Ross provides a comprehensive overview of distribution, explaining its fundamental principles and importance in modern marketing. Through clear definitions and illustrative examples, readers gain a solid understanding of distribution's role in amplifying content reach and engagement.

2. Why Many Don't Embrace Distribution

Addressing common obstacles to effective distribution, Ross offers practical insights to help readers overcome these challenges and unlock the full potential of their content.

3. Promoting Your Content

Ross dives into the crucial aspect of content promotion, emphasizing the significance of actively amplifying one's creations. He encourages the readers to confidently promote their content across various channels, understanding that strategic amplification is key to achieving broader impact and recognition.

4. The Sherlock Homeboy Method: Reverse Engineering Content Market Fit

Introducing a systematic approach to content distribution, Ross presents the "Sherlock Homeboy Method" for reverse engineering content market fit. Through a blend of detective work and strategic thinking, readers learn how to align their content with audience preferences and identify optimal distribution channels for maximum impact.

5. Tactical Insights: Remixing and Republishing

This section delves into actionable tactics for content distribution, focusing on the transformative potential of remixing and republishing strategies. By exploring practical techniques for repurposing content across different platforms, readers discover how to extend the lifespan of their creations and reach new audiences effectively.

6. Channel-Specific Distribution Strategies

Offering a tailored approach to content distribution, this section provides in-depth guides for leveraging specific distribution channels. Readers gain valuable insights into optimizing their content for diverse platforms, empowering them to implement targeted distribution strategies that resonate with their audience and goals.

Resources

Create Once, Distribute Forever Book - https://rosssimmonds.com/book/

Check it out on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Create-Once-Distribute-Forever-Creators/dp/1544541279

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