nterview with Michael Stelzner - Social Media Examiner | Behind the Brand

TL;DR

Mike Stelzner shares his journey from wrongful termination to becoming the CEO and founder of Social Media Examiner, highlighting the importance of valuable content and building relationships with experts.

Transcript

behind the brand takes an inside look at the people that are making things happen from upcoming entrepreneurs to the big guys we show you how they go about their business meet the innovators with a knowhow and vision to succeed get behind the brand hi I'm Brian Elliot welcome to another episode of behind the brand today I'm here with Michael stelln... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤩 Valuable content is the key to attracting an audience and driving traffic to a website.
• 🥳 Building relationships with experts and providing exposure can benefit both parties and lead to organic growth.
• ⛽ Nuclear fuel refers to strategic content, such as reports or social contests, which have a significant impact on attracting attention and establishing authority.
• 🌶️ Peppering content with marketing messages is a mistake that hinders its effectiveness and perceived value.
• 🥺 Offering valuable content without any expectation of return can lead to serendipitous opportunities and growth.
• ⛽ Regularly producing primary fuel content, such as how-to articles and interviews, is important for sustained growth.
• 🥶 Utilizing back channels, such as email lists, allows for promotional opportunities while keeping the primary content commercial-free.
• ✊ Stelzner's success with Social Media Examiner showcases the power of valuable content, strategic marketing, and collaboration with experts.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Mike Stelzner start his own business after being wrongfully terminated?

After being wrongfully terminated, Stelzner became a gun for hire, offering marketing and promotional services to high-tech companies, leading to the establishment of his own creative services agency.

Q: What is a white paper, and how did Stelzner find success with them?

A white paper is a cross between an article and a brochure used by companies with complex products or long sales cycles. Stelzner found success by focusing on writing white papers and offering insights on improving website performance through high-speed storage.

Q: What challenges did Stelzner face, and how did he overcome them?

Stelzner lost a big contract during the tech market crash in 2002, prompting him to focus on white papers. He wrote a piece titled "How to Write a White Paper" and experienced massive success, generating hundreds of leads and over 990,000 leads to date.

Q: How did Stelzner attract readers and overcome the challenge of low website traffic?

Stelzner attracted readers by providing valuable content and targeting giants in the industry, such as Microsoft and FedEx. He advertised his content on Google, focusing on what people were searching for, and ensured it was so valuable that people wanted to share it with their communities.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Mike Stelzner started his own business after being wrongfully terminated from a high-tech company and quickly grew it by helping high-tech companies with marketing and promotions.

• He found success through writing white papers and built a thriving business until the tech market crashed in 2002.

• Stelzner pivoted to focus on social media, launching Social Media Examiner in 2009, which grew rapidly through valuable content and working with outside experts.