Halftime Mike - The Mike Gingerich Podcast on Business, Leadership & Life

Facebook keeps on changing! It's a powerhouse of opportunity for businesses....if you keep up. Facebook recently released a number of important updates for marketers.  As the world's largest human database accessible to marketers, it's an important place to invest and stay current, because if you do, you can reap powerful benefits! In this episode I dive into three key Facebook updates, how to use them, and what it means for your business.   --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Recently I hosted a seminar on the "Latest Trends in Social Media: Keys for your Business." The aim was to inform small and medium sized businesses as to what is changing in social media and online.  Things change fast and it's hard to keep up! For many small businesses, business life is already busy and keeping up with what might be shifting in social media that impacts business marketing can be a hard thing to get to in any given week!  That's where I come in. In this episode I dive into some the latest trends in social media, what new tools are out there, and what it means for your business. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Serving versus Selling makes great business sense today. Gone are the days of one way marketing and sales strategies that were more “bullhorn” (and bulldog) in approach. Social Media and Online tools have given the customer a voice like never before and with that voice they want more from you.  They want a dialogue and trust, not smooth talk and a slick presentation before they move on to the next prey.  The time has come for businesses to understand that serving makes good business sense, and that hard-core selling needs to be dropped in the trash can. I dive into the “how” and the “why” that serving makes sense as the model for business selling today. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Is your website setup for success this year? Are you covering the vital keys necessary for growing a strong online business website presence? Have you stopped to review your site lately? If you hesitated on ANY of these questions, this episode is for you!  I’ll cover the 4 keys vital for business website success this year.   --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Why do you do what you do in business? For the profits? To provide for your family/lifestyle desires? It's important to know the "why" that drives you in business. I call it "the WHY that drives the WHAT". The why must be of such substance that it drives you forward when the going gets tough. Guess what, the why needs to be more than money and profits. In this episode I explain the critical importance of a deeper why as dive into this territory in more detail.  I open up and share with you my why that drives my what. Listen Now >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

There's power in disruptive thinking! Too often we get "stuck" in small-minded, inside the box thinking in business and life. We do the same things, follow the same routines....and yet expect better results! It's "stinkin' thinkin'!"  What we often need is a way to get "out of the box". In this episode I dive into four areas that can help you engage in disruptive thinking, why you need disruptive thinking, and how it can impact your business, leadership, and life. Listen Now >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Is your website performing for your business? Is your website truly generating leads? More than just the website "Contact Form", is your website offering a incentive that grows your email marketing list? One of the biggest gap points on websites today is lead capture.   In this Halftime Mike podcast episode we dive into why lead capture matters, how it can be done, and one specific tool that can help!   Listen Now: --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

It's that time of year..... goal setting. You hear about you.  You likely believe in it. Yet....it's so hard to follow through! Are you regularly reaching your yearly business and personal goals? What if there was a way....a path...a process? In this episode of Halftime Mike I dive into a clear outline of a path forward that is clear, doable, and straightforward.  It will help you have a plan you can follow to accomplish your business and personal goals for next year.  In this Episode:How to Effectively Set and Accomplish Goals for Business and Personal Life First, you gotta remember...it's a fight.  There will be trials.  There will be trouble.  You must persevere.  You must press forward. You gotta keep after it!  You will fall down, get back up and keep going! View Episode Notes >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

What tools is your business using today to manage things? Do you still have some software that is ONLY on a computer? Wouldn't you like to access key business information from anywhere, anytime? It's time to rethink your business website tools and adopt the trend to web-based tools! The tools have changed!  No longer do you need to install software with CD's and be dependent on downloading updates, managing details only when in the office, or hiring others to provide services for your team.  You've likely shifted your business software in many areas, but are you missing key areas that could help your business bottom line? It's a web-based world!  I dive into the details of the key areas and opportunities for businesses to gain efficiencies by using web-based tools. View full podcast post and notes >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Are you responsible for interviewing and hiring your team members? Are you using VA's (Virtual Assistants) or long-term contractors? How do you interview when you can't physically "meet" someone? It's all about digital techniques to vet potential hires in this digital age! This is Part II of Hiring Digital Workers, the Interview Process. In the last episode of the Halftime Mike podcast I dove into evaluation and initial testing process for vetting and hiring digital workers.  These are workers that will not be physically in the same location as you.  I go through my process and shared stories from experiences for why I do what I do, and what matters.  I left off at the first interview process and that's where I dive in today...The INTERVIEW! Full Show notes here >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Is part of your team virtual and not resident in the same physical office? Are you using VA's (Virtual Assistants) or long-term contractors? How do you hire when you can't physically "meet" and interview someone? It's all about digital techniques to vet potential hires in this digital age!   In this episode of the Halftime Mike podcast I dive into my techniques for vetting and hiring digital workers.  These are workers that will not be physically in the same location as me.  I go through my process and share stories from experiences for why I do what I do, and what matters for you. See full episode here >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

How's your business first impression online? Are you aware you often have more than one avenue for a first impression online? Often we think of a company website as the first impression online, and rightfully so.  However, in today's social media day, a first impression a potential customer may have with your business may be through your employees activity on social media!  Are you thinking about that? Digital first impressions is the topic today in this Halftime Mike interview with Jeff Korhan.   View full show notes >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Is your business targeting the right leads online? Do you know how to speak to that ideal customer audience? Are you Buyer Personas sharp for your business or do you need to know more about creating them? If so, this show is for you! How Buyer Personas Help your Business Digital Marketing What exactly is a "buyer persona"? I'll outline it as a refined demographic of the attributes of your ideal target customers.  It's a fictional "character" that represents the keys about the client/business/role you are trying to reach with your product or service.  It's basically pulling together the common core traits of your best ideal clients and then putting a specific "personality" to that ideal client. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Are you a solo entrepreneur with dreams of growing? Are you a small social media agency looking to scale and build your team and clients? Listen in as we cover the Digital Matchbox story with Liz Azyan. Liz Azyan is a UK based social media PRO STYLER.  She'll say more about exactly what that means but suffice it to say she helps rising entrepreneurs "style" and leverage their online presence to attract the right clients and build their brand online. Liz started out as a PhD candidate turned solo entrepreneur and has now grown Digital Matchbox to be a strong multi-team digital agency. Go to full episode notes and video replay >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Can Instagram work for manufacturers and B2B? Isn’t Instagram primarily geared for business-to-consumer and used by young people? If your business builds products and relies on channels like dealers and distributors to sell your end-goods, is it worthwhile to be on Instagram? If your business is asking these types of questions, then this post is for you! I interview Instagram expert and social media consultant Jenn Herman of Jenn’s Trends.  In a unique livecast Blab format, I take the position of a skeptic and question Jenn from my starting point of not being able to potential in Instagram for business.  Listen in as I play the role of a RV (recreational vehicle) manufacturing exec who is not convinced that Instagram has any value for our business! More than just a interview on Instagram, this talk is a guide to Instagram for those companies that are product oriented, not direct-to-consumer, and in industries that are not geared to a single person being the “face” of the company.  Think of it as a guide to In

Are you doing local and regional business? Are people and businesses coming to your location to do business? How are you appearing in local search engine results? Keys for local search are coming up for your website but ALSO IN KEY LOCAL DIRECTORIES! How do you do this?  I dive in and explain a way... Location-based online searches are popular among consumers using mobile devices. Local SEO has the potential to help local businesses stand out in search engines and be found by potential customers. One vital local SEO practice involves creating and maintaining business listings on the key directories, apps, and websites that factor most into the local search engine results. View show notes >>> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support

Do you have a online business? Is your website generating solid monthly income? Do you wish you were earning $200,000 a month from your website? One man is doing just that!  Listen in as I interview online entrepreneur and author Matthew Paulson! Matthew Paulson comes across as quiet and unassuming.  Yet underneath that layer of tranquility is a business mind and business success story that thousands would love to have! From Zero to 200k a month in revenue: Scaling an Online Business is the story of Matthew's rise in the web world to a powerful and massively successful website in the stock and investing industry niche  (Links to those below!).  You'll learn about his strategy, methods, and keys he feels helped the online business explode the last 2 years.  In 2015 revenue was $1.75m and it is projected to be at $2.6 this year, all while keeping the team small and nimble! Listen Now >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm

Does your business have a strong online presence? Is your team dispersed and not all in the same office? Are you having communication gaps as you grow? We tackle questions like these as we hear from Tyler J. Anderson and his story of the growth of Casual Fridays. Tyler J. Anderson is founder and CEO of Casual Fridays, a pro social media team headquartered in San Diego, CA.  He's a social media marketing entrepreneur, and host of the Social Media Social Hour Podcast, as well as Executive Producer of Social Media Day San Diego. Listen Now: Businesses that are growing and have team members in different physical locations have much different experiences that businesses did 5 years ago. Today there are tools and ways to communicate online that didn't exist cost-effectively even 3 years ago!  The ability to communicate in real-time with remote teams makes scaling a business in other states a much more "doable" situation than it was just a few years back.  Of course, just because you can and just because tools exist

Things online move fast! Is your business keeping up? Does your business need too? We dive into this question and more as we tackle the Growing Digital Divide: Helping Businesses on the Outside of the Leading Edge!   The Growing Digital Divide: Helping Businesses on the Outside of the Leading Edge! Businesses can struggle to keep up with the fast changes in the digital world.  Just this spring we were all talking about the need to use video on Facebook as the "leading edge."  That hasn't changed, but some changes by Google+ have made that network less of a "social media" tool and more of a utility.  In my mind, Google+ is declining in value.  Were you using Facebook video yet or trying to ramp up your Google+ use? Add to that the rage of live streaming and the onslaught of Meerkat and Periscope this summer and business marketers could feel they were behind.  I confess I didn't really jump in on Periscope or Meerkat that much.  I experimented but it wasn't a clear fit.  I'm glad I didn't because (1) my audienc

The web is changing how we work! According to a infographic from Highfive, there was a 79.7% increase in the number of remote workers between 2005 and 2012, and that number just keeps jumping higher today (Infographic below) The key is how you collaborate and communicate...and with the web, that often means tools.  What web tools for collaboration, project management and interaction help your business proceed? I dive into my tools for remote team collaboration and communication. Listen Now>> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/halftime-mike-mike-gingerich/support