In this "Marketing Minute" episode we take a quick look at the 4 main factors that Google uses to determine who gets to be on the first page of Google. 

Actually Google has over 200 rankings factors. But today we are going to look at the TOP 4 factors.

Ranking on the first page of Google does not happen over night. It takes a while. And Google wants to make sure to provide the best results possible to someone's search. Therefore, it's very important that you understand these basic factors. It will help you as you go about your day building up your online presence. 

Let me know if you have any followup questions at connect@protractorpodcast.com

Thank you so much!

#Protractors - Making A Difference!

What! Why would someone CHOOSE to keep his company small? Why would you not grow it big, and then make it bigger still? As it turns out, not all professional contractors want to have big companies. Today's Featured Guest is Brian MacAllister @bjmacwoodwork and he has quite a story to tell!

.....

Brian knows what it's like to own and run a massive company - to the tune of 350 employees. A major life event "woke him up." And now, he has a small handful of customers, and he's as happy as can be.

.....

Listen to our featured guest today, and learn:

• How Brian grew a massive company in a foreign country.
• What happened to Brian that caused him to downsize.
• How to get people to spread the word about your services.
• The #1 Key to make even difficult customers happy.
• Why you shouldn't accept an enormous responsibility of paying off a huge business startup debt based on work you hope you get.
• ...And Much more!

.....

Listen today and be inspired!

Many of you have questions about whether to show line items on your proposals, or whether it's best to just give a lump sum. So, Mike Dennison from @DennisonContracting has agreed to come on the show and tell us how he does it and why. 

This is a fast-paced episode that will educate you and inspire you regardless of how you do your proposals. Whether you do lump sum or line item, the most important thing about being a Protractor is making a difference in your community. And this episode is all about that. 

Listen today, and be inspired!

Read the entire blog post here: http://protractorpodcast.com/ap5

#Protractors - Making A Difference!

It’s so tempting to get on the bandwagon and start ordering stickers, signage, and branded t-shirts to promote your business. Today on the show, Tim Roman from Imperial Builders talks to us about the right way to build a Luxury Brand even if you don’t have a large budget.

Although this question was sent in to us to Ask a Protractor, we’ve decided to make this a special show on the Marketing Minute. This is a show you will want to bookmark and listen to over and over again. There are a lot of key elements inside that will help you build a luxury brand and attract high end clients.

Inside you’ll discover:
▪ Why branding is JUST as IMPORTANT as building the business itself.
▪ The only 2 things needed to SEPARATE yourself FROM the competition.
▪ The importance of WOWING your clients INSTEAD of spending money on stickers, signs, and branded t-shirts.
▪ Why you should be OVER-COMMUNICATING Everything Everyday!
▪ How “traditional” branding strategies are NOT bringing the same ROI as new technology rolls out, and WHAT you can do about it.
▪ …and much more.

If you have a question you would like to send us for the show, please send them to connect@protractorpodcast.com
Thank you so much for your support, and for sharing this show with your followers. We greatly appreciate it!

Also, you can read the entire show at www.protractorpodcast.com/mm4

Life is full of surprises. Twists and turns keep things interesting. But to break your back, move from Malibu to the Mountains, and start a new business all in one year??? Yep, that’s what Paul Lundgren from Lundgren Construction told me happened to him in this very interesting episode.

And to top it all off, he shared how he includes his wife and 9 children in his family business.

Needless to say, this is a very educational and inspiring episode. Listen and learn today.

Inside you’ll find out:

• Why Paul says you have to keep learning or you’ll die.
• How to keep up with all the changes taking place or else fall behind.
• How to grow your business in a new city where no one has ever heard of you before.
• How to get the tools you need even if you are just starting out.
• Why Paul puts his brand on everything, including his kid’s shirts.
• .... and so much more!

As I went through this episode to get it ready to publish, I realized that it is a bit shorter than most Featured Guest episodes we do every Wednesday. But I also felt like Paul shared so much knowledge that it felt like an entire hour long episode. I know you’ll get a lot of gold from this one. Get it now.

Are you still "doing it all?" Have you been thinking about whether you might run a more profitable business by narrowing down your specialty?

Well, it turns out that you aren't the only one asking that question. This question was sent in to us to ask on our "Ask a Protractor" series. 

Mike Segal from @morrisdecks agreed to come on and share his experience, and how narrowing his specialty has greatly increased his profits. 

You'll be inspired by this episode as you discover:

• How EFFICIENCY has enabled @morrisdecks to charge more, get jobs done faster, and produce a much better finished product.
• The different ways you can SPECIALIZE in your existing business.
• How to make the proposal part of your job QUICKER because you specialize.
• How Specializing helps the entire team know what to do on each job, and makes training the new guy as EASY as taking a sip of coffee in the morning.
• Specializing actually INCREASES your reputation and allows you to sell bigger jobs than you've ever dreamed possible.
• ...and much more!

 Ok, so specialzing may not be for everyone. But if it's something you're thinking about anyway, then listen to this episode today. And if you just want to be inspired and motivated by listening to a really great guy like Mike Segal... then get this episode and listen to it today.

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement of this podcast. If you have a question you would like to hear us address on the [Ask a Protractor] series, please send it to connect@protractorpodcast.com and as always, please share this show with your followers. We greatly appreciate it!

Protractors - Making A Difference

In this episode we dive into the subject of the 21st Century Homeowner and how they think. This directly effects how you market your business to them. 

If you rely on last century methods to market your business then you are already behind. It's important to build your online presence in such a way that will attract future clients to you. 

The purpose of this episode is to get you thinking. After going through this content, put on your thinking cap. Spend some time thinking through what you are doing online, and whether it really is attracting a 21st Century Homeowner to you or not.

If there are other subjects you would like to hear about on the Marketing Minute, please send me a message at connect@protractorpodcast.com

Thank you so much for your ongoing support. I appreciate you all! You are a #protractor in your community making a difference. Don't settle for less than the best. Live your life on purpose, and don't look back!

Thank you,
Martin Holsinger, show host

He's famous on Instagram for his daily depot run, or better referred to as "Popa Run." 

But what most people don't know is the very interesting story of Tom Popa's life behind the scenes.

In this episode you'll learn:

• The booming business Tom ran before the recession took it down.
• Why it's so important to save money for "rainy days."
• The amount of money you should have saved up as your emergency fund.
• When is the best time to talk about things going bad.
• The 3 keys to success as a contractor
• And of course, How to start in a new market even if nobody knows you yet.

...and so much more.

Tom has experienced a lot in his career as a contractor, and you will be very inspired, as well as educated to run your business at a higher level. 

If you love this show, please share it with your friends. This is how more contractors, just like you will find out about it. Also, please leave us a review on iTunes. 

Thank you so much!

Have you ever struggled with knowing what to write about on your company blog? Well, that is a question we have today on the "Ask A Protractor" series.

Brad Leavitt @aft_construction agreed to come on the show and share with us the tips and tricks they are using right now to come up with content for their company blog.

Listen today and discover:

• How to leverage your team for blog ideas.
• How to listen to your customers for new blog ideas.
• Tips on how to find content ideas without wasting time.
• How blogging increases traffic to your website.
• ...and much more!

Blogging is not going away. It is a great way to show that you are an expert in your field. Listen to this show today. Be educated, inspired, and motivated to make your company blog a major piece of your marketing puzzle. 

If you have a question you would like us to ask a Protractor, or if you have a guest you would like to hear... please send us an email at connect@protractorpodcast.com

Thank you so much for your support!

We'll see you here next time on the Protractor Podcast!

Today for the Marketing Minute, we are going to be talking about one of the most important pages on your website.

It's been proven many times by different statistics, from different sources, that your about page is one of the most frequently visited pages when people are looking you up and checking you out online.

Therefore, it's important for you to write an about page that your new visitors are going to love.

In this episode you'll discover:

• The 5 secrets to writing an about page new visitors will love.
• How to attract the right customers to you on your about page.
• The important elements of your story that you need to tell.
• How to convince your prospect that you understand their situation.
• And how to get a free worksheet that will walk you through writing your about page.

Writing an about page is often one of the hardest pieces of content for a business owner to write. But it doesn't have to be hard. Listen to this episode today, and discover how to easily write an about page new visitors will love!

Thanks for listening! 

Have a great day. And please share this podcast with your friends and followers.