DIGITAL MARKETING WITH BRODIE NERO

Brodie Nero knows the RIGHT approach to digital marketing

Getting your business online is now more critical than ever before.  The pandemic has forced businesses to pivot online and those that already have an online presence are taking things to the next level.  Whether it is brand marketing, e-commerce, social media or copywriting, digital marketing is today’s way of doing business.   Those companies who are left to dry and don’t know where to start because it is all too overwhelming should look towards making those small steps in digitizing their business.

Digital Marketing Strategist Brodie Nero is here to assist you in making this crucial step that will have your business in the digital universe in no time.  The brand marketing expert from Toronto has worked with major companies like Audi, Zara, Nike and OTR Meals to reinvent their marketing strategies and create new relationships with their customers.

Not to mention that Brodie Nero founded Gram Surge where he helps entrepreneurs and influencers grow their Instagram followers who genuinely have an interest in their content.  He’s an expert in getting you in front of the right people by building proper infrastructure for your business online.  He is set to launch an online business ecosystem course in the new year which will empower you to use the right tools into making that seamless transition into the digital world.  We spoke with Brodie Nero on just how to do that and how to start making an impact.

FERNTV:  After reading RBC’s press release on “How to Navigate 2021”, it was found that half of all businesses did not have an online presence which brought more despair to their businesses during the pandemic.   Can you comment on why this is so?

Brodie:  I’m not shocked at all to hear that. We are creatures of habit. Slow to change. Especially older businesses and older business owners. It’s no secret that the internet is a place that you can create more brand awareness and turn that awareness into more revenue for your business. However, people are intimidated by the knowledge, technology and wherewithal it
takes to build a successful online presence.  This has crippled business owners from jumping full stead into the digital world. On top of that,  there are a lot of people working in this marketing space that is (in my opinion) doing incomplete work. Often, leaving their clients with a bad taste in their mouths about the efficacy of online marketing.  However, the time has obviously come for anyone who turned a blind eye to online marketing to put both eyes back on it. Everyone is scrambling. That’s why in life I’ve heard that it’s best to be as proactive vs reactive wherever possible.

FERNTV:  What are some of the main foundations that need to be planted to become a Digital Marketing Strategist?

Brodie:  Great question. A digital marketing strategist is someone who understands all the vital components that work together to help a client have more success online. They can help create unique strategies around how a client is positioned with their online presence. I feel that a digital marketing strategist should be able to help a business begin from scratch with their
online presence and also be able to ‘refresh’ one’s strategy that may have been online a while longer.

“It’s fair game for all out here. Not every business can have every customer. Meaning even if someone is selling the same thing as you, they may rather have the consumer experience through you if it’s better.”-Brodie Nero

FERNTV:  Can you give us an example of where you took a business to levels that you did not think were possible?

Brodie:  Yeah, I have 2. One I can talk about openly and one I’d like to keep personal as it’s an untapped ‘niche’ 😉

Currently, I head the social media and brand ambassador program for the fastest-growing meal prep company in the city, OTR (On the Run) Meals. It was founded by Galin Djagarov 5 years ago out of his condo.  The rate of growth in the last 2 years has been insane. My philosophy has always been that when you use the voice of your current customers and the avatar of your prospect, you will have a lot of success. Particularly, with content marketing. This strategy has yielded massive, massive success for OTR Meals as we continue to dominate the market by servicing the community so well.

The other one is a traditional business that historically has never done any social media marketing. As a matter of fact, almost no competitor in the industry has EVER done social
media marketing, properly! I applied the same strategy that I mentioned above and 10x’d the number of application forms they receive in the month.  To give you an idea, I was told that they only use radio ads and spend upwards of $5K for those ads. From those ads, they get 1-2 leads MAX and these leads don’t always convert. That is a terrible ROI, to say the least. I set up a social media ad connected to a campaign that was a combination of both SMS and Email marketing. I brought them over 40 applications the first month. They have now had to hire someone to handle the number of new inquiries they’re getting.

FERNTV:  It’s disappointing sometimes that in the entertainment industry especially in the film industry where there is not enough online presence for them to get the word out there with their film.  Why make a product anyway if no one knows or is made aware of it?

Brodie:  Social Media has certainly disrupted a lot of industries. In film/entertainment the ‘gatekeepers’ have lost their authority because anyone can create a piece of digital media. Albeit a movie, music, skit etc. This piece of content can suddenly get all the views in the world and the individual who created it a ‘success’ in their space.   It’s fair game for all out here. Not every business can have every customer. Meaning even if someone is selling the same thing as you, they may rather have the consumer experience through you if it’s better. It’s all about how you tell your story and position yourself online. I read something the other day about a woman creating a video course on knitting and earning a multiple 6 figure income. KNITTING! Come on. There’s room out here for everyone.

FERNTV:   For most entrepreneurs and start-ups, it’s difficult to have that income to budget into marketing.   What do you advise those to do at this point?

Brodie:  All the information for you to learn marketing with little to no budget is out there for free. What I’ve noticed that works best is to find one unique person/resource that you connect particularly well with. When they speak/share, you feel it. Then follow everything they say and start to build what I call, your online ecosystem.
There’s a LOT you can get done on little to no budget.

FERNTV:  What are your thoughts about digital marketing boot camps?

Brodie:  Anything around online education I am in support of. I particularly like to study and learn on my own. I don’t really care if someone is learning with me at the same time. But anyone who enjoys the opposite, I’m sure would love the concept of a digital marketing boot camp.

FERNTV:  What can one look forward to when taking your online business ecosystem course?

Brodie:  Fantastic question. My main objective with this course is to give brand and business owners alike a complete overview of the most important pieces to put together to take your business online. Also, how to make them all work at the same time to help you acquire more customers/awareness about what you’re offering.

There’re so many moving parts to digital marketing. There’s no way you can master them all.  However, if you know about the most important ones and how they work, you can potentially
do them yourself and/or know who to delegate the work to. Such as your staff, freelancers or an agency. I want to make the students who take my course feel self-empowered. An added benefit is that this course will reduce the chances of you being taken advantage of for any online services you try to hire for.

http://www.brodienero.com

IG: @iambrodienero