alex curtis

Alain Desmier set up Contact State to help clean up the lead buying industry using innovative tech. Contact State helps companies buy confidently and profitably from Europe’s best and most trusted lead generation firms. We catch up on what's changed since we last heard from Alain (ep35) three years ago! We discuss what the imminent "Consumer Duty" means for advertisers in Financial Services and why we all agree that this is actually a good thing!

You'll find out why websites are so important and why some websites can climb the Google rankings much faster than others. In this episode, Alex talks you through the key components we look at when performing a website audit, from how the website could get more visitors to converting those visitors into enquiries.

Valerie is addicted to learning and consuming knowledge. She is a digital marketing strategist, speaker, author, and trainer who helps busy experts share their brand message and expertise with the world with the power of authority-building content. She helps them position them as the leaders in the field with the power of digital marketing, social media, and strategic content. She also teaches others how to do the same to with smart systems for strategic marketing success. Valerie has built a successful digital agency from the ground up and has seen digital trends evolve literally in front of her eyes. Valerie is passionate about providing real tools and strategies that provide real results in marketing. In this episode Valerie shares her advice for marketing your business if budgets are tight and we deep dive into topics like launching a new website or something like a new podcast or new Facebook page.

Some of the best leads are the people who call you directly. It sounds obvious but if you miss that call then that opportunity has gone. No matter the size of the business it's normally rare that someone is free to answer straight away. This is why so many advisers use a call answering service like MiPa which also helps out with admin too. Emma and her team work with quite a few broker firms answering their calls, booking appointments and with the admin side too. She's also a brilliant marketer too so you'll pick up a few content marketing tips while you listen as well.

If you need a shot of adrenaline then this chat is it! Alex came away feeling very motivated after this chat and got loads of work done that afternoon! Julia Smith is a regional business consultant for the Openwork Partnership and works with a lot of successful firms in the network. We discuss why Openwork is a great network and what she sees all the great firms doing day in, day out. You'll get to know her a bit better with all the usual superhero questions too!

Our first ever guest from episode 1 joins us for this 200th Episode special. We catch up with Pete Matthew from the Meaningful Money podcast to find out more about him, his firm and his content marketing strategy.

Should you put your face on your website? Do people want to know who you and your team are? Bob Gentle join us to discuss whether you should consider featuring your personal brand on your website.

In part 2 of "Things You Need To Know About Financial Services Websites" covers website hosting and security. This should help you make the right decision in which hosting package and company you use to ensure your site loads quickly and doesn't get hacked!

There are some important things you need to know if you have or are planning on launching a website. Alex shares some key lessons so you can avoid some incredibly stressful situations. Here's everything you need to know about domain names.

When you understand what's great about your favourite lead source you can then start to replicate the quality. In this episode, we uncover your favourite lead source and deconstruct what's great about the enquiries. We then use this to work out how we should market our business. It's the ultimate introduction to online lead generation.

He's appeared on the podcast more than he's had hot dinners but this will be his first appearance on the business superhero series. Expect plenty of banter, podcasting and mortgage marketing advice.

Having seen how Anish had dealt with some repulsive trolls we knew he definitely deserved the title of a business superhero! He's a consistent video content creator and has just started building up his team. Here his story today!

Emmanuel Asuquo - Financial Adviser as seen on Channel 4, BBC One and ITV is one of the loveliest people you are likely to meet. As Channel 4’s Financial Expert on the popular primetime show, “Save Well, Spend Better”, he helps people identify and change the habits and behaviours that keep them from financial freedom. He's a qualified and regulated financial adviser and motivational speaker, hired by companies to deliver transformative workshops to equip employees with the tools to understand and navigate the financial landscape in a simple, yet effective way. Where he's been seen: BBC 1's Morning Live (Finance Expert), LBC News Radio, BBC 1's The One Show (Watchdog), ITV's This Morning, BBC 1's Your Money & Your Life, Channel 4’s Save Well, Spend Better, BBC Radio London, The Telegraph, The Sun, The Express. Here is his story from humble beginnings to absolute baller featuring on national TV. You'll find out how consistent posting on Instagram has opened lots of doors for him. Of course the usual business super hero questions too, enjoy!

Marcus Nanson helps firms recruit new advisers, but he's been sharing loads of advice on Linkedin about how to make your firm be an attractive proposition too. We wanted to find out more about him, his company and recruitment best practices.

Thomas Honour returns for the 4th time! to give us an update on his journey. You'll hear the prequels to this one in episodes 52, 55 and 91. Hear how Thomas used to get most of his business through social media but is now a lot more reliant on his website from being the number one firm in his area on Google maps.