The Digital Marketing Podcast

Episode: 2018 Productivity Tips For Digital Marketers

Hosts: Daniel Rowles & Ciaran Rogers
Date: December 21, 2017

Episode Overview

This episode serves as a fast-paced, practical guide to boosting productivity for digital marketers entering 2018. Daniel and Ciaran share their personal toolkit of time-saving tips, favorite tools, and process hacks designed to help listeners become more effective and less overwhelmed in their digital marketing activities. The conversation centers on actionable strategies—ranging from smarter content creation to email management—delivered in their candid, conversational style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stop Creating Mediocre Content & Make Everything “PR Worthy”

(Starts at 00:45)

• Quality over quantity: Daniel urges marketers to cease churning out average content, suggesting a simple mental test for every piece: Is it “PR worthy”?
• Content designed to be truly shareable—something a public relations company could pitch to the press—tends to get ongoing engagement and SEO benefits.
• Quote:

  “If I’m creating content, it has to be PR-worthy. …Why would someone want to talk about this?”
  —Daniel Rowles, 00:56

2. Elevate Your Keyword Research with Smart Tools

(Start: 01:30; Tool details: 02:17, 03:02, 03:44, 05:23)

• Build content around keyword research from the start, not as an afterthought.

• Simple keyword research (02:17):
  Ciaran notes that Google’s “related searches” at the bottom of results pages provide a quick sense of the keyword landscape.

• AnswerThePublic.com (03:02):
  Combines Google and Bing auto-suggestions to offer a rich array of real, question-based search queries.

• Keywords Everywhere (03:44—05:23):

  • Browser extension pulls real-time search volume and CPC data (though not 100% accurate), saving time and delivering insights directly into SERPs and tools like AnswerThePublic.
  • Allows targeting by country, reflecting how click costs can vary dramatically.
  • Quote:

    “What I particularly like about Keywords Everywhere is it’s free… also you can target it towards the APIs for specific countries as well.”
    —Ciaran Rogers, 05:23

  • Use the text-based display in AnswerThePublic for efficiency.

• Daniel’s Example (05:42):

  “Digital marketing training in the UK will cost you between seven and nine pounds per click. …in India… about £2 a click. So huge difference.”

3. Use Social Media Monitoring for Content Inspiration & SEO First-Mover Advantage

(06:39—08:30)

• Monitor social chatter for fresh phrases/topics before they surface in keyword tools.

• This lets you publish content on rising topics first—winning early SEO traffic.

• Quote:

  “Use social media monitoring to monitor certain phrases… identify phrases as they start to become interesting… Then you write a piece of content… and you end up showing up in Google before anyone else.”
  —Daniel Rowles, 06:56

• Real-life example: Their blog post on “what is Google preferred?” ranked #1 because they published before Google did.

4. Process Mapping and Content Calendars are Essential

(08:30—10:27)

• Build a robust content calendar at the heart of your operations—this should integrate content creation, SEO, keyword research, social media, email campaigns, and influencer outreach.
• Most companies miss out on mapping influencer outreach and email distribution as part of their content process.
• Tools like Canva help create image templates at correct resolutions for each channel, streamlining repetitive tasks.
• Social media policies should be positive, sharing best examples—not just listing prohibitions.
• Quote:

  “Most social media and content calendars are missing the influencer outreach bit… I really think they should be doing both of those things.”
  —Daniel Rowles, 09:27

5. Staying Up to Date: Feedly & Nuzzle

(10:27—11:56, 19:03)

• Feedly: Daniel uses it to follow official Google, Facebook, and Twitter blogs—keeps all updates in one place for efficient skimming.
• Nuzzle:
  • Ciaran’s pick. Easily plug in your Twitter account; see what your network is reading and sharing.
  • Useful both for avoiding duplication and for surfacing top resources if you can’t constantly monitor your feed.
  • Quote:

    “You’re almost using your own friends audience on Twitter to work out what they’re all sharing and why… It’s a great way of filtering and getting up to speed with the things that everybody else thinks are really, really useful.”
    —Ciaran Rogers, 11:16

6. Fixing the Email Problem: Personal Hacks & Cultural Shifts

(11:56—18:10)

• The relentless volume of email harms productivity and wellbeing.

• Daniel advocates for “Inbox Zero” daily, moving bigger topics to a task list, and only checking email at set times (e.g., morning, lunchtime, evening).

• Some organizations set SLAs for email replies (e.g., respond within 48 hours), which Daniel sees as healthier.

• Ciaran recommends removing work email from your phone to regain control and safeguard personal/family time.

• Use alternative/urgent channels (SMS, phone) for true emergencies—establish expectations with your team.

• Quote:

  “We did a bit of a study into this… Every email you reply or send, you get 1.7 emails back. So there is no actual winning this.”
  —Daniel Rowles, 12:26

  “Stopped having my work email on my phone… It destroys that time that you’ve got with your friends or with your family… you end up being tired of the subjects that you need to get back on or worse still firing off that response…”
  —Ciaran Rogers, 13:38

• Culture is key: make expectations around response times explicit and avoid pushing everything down the email channel.

• LinkedIn and Communication Overload (16:36—17:32):

  • Too many channels (LinkedIn, email, phone, etc.) can dilute urgency and attention. Set boundaries and priorities—communicate best methods for urgent issues.

Most Memorable Quotes

• Daniel Rowles (on content quality, 00:56):

  “If I’m creating content, it has to be PR-worthy.”

• Daniel Rowles (on the Twitter “Google preferred” example, 07:18):

  “…Created a three, three or 400 word blog post and it went in at number one as a definition post.”

• Ciaran Rogers (on work-life boundary, 13:38):

  “Stopped having my work email on my phone… It destroys that time that you’ve got with your friends or with your family…”

• Daniel Rowles (on email futility, 12:26):

  “Every email you reply or send, you get 1.7 emails back. So there is no actual winning this.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:45 — Setting a “PR worthy” standard for content
• 02:17 — Using Google related searches for keyword ideas
• 03:02 — Introduction to AnswerThePublic.com
• 03:44 — Keywords Everywhere: getting actual search volumes and CPC
• 05:42 — Comparing keyword economics by country
• 06:39 — Social media monitoring for content inspiration
• 09:27 — The importance of process mapping and robust content calendars
• 10:27 — Staying informed with Feedly
• 11:16 — Using Nuzzle to leverage your network’s news
• 11:56 — Tackling email overload: practical and psychological strategies
• 13:38 — Breaking free: Why you shouldn’t have work email on your phone
• 16:36 — Communication channel overload, prioritization, and boundaries
• 17:28 — The curse of recruiter spam on LinkedIn

Tone & Language

The episode is practical, conversational, and sprinkled with banter, self-effacing humor, and examples from both hosts’ personal experience. Strategies are delivered in a direct, honest manner—no hype, just real-world advice (“I thought I'd crack this [email], and the last four months of my life have been… the bane has been the email.” - Daniel, 11:56).

In Summary

The hosts offer a tightly focused collection of productivity tactics and digital tools—some “old school,” some new discoveries—grounded in their own day-to-day work. Listeners leave with a clear sense of steps to take for making 2018 a more efficient, creative, and less stressful year in digital marketing.

To suggest your own productivity hacks or follow up on tools discussed, connect with Daniel and Ciaran through TargetInternet.com or their social media channels.