Josh Dirks (@joshdirks) is a serial entrepreneur with a track record of success in digital marketing and sales.
After becoming the highest grossing sales rep for Door To Door in 2006, he went to Entercom, a national digital and radio broadcasting enterprise where he introduced the concept of narrow or slivercasting to better target and reach listeners. He also encouraged a multi-media marketing approach of incorporating the new field of social media marketing, but met serious doubt in the value of it.
Soon after, he left and started Project Bionic in 2009, one of the 1st social media marketing agencies in the US where they created “The PB Way”, a scientific approach to social media marketing that mixed creativity with business intelligence to drive real tangible growth, in fans and ultimately customers, for any business.
11 years later project Bionic is 38 clients big with 40 employees and major clients who’ve stuck with them for years like Nalgene, Amazon, Taco Time, and local Northwest favorite, Ezell’s Chicken.
This conversation is valuable for anyone who has considered or even doubted the power of social media marketing in driving growth for a startup. Whether you’re an e-commerce startup, a local restaurant, fitness influencer, or a mammoth brand, Josh shows us how to leverage social media marketing, for just a few bucks a day (not kidding).
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Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Show Notes
- What marketing advice do you give that very few follow? [6:52]
- How did you “start small”? [7:18]
- A.C.T. acronym at Project Bionic [9:32]
- Design me the perfect sandwich [12:10]
- How are you forward thinking and live in the future? [15:15]
- How history can help a marketer live in the future [18:00]
- How understanding “the why”, allows you to better understand the power of social media marketing [22:01]
- What is your marketing thesis? [23:40]
- What is the scientific approach to social media marketing? [27:45]
- Is awareness messaging, narrowcasting? [32:32]
- How having a understanding of your customer is critical to social media marketing [33:45]
- How starting small is important in social media marketing [35:08]
Links from Episode
- Connect with Josh: LinkedIn | Twitter | Website
- Project Bionic
- IAB
- Quartz Marketing Newsletter Sign-Up (“Daily Brief”)
- Jon Loomer
- Erik Qualman
- Socialnomics by Erik Qualman
- PPC Marketing: Get Your Business Found Online
- Simon Sinek’s How Great Leaders Inspire Action (TED Talk)
- Narrowcasting (slivercasting)
- Project Bionic
- What is a social media maven
- What is search engine optimization (SEO)
- Difference between hoagies, heroes, subs, and grinders
- Costco Mixed Nut Butter
- Door to Door Storage (acquired by U-Haul)
- The Pre-Industrial Revolution
- Friendster
- FriendFeed
- Myspace
- Josh’s deck on history & social media strategy
- Mad Men
- Taco Time Mexi-Fries
- Entercom Communications
- KISW Radio Channel
- Engagement Marketing
- Carter Subaru
- What is retargeting
- What is business intelligence
- What is awareness messaging
What was your favorite lesson from the episode? Comment below!