The Long Game

Corey Haines on Programmatic SEO, Media Marketing, and SaaS Growth

Episode Summary

In this episode, we are joined by Corey Haines, the founder of Swipe Files and cofounder of SwipeWell, to discuss the approach to time management, content creation, and programmatic SEO, as well as the importance of treating content like a product and marketing like a media company.

Episode Notes

In this episode, we are joined by Corey Haines, the founder of Swipe Files and cofounder of SwipeWell. He shares their journey toward entrepreneurship, including the challenges they faced and how they found their passion in the world of tech and marketing. 

Corey Haines has been the head of marketing at companies like Baremetrics and SavvyCal as well as consulting with dozens of startups. He's currently writing a book on SaaS marketing called "Founding Marketing" that will be released in 2024.

He also discussed the importance of having a media personality within a company's senior leadership team, treating content like a product, and building individual thought leaders. 

The conversation provides insights into the world of programmatic SEO and its potential challenges and opportunities for building a successful SaaS company. They discuss their approach to time management, content creation, and programmatic SEO, as well as the importance of treating content like a product and marketing like a media company.

Topics:

Show Links

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Episode Transcription

Key Takeaways

[00:04:25] Programmatic SEO Marketing 

The guest mentions programmatic SEO marketing as one of their go-to topics but doesn't delve into it further.

[00:08:41]Enneagram Three Strengths and Weaknesses 

The guest discusses the strengths and weaknesses of Enneagram Three personality types, including their mission-oriented nature and tendency towards burnout.

[00:12:30]  Managing Time and Energy 

The guest explains how they manage their time and energy by minimizing meetings, emails, and admin work to focus on deep work.

[00:16:03]  Working on what's exciting 

The guest talks about how they work on tasks that they have the most energy for first, rather than following a daily function or theme.

[00:20:41]  The Difficulty of Content Creation 

The guest discusses the relative difficulty of content creation for Swipe Files, which they have been doing for three years, versus the more code-focused work of Swipe Well.

[00:21:41]  Building momentum for Swipe Well 

The guest talks about the startup mode of Swipe Well, focusing on product development and getting users and customers. They discuss ramping up content, programmatic SEO, and partnerships.

[00:27:29] Programmatic SEO Strategies 

Exploration of programmatic SEO strategies, including templates, conversions, comparisons, and how they can be customized for different companies.

[00:33:13]  Programmatic SEO and Generative AI 

The speakers discuss the potential impact of generative AI on programmatic SEO and the dilution of content quality.

[00:36:01]  Technical Foundations for Programmatic SEO 

The speakers discuss the technical requirements for successful programmatic SEO, including on-page SEO, site maps, and indexing.

[00:36:44]  Programmatic SEO VS Marketing Like a Media Company

The speakers discuss the difference between programmatic SEO and marketing like a media company, and why the latter is beneficial for SaaS companies.

[00:39:21]  Content as the Cornerstone of Marketing 

The guest explains why content is the core of marketing and how it can be used to represent a company.

[00:41:06]  Building Trust through Media Personalities 

The speakers discuss the importance of building trust through media personalities and how some SaaS companies have successfully implemented this strategy.

[00:44:41] The Risks of Building Social Thought Leaders 

 David Perell expresses concern about the risks of building social thought leaders, such as the inherent chaos of trying to contain brand messaging and the potential loss of value when a thought leader leaves the company. The guest suggests the need for an editor to maintain brand voice and content quality.

[00:47:35]  Retention and Incentivization 

The guest discusses the risk of losing valuable voices in a company's content team and how to retain them through incentivization.

[00:49:48]  The Modern Environment of Media Companies 

They talk about the current model of media companies and how it has shifted towards building individual platforms for writers and the risk of losing them to other companies.

[00:59:06] Journey to self-discovery 

The guest talks about his journey to self-discovery, including how he was challenged by a friend to explore his goals and interests and how he discovered his passion for marketing and sales.