This interview is with John Reinesch, Founder at John Reinesch Consulting.

John Reinesch, Founder, John Reinesch Consulting

Welcome to Digital Marketing Interviews, John! Could you tell our readers a bit about yourself and your journey to becoming a digital marketing expert?

My journey into digital marketing started somewhat unexpectedly. While working in retail, I stumbled upon some YouTube videos about SEO and digital marketing, which piqued my interest. Intrigued by the possibilities, I dove deeper into learning and experimenting on my own.

To accelerate my learning and gain more practical experience, I secured a job at a local marketing agency. This hands-on role allowed me to refine my skills and understand the industry from the inside out.

With a solid foundation in place, I began freelancing and offering consulting services. This phase of my career was incredibly rewarding as I got to work directly with clients and see the tangible impact of my strategies.

Eventually, I decided to take the plunge and start my own marketing agency. Today, I help self-storage facilities and local businesses grow by leveraging SEO and digital marketing, and I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge and experience with others. It's been an exciting journey, and I'm grateful for every step along the way.

What's a pivotal moment in your career that solidified your passion for digital marketing?

A pivotal moment in my career came when I witnessed firsthand how my digital marketing efforts directly resulted in significant business growth for my clients. Seeing the tangible impact of my work—from increased website traffic to higher conversions—was incredibly exciting and solidified my passion for digital marketing. It was at that point that I realized the immense potential of this field to transform businesses and help them achieve their goals.

This ultimately led me on the path of entrepreneurship as well.

Can you share an example of a successful digital marketing campaign you spearheaded? What made it stand out and achieve such positive results?

One of the most successful digital marketing campaigns I spearheaded was for a storage facility that had just developed a brand-new location and was in the process of leasing it up. Our primary objective was to quickly attract local customers within a 5-mile radius.

We launched a two-pronged approach: a targeted Google Ads campaign and an intensive SEO strategy. The Google Ads campaign focused on local search terms and geographic targeting to ensure we were reaching potential customers in the immediate vicinity. Concurrently, our SEO efforts aimed at optimizing the facility's website and local listings to improve organic search visibility.

The results were outstanding. Within approximately six months, we were able to fully lease up the facility. What made this campaign stand out was our ability to not only achieve rapid occupancy but also establish a sustainable lead generation system. The combination of paid and organic strategies ensured a steady stream of leads each month, providing the client with ongoing success and growth beyond the initial lease-up period.

The digital landscape is constantly evolving. How do you stay updated with the latest trends and adapt your strategies accordingly?

Making YouTube videos and content has helped me stay current and reinforce and challenge what I know. By making videos, I need to think deeply about topics, distill down what I know, and make it easy to understand.

I also like to listen to podcasts, read books, and take courses on specific skill sets I want to develop.

Many marketers struggle with identifying and effectively targeting their ideal audience. What advice would you give them based on your own experiences?

About a year ago, my agency decided to break into the self-storage industry. To do this successfully, I immersed myself in learning everything I could about the industry. This included understanding market trends, typical pain points, and the competitive landscape. I scheduled calls with storage facility owners to gain direct insights into their challenges and needs.

This hands-on research was invaluable. It allowed me to tailor our marketing strategies to address the specific concerns of self-storage owners, creating campaigns that resonated deeply with our target audience. The results were so compelling that I decided to take it a step further and plan to purchase my first storage facility.

For marketers struggling to identify and target their ideal audience, I recommend:

Deep Dive into the Industry: Learn as much as possible about the industry you're targeting. This includes reading industry reports, joining relevant forums, and attending industry events.

Direct Conversations: Talk to potential customers to understand their pain points and needs. These conversations can provide insights that data alone might not reveal.

Tailored Strategies: Use the information gathered to develop marketing strategies that speak directly to your audience's needs and concerns.

Continuous Learning: Stay updated on industry trends and adjust your strategies accordingly.

By taking these steps, you can create more effective and targeted marketing campaigns that truly resonate with your ideal audience.

You've previously spoken about using AI in your marketing strategies. Can you elaborate on a specific instance where AI significantly impacted a campaign's success, and what advice would you give to marketers hesitant about integrating AI?

In my approach to integrating AI into our marketing strategies, I start by breaking down every step of the process. I then map out which tasks can potentially be automated using AI, which tasks require a junior team member, and which tasks need the expertise of a senior team member. This method allows me to optimize costs without sacrificing quality, which is crucial for client retention.

For example, one successful implementation of AI was in a content marketing campaign. By using AI to handle content outlines, we saved time and resources, allowing our junior team members to focus on keyword research and refining the outline while senior members ensured the final product was top-notch. This strategy not only improved efficiency but also maintained high standards, leading to increased client satisfaction and retention.

To marketers hesitant about integrating AI, I would advise starting small by identifying repetitive tasks that AI can handle. This helps in reducing costs and freeing up your team to focus on more strategic activities. Ensure continuous monitoring and adjustment to see the benefits without compromising on quality.

Measuring the ROI of digital marketing efforts can be challenging. What key metrics do you prioritize, and how do you demonstrate the value of your work to clients or stakeholders?

For the clients I work with, real business metrics like revenue and bookings are most important. We always want to ensure our efforts are directly contributing to business growth. By tracking and analyzing these metrics, we can demonstrate the tangible impact of our work.

These metrics also allow us to understand how to best adjust our budget so we are always driving the highest ROI.

Additionally, we prioritize organic traffic and keyword rankings. These metrics help us understand our effectiveness in driving visibility and attracting potential customers. By improving these indicators, we set the stage for increased conversions and business growth.

Looking ahead, what emerging technologies or trends in digital marketing excite you the most, and how do you envision them shaping the industry's future?

AI excites me the most because it has the potential to significantly enhance the work of marketers who have a deep understanding of their craft. By automating repetitive tasks and providing sophisticated data analysis, AI allows marketers to focus on more strategic, creative, and impactful activities.

I envision AI shaping the future of the industry by enabling more personalized marketing strategies, optimizing campaign performance in real-time, and uncovering insights that were previously difficult and time-consuming to identify.

What's one actionable piece of advice you'd give to aspiring digital marketers looking to make their mark in this dynamic field?

Always be learning and evolving your skill set. Don't settle for what you've done in the past just because it's familiar. Question everything and keep growing. Learning has been the single most important aspect of my career. Be intentional with your learning: identify the next skill set that will help you advance to the next level, master it, and then move on to a new skill.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Thank you for having me! To recap, staying ahead requires continuous learning and adaptation. Embracing emerging technologies like AI can significantly enhance your marketing strategies, making them more efficient and effective.

Prioritizing key metrics such as revenue, bookings, organic traffic, and keyword rankings helps demonstrate the tangible value of your efforts to clients.

Finally, always strive to question the status quo and focus on mastering new skills that will propel you to the next level in your career. Remember, the journey of learning and growing never stops.