Rich Schefren, a pioneer in online marketing, recently shared his insights with the AdSkills community. Known for being the first business coach and developing concepts like automated webinars and freemium funnels, Schefren has been an influential figure in digital marketing for over two decades.

In his session, Schefren focused on the evolving landscape of digital marketing, particularly in advertising and content creation. He introduced several strategies that are proving effective in today's market but aren't yet widely adopted.

Schefren also addressed the challenge of adapting to market changes, offering practical advice for maintaining business stability during uncertain times. Throughout his presentation, he provided real-world examples and actionable tips that marketers can implement immediately.

This blog post will summarize the key points from Schefren's session, breaking down each major topic he covered. Whether you're new to marketing or an experienced professional, you'll find valuable information to enhance your marketing efforts.

By exploring Schefren's insights, we aim to provide you with a fresh perspective on current marketing trends and strategies. Let's dive into the main takeaways.

The Growing Importance of Creative in Marketing

Rich Schefren emphasized the growing importance of creative content in today's digital marketing landscape. While he shared several insights on this topic, one particular strategy stood out as both valuable and actionable.

Rich introduced the concept of organic testing for creative content. He suggested that before running paid ads, marketers should first test their creative ideas organically on platforms like Instagram or TikTok. This approach allows you to see what resonates with your audience without investing money in promotion.

Here's how it works: Create several versions of your content (e.g., different video scripts or ad copy) and post them organically on your social media channels. Monitor the engagement rates, comments, and shares. The content that performs best organically is likely to perform well in paid campaigns too.

This strategy helps you refine your creative approach before spending your ad budget, potentially saving you money and improving your campaign results.

Rich shared much more about the importance of creative in marketing, including insights on how platforms reward high-performing content and a intriguing "Magic Numbers Formula" for ad performance. He also discussed how the focus has shifted from media buying skills to creative quality.

If you're interested in learning more about these advanced creative strategies, including the specific metrics Rich recommends tracking and his full "Magic Numbers Formula," you might want to consider watching the complete session in the Ad Skills membership. Rich goes into much more depth on these topics and provides additional examples and strategies that could significantly improve your marketing results.

Remember, while this organic testing strategy can be helpful, it's important to adapt it to your specific business and audience. Always be ready to experiment and refine your approach based on your unique situation.

Leveraging AI for Creative Content

Rich Schefren shared fascinating insights on leveraging AI for creative content. While he covered several AI tools and strategies, one particular approach stood out as both accessible and powerful.

Rich introduced a method for creating custom AI writing assistants tailored to your brand voice. Here's a simplified version of the process:

1. Gather some of your best-performing content (e.g., social media posts, emails, or articles).
2. Feed this content into a large language model like GPT.
3. Ask the AI to create a framework based on your content's style and structure.
4. Use this framework to instruct the AI on how to generate new content in your voice.

This approach allows you to create an AI assistant that can help generate content ideas or even draft posts that sound like you wrote them. It's a great way to speed up your content creation process while maintaining your unique voice.

Rich covered much more about AI in marketing, including insights on image generation tools and the importance of balancing AI assistance with human creativity. He also discussed how AI can be integrated with proven marketing strategies for optimal results.

If you're interested in learning more about these advanced AI strategies, including specific tools Rich recommends and detailed instructions for creating your custom AI assistant, you might want to consider watching the complete session in the Ad Skills membership. Rich goes into much more depth on these topics and provides additional examples that could significantly enhance your content creation process.

Remember, while this AI strategy can be helpful, it's important to use it as a tool to augment your creativity, not replace it. Always review and refine AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with your brand and messaging.

Short-Form Video Content Strategy

Rich Schefren shared valuable insights on creating effective short-form video content. While he covered several strategies, one particular approach stood out as both practical and impactful.

Rich emphasized the importance of rapid scene changes in short-form videos. He shared a case study where they tested different frequencies of scene changes in ads. The results were surprising:

The worst-performing ad had scene changes every 2.4 seconds, which might seem quite frequent already. However, the best-performing ad had scene changes either every 1.9 or 1.4 seconds (Rich couldn't recall the exact number, but it was one of these two).

This strategy helps maintain viewer attention in an age where visual pattern recognition has become highly developed due to our constant exposure to rapidly changing digital content.

Rich covered much more about short-form video strategy, including frameworks for creating potentially viral content and tools for efficient video production. He also discussed the power of organic testing and how to use viewer feedback to refine your approach.

If you're interested in learning more about these advanced video strategies, including Rich's full framework for viral videos and specific tools he recommends for video creation, you might want to consider watching the complete session in the Ad Skills membership. Rich goes into much more depth on these topics and provides additional examples that could significantly improve your video marketing results.

Remember, while this rapid scene change strategy can be effective, it's important to test it with your specific audience and content type. Always be ready to adapt and refine your approach based on your results.

Email Marketing Optimization

Rich Schefren shared several valuable insights on email marketing optimization, but one tactic stood out as particularly useful and easy to implement.

He introduced a simple yet effective strategy to improve email open rates. Rich suggested creating a segment of your email list that includes people who have opened your emails in the last seven days. This segment should be dynamic, meaning it automatically updates based on recent activity.

The tactic works like this: First, send your email to this "active" segment in the morning. Then, wait about 4-5 hours before sending the same email to the rest of your list. Rich explained that this approach can significantly increase your overall open rates because it leverages the behavior of your most engaged subscribers to boost your email's performance with email service providers.

While this tactic is straightforward, Rich emphasized that it's just one piece of a comprehensive email marketing strategy. He covered many other aspects of email optimization, including balancing high-ticket offers with lower-priced front-end products and building long-term customer relationships.

If you're interested in learning more about Rich's email marketing strategies, including his full "PEAS" email approach and other advanced tactics, you might want to consider watching the complete session in the Ad Skills membership. Rich goes into much more depth on these topics and provides additional examples and strategies that could significantly improve your email marketing results.

Remember, while this tactic can be helpful, it's important to test and adapt it to your specific business and audience. What works for one company might not work for another, so always be ready to experiment and refine your approach.

Wrap Up

After sharing his insights, Rich Schefren took the time to answer questions from the audience. This Q&A session covered a wide range of topics, providing even more value to attendees. Some of the additional areas Rich touched on during this segment included:

• The future of high-ticket offers in the current economic climate
• How to balance personal branding with business growth
• Tips for staying motivated and productive as an entrepreneur
• Insights on emerging marketing trends to watch

Rich's answers were filled with practical advice and personal anecdotes from his years of experience in the industry. While we can't share all the details here, his responses provided attendees with actionable strategies they could implement in their own businesses.

In conclusion, Rich Schefren's session was packed with valuable insights and strategies for modern marketers. From leveraging AI in content creation to optimizing email marketing and mastering short-form video, Rich covered a lot of ground. Remember, what we've shared here is just the tip of the iceberg.

To get the full benefit of Rich's expertise, including detailed explanations, case studies, and step-by-step guides, check out the complete session in the AdSkills Core or CorePLUS memberships here. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn from one of the industry's most respected figures and take your marketing game to the next level!