Brian K Shelton

Brian K Shelton

Engineer turned Marketer...

My 12+ year (accidental) journey into digital marketing...

Starting out in electrical engineering seemed like the right move. 

It was practical, and I was good at it. 

But then, office politics hit me out of the blue. 

Suddenly, I found myself at a crossroads. 

That's when the unexpected happened: I stumbled into the world of digital marketing. 

And let me tell you, it was nothing like engineering!

I was devastated!

It hit me hard. 

I received outstanding reviews from our client, one of the best in the country. 

But behind the scenes, there was a plot brewing to replace me. 

This plot eventually led to me being removed from the project, and the truth came out.

I was lucky not to lose my job at the consulting firm. 

My boss, seeing past the politics, put me on hold for another leading project. 

I was a mix of emotions - angry, betrayed, shocked. 

I'd never been so close to being fired, and it was a terrible feeling.

Then came another project, bigger, with more responsibilities. 

But the experience had left its mark. 

I decided then to channel my energy into success - the best kind of revenge.

So The Journey Begins...

And so began my venture into the world of online entrepreneurship, seeking to build a passive income and ensure job security. 

I dove into SEO and affiliate marketing with no prior experience, eager to learn and apply new strategies. 

It was a thrilling journey, and soon, I started seeing real results.

My excitement soared when I received my first unexpected earnings. 

For several months, this side hustle brought in impressive five-figure sums monthly. 

Bolstered by this success, I decided to leave my corporate job and focus on online entrepreneurship.

Then, in 2012, the Google Panda update hit, severely impacting my traffic and income. 

My earnings plummeted. 

I found myself in a tight spot – no stable income, increasing debts, and the pressing question: 

What next?

I felt like such a failure!

Going back to engineering was no longer an option. 

My heart was set on digital marketing, and I refused to let a Google update derail my ambitions. 

During this journey, I stumbled upon a realization. 

It struck me why some inferior products and ideas outsold better ones: superior marketing.

This insight ignited a new passion within me - a deep dive into marketing. 

So, in 2012, I embarked on a quest to expand my knowledge and enrolled for a Master of Science in Marketing, focusing on digital marketing. 

This education journey wasn't just about learning; it was a transformation. 

It honed my skills in data analysis, A/B testing, and understanding customer insights through surveys. It made my approach more data-driven and customer-centric.

I merged my problem-solving skills, honed during my telecom consulting days, with my newfound marketing expertise. 

This combination proved powerful. 

Working with diverse companies, from small businesses to major brands, I realized the universal potential for growth, regardless of the company's size.

The Growth Triad

In my deep dive into digital marketing, I encountered the Growth Triad, a transformative concept from DigitalMarketer. 

This wasn't just a fortunate discovery...

...but a strategic choice to embrace a system and framework already proven and trusted by over 126,000 companies, including industry leaders like Uber, Keap, Shopify, and HarperCollins. 

The Growth Triad provided a clear, actionable blueprint for success, combining an understanding of the customer journey, actionable metrics, and effective tools and tactics. 

This marked a pivotal moment in my career, aligning my strategies with a methodology renowned for its clarity and proven results in the business world.

Growth Gap Marketing: Putting It All Together

Growth Gap Marketing is my specialized strategy in the SaaS digital marketing arena. 

It's a sophisticated combination of the Growth Triad principles, tailored for effective SEO and content marketing. 

This strategy is laser-focused on critical SaaS metrics, especially Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) and churn reduction. 

My experience with Southwest Airlines, Mary Kay, and PowerSchool, along with my expertise in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and digital analytics, enables me to create customized solutions. 

Each SEO effort and content piece is carefully crafted to engage and convert, taking customers on a journey from initial discovery to enduring loyalty. 

The focus is not merely on generating traffic but on fostering long-term customer relationships and sustainable growth, redefining success in the SaaS sector.

AI in Marketing: Revolutionizing Strategy, Not Replacing It

In 2021, I embraced AI in marketing as an early adopter, recognizing its potential to revolutionize the industry. 

My approach, however, was distinct – I saw AI not as a replacement for human creativity and strategy but as a powerful assistant

Integrating AI into my marketing efforts, I focused on complementing it with a solid, well-executed marketing strategy. 

This synergy between AI and the Growth Triad, along with Growth Gap Marketing, became a cornerstone of my approach.

The Growth Triad principles – understanding the customer journey, focusing on actionable metrics, and applying the right tools – guided my use of AI. 

I used AI to enhance SEO and content marketing, making them more efficient and effective. 

AI helped scale these efforts, but it was always grounded in the right strategy, ensuring that the technology served the larger goals of MRR growth and churn reduction.

In the context of Growth Gap Marketing, AI became a tool for identifying and bridging growth gaps more efficiently. 

It provided insights into customer behavior and preferences, enabling me to tailor strategies to different stages of the customer journey. 

This targeted approach, powered by AI, led to more effective marketing campaigns, driving sustainable growth for SaaS companies.

What's Next...

Looking down the road, I see nothing but bright skies for SaaS companies playing in the $1M to $5M revenue league. 

My role? 

Your personal GPS guiding you straight into your next big win—the lush territory of $5M to $10M in earnings. 

Imagine a tailored mix of SEO that gets you noticed, PPC that hits the bullseye every time, and content marketing so engaging it turns readers into loyal fans—all laser-focused on ramping up your Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) while keeping churn at bay.

This isn't just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks; we're talking about applying some serious strategy with Growth Gap Marketing and those solid Growth Triad principles. 

We'll be eyeing only those metrics that matter—real growth over vanity stats any day! 

Every tactic from pinpoint keyword choices to precision-targeted PPC campaigns is selected for its impact on your bottom line. 

And our content? 

It's going beyond drawing crowds—it's crafted to captivate, convert, and keep customers coming back.

 
As we peer into the future together, my promise is not merely to walk beside you but to carve out a path for success in this ever-evolving digital terrain using all my know-how.

And now an invite just for you—if you're steering a SaaS ship aiming high from $1M towards that golden horizon of $5 million-plus: let’s talk dreams turning reality. 

Maybe concerns are nibbling away at your confidence or thoughts of competitors snapping at your heels disrupt sleep—I get it because I've been there too.

 
Let's embark on this mission hand-in-hand where SEO doesn’t just mean visibility; it means building lasting bonds with customers who believe in what you do as much as they benefit from it. 

Where PPC isn't about casting wide nets but catching exactly the right fish every single time—and where our stories told through content don’t simply inform—they inspire action and devotion.

 
It’s more than collaboration—it’s co-creating success one strategic step after another toward milestones met with shared celebration. 

So why wait? 

Reach out today—let's make waves together starting now!

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