Excel and Marketing, like chocolate and peanut butter are just meant to go together. In fact you might say they are inseparable. I know you might be thinking I am crazy but give me a minute.

This show came about when we discovered a fascinating new book called Excel for Marketing Managers. Bill Jelen of MrExcel fame and Ivana Taylor a marketing maven from ThirdForce are the authors and they agreed to come on the show and share with us key points from it.

I for one can admit that I am not an Excel power user and I can always learn more about marketing. Did you know that Excel has over 350 functions, not just SUM? I learned more about Excel in this conversation than I had learned in years.

I never realized how much marketing is about data and the effective analysis of that data. You can learn more about your customers by analyzing what you know about them, when they buy, what they buy, how often they buy, what survey data they supply, the list could go on. Once you have the data, how do you analyze and manipulate it? With Excel of course.

Being a business success is all about being your customers choice for the service or product you provide. Read more and listen to Mastering Excel is a Critical Marketing Skill.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (1) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about another terrific small business podcast, Biz III by Mike Hughes and Les Bain.

Description: Three minute daily podcasts designed to help you both save and make more money in your existing (or future) business. Information, Ideas and Inspiration all designed to help you make more money.

Comments: In daily, small digestible chunks Mike and Les provide you the latest insight into online marketing, media, applications and more.

I think this podcast is a great way for the person who is fairly new to the latest in internet marketing to get up to speed quickly and stay current. Mike and Les seem to scan all of the big movers and shakers of this business space to help keep their listeners on top of what the next big things are or might be. But most importantly they provide a translation for how the small business person can take advantage of the knowledge they share.

Their website is nice and clean and has a neat clickable podcast icon that will launch the podcast fairly quickly. Click on ‘Podcasts’ in the left side navigation bar.

Subscribe will take you to the RSS Feed subscription page where you can use the RSS Feed or choose from your favorite blog reader button to subscribe in that manner.

The navigation choice of RSS Feed (confusing, I know) allows you to send an email to a friend, add del.icio.us or email the author. They are also offering their content for free use on other web pages. Great idea!

They also provide an ‘about’ page and a method to contact them if you choose to do so.

Pluses: Over 60, 3-minute information packed recordings for the listener with leading edge and current information sometimes captured live right at a trade show. Great for internet marketing beginners as well as veterans.

Minuses: I couldn’t make the ‘email a friend’ work. I sometimes want more than 3-minutes, maybe categories could be combined into longer segments serving audiences who want snippets and others who want more length. Not a complaint, just a wish.

We recommend that you add Biz III to your list of sources for small business information.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (1) | Permalink

The first measure in marketing is return on investment. What sales were generated with which marketing campaign.

For small businesses — or even larger businesses — with limited marketing budgets, the demographics served by radio, podcasts and websites may produce the best sales per marketing dollar.

But the mediums must be considered carefully.

Radio has ratings numbers. Podcasts have down load numbers. Websites have pageviews.

Easy to compare.

Although purists such as Jonathan Fildes, at BBC News, fuss that a download does not equal a listener, the audio listenership market is compelling.

And might yield better returns than Your Business Blogger’s ad on the Milliondollarhomepage website.

Alex Tew set up a web page of a 1,000,000 pixels; selling each pix for $1. Alex has auctioned off his last 1,000 pixels for $38,100 US a while back and explains that:

… officially all one million pixels on the homepage have now been sold, with total income standing at US $1,037,100 - not bad for less than 5 months work!

In December www.Yoest.org bought into the frenzy with a $100 ad campaign.

Alex assures me:

If [the] pixel page has any lasting value in online marketing, … it’s that “very small ads have some sort of future.”

Small indeed. So far, for Your Business Blogger: small ad = small number. Tally to date, total visits to www.Yoest.org from around the world, referred to me by The Milliondollarhomepage have been quite modest.

Click thru’s to Your Business Blogger:

52

The Milliondollarhomepage has received 4.3 million page views.

Not quite the click-thru ratio I had hoped for.

Wife Charmaine is still not convinced of the brilliance of my MicroScopic Marketing.

I was a skeptic when the The Million Dollar Home Page was first launched. I succumbed. I’m a sucker. (For a Purple Cow.)

Around Christmas, last year, I told Charmaine, “I just bought ad space on The Million Dollar Home Page.”

“Great!” she says. “We need to do some ad copy.”

“…well, dear…”

“About time you advertised your blog.” She gets out a pen, “What’s the buy? Who’s the reader? What’s the…”

“Size…?”

“Yea, how big?” She asks, eyes a-glow.

“Small. But we make it up on Frequency! on Reach! on Awareness…!”

Charmaine stops smiling. “How small?”

“100 pixels. We’re helping a young man get through college…”

Charmaine’s eyes go dead. That look. Blank.

I’m in trouble, “Only 100 bucks. Buck a pixel, get it?! ha ha ha!”

Her look drifts into a 1,000 yard stare, common on combat veterans. Married veterans.

“What does 100 pixels look like?” she whispers.

“10 by 10 pixs.” I do the math for her. It was not helpful.

“Show me.” She murmurs. I’m glade she’s talking.

“Here,” I said. “It’s….compact…”

My Ad

She’s mentions the $45K for my MBA. “We’ll have to consider the ROI, won’t we?” She says. I don’t know if she’s talking business school or ad buys. Or marriage.

Hard to tell the difference.

I don’t wait too many months for the answer.

This morning, Charmaine asked how THAT advertising program was going. We’re vacationing on the beach. I thought she’d forget.

I mumble, “52.”

“That’s 2 bucks a hit, huh?” She does the math this time. “A bit high, would you say?”

“John Wanamaker said that half of his marketing budget was wasted…” I launch into consulting mode.

“You did the wasted half.” She’s very good with a knife. Cutting to the truth.

I end the conversation. Like a man.

“Yes, dear.” (See The Complete Married Man’s Guide To Spousal Responses.)

Alex Tew
in The Wall Street Journal

Blogs can be divided into Linkers and Thinkers. The Million Dollar Homepage might be a case study on both. On the same page.

Alex Tew did the thinking, got the linking, made the money.

The internet changes everything. Silly cliche.

Silly me.

Maybe I should have bought a podcast ad.

Posted by Jack Yoest | Comments (0) | Permalink

You are a small business owner, do you know you have a big voice? Small business owners like you around the world band together in advocacy groups to influence governmental and business organizations.

Did you know that in the USA, on average, 30% of the retail price of any item is related to regulation and taxes? In addition the cost in the USA of regulatory requirements for a small business is $7,000 per employee.

Steve Millard (above on the left) and Lou Licata (above on the right) of the 16,000-member small business organization COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises) are the guests of host Anita Campbell on this episode of Small Business Trends Radio.

Anita and her guests share with you the best practices of one of the largest small business groups in the USA and what it is doing to serve its members and what are the key issues, strategies and actions they are taking to Speak with a Big Voice for small business.

Go to read more and listen to: Small Business Advocacy … Speaking with a Big Voice

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (0) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the terrific small business podcast, SmallBizPod by Alex Bellinger.

Description: The UK’s first small business podcast. News, interviews, and practical advice for small and medium-sized businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs podcast to the UK and beyond.

Comments: With over 25 shows at an average length of about 30 minutes, SmallBizPod has a large volume of valuable small business content that seems to be updated every 2-3 weeks with a new podcast. The production values are good, nice intro music and very good sound quality even with some of his guests connecting via telephone.

Alex does a nice job of giving an overview of the podcast and sort of a ‘Table of Contents’ for each show. He covers all of the critical areas of small business management from finance to marketing to human resources. You can use this podcast to obtain practical advice for starting and operating your small business.

The podcast uses a mixture of functional topic guests along with success stories shared by CEOs of several small business and even an occasional big name guest like Guy Kawasaki.

One of the other nice things Alex does at the end of each podcast is share listener feedback and he also displays that feedback on an accompanying blog which makes the show have a more interactive feel to it.

Pluses: A large volume of valuable content, nice accompanying blog with show notes and listener feedback, good sound and professionally done. Multiple ways to subscribe to the podcast right on the blog.

Minuses: Each podcast link says ‘left click to stream’ but takes a good bit of time to start playing if you want to listen from the site.

We recommend that you add SmallBizPod to your list of sources for small business information.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (1) | Permalink

Listen Now:

 Liz Recital [3:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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You wrote a book. A real labor of love. The work is done — now you can go back to your other love, your small business.

But your book has to be sold. And you have to do the selling.

So what’s the fastest way to sell your book?

The solution is easier than you think.

The other day, a book-publishing blogger emailed me about getting clients on the Oprah show and other mega shows.

How did we get Your Business Blogger’s wife (air) kissing Bill Maher?

It started with radio. The best forum to start practicing.

Bill Maher

To get on the networks, start with 100 radio interviews.

And the visual media will hear you and hear of you. On radio.

Let’s get started with the backgrounder basics.

1. Feature your book on your web site and blog.
2. Issue a press release.
3. Prod the iPod-casters
4. Write your own copy.
5. Submit your work to your network.
6. To sell 800 books, write 800 words.
7. Rap with the Reps.
8. Schedule a book signing.
9. Memorize your 8 second sound cites.
10. Book hook for bookers and lookers.

1. Feature your book on your web site and blog. Marketing consists of reach, frequency and awareness. Your web site can have the greatest reach of your marketing plan. Include the image of your cover, an introduction, perhaps a first chapter and blurbs. Google yourself — now — and register if your site doesn’t appear. Also place and link your book on others’ web sites. Ask your publisher or publicist to load and link with Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

2. Issue a press release. A good press release will tell people how FAB your book is — the features, advantages and benefits. Remember, your book is a commodity; a bar of soap, or a piece of real estate to be packaged, promoted, positioned, priced, and peddled.

Features — what it is, a description

Advantages — what it does

Benefits — answers the “So what?” question. Faster; Better; Cheaper.

The press release will include a description of the intended audience, a short bio of the author, and previous books. Your release should be one page and be newsworthy.

Don’t bury your lead, follow a hierarchy with the most important point first, progressing to least important — when cutting for space, newspaper editors edit from the bottom up.

Be sure to use the quotes of experts commenting on your work that you worked hard to get.

Have your institution send out the press release and get an electronic copy posted to your web site. Then email an alert to your Christmas card list.

A typical Congressman will have 1500 names on his holiday list, you don’t need quite these numbers to compete in a different kind of popularity contest. A good outlook on your Outlook will improve your outreach.

3. Prod the iPod-casters. Now you are ready for your voice to be heard. Podcasting: The People’s Radio, is the place to practice. Find a friend of a friend to contact and email each host. There are 1,000’s of them. Size doesn’t matter; practice does. And to start…

4. Write your own copy. You wrote the book, now write the Cliff Notes. This can be the most challenging item, like writing your own obituary. If you want a good book review, a good blurb, a good softball question, write it yourself and give it away. To whoever owns the ink or the mike.

You do the work, they get the credit. Just like a typical committee meeting. This is the only way your book will be done right.

Your next introduction to the Kiwanis Club will have the Master of Ceremonies holding up your book and reading a glowing two minute introduction of your brilliant accomplishments. . . that you wrote and handed to him under the table.

The MC looks smooth; you sell books. History was very good to Winston Churchill because he wrote it himself.

5. Submit your work to your network. Press or media kits should be assembled and sent with a handwritten cover note to the radio, network and cable outlets. Your kit should include the press release, bio, articles about you, your blurbs and any reviews, publicity photo and the book itself if appropriate.

Use excerpts of your book if your supply is limited. Solicit and include testimonials; what readers are saying about your book. Include frequently asked questions and answers as show prep for interviewers, fact sheet about the book, ISBN, and number of pages.

Also include clip art of your book cover and your web address. All of this info should be on your web site with a high resolution photo. Have a short video clip ready.

After spilling your own barrel of ink, go meet some people. It’s not what you know . . .it’s not who you know . . .it’s who knows you.

It’s not whose business cards you have, but who has yours. Go insert your card into some one else’s rolodex.

1. Make yourself able, available and willing as a speaker to any church group.
2. Give talks to specialized associations and civic organizations.
3. If your book is really controversial, hold a press conference.
4. Alert your professional associations and alumni organizations.
5. Lecture at the “.org’s,” on-line education entities and for profit companies.

6. To sell 800 books, write 800 words. No one has time to write a short letter. But a short opinion editorial with your byline as author with your book title is a good leveraged hit. A guideline in advertising tells us that a buyer needs seven exposures to a product before making a purchase decision.

There is help in getting this marketing frequency. Start with the people who will make money off you. . .the sales reps.

7. Rap with the Reps. While you’re schmoozing with the big dogs reviewing strategy and marketing, be sure to remember tactics and sales. Meet the publisher’s sales manager and her sales reps.

These are the guys with the feet on the street who do the wholesale selling to the bookstores and major accounts. “Your” sales team will recommend your title(s) if they know that you are working as hard as they do.

And they will know you are working because you will tell them about the events you are scheduling.

8. Schedule a book signing. The fastest and best endorsement is the personal recommendation through word of mouth. Call your favorite bookstore and offer to speak. About your book.

We live in an information age, run on a service economy where books are bought on line.

But for something really important like, say, graduation ceremonies, real people show up.

There is a greater chance that books will be sold In Real Life in a face-to-face close.

And sign every book possible. These count as sales; they might be sold, they might end up in the remainder bin, but such “altered” books are not sent back to the publisher.

Work with your bookstore host; attention to detail will sell. For example, smart bookstores would arrange for child care when attending a book-signing about motherhood. Collaborate with the book store on alerting the local media and the .edu’s and student newspapers in town.

This is leg work that your publicist might do — a big outfit like Planned Television Arts, a division of Ruder Fin, would need $15K to get started, and some $3K/city to haul you around. More likely, it will have to be you.

Well, even with their help, it still has to be you. As good a job as they do, your publisher will expect you to do most of the PR yourself.

The real value of booking signings is that this shows your publisher that you are serious about selling. The publisher will push books into the stores; you will pull them out — or sign them out.

Your signature can telegraph an added value in addition to being a coveted autograph. In this new age of electronic mail messages the handwritten note and envelope is nearly unknown.

Be sure to thank the bookstore. With style. Your untyped thank you note, fountain pen on fine paper, will be rare, appreciated and suitable for framing, an artifact from a more civilized era: an author who does the little things.

And can say things little — in 8 seconds . . .

9. Memorize your 8 second sound cites. Big books should be broken down into sound bites made simple and memorable for citations. The broader the audience, the simpler the message.

When FLOTUS Nancy Reagan was speaking to 8 million potheads, she used three words: “Just say no.”

When speaking to the 800,000 elite readers of The Wall Street Journal use 800 words.

When talking to the four million viewers of Politically Incorrect, Charmaine used 8 seconds.

And when speaking to a large, large audience, simple sells. 800 pound gorillas write in 800 word articles and speak in 8 second sound bites.

10. Book hook for bookers and lookers. Every radio and TV show producer has a box to fill for a segment.

When a print reporter contacts you about a story he’s working on, he’s got a box to fill.

You’ve got a (simple) hook to grab them. You fit in the box. They already have the story written. You fit in the box. Your byline on the printed page or the small screen: “author of…”

Remember: your audience may have an eighth-grade education. It’s got to be fast. And easy.

Your visual hook will be your book cover. It should be designed to be seen at a distance by browsers in bookstores. A cover gets eight seconds before a customer will pick up the book or pass. A well-designed cover is easily seen on a TV monitor. Make sure your publisher has run your book jacket by the sales team. People really do judge a book by its cover.

Numbers count. This is your report card. Every day pick one of the action behavior items listed and pick up the phone; pick up a pen and get started. Do this and your work and your business will make a difference.

Charmaine, The Diva, Jack, 1997
Persistence every day will pay. (And don’t worry about messing up. To be insulted can be a marketer’s dream: see The Onion and parody.)

Want to sell your book? Start with radio.

Posted by Jack Yoest | Comments (1) | Permalink