Online press releases offer the ability to speak directly to a large audience that includes your best prospects and the media.

The days of solely reaching the media alone via press release are over - press releases now have an extensive reach worldwide.

Our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio is Joe Beaulaurier, Interactive Marketing Manager, PRWeb. Joe discusses the benefits of using press releases to reach your best prospects.

For instance, did you know that:

• Bloggers are — the new media. Bloggers attract an interested audience within a particular industry. Millions of blogs exist. If your press release is linked to from a blog site, it maintains a long shelf life online as the content is never deleted and the links remain indefinitely.

• The more links — to your press release, the better it will perform in the search engine rankings. Blogger links and links to it from your web site are beneficial. PRWeb has a feature called Press Release Trackback. This feature shows blogger links on the press release page and will advise you of the link via email so that you may follow the “buzz” surrounding your press release.

• PRWeb — publishes press releases geographically through email RSS feeds to media channels, Yahoo! News, Google News, and secondary industry specific sites. PRWeb’s SEO gives top search engine results and page rank.

In this episode, Joe Beaulaurier discusses the benefits and services offered by PRWeb and invites everyone to begin taking advantage of online press releases and the exposure they offer.

Stay tuned at the end of the program for the Today’s Trend. Today’s Trend is: The Migration Of Small Retail To The Web.

Gain access to Joe’s discussion by clicking the player below to listen to the full interview. For additional discussion on this topic, please visit our forum.

Listen Now:

 Use Online Press Releases To Get Prospects [53:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (6) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the On the Record Podcast

Description: Get the story behind the story as reporters from the mainstream media and newsmakers discuss how information technology is changing media news and entertainment, and business to business and consumer marketing.

Comments: 30 minute shows with the who’s-who of the technology industry the On the Record Podcast has very good production values (sound, production, structure) and some fascinating insights into media and the technology industry.

With about 100 shows available covering such topics as:

- Online with San Jose Mercury News Managing Editor David Satterfield
- Online with Wall Street Journal Technology Reporter Nick Wingfield
- Online with Avenue A Razorfish President Dave Friedman
- Online with Cisco New Media Manager Jeanette Gibson

There is so much content in this series of Podcast it is unbelievable.

Pluses: There is a great website, with instant play, download and RSS subscription options. Excellent show notes with time stamps that enable you to navigate to exactly the show topic detail you want to hear. Of course the depth and volume of content is the real plus with this show.

Minuses: My only comment here is that sometimes the show guest is via phone and occassionally hard to understand because of the phone connection.

Recommendation: If understanding the media and technology industries and their intersection is important to you then you need to listen and subscribe to the On the Record Podcast.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (2) | Permalink

Intuit, the maker of QuickBooks, hosts an online community named JumpUp.com. This community was created to assist new and existing business owners in networking and promoting their business.

JumpUp.com offers free resources that are available to help you grow your business.

Our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio is Kira Wampler, Marketing and Community Leader at JumpUp.com. Kira shares tips on how to get the most out of the exciting and FREE resources available at JumpUp.com to help you grow your business.

For instance, did you know that:

• JumpUp.com — is a small business community created by Intuit for small business owners. The community is designed to assist you in getting your business up and running quickly by providing the support and networking needed to promote your new business.

• FREE tools and services – are available at Jumpup.com. Some of which are sample business plans, a starting cost calculator, and an interactive business planner.

• You can request — to appear on JumpUp.com’s Small Business Spotlight page for additional visibility and promotion of your business.

• The JumpUp.com forum – is a great place to participate and share or gain access to knowledge, advice, and tips, from other small business owners and entrepreneurs.

• You can bookmark — website pages in JumpUp.com and benefit from Intuit’s performance and page rank, which also helps you to gain visibility for your business.

In this episode, Kira Wampler discusses the benefits and services offered by Intuits JumpUp.com community and invites everyone to come on over and begin taking advantage of all that JumpUp.com has to offer.

Stay tuned at the end of the program for the Today’s Trend. Today’s Trend is: Those Tech-Savvy Business Owners. For more information, here’s a related article titled “Those Tech-Savvy, Well-Off Small Biz Owners.”

Gain access to Kira’s tips by clicking the player below to listen to the full interview.

Listen Now:

 Why Intuit Helps You with More than Just Your Books [53:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (2) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the Meet the CEO Podcast

Description: Meet The CEO™ is the financial community’s most unique, CEO-focused and content value-oriented Executive interview portal…and the place for company Management to be heard.

Comments: Meet the CEO sets out to dig beyond the traditional financial discussion to get at the CEO’s true vision and passion, always striving to have an open and exporatory conversation.

Using music, humor and a very quick wit you need to pay sharp attention to catch the wide range of perspectives that this Podcast brings to its listeners.

This Podcast is the latest evolution for Jennifer Gardiner who has spent latter part of her 15 years in the public market interviewing executives.

Here is a sample of her guests:

- Uranium Resources, Inc (NasdaqGM - URRE), Mr David Clark
- Z Trim Holdings (AMEX - ZTM), Mr. Greg Halpern
- Firepond (OTCBB - FPTI), Mr. Bill Santo
- Broadband Energy Networks, Inc, Mr Larry Silverman, President

And many more. Each show is just short of 60 minutes long with new shows every couple of weeks.

Pluses: Nice website, instant play, deep show notes and even conversation transcripts. One nice feature is the ‘ask a question’ service. You can submit a question before the show and then listen for your anwer.

Minuses: I am not crazy about the flash elements that occur upon website arrival or mouse over. They are well done but I just don’t care for the distraction. I also could not find a way to RSS subscribe on the page. I found the site originally through iTunes.

Recommendation: If you want to learn about the companies or learn how different CEO’s think across a wide range of industries then the Meet the CEO Podcast is one you should check out.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (2) | Permalink

The United States Marine Corps has a long standing legacy of producing some of the United States most renowned leaders. Since 1775, countless governors, senators, astronauts, athletes, entertainers, and business executives have served in this elite branch of the United States military.

The U.S. Marines are known and respected the world over for their leadership ability. How do they do it? What do they know that enables them to be such successful leaders on active duty and then in the civilian sector? Well, there are universal leadership principles that people respond to.

Our featured guest in this episode of Small Business Trends Radio is Wally Adamchik, Founder and President of FireStarter Speaking and Consulting. Wally reveals the essential characteristics that make up the foundation of successful leadership.

For instance, did you know that:

• Integrity – is the number one characteristic of a successful leader. You cannot portray integrity. Whether or not you have it must be decided by others based on your actions.

• Respect and trust – are second runners up. A successful leader has the respect and trust of his employees. But it is gained through respecting and trusting the employees first to earn it.

• If you have to yell — you are not a leader. You are shutting your employees and those around you out. They will not receive the message you intend for them to hear and they will not respect and trust you. Nor will they view you as a person of integrity.

• Leaders are born — and made. We all possess a certain amount of natural leadership abilities. We need to consciously apply our skills by studying and working at them. Do not focus on charisma when doing so, focus on passion and capabilities.

Wally has written a book titled: NO YELLING: The 9 Secrets of Marine Corps Leadership You Must Know to Win in Business. In this episode, Wally Adamchik shares the essential universal leadership characteristics used by the U.S. Marines to enable you to become the successful, natural born leader, you are capable of becoming.

Gain access to Wally’s insights by clicking the player below to listen to the full interview. Click here for more discussion in the forum.

Listen Now:

 Incorporating Marine Leadership Skills Into Business [53:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Staci Wood | Comments (3) | Permalink

This week’s Podcast Review is about the QuickBooks Small Business Podcast

Description: Small business seminars in a flash

Comments: As expected Intuit’s QuickBooks Small Business Podcast has great production values, music, sound and structure.

Most shows are done in an interview format with a topic expert. The real plus here is that QuickBooks has so much brand value and exposure with small businesses that access to the best content is almost easy. While there are not that many shows available yet, those available are very rich with valuable advice.

Some of the topics covered include:

- Hiring Your First Employee
- Getting Paid: Improve your cash flow by getting paid quickly
- Online Marketing for Your Business
- Finding an accountant

Pluses: Very good content; nice website that enables access to all of the other Intuit resources for small business. I also like how they have integrated a discussion forum into the website so online forums threads exist for each show topic.

Minuses: I would like to see a more predictable show availability and of course my pet peeve, instant play on the website.

Recommendation: If you are a small business owner you simply have to connect with Intuit. The QuickBooks Small Business Podcast is one of their many resources dedicated to small businesses.

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (2) | Permalink

This week the PeerSight Leadership Spotlight shines on David Rust, a PeerSight facilitator who has been working with Peersight for about 1 year and also as a business coach for 5 years.

David shares details about his role as a Peersight facilitator and how he helps CEOs optimize their time working together. In addition David shared 3 things he would advise every CEO to do:

1) Have a simple plan
2) Have measurements for the plan
3) Meet weekly to review the measurements

Check out our PeerSight Leadership Spotlight page to get informed and inspired. Click below to listen to David.

Listen Now:

 PeerSight Leadership Spotlight: Making the Most of CEO Time [5:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted by Steve Rucinski | Comments (2) | Permalink