Virtual Event Success

I’ve been invited to speak at a multi day virtual event called Six Figure Marketing Secrets. It’s hosted by Iris Benrubi, a success coach and lifelong entrepreneur.

I’ll be speaking at 1pm EST on April 23, 2008 on How to Use Podcasting & Social Media to Double Your List in 90 Days. Not only will I be speaking at this virtual event, but so too will Jan Janzen and Andy O’Bryan, two people I’ve met and really like.

The Marketing Secrets teleseminar series is normally $197, but I asked Iris to let me offer you a gift. She relented. So, if you use my VIP coupon, you will get $100 off the seminar price. Just use MS423 in the coupon box to save over 50% off the price of admission.

Visit the Six Figure Marketing Secrets website to register your spot.

I’m leading a 3 hour workshop at the National Association of Broadcasters annual conference and I’ll be focusing on low cost online marketing tools. Here’s the deets:

Creative (Online) Promotion for Businesses of All Sizes
April 15, 2008 • 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Las Vegas Convention Center N259

Trying to break through the clutter and be heard? Learn successful techniques to promote your business to prospective customers. Many of these techniques work with little or no budget. Get your marketing plan recharged and attract new clients.

If you’ve got an example of someone who has used an online tool to promote their business, do share. I have a few case studies, but I’m always looking for more.

Two days ago, I had no clue who Peter Shankman was. I read a post on Dina’s blog about a new website called helpareporter.com.

I signed up on Monday and discovered that a guy named Peter Shankman created this website after his Facebook group grew too large for Facebook to handle (don’t get me started about Facebook).

So, using a term that Andy has on his blog, I now have a professional crush on Peter Shankman. When you sign up for helpareporter.com (and you will, right?), you’ll see what I mean.

So far, Peter sends about 2 emails a day that contain queries from journalists who need to interview people for an article they’re writing. There have been some really niche requests, such as:

• From a parenting magazine – “Looking for an expert to give advice on how parents explain airport security to young children”
• From a national publication – “Need to interview someone who’s been a victim of medical id theft”
• From a fund report – “Looking to interview someone that works with hedge funds to discuss preferential redemption rights” (what the?)

Not only do you get to scan the different queries that come via email, but you get a dose of Peter’s humour. Peter is hella funny. Quirky, funny and witty. It comes through in his emails and on his blog.

So, if you are looking for ways to increase your visibility, sign up at helpareporter.com. Peter’s quirkiness is just a bonus.

Back in 2005, I predicted that ezines would die a slow death. Podcasting was new to the scene and I liked how easy it was to subscribe to and receive podcasts.

With ezines, you have to deal with spam blockers, mailbox filters and other horrid stuff that renders your ezine useless. I mean, only about 20% of your list actually see your email anyways, right?

Well, fast forward to 2008 and I’ve changed my tune. Like podcasts, ezines are just another tool in the marketing toolbox. I mean, I’ve committed to sending out a weekly ezine each Thursday, I’ve hired someone to create my ezine content and I’m now going to send my ezine out in HTML format (if you’re on my list, you’ll see the snazzy design on March 27th). That tells me that I truly believe in the power of ezines.

That’s why I’m attending the Ezine Queen’s Ezine Marketing Marketing Secrets 2 part FREE teleclass (pictured top left). The first one is tonight, March 25th at 8pm EST. The second one is March 26th at 8pm EST.

I’ve been on the Ezine Queen’s ezine list since 2004. It’s one of the few ezines that I anticipate each week. I’ve subscribed and unsubscribed to many ezines, but the Ezine Queen’s Straight Shooter, is one I can’t miss.

[...]

Last year, Apple came out with the iPhone in the United States. I enviously watched my colleagues at the New Media Expo last September using their cool iPhones. I’m in the market for a new cellphone and I want to purchase the iPhone.

Then, Oprah mentions the Flip Camera on her show. And Patsi Krakoff, one half of The Blog Squad, demos how simple it is to use the Flip Camera. So, instead of getting a webcam, I now want to buy this device.

Yet, despite the fact that I want to purchase both the iPhone and the Flip Camera, would you believe that neither of them are available for sale in this country?

Worst yet, both Apple and Pure Digital (the company who manufactures the Flip Camera) are not legally allowed to ship either device internationally. It would appear that Pure Digital is aiming to provide the Flip Camera for sale in Canada for the holiday season later this year. Apple? Who knows. The story of why the iPhone isn’t in Canada changes depending on who is reporting it.

Canada sucks. Or, maybe it’s Apple and Pure Digital that suck. It doesn’t really matter who. What matters is that I’m just one of many who really want to buy these products, yet I’m being penalized based on my country of residence.

And it doesn’t appear that either company is in a hurry to satisfy the demand here in Canada. That’s lousy customer service. Or, brilliant marketing tactics.

I love music. All different kinds. The only music I can’t tolerate at all is Country or Heavy Metal. Well, except Kenny Rogers “You got to know when to hold ‘em.” Other than those 2 musical forms, everything is fair game.

So, one night, the TV was on. Don’t remember what I was watching, but that’s not the point. I jumped up during commercials to grab something to drink when a song sent me rushing back to my TV. It was the most haunting, yet lovely piano piece I had ever heard.

Here’s the video:

[...]

Tina Forsyth (at left) posted a great article on her blog about the 5 things you should never delegate. While all 5 tips are excellent, I’d like to focus on just one. Out of the five, I want to emphasize that you should never delegate your marketing.

Why?

[...]