The Best Media Buys to Get Your Customers’ Attention

We keep trying to figure out the next big marketing wave so that we can ride it first. But there’s a lot of benefit in maximizing what’s here now.

In the Media Consumption 2011 Infographic, Ad Age, Magid Generational Strategies and MBA Online present an hour-by-hour look at media habits based on age. And four things quickly caught my eye.

RADIO:  The Early Morning Commute

From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., radio is the number-one media outlet, with Generation X consuming the most radio, followed closely by the Baby Boomers.  This lets me know that the morning commute could yield a captive audience and a smart marketing choice depending on the product.

TELEVISION:  A Distracted Captive Audience

In the evening, television is the number-one media outlet. From 5 p.m. till bedtime we are in front of that tube, with Baby Boomers racking up the most time, followed closely by Generation X (age 30 to 46). If you are going to advertise on local TV stations, there’s no reason to run your ad until everyone is home to see it.

But keep in mind that this a distracted captive audience that may be multitasking their media engagement.

In fact, the study says percentages in each section do not add to 100, since members of each generation may use more than one media type during that time slot. You know the deal — searching the Internet while watching television or texting on your phone.

INTERNET:  Engagement With The Internet Is  Steady

Online engagement in various forms (news, entertainment, social media) shows up in the top three activities throughout the day for Baby Boomers, Generation X and Adult Millennials. The Internet is a smart marketing option with a learning curve.

But the fact that it gets our steady attention throughout the day says that online positioning matters.

PRINT: What’s Happening With the Newspaper?

The newspaper ranks much higher among Baby Boomers than any other group. That’s good to know, because if you want to get the attention of a Millennial, then a newspaper ad is probably not the best choice. But if you’re going for his grandparents, it could be a great way to get their attention.

About the Author

Jamillah Warner (Ms.J), a poet with a passion for business, is a Georgia-based writer and speaker and the Marketing Coordinator at Nobuko Solutions. She also provides marketing and communication quick tips in her getCLEAR! MicroNewsletter.

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Agree to Disagree

I love words and phrases that sort of wrap around on themselves. A sentence that makes you read it again because it’s confusing is a lot of fun for me when writing captions.

Even I’m not sure what this guy means exactly, but you have to admire his total grasp of unwavering wishy-washyness. I think.

About the Author

Mark Anderson's cartoons appear in publications including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. His business cartoons are available for licensing at his website, Andertoons.com.

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The Jedi Masters of Today’s Business World

“You stay in the game, play it right and don’t give up.”

I find so much inspiration from people who are going through great personal or professional challenges and difficulties with grace, poise and perseverance.

They are today’s Jedi Masters to me. They put one foot in front of the other, stay in the day, stay in the game and don’t go too far out. The times are choppy and stormy, but not impossible to navigate. It just requires different skill sets and a  flexible mindset.

There are three areas that have been impacted by great external change that has forced us to go through great internal change. Slowly people are shifting, getting into motion and accepting reality.

1. Being in Business
Consumerism is consistently changing and being shaped by demographic shifts, culture trends and technology. Boomers are still consumers but their prime time has passed. Generation X is 11 percent smaller than Boomers and they are bogged down with raising families and debt. Generation Y is looming and aging up but they don’t have the the jobs yet to give them more income clout. Regardless of these dynamics, people continue to buy, spend and create trends. Businesses need to be fluid, innovative and fun today.

2. Careers and Jobs
Unemployment of 9.1 percent and 14 million people out of work may not seem like all that much, but it is having a much greater impact because even the people who are working are making less and spending less. The idea of having a career has changed dramatically. Having a career now means having a job, regardless of what your expertise is or what you studied in college. Work of any kind where you can use your key skills, learn new ones and make a difference is better than no work.

3. Family and Community
We live in a multicultural, extended family world today. What families and community looks like now is diverse, open and nontraditional. People are finding new ways to connect to each other. Traditional families, single parents, no kids, extended families, and families of friends are all unique and working.

People who go with the flow, find ways to get through and make the best of each day with what they are given are today’s Jedi Masters to me.

Here are 10 commonalities I see in the mindset and approach they take to their lives and businesses:

1) They see the silver lining and focus on the lesson.
2) They are proactive and take thoughtful actions.
3) They surround themselves with a support system that they use and tap into.
4) They serve others and get outside themselves.
5) They allow themselves to embrace and go through the uncomfortable emotions.
6) They see how their experience can benefit others.
7) They take actions they may not yet believe in.
They have faith and spirituality.
9) They focus on what they can control.
10)They exude an intangible energy that impacts others and attracts people to them.

Thank you to all of the  Jedi Masters of life and business who continue to inspire me daily.

Image from AlexeyRumyantsev/Shutterstock

About the Author

Deborah Shane is an author, speaker, media host, business and career brand/branding consultant. Deborah hosts her blog, Deborah Shane Toolbox, and weekly business radio show, Deborah Shane Metropolis. She writes for several national business, career, branding, business and marketing sites. Her new book, "Career Transition: Make the Shift is available through all major book sellers.

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The War Against Affiliate Marketing Continues

If you’re an affiliate marketer, it seems to keep getting harder to run your business, thanks to companies that don’t want to support affiliate marketers.

This is also bad news for small businesses that would like to create or already offer an affiliate program to help sell their products.  If it’s harder for your affiliates to do business, you may find that sales channel more difficult for you, too.

First Google started sending signals that it didn’t like “thin” affiliate marketing sites.  Then states started their tax attacks  against companies that sell through affiliates, leading some companies like Amazon to terminate their affiliate programs in these states.

And now — even your email marketing service may not want your money if you are an affiliate marketer.

According to Art of Blog (as well as MailChimp’s own terms of use), affiliate marketers are personas non gratas, just like adult escort services and pornography.  Those are strange bedfellows to lump affiliate marketers in with, considering the affiliate industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with its own conferences and blogs.

Some of the world’s bluest-of-the-blue-chip companies maintain affiliate marketing channels to sell their products and services. Top brands from MasterCard and Western Union, to Staples and Amazon, to Microsoft and the Wall Street Journal all offer affiliate programs to entice other websites to sell their products in exchange for “affiliate commissions.”  Google even runs an affiliate ad network.

So if affiliate marketing is good enough for them, why does an email marketing service not want affiliate marketers?

Missy Ward, co-founder of Affiliate Summit, the largest affiliate marketing conference in the U.S., says:

“While I understand that MailChimp wants to maintain good deliverability, it’s silly to block an entire marketing method or group of marketers for what amounts to a small group of bad apples.  Every industry has them — some intentional and some because they’re not educated enough in specific marketing techniques to know how to do things the right way.”

In Warrior Forum, affiliates are outspoken about MailChimp’s policies. Many suggest alternate email marketing companies that are more affiliate friendly, like AWeber and Infusionsoft.  Other affiliates find ways around the problem, such as linking to a presell page rather than an affiliate link that will flag the account for spam.

MailChimp seems to want to do one thing, and one thing only: Help business owners create newsletters. If you’re an affiliate marketer looking for a place to share affiliate links via email marketing, you’ll have to find some other company to help….

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Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

Nothing good ever happens after you hear the words, “Can we talk?” or “I need to talk to you about something.”  At that moment, you know you’re about to have a crucial conversation.

Crucial conversations are often spontaneous and can come up when we are unprepared and vulnerable. They trigger the same primitive part of our brain that was reserved for dealing with mastodons and dangerous environmental situations rather than human interactions.  There are really only three ways of dealing with a big conversation:

1. Deal with it well
2. Face it head-on and fail
3. Avoid it altogether

Which one are you?  I’m an avoider.  This is why I was so excited to dive right into this book.  My goal in reading it was to be able to identify when a crucial conversation comes up and then learn how to effectively deal with any situation.

Crucial Conversations is a powerful book for people committed to leadership

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High is powerful from the first sentence. And apparently 2 million people agree because the book has sold that many copies since its first publication back in 2002.

I had completely missed out on this book the first time around, and it’s a good thing for me (and maybe you too) that the publishers sent me a review copy of an updated edition.

The authors make some “audacious claims” for what this book can help you do, including:

• Improving your relationships
• Improving your personal health
• Standing up to a colleague or boss when you disagree or are disappointed
• Addressing family tensions during the holidays
• Talking to a rebellious teen with candor and respect

The authors are a team of professional communicators

Crucial Conversations is written by the same folks who brought you these New York Times bestsellers: Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success, Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations and Bad Behavior, and Influencer: The Power to Change Anything.

Authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler (@VitalSmarts) are all accomplished speakers and developers of training programs and change initiatives for major corporations.  The four are also co-founders of VitalSmarts, an innovator in corporate training and organizational performance.

The authors didn’t start out by researching conversations; they actually started researching effective people.  Over 25 years, they interviewed over 20,000 people and what they found was startling: It turns out that the most successful people were those who were skilled at having crucial conversations, assertive enough to get their point across and yet respectful of everyone involved.

A 7-step primer on managing crucial conversations

Crucial Conversationsteaches a 7-step process for managing these conversations:

1. Start with heart. Ask yourself what you really want and what’s at stake.
2. Learn to look. Always be asking yourself whether the conversation is defensive or a dialogue.  If you or the other party strays into defensiveness, simply say “I think we’ve moved away from dialogue” or “I’m sorry, I’ve been trying to force my ideas on you.”
3. Make it safe. Another way to deal with defensiveness in difficult conversations is to create a comfortable situation by apologizing, asking a question that shows interest in others’ views or even taking a time out.
4. Master your story. Focus on what happened that made you feel a certain way.  Think through your emotions and then choose the appropriate way to respond.
5. State your path. Share your facts and conclusions so that the other party can see where you are coming from.
6. Explore others’ paths. Find out what the other person is thinking.  Make sure that you understand each other and look for areas of agreement.
7. Move to action. Come to a consensus about what will happen.  Document who will do what by when and settle on a way to follow up.

Crucial Conversations contains useful tools and resources

This book is based on years of research that are covered in detail on the book’s companion website.  There you will find research summaries that will help you with 33 different crucial conversations–anything from talking about drugs with your teens to discussing holiday spending, politics and working for a jerk.

Who will benefit most from this book?

At the risk of being too broad, I’m going to say that everyone will benefit from this book, both personally and professionally.  However, the people who will benefit the most are those people who are committed to becoming the best leader they can be.

Business owners will benefit by upgrading their conversations in a way that will eliminate fear and intimidation among their teams.  The authors’ research shows that companies with leaders who communicate using the Crucial Conversations® skills covered in this book are significantly more productive than those who don’t.

Sales and marketing professionals will learn how to put customers at ease and negotiate more profitable deals.

Human resources professionals will learn skills that will make employee communication and conflict resolution go smoothly.

The bottom line

What I learned from Crucial Conversations is that most of us are letting our emotions and past experiences and stories drive our actions. This doesn’t leave a lot of room for rational or strategic thinking at times that matter most.

Use Crucial Conversations as a tool to help you prepare for that next big conversation.  In fact,  you may want to start practicing each chapter a week at a time so that you’ll be prepared the next time someone says “Can we talk?”

About the Author

Ivana Taylor is the publisher of DIYMarketers.com , where she shares daily do-it-yourself marketing tips, and is the President of Third Force, Inc., a marketing firm that specializes in getting your ideal customer to choose you. Ivana is the book editor for Small Business Trends and a contributor to AMEX Open Forum. She is co-author of the book "Excel for Marketing Managers."

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Latest Guide to Small Business Events

Every two weeks we put together a list of key events for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The following Small Business Events Guide contains worthwhile events for those wanting to grow their businesses:

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Women Owned Small Business Procurement – Moving Forward and Winning Contracts
Huntsville, AL October 26, 2011

This event is designed to help you:

• Hear from experts on Government contracting
• Network with other small business owners
• Learn from authors who specialize in procurement
• Get information about the latest developments, including the new WOSB set aside program.
• Learn crucial strategies to successfully market your business to the Federal government
• Analyze existing marketplace for competition
• Define key market characteristics for your message
• Link strategy with market characteristics

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) is sponsoring an afternoon our Give me 5 training sessions during the afternoon from 1:30 pm to -4:30pm.

Getting Better Customers
October 26, 2011, Online

Every small business knows that your life blood is your customers, but why do we find it so hard to find and keep good customers? Perhaps it’s the differing perspective between you and your customer about what makes a good customer. In this webinar, you will explore ways:

* To listen to all the surprising ways that your customers are talking to you.
* Show you how to truly understand what is being said and apply it in a way that makes an impact on your business.
* Using what you have learned to plan and say the right things in Social Media and Email Marketing.
* Determine what content you are generating is keeping your good customers and super charging your word of mouth to find you additional good customers.

Building Successful Native American Businesses
October 27, 2011, Bismarck, ND

United Tribes Technical College along with Dartmouth College will hold a workshop for Native American leaders of small and medium businesses around the region.
The three-day retreat, Building Successful Native American Businesses, will run Tuesday to Oct. 27 at the Jack Barden Center at United Tribes.
Information on registration is available at 255-3285, extension 1359.

Media and Entertainment Investing Conference
October 27, 2011, Coral Gables, FL

Sponsored by The Launch Pad at the University of Miami, this conference will cover trends in early-stage investing, the factors that are most important to Investors when they are considering an investment, the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get investors’ attention, strategies to grow their businesses, additional advice for entrepreneurs and, of course, the best ways to reach these and other investors.

Local University by GetListed.org
November 1, 2011, Western New York

Some of the nation’s leading online marketing experts will be in Ellicottville, NY to offer an intensive crash course in Internet marketing. These 4-hour sessions feature experts such as Web design and search consultant Mike Blumenthal; GetListed.org co-founder David Mihm, a Portland, Ore.-based search engine consultant; Mary Bowling, a search engine specialist and corporate trainer since 2003; Matt McGee, executive news editor for Search Engine Land and an independent online consultant specializing in small businesses; Ed Reese, a Spokane, Wash.-based Internet marketing consultant specializing in organic SEO, local search and analytics; and Cecelia Stewart of Google Places.

This is a purely educational event and no sales pitches will be made. Attendees may sign up for free website reviews by the speakers. Get more details and register. Use code MB2011 for a discount.

Small Business Technology Tour

November 2 – Atlanta
November 10 – Chicago

Smallbiztechnology.com is excited to bring you the second annual Small Biz Tech Tour. This event is a full day of information, insight, energy and fun. I’ve got some complimentary tickets for the Mountain View, CA event on Sept 27th – get them here!

• Attendees will learn:
• How to boost sales with website analytics
• How smart companies are using mobile technology to be more productive
• Why many small businesses are not getting results with social media and what you must do
• How to stop selling and start publishing content for more sales
• Why websites and email marketing are not dead, and how to get the most out of yours
• How local companies are getting more local customers using technology
• How to increase sales by segmenting your customers

Fast Company Innovation Uncensored
November 2, 2011, San Francisco

A mixed agenda format will offer attendees a variety of ways to engage with and employ the innovative ideas that come from the scintillating content and unexpected environment.

The event content is aimed toward anyone who thinks of themselves as an innovative business leader including but not limited to the fields of technology, design, marketing, entertainment, venture capitalism, energy, infrastructure, non-

BlogWorld & New Media Expo
November 3-5, 2011, Los Angeles

BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide conference, tradeshow and media event dedicated to blogging, podcasting, social media, social networking, online video, music, Internet TV and radio. BlogWorld conference attendees enjoy more than 120 cutting-edge educational sessions presented by leading bloggers, podcasters and content creators, while the New Media Expo provides the only industry-wide new media marketplace for networking, online business and marketing resources.

Register with the promo code SBTVIP20 to save 20% off any conference pass, or use code SBTVIP50 to save 50% off Expo Passes (which include access to the Exhibit hall as well as all keynotes and parties, just like the conference passes).

Recession Proof Sales Training Seminar
November 7, 2011, Woodridge, Ontario

Recession proof your career with this sales training seminar. You will learn how to increase sales, effective communication, customer retention, marketing strategies and how to attract new customers. Location: Paramount Conference and Event Venue, in Vaughan – minutes north of Toronto, Ontario.

Social Media Makeover Forum at Digital Atlanta 2011
November 8, 2011, Atlanta

This half-day, innovative business conference will take place during Digital Atlanta 2011 – a week-long (November 7-11) calendar of events that will focus on the digital and social media scene in Atlanta. The SMB Social Media Makeover Forum will feature three panels of social media experts from leading brands and agencies. These experts will provide advice to three small and mid-sized businesses who will be selected for social media makeovers.

American Express OPEN Teaming USA
November 8, 2011, Phoenix, AZ

Teaming USA is dedicated to helping small business owners find partners and learn the powerful advantages of working together to win government and major corporate contracts.

Business Truths & Treasures: An Evening with Norm Brodsky
November 10, 2011, New York City
November 17, 2011, Washington, DC
November 30, 2011, Atlanta, GA

Join Inc. and Small Business by Marriott for a candid conversation with this one-of-a-kind veteran entrepreneur. During this exclusive engagement, Norm Brodsky will offer us an inside look into his journey, share his philosophies on business, leadership, and growth, and tell us what it takes to really get the job done. Come with your questions and ready to take notes, because there’s no limit to what Brodsky will cover in helping you take your business to the next level.

Digital Marketing World: Email Marketing
November 11, 2011

If your email marketing is coasting along but not delivering the magic it could, it may be time for a tactical tune up. This November, MarketingProfs presents Digital Marketing World: Email Marketing, featuring a line-up of presentations designed to charge up your programs with new ideas and ways to improve your performance.

* How to use deliverability data to improve your efforts
* How to speak to your audience as individuals
* How to bring inactive followers back to life

How to Start a Training or Communication Consulting Business for Under $1200
November 13-15, Hawthorne, NJ

Are you considering starting or expanding your own consulting or coaching business in the fields of employee training or organizational communication / employee engagement? Are you at just the right moment to consider making the move toward building your own business instead of working for someone else?
Attend the HumaNext 2011 event and mention Smallbiztechnology to receive $200 off the registration fee.

SocialCrush
November 14-15, 2011, Washington, DC

SocialCrush is a 2-day, hands-on social media business conference for small to medium size businesses. SocialCrush brings industry leaders from such noted companies as Google, Bing, Facebook, Edelman Digital, just to name a few, who provide everyday businesses the know-how, tips, advice and skills to effectively build business through social channels.

Are You Ready for Walmart?
November 14, 2011, Miami

Getting a product onto the shelves at Walmart could be the biggest thing to ever happen to your business. But with so much at stake, it’s important for you to understand if you are really ready, before investing the time and money in this relationship.

“Are You Ready for Walmart?” workshop is designed to help companies measure their readiness to do business with the world’s largest retailer, then develop a plan. In addition to instruction in the classroom from people who have tremendous experience selling to Walmart, participants will spend time exchanging ideas and information during multiple question & answer sessions.

NY XPO For Business
November 16, 2011, New York City

On November 16th, business leaders from across New York will gather at the world famous Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for the 6th Annual NY Xpo for Business. This highly acclaimed show is expected to draw upwards of 15,000 attendees and over 300 exhibitors as the largest business-to-business marketplace in the region. Free education will be offered throughout the day and will include over 30 quality information sessions covering sales, marketing, advertising, business growth, best business practices, social media and much more!

Future of Entrepreneurship Education Summit

November 17 – 19, 2011, Washington, DC

The Future of Entrepreneurship Education Summit is the world’s largest, invite-only event that convenes top leaders from the entrepreneurship ecosystem (government, foundations, education, corporations, media, entrepreneur support organizations, and entrepreneurs).

This year’s Summit is being held in Washington, DC during Global Entrepreneurship Week at the US Chamber of Commerce.

Inc. Womens Summit
December 1, 2011, New York City

Join savvy female business leaders and seasoned experts with diverse backgrounds, passions, and pursuits for candid conversation, moving stories, provocative thinking, and workable solutions. Learn the tips, tools, tricks, and traps involved with being a female business owner or entrepreneur as well as identify strategies to move your business to the next level. This gathering will have you inspired and informed by women. Be there

Delivering a Path to Growth
December 1, 2011 6:00pm-9:00pm – Atlanta, GA
December 6 6:00pm-9:00pm – Houston, TX
December 13 6:00pm-9:00pm – San Diego, CA

Join Inc., UPS, and a panel of Inc.5000 executives for a session designed to teach you what tactics you need to hire and sustain growth in your business.

Infusioncon 2012
April 2-4, Phoenix, AZ

Get ready to learn, network and set new ideas in motion! Join hundreds of small businesses from all around the world at InfusionCon 2012, Infusionsoft’s annual user conference, and experience three days of idea sharing and inspiration in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona on April 2-4.

America’s Small Business Summit 2012
May 21-23, 2012, Washington, DC

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s annual event—America’s Small Business Summit—unites small business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs from across the country to learn, network, and discuss common legislative and management concerns. Past speakers include former President George W. Bush, former General Stanley McCrystal, Small Business Editor of the WSJ Colleen DeBaise, and many more. Attendees help influence our nation’s economic and political agenda by advocating for pro-business policies through the Rally on the Hill portion of the program. The event will take place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., on May 21-23, 2012. For more information and important dates, check the Summit website, www.uschambersummit.com.

To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit the Small Business Events Calendar.

If you are putting on a small business event or contest, and want to get the word out, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form (it’s free). Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be included.

Brought to you as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

About the Author

Laura Leites is managing editor of SmallBizTechnology. In addition to writing about technology tools for SMBs, Laura manages the day-to-day operations of Smallbiztechnology.com. She also produces their live and virtual events, including the Taste of Technology Small Business Series.

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