Author Archives: Jason

Announcement: Monthly Social Marketing Training

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It’s been a long time coming, and today’s the right day to announce this.  Today I’m announcing my 12 month social marketing training program for entrepreneurs and marketers. This is not geared towards job seekers, although job seekers can sign up.

I’ve done a lot of social training.  I’ve written two books and have spoken probably 300 times in the last 2.5 years.  I’ve done my own webinars, I’ve been on the road from California to Washington D.C, and even to Istanbul.  I’ve done teleseminars, webinars, and articles.  I’ve been the expert for social marketing training systems that other people have put together.

And I never get to share all the stuff I want to share.  Not anymore.  Now I get to share it all.

I know there are a lot of social marketing programs out there. I don’t consider any of them competition – not because I’m better than them, but because this is not my core business.

Instead, this is stuff I’m sharing based on WHAT I’VE DONE in my own business, with my own revenue streams.  From moving product (books, DVDs) to getting subscriptions (on JibberJobber.com) to building a brand as a SME and thought leader, I’ve lived it.  Each of those things have produced $ for me, and it is really the only reason why I have my own sustainable business.

I have lived it every day for almost four years – not just talking about it, but DOING IT.  And now I’m ready to share.  Here are the details of the program:

What it is

The focus of this program is to help you, the entrepreneur or marketing manager or CEO or founder, or speaker, or author, better utilize current online marketing tools to help you build your business.  The emphasis will be on strategy+tactic=growth.  You will understand the tools and different strategies, and you will know what tasks, techniques or tactics to employ.

Each month (see schedule below) you will have at least four hours of instruction and/or discussion, as follows:

Week 1: You will get a video to watch that will help you understand the month’s topic, including strategies and tactics, around that topic.  You will have things to DO.

Week 2: One hour webinar/call where we talk about the things you were supposed to DO, how you did them, what results you got, any questions you have, any suggestions, etc.  This will be an open, collaborative meeting.

Week 3: same as week 2 – the emphasis is on DOING things as well as answering any questions, following up on exceptions, etc.

Week 4: Open webinar – we can discuss anything you want from this month’s topic, or any month.  I left this open so if you have a question about something we aren’t talking about for 9 months, you don’t have to wait.

Each of the 4 weeks will be recorded and available for review (unless we have technology glitches) at your leisure – you don’t have to be on the calls but I suggest you are.

There will be a private Yahoo/Google Group where we can discuss things at any time – ask me questions, ask your peers questions, share wins and victories, etc.

This model of training (video and discussion and accountability) with the email forum to top it off.

In addition, each person will get a premium JibberJobber account, as relationship management is key, and we’ll use JibberJobber as a baseline CRM tool.

Tentative Schedule

  • February: LinkedIn Marketing
  • March: Blog Marketing
  • April: Twitter Marketing
  • May: Facebook Marketing
  • June: video marketing sites (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
  • July: Newsletters Marketing
  • August: CRM / JibberJobber
  • September: Website and SEO, shopping carts, etc.
  • October: speaking and Webinars
  • November: Products: books, DVDs, recorded webinars, etc.
  • December: Article Marketing
  • January 2011: Press Releases (includes $249 Killer Online Press Releases DVD if you have paid for at least 3 other months)

Price

One Person: $99/month, paid monthly.  No long-term obligation.

Discount if you buy 6 months (one month free) or 12 months (three months free) upfront.

Discounts for companies with multiple attendees – email for details.

To sign up simply go to the JibberJobber payment page and make any of the following payments:

One month, one time: $99 (make sure to put a comment that this is JUST for January)

Monthly subscription: $99 (make sure you say it’s for a subscription, and to bill you monthly (monthly draw will be on the first of each month))

Six month, one time: $495

Twelve months, one time: $891

I regularly charge $250/hour for consulting, so to get 4 hours * 12 months for $891 is a steal of a deal.

Refund Policy

If you are not satisfied with the course we will refund your money as follows:

Monthly payments: anytime during the month, if you are unsatisfied, cancel and ask for a refund for that month.

Six/Twelve month payments: We’ll refund the month you are not happy with and then cancel the rest of the plan.

“You’ll do worse things than that, I’m sure…”

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I just finished reading one of my birthday present books, a Calvin and Hobbes 10th Anniversary. Bill Watterson is a genius, seriously.

Since I don’t yet have Nicholeen’s almost-400 page parenting book, I have to take parenting lessons from Watterson (who, at the time of putting the book together, said he didn’t have any kids.).

There was a strip where Hobbes broke his dad’s binoculars and he felt really, really bad (not a common feeling for the boy).  Really bad.  Finally he told his dad, who freaked out, and then in a show of fatherly love, forgave his son and told him it wasn’t that big a deal.

“Really?” sniffled Calvin…. expecting worse.  His dad said something like “yeah, in the big picture, binoculars is nothing – I’m sure in a few years you’ll wreck my car :s”

I was able to have this discussion with my 8 year old son… he was doing an experiment with the microwave and placed a hot plate on the table.  You know, the table with the BRAND NEW table cloth.

I wasn’t there, but I heard him trudge down to my basement office and he came in with a really, realy LONG face.  Almost in tears (just like Calvin).

He was holding said hot plate.  On one side was the experiment (a totally melted candy cane).  On the other said of the plate was part of the brand new table cloth, which had melted.

Poor kid.  He ruined mom’s new table cloth.

“That’s okay,” I told him.

He said it looks horrible, and would only look good if we put something on it to cover it up (like, forever).

I suggested we put a dollar bill there…. that would cover up the spot.

I hugged him, and as he was walking back up, shoulders drooping, I said:

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do worse things than that!  Does that make you feel better?”

He nodded, murmured yes, and then went upstairs.

Thank you Bill Watterson – I’m an awesome father 🙂

I wonder what Nicholeen would have suggested?

Do You Use Blogs As Marketing Tools

I started my business with lots of money… no wait, no money.  No money.  Lots of time, but no money.

No one wanted to talk to me, because I was a nobody and people were waiting to see if I was a flash-in-the-pan entrepreneur.

So, with no money, and nobody wanting to talk to me, and lots of time, I wrote.

And I wrote, and I wrote.

I wrote blog posts and articles, and I wrote lots and lots of comments on other blogs.

This became what I now call part of my Blog Marketing Strategy.

If you want to get your name and brand out there, and find evangelists and customers, and get traditional press and new media buzz, you NEED to incorporate blogs into your marketing strategy.

I put together a video recording, about 2 hours, of what I did as part of my blog marketing strategy.  You can get it for $50.  It is one of my favorite recordings, because I LIVED this stuff.

And it worked for me.  And it can work for you.

Here’s what Kathy Bitschenauer, Certified Career Management Coach, had to say about it:

GREAT webinar, loved the way you presented it, and gained a ton of new information and explanations of things that I had not understood, such as what’s the value of Technorati, or the ways to use Google Alerts to your advantage. This is one I’ll review over and over. And I learned how important it really is to get going on creating a blog and writing in it.

Tools.  Your own blog. Other blogs.

Strategy and Tactics.

This webinar is AWESOME (yeah, I’m biased).

If you want it you can order it here.  Or learn more here.

(update: 12/28/09 – had to turn off comments as something with blogs and marketing gets a TON of spam comments.)

What does it mean to be chaste? #kidstuff

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Last night for family night we were talking about being chaste (according to thefreedictionary: Morally pure in thought or conduct; decent and modest)… I asked my kids what it meant to be chaste and my five-almost-six year old daughter was anxious to tell us… she is the one that wants to answer all the questions… her response went something like this:

“you know when you are playing tag, and someone is “it” and they are chasing you… whoever is the runner running away from the one who’s it is the one who is chased.”

ROFL

Kids.

Thoughts on Marketing a Book

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I have a lot of thoughts on marketing books.  I have two books and I have two published authors in my series and soon will have at least two more.

Yesterday at Thanksgiving I was talking to someone who has a brilliant idea that I want to put in front of all of my JibberJobber users.  And I thought of some new marketing ideas specific to that book.

Here are some miscellaneous, not comprehensive, thoughts on book marketing, in response to an email I got asking what to do to market books.  The email indicated the publisher and book distributors were pretty much doing what their role was, but once that’s done, what do you do?  (FYI, the book in the email is a novel, which is quite different than my own books)

  1. Forget about the publisher and distributors. Don’t hold your breath and wait for them to succeed for you, or watch what they do, or wait for them before you do anything.  My publisher was quite accommodating to me but I think this was because my first book proved some of the potential (in other words, sold well).
  2. Market it yourself via social tools. Andy Sernovitz sent me an email this morning saying something like “social marketing is not word of mouth marketing … social sites are merely tools.”  I totally agree.  But you sure better bring your tools to the job… get the social sites going and do what you need to do there.  I have a bunch of videos on this stuff.
  3. Get a domain and fix your email address and signature. The person who emailed me had no email signature to point me to their blog, or twitter handle, or Facebook Group (yep, I singled those three out for a reason!).  The email address is a hotmail addy… I have no idea how to find out more.  I’m guessing she sends out dozens, maybe over 100, emails a day… what a missed opportunity!
  4. Go to face to face networking events. Have your book with you at all times.  I admit I don’t do this, but I don’t need to or care to.  If you are wondering how to get the word out, you should be a walking billboard for your book.
  5. Find channels. One of my favorite sales concepts… what group has your readership in it?  In other words, if I came and said “I’m speaking at the Association of _______ and I want to tell them about your book,” what association is that?  If you can identify groups (associations, chapters, societies, etc.) who are made up of your perfect reader, you need to get in there – speak, sponsor (can usually be done for around $100), write for the newsletter, get in their social network or online group or Yahoo group (fix your email signature!), etc.  Figure out how to become a passionate value-add member.
  6. Give books away to the right people. I bought 200 books and my publisher told me to give them out.   I couldn’t.  I had to sell them because I was already broke when I bought them and had to go into debt to pay for them.  I wanted to recoup that.  But I had a current topic that would become hot.  I’m guessing that a novel needs to have a lot of people talking about it – can you get 100 books and send them to 100 sneezers (aka, evangelists, tippers, or people who will TALK about it?).  If you can, do it.  If you can’t, get 10 and send them out.  Maybe even to bloggers.  BTW, my Blog Marketing 201 – 501 video is pretty helpful with ideas.

What are your ideas? BTW, none of these ideas touch on how I’d market this new book that I talked to someone about last night.

Startups and Entrepreneurs

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I came across Dharmesh Shah’s post that lays out 12 typical traits of entrepreneurs, based on a survey from the Kauffman foundation.  The results are not very intuitive, and the first one was not accurate for ME.  Go check out the 12 points – here’s how I scored against them:

1. NO. I was much younger – I think I was 32 when I started JibberJobber and my journey as an entrepreneur.

2. YES. I have a BA in CIS and an MBA.

3. YES. I’d fit in with the 99% that wasn’t extremely rich or poor.

4. YES. I can’t think of other siblings that had started a serious business.

5. YES. I’ll join the majority of entrepreneurs who were married (still am married :p).

6. YES. I’ll join the majority who have kids (I had 3.5 kids at the time – we now have 5 kids).

7. NO. I haven’t been a serial entrepreneur… I don’t count the times I’ve done tiny entreprenuerial stuff.  This is my first real, serious venture.

8. YES. Building wealth (and securing my financial future) was at the top of my list when starting.

9. NO. I have to say that not finding traditional employment was “an important factor” in starting my business. I’d say it was more of “reading the tea leaves” and looking long-term – traditional employment means constant job changes, and not as much control over your career as you think.  I was interested in something else.

10. YES/NO. My mom didn’t finish college (but could have a PhD if she wanted), but my dad has a JD.  I’d say his education is higher than mine.

11. YES. I don’t consider my family to be very entrepreneurial since my dad and father-in-law were both longtime government employees.  However, my maternal grandpa ran his own camera store for years and retired because of it.

12. YES. I think my total time at my previous company was 6 years, with other employment before that.

How did you do?

How to Create an Online Press Release, and what next?

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Janet Thaeler wrote a book in my series titled I Need a Killer Press Release — Now What??? When people have seen it their response has been “I’ve needed something like that!”

Yes, it is that cool.

Guess what – even cooler, she is wrapping up a press release DVD that shows you how to do a lot of stuff – from navigating various websites where you submit press releases (what a pain) to finding keywords to make your press release strong (this is a BIG deal), Janet’s DVD is like a personal training session.

It’s going to be awesome.  Right now it’s in the editing stage – all of the chapters have been recorded – I hope to have it shipping in December (my team is producing the DVD).

You can get a significant discount by pre-ordering the DVD (for a limited time) by clicking the image below:

The list price of the DVD is $249… if you pre-order this week you get it for $186.  Pricey, but if you wanted consulting from Janet (or someone of her caliber) you’d pay more and have to take furious notes … this DVD is something you can watch again and again and again 🙂

World’s Strictest Parents, BBC, in Utah

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One of my wife’s good friends (who has a fantastic parenting story and system) had her family featured on the British World’s Strictest Parents show.  I  watched the 6 parts on YouTube and was touched  a number of times… it’s amazing how much kids (I can say that since I’m so old) live without real direction from parents (or, how much kids get away from good morals).

I’ll leave it at that – here are the six parts:

You can learn more about Nicholeen Peck at her Teaching Self Government blog – also, there are lots of “afterthoughts” there.