Interviews

Retail’s future (or lack of ;0), cold calling, having a vision, vehicle signage, concept stores, providing a customer experience, self-improvement & promoting a wardrobe business are just some of the marketing mysteries uncovered in this episode of the Small Business Big Marketing show.

Plus I have an intense fireside chat with extreme retailer Brad Smith of motorcycle lifestyle brand Braaap, who’s won way too many business awards for his own good; and on his way to building an empire.

We are talking marketing G O L D , SBBMers! Marketing gold.

In this episode I chat with Jamien Zimmerman, CEO of Travelsim, who took a simple problem many travellers have and solved it with a SIM card you put in your phone when you go overseas. The result? No bill shock!

This is a fascinating and honest interview, with a focussed business owner. It’s full of marketing tips and tricks covering getting your key messages right, how to get leverage from smart partnerships, strategic office location and much more.

PLUS I want to shout out to the small business owners that made an effort to join me at the meet up in Melbourne last week.

So much marketing love to spread around. And so little time.

Unfortunately, this past week I’ve been struck down with the man flu and could hardly talk (I know, me not being able to talk!), so this week I decided to answer some listener questions.

We cover a load of marketing ground including eNewsletters, Facebook conversions, low cost brand reminders, Yellow Pages plus I gtet a virtual hug from one listener and a kick in the head from another.

Happy days!

” … it really is a little magic money machine sitting on your desk.”

That’s how today’s guest, Mike Rhodes, founder of WebSavvy, describes Google Adwords.

Now they are very big words – but Mike honestly believes that Adwords is about as close to an advertising money tree as we’re ever going to get.

Thankfully, Mike backs this claim with the facts and know-how. And he shares both in this fireside chat.

PLUS I tackle a question from a listener who is wanting to start a business naming business.

And I have a whinge about a couple of big brands that have let me down recently through their social media activity – well, make that lack of social media activity.

Enjoy!

It’s old school marketing all the way this week. None of this fancy new online marketing. Uh-uh! That’s for the young kids.

Tune in and you’ll discover how to promote your business offline. Yep … no websites, likes, tweets, hashtags, PPCs, pins or requests to connect in sight.

Instead, you’ll hear from Adelaide Accountant, Andrew Mattner of HMCR Accountants, who’s built a successful practice by practising tried and tested marketing techniques.

PLUS I tackle a listener question about their editorial mission, share a couple of wins and remind you about the upcoming inaugural SBBM meet up. Enjoy!

As small business owners, marketing can often be pushed to the back of the pile as we find ourselves working hard in the business, but rarely on the business.

Or in some cases, marketing ideas abound but it’s the time and knowledge required to implement them that’s missing.

As a result, your marketing suffers, which can often lead to money being left on the table.

That’s why I’ve dedicated this episode to answering some of the better listener questions I’ve received over the past few months.

Plus I announce a Melbourne listener meet up. Listen in …

Social entrepreneur Daniel Flynn is not scared to have a crack. A big crack! When I first chatted to him in episode 136 of Small Business Big Marketing, he told us all about how and why he entered the crowded bottle water category with the Thank-You Water brand. Having already saved 50,000 lives, he’s now seriously reaching for the stars, with a goal to now save millions of lives in third world countries.

How?

Well, to start with he’s just announced an amazing brand extension in to food and body care products under the Thank-You brand. 22 SKUs, in fact! That’s what I call guts!

PLUS in this episode I tackle a question from 13-year old Jess, who is keen to know how to start a surf brand. Listen in …

The Henry Jones, located in downtown Hobart, Tasmania, is an internationally recognised 5-star hotel … and for good reason. It’s an amazing product in an equally amazing location. It was the brainchild of my guest today – Richard Crawford – who along with his business partner (Flora De Kantzow) – very cleverly won the tender against a 28-strong field including some of the world’s biggest hotel chains. Oh, and without any previous hotel experience. You gotta love that!

Opening in 2004, The Henry Jones very quickly established itself as a leading hotel and destination within Australia thanks to a segment on the renowned travel show Getaway … then, shortly after, a half-page review in the New York Times. Boom! Listen in to how they did it …

Financial advisor Charles Badenach has fully embraced the concept of content marketing. As a director and employee of Shadforths, a large financial group located in Hobart, Tasmaina, Charles has successfully built his own personal brand using a mix of marketing strategies book publishing, video marketing, eBooks, blogging as well as frequent use of LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. I know, a financial adviser using Pinterest …. and well!

In this episode of Funny Business, AG and I talk about the value of trade shows, the importance of key messages, why Timbo moved away from iPhone to a HTC One, the importance of simplification plus how to get speaking gigs. Enjoy!