Expanding Your Digital Footprint: Direct Digital Marketing for B2B – Josh Gordon of Knotice

Join Josh Gordon at BizCamp on August 19-20 for his presentation: Expanding Your Digital Footprint: Direct Digital Marketing for B2B.

Direct digital marketing – relevant, audience targeted content distributed through the email, Web, and mobile communications channels – is changing how businesses persuade consumers. Its impact on Business-to-Business marketing, however, is often overlooked. Knotice’s Director of Marketing, Josh Gordon, will show how a focused and coordinated direct digital marketing strategy creates an impressive digital footprint and the right support for the sales team.

Josh Gordon is the Director of Marketing at Knotice, a direct digital marketing company, headquartered on Main Street Akron, Ohio. Josh is a seasoned communicator and business-to-business marketing strategist that specializes in content marketing, lead gen, and brand.

Josh is a sought after writer, having written on a variety of topics including direct digital marketing, email marketing, customer-centric marketing, and mobile strategy. He has been featured in several leading marketing publications including1to1 Media, MarketingProfs, and Mobile Marketer. He is also the editor-in-chief of Knotice’s popular direct digital marketing blog, The Lunch Pail. Gordon also holds the prestigious expert status on The Focus Network, where he regularly contributes content and provides insight to fellow marketing professionals, and he has been a featured guest on RSS Ray’s highly regarded radio show “Online Marketing with RSS Ray.”

Josh is an award-winning journalist and marketer. He is currently in his second year serving on the Content Committee for Shop.org, the National Retail Federation’s digital arm. Josh is a member of the American Marketing Association and the Public Relations Society of America.

Anita Campbell To Speak at BizCamp at the Taylor Institute

Anita Campbell joins BizCamp for the 2nd year in a row. Join her again August 19-20 as we host BizCamp at the Taylor Institute.

Her presentation last year was standing room only.

Widely considered a “small business expert,” Anita Campbell serves as CEO of Anita CampbellAssociates Ltd, a woman-owned consulting firm helping companies and organizations reach the small business market. As Publisher of several online media properties and syndicated content, Anita reaches over 1,000,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs annually.  She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Small Business Trends, an award-winning online publication.

A respected speaker and emerging trends resource, Ms. Campbell’s expertise has been noted or her opinion quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, Inc Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, CIO Magazine, Entrepreneur Radio, BusinessTVChannel.com, Cleveland Plain Dealer, San Francisco Chronicle, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Akron Beacon Journal, Boston Globe, CRM Buyer, and countless trade publications, websites, podcasts and more.

Her popular website, Small Business Trends , is regularly noted as a rich informational resource. In 2005 and again in 2008 the site won the Forbes “Best of the Web” distinction for small business blogs. The site also has been highlighted or profiled in the Wall Street Journal (2007), on MSNBC’s “Your Business” show as Website of the Week, twice in the New York Times (2005 and 2008), and was a CODIE 2007 Finalist.

Linking Your Way To Local Business Dominance – Mike Sheehan

BizCamp at the Taylor Institute is proud to welcome Mike Sheehan founder of Linked Local Akron (LLA). In just 12 short months Mike has grown this LinkedIn group to over 1,700 members. How’d he do it?

Find out August 19-20 at The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing. Seats are limited – register now to secure your seat.

Mike will be one of the 18 speakers presenting at this year’s BizCamp on the University of Akron campus August 19-20.

About The Speaker

Mike Sheehan, Founding member of the Linked Local Akron

The LLA group has grown to over 1,700 members, in a year’s time. Mike has been an invited speaker to many groups and businesses sharing his simple and effective ways of using LinkedIn to help you build your business.
Here’s what other have said:

“Mike was very knowledgeable in his presentation and spoke very fluently about social media. He was responsive to our group’s inquiries, thinking fast on his feet and providing us with useful information. I would recommend Mike as a speaker.”

”His presentations are excellent and provide a good deal of practical information. He keeps them interesting and has experience that is helpful to everyone he speaks to.”

“Mike provided a “Linked In” workshop for my Team. The presentation was lively and very informative. Mike used lots of examples and gave us a “hands on” approach to navigating the network site. He answered all of our questions.”

Event Sponsors:
The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at the University of Akron
Serviced Office and Meeting Space Provider – Office Space Coworking based in Akron, OH
Online Marketing Experts – Sanctuary Media Group based in Akron, OH

How to use attention-getting online marketing to generate sales – Jim Kukral

BizCamp at the Taylor Institute is proud to welcome Jim Kukral. Jim will be one of the 18 speakers presenting at this year’s BizCamp on the University of Akron campus August 19-20. Seats are limited – register now to secure your seat.

Jim was so great last year – we had to ask him to join us again.

Jim’s presentation this year:  How to use attention-getting online marketing to generate sales, leads and publicity for your business.

Learn from Jim the simple, yet effective techniques and tactics for how to turbo-charge your sales, leads and publicity for your business.

Jim Kukral is a web marketer & business web coach, speaker, long-time award-winning blogger, customer evangelist, writer, online monetization expert, and well, a bunch of other things. When Jim isn’t speaking or consulting to top Fortune 500 clients, Jim spends his business hours as the owner of Scratchback.com, a widget-based tipping system that thousands of bloggers and webmasters use daily. 

For over 15-years, Jim Kukral has helped small businesses and large companies like Fedex, Sherwin Williams, Ernst & Young and Progressive Auto Insurance understand how find success on the Web. Jim is the author of the book, “Attention! This Book Will Make You Money”, as well as a professional speaker, blogger and Web business consultant. Find out more by visiting www.JimKukral.com. You can also follow Jim on Twitter @JimKukral.

Event Sponsors:
The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at the University of Akron
Serviced Office and Meeting Space Provider – Office Space Coworking based in Akron, OH
Online Marketing Experts – Sanctuary Media Group based in Akron, OH

Michael Feuer, Founder of OfficeMax and newest venture Max-Wellness to provide Keynote Address to attendees of BizCamp at The Taylor Institute

BizCamp at the Taylor Institute is proud to welcome Founder of OfficeMax and Max-Wellness, Michael Feuer as our Keynote speaker August 19-20 at the Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing in Akron, Ohio.

Michael Feuer is a highly sought after speaker, national monthly  business columnist and soon to be published author of his upcoming book The Benevolent Dictator’s Play Book. Mr. Feuer has  inspired thousands of entrepreneurs over the years with his story, practical advice and inventive approach to business success.

Mr. Feuer is co-founder of OfficeMax, which he started in 1988 with one store and $20,000 of his own money. During 16 years as CEO, he grew the company to almost 1,000 stores with sales approximating $5 billion before selling it for almost $1.5 billion in 2003 to Boise Cascade Corp.  In 2004, Mr. Feuer launched another start-up, Max-Ventures, a venture capital operating firm that focuses on buying control and /or making substantial investments in retail oriented business and business that serve retail.

Mr. Feuer’s most recent entrepreneurial launch is Max-Wellness,  a one-stop store featuring over 7,000 products for head-to-toe health and wellness for every age and every stage of life.  This first of its kind concept in the world is set to benefit from the burgeoning Baby Boomer markets that wants to enhance their life, prevent illness and treat health issues. Max-Wellness which opened its first stores in Cleveland and Florida is now preparing a national roll out patterned after Feuer’s OfficeMax expansion strategy.

What is BizCamp?

BizCamp is co-hosted by Office Space Coworking and the Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing.

BizCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It’s an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from participants.

Sometimes referred to as an ‘un-conference’ it’s a break from the expensive, ‘pitch’-driven, cattle-herding events that have become

all too common in the business world.

Rather – BizCamp is a participatory event. Attendees help determine what presentations will be given — and even have the opportunity to present themselves.

The presentations themselves are intimate affairs – small groups of 30-40 people.

The sessions feature an open dialogue of questions, answers and -yes- even the occasional ‘I don’t know.’

Our goal: 18 sessions in 2 days. Topics will run on three ‘tracks’:

1) The Entrepreneurial Experience

2) Marketing for Small Business

3) Business Technology

Event Details:

Early-Bird Registration is only $79.

Visit http://bizcamp.eventbright.com to secure your seat at this year’s BizCamp in Akron.

Location:

The Taylor Institute

225 South Main Street

The Polsky Building, 5th Floor

Akron, OH 44325-4807

Parking FREE -  included in your registration fee.

Thursday, August 19th

8am – 9am  – Registration – Coffee & Continental Breakfast

9am – 12:30 – Scheduled Speakers & Workshops

12:30-1:30pm – Catered Lunch (included with registration fee).

1:30 – 5pm – Scheduled Speakers

Friday, August 20th

8am – 9am  – Registration – Coffee & Continental Breakfast

9am – 12:00 Scheduled Speakers & Workshops

12:30-1:30pm – Catered Lunch (included with registration fee).

1:30 – 5pm – Scheduled Speakers

5:pm – 7pm – Happy Hour & Networking

Tapping Young Minds: The New Resource for Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur, you are likely running your own show or have a couple of good employees to rely on. What you’ve probably learned is that good people are in short supply. Whatever your situation, you likely need more resources, but might be strapped by finances to invest in full-time help.

But knowledgeable, motivated and affordable resources may not be as far off as you think. In every business college – whether in undergraduate or graduate programs – there is always a class on entrepreneurship. Most likely, you’ve even taken that class! Now it’s time to tap into these bright young minds.

Business students can actually serve as an extension of your company through an ongoing assignment that meets your business need. Not only are they willing, they are more than able. Their idealism may help inspire you to see what is possible and similarly, you can share your real-world experience to help them learn.

Read more

The Importance of Defining A Successful Outcome

Ours is a world where people don’t know what they want and are willing to go through hell to get it.
-Donald Marquis

I’m what Marcus Buckingham would call an ‘Achiever’.

What gets me jazzed more than anything? Getting stuff done. Ticking stuff off my list. That’s what gives me a sense of accomplishment.

It’s not uncommon. It’s almost a part of the American work ethic. In fact, I’m willing to bet you’re exactly the same way.

I’d wager you have the ability to throw herculean efforts at any given mountain of ’stuff’ and grind through it. Hell or high water — you’ll knock it down to size. Heck, it’s probably a huge reason why you’ve been as successful as you have already.

But have you ever stopped yourself knee deep in drudgery only to as the question…Why? What am I doing here again?

It’s like having an epiphany.

Here’s the thing. You feel compelled to finish it. But have you defined what ‘finished’ means?

Defining the end result you want for every project you’re working on not only improves the end result but makes the process more enjoyable.

If you aren’t articulating the successful outcome of everything you pick up to work on, you’re at risk of wasting the most valuable asset you have — your TIME.

Making Ideas “Stick”

Over the years, numerous business ideas, philosophies and approaches have flooded our world, particularly with the proliferation of the Internet. But what makes one idea catch on with the masses and others fall to the wayside?

“Made to Stick,” by brothers Chip and Dan Heath, is an attempt to explain this peculiar fact and many others like it. Why is it that some ideas “stick,” remaining vivid in memory and calling on people to act, whereas others just fade away? Is it in the nature of the ideas themselves, or does it have something to do with how they are “packaged”? And if the latter, are there lessons to be learned about packaging that will help people who are trying to influence public opinion and action?

The brothers – who are experts in organizational behavior — have written a book that lays out the six core ingredients and illustrates them with powerful examples. A useful mnemonic device, the components are organized by the acronym “SUCCES.” To stick, ideas should be Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotion-evoking and entrenched in Stories.

We’ve provided a brief overview of the book and these six basic principles:

Principle 1: Simplicity
How do we find the essential basis of our ideas? To narrow an idea down to its core, we must prioritize and narrow thoughts. Saying something short is not the goal. You need a one-sentence statement so insightful that a person could spend a lifetime learning to follow it.

Principle 2: Unexpectedness
How do we get our audience to pay attention to our ideas, and how do we maintain their interest when we need time to get the ideas across? We need to be counterintuitive. We can engage people’s curiosity over a long period of time by systematically “opening gaps” in their knowledge- and then filling those gaps.

Principle 3: Concreteness
How do we make our ideas clear? We must explain our ideas in terms of human actions, in terms of sensory information. This is where so much business communication goes awry. Mission statements, synergies, strategies, visions-they are often ambiguous to the point of being meaningless. Speaking concretely is the only way to ensure that our idea will mean the same thing to everyone in our audience.

Principle 4: Credibility
How do we make people believe our ideas? Sticky ideas have to carry their own credentials. We need ways to help people test our ideas for themselves-a “try before you buy” philosophy for the world of ideas. When we’re trying to build a case for something, most of us instinctively grasp for hard numbers. But really, the goal is to ask help people ask questions that inspire them to think how an idea might apply to them on a personal level.

Principle 5: Emotions
How do we get people to care about our ideas? We make them feel something. Statistics usually don’t elicit emotions. We are wired to feel things for people, not for abstractions. Sometimes the hard part is finding the right emotion to harness.

Principle 6: Stories
How do we get people to act on our ideas? We tell stories. Research shows that mentally rehearsing a situation helps us perform better when we encounter that situation in the physical environment. Similarly, hearing stories acts as a kind of mental flight simulator, preparing us to respond more quickly and effectively.

To read further, visit www.madetostick.com.

Coworking Reviewed by the Wall Street Journal’s Cranky Consumer

The Wall Street Journal’s ‘Cranky Consumer’ recently gave coworking try sharing their experience in a great article.

As sited in the article there are over 9 million self-employed individuals and 33.7 million telecommuters working in the U.S. today.

As we’ve noted since launching our first Office Space Coworking location in Akron…the dynamics of the independent/ mobile work force are driving more and more freelancers, entrepreneurs, & telecommuters to seek alternatives to working out of their home or out of the coffee shop.

We’re seeing more mentions of coworking in the mainstream media lately….from Entreprenuer Magazine, NPR, & now the Wall Street Journal, it appears we’ve really hit on a growing trend. Hey we even were lucky enough to be interviewed by WKYC.

It’s exciting to see this increased exposure. But let’s not forget New York, Seattle, Chicago, LA aren’t the only areas able to support a thriving coworking community.

Office Space Coworking, Northeast Ohio’s first coworking facility just opened the doors on our 2nd location. Now small business owners, freelancers & telecommuters in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls can tap into all the benefits the coworking community has to offer.

So if you know someone launching their business or someone who’s looking to escape the isolation from working out of their home, please help us spread the word. We’d love to have them join us.

SEO is Not Magic. A Do-It-Yourselfer’s Guide to “Findability”. Video Presentation from Office Space Coworking’s BizCamp 2009.

SEO – Search Engine Optimization is a tricky subject. So many people claim to be experts and there’s a LOT much information out there. So it’s hard to know what’s what.

We were fortunate enough to have Jason Jividen, New Media Strategist at Sanctuary Media Group, break down the nuts and bolts of the SEO for attendees of last year’s BizCamp.

Watch his full presentation: ‘SEO is Not Magic.  A Do-It-Yourselfer’s Guide to “Findability”.  This presentation is full of tons of great information.  Watch it in your browser here or download it to your computer or iPod for later viewing.

About Jason Jividen:

Jason Jividen is New Media Strategist at Sanctuary Media Group. Jason’s spent his entire career sifting through new tech, old tech, and a decade-and-a-half’s worth of virtual gadgets and gizmos, to find, define, and present those that deliver value to my business clients.  Sometimes that’s selling, sometimes it’s teaching, and sometimes it’s just listening and learning.  Jason distills all the options available and converts them into practical, useful tools that are able to consistently drive results.

Jason is also a member of Office Space Coworking.

Special thanks to Sound Video Productions for recording & editing all the BizCamp presentations.

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