This interview is part of our Expert Advice series, where CEO's, CMO's and best selling authors share their expertise.
Jim Kukral, is one of the top online marketing experts. He recently took a few minutes to speak with me about his new book Attention! This Book Will Make You Money.
Bryan: What motivated you to write Attention! This Book Will Make You Money?
Jim: I've been writing this book through experiences of my own for over 10-years. Many of those experiences are stories I tell in the book about how I was able to use attention-getting ideas to get a new job, or get more leads, or even get a the attention of a billionaire. So for me it was all about telling stories about my success and others success. In addition, people need this book. The economy is down, people are without jobs. It's pretty rough out there right now. People need to find ways to generate more business with less marketing budgets. People need to find ways to get the career they want in a seas of resumes. I want to teach people how to be successful, and motivate them, so that's why I wrote the book.
Bryan: Why should someone buy this book? What benefits will they gain from reading it?
Jim: The first thing they're going to understand is that they can do it. I'm a very motivational type of guy, and I love inspiring people to go out there and try and make things happen. The second thing they're going to understand is how other people have done it, so they can emulate and understand their success. The third thing they're going to understand is what it's going to take to get it done. The book is full of stories and case studies and tips and tricks about how they can go out there and build a business that fits around their lifestyle, and not the other way around.
Bryan: Many people feel that social media is too complex to master. What advice would you give them?
Jim: Like I say in the book. Social media is business, not playtime. Too many people get caught up in social media as a waste of time, when in fact, if used correctly, it's a HUGE benefit to their business or brand. Too complex? All it is is engaging people using online tools. You can talk to people on the phone, or at a networking group, or in your office, so why can't you do the same thing using online tools? The key is to provide your "friends/followers" with high-quality, problem-solving or entertaining content that they need/want. If you can do that, there's nothing complex about it. Think about what your audience/target wants/needs, then give it to them.
Bryan: Which online tools do you recommend for businesses just getting started?
Jim: I've always believed, through experience, that you should go cheap on hosting. Nowadays, it's so cheap and so plentiful you can almost not go wrong. However, back in the early days that wasn't the case and I ended up getting burned and lost tens of thousands of dollars from bad hosting choices. I view hosting as the water in a water park. You have GOT to have the water flowing in order to run your business. I host at LiquidWeb (drop my name!) where I have my own dedicated machine. I also like Bluehost.com for blog hosting. I've got a whole list of my favorite resources for anyone to view at www.jimkukral.com/resources. These are my personal picks.
Bryan: How much of your success is a result of the skills you teach in the book?
Jim: Everything. I dumped 15+ years of experiences in the field as an entrepreneur, salesman, Web designer, project manager, small business owner, employee and agency owner into this book. It's all there, everything, almost, that I know about how to be successful online. I've lived through all of it and it's here for anyone to learn from. Now that I think of it that way, I'm selling the book for way too little. :)
