Dale King: Today, I'm interviewing two truly amazing ladies, "The Blog Squad" founders, Patsi Krakoff & Denise Wakeman. Hello ladies. How are you today?
Patsi & Denise: We’re great! We’re always happy when we can spread the business blogging word.
Dale King: Would you mind explaining to my readers exactly what it is that you do?
Patsi & Denise: We’re on a mission to banish boring business blogs! Well, actually our official mission is to help professionals “attract, sell and profit online,” and there’s no better way to do that than with a well-designed business blog.
We set up, train and optimize blogs for small businesses and independent professionals such as authors, speakers, coaches, doctors, lawyers, and others. Through our blogs, teleseminars, ebooks, critiques and services, we teach how to get the most from your business blog.
Dale King: The Blog Squad - what a great name! How did that all come about?
Patsi & Denise:: We started working with other business bloggers in 2004. At first it was just our names, but we needed a brand that was fun, memorable and easy to promote. Denise was having dinner one day with friends and it just popped up and stuck.
Dale King: Some Internet Marketing experts advise newbies to steer clear of certain areas of Internet Marketing, like selling e-books on how to make money, advertising services, SEO services, copywriting, etc., because those particular niches are deemed to be "too competitive." Do you agree with that assessment?
Patsi & Denise: Yes, probably, but it depends on a lot of factors.
The best way to start is with what you know. Then define your ideal client, who you want to work with. Once you’re clear about your target market, find out what their challenges are, what they need. If it doesn’t exist, create it. If it does exist, create something better. Research and read. Even in a crowded field, people have room to be ‘wow’ed!
Dale King: That's great advice. How is Internet Marketing different now, as opposed to when you first got started online?
Patsi & Denise: Denise started in 1996 and I started online in 1999. In those days, it was a matter of having a website and a newsletter. Then people realized the importance of a big list. But most of the basics of I.M. were established by the same people who are still around today because those tactics still work (i.e. Tom Antion, etc.)
What’s new is the interactivity of the web thanks to blogs and social networking sites like Facebook, and, of course, video and audio. Things have gotten so much easier, especially for non-geeks like Denise and me.
People want to connect with you and trust you and have big antennae for all things inauthentic and false. It matters when your content is full of sales hype, and it matters when your registration process isn’t impeccable. Any small thing can break that trust. On the Internet, people form an opinion of you by the words you write.
So there are still two important skills that really matter: 1) what your site(s) or blog or Web pages look like, and 2) what you write or say. The ability to update a page on the Web and the ability to write to persuade – both of these remain crucial skills for anyone wanting to market their business online and be profitable.
The Web may seem more crowded, noisier, complicated, but it’s actually getting easier to find what you need, and more democratic (little guys can compete with the big guys).
Dale King: How important has goal-setting been to your overall success?
Patsi & Denise: Very. But only in this sense:
We meet once a year – usually in New York or somewhere in a hotel where we’re in town speaking – and do a yearly strategic plan. That gives us the direction to take.
Then we meet every Monday morning by phone to outline tasks for the week. Since we’re two people, it’s important we coordinate who does what, and keep each other posted on progress. When you work with a partner you can’t fudge on your deadlines or make excuses – that would be unfair to the other and we respect each other too much for that. (On my own it’s far easier to make excuses and procrastinate!)
Since we don’t live in the same city, we get a lot more done with fewer interruptions. But since we’re speaking 1-2 times a month we usually get to do mini-strategy meetings in hotels every month!
Dale King: How important has reading been to your overall success?
Patsi & Denise: Extremely, for both of us, although we read different books.
Our newsletter service for executive coaches requires that I keep up with the latest business books on leadership development, and the Harvard Business Review. I also love psychology and read those books, especially on the brain and how to keep it healthy, but also on personal happiness. And I read copywriting and books on the psychology of persuasion since it’s so important to business. Denise consumes marketing books of all kinds and stays current with the latest trends.
Dale King: If you could recommend one or two books that all internet marketers should read, what would they be?
Patsi & Denise: Oh, don’t make us choose… I’ll just say what I’m re-reading right now: Robert Cialdini’s Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion, also a relatively new book and a must read is David Meerman Scott’s “The New Rules of Marketing and PR.
Dale King: Those are two outstanding books. In your opinion, what technology has changed Internet Marketing the most over the last 5 years?
Patsi & Denise: I’d have to say blogging software by far, and you’d expect us to say that, wouldn’t you?
But I’ll also say that the services provided by the 1ShoppingCart system are a close second. The ability to set up a comprehensive database management system including autoresponders, digital downloads, online purchasing, and affiliate tracking all in one system allows small businesses and independent professionals to manage everything without staff, or with few staff.
In fact, with a blog and the Cart, that’s all a smart professional needs to get started making money online, providing they have a well-defined niche they know well and can connect with the people who need services.
Dale King: What new technology do you see changing internet marketing over the next 5 years?
Patsi & Denise: I said this two years ago, and I’ll continue to say it: blog software is so easy to use and offers advantages over a traditional website that I predict that in 5 years all websites will be built on blogging software. We won’t talk about blogs as much, because it will be an expected part of the way we do business online. Instead of asking for a business card, people will ask to know your blog url where they can get to know you better.
Dale King: What person or persons have influenced you the most in your lifetime, and how?
Patsi: Man, that’s a hard one! There’ve been so many; I’m influenced by the authors I read and the people I bump shoulders with, even virtually.
Denise has a huge influence on the way I work and do business!
My husband Rob has encouraged me to be independent and always be creative…and to make money! And I love him for that; he’s made me a better person even when I didn’t want to do the work!
I didn’t have parents who influenced me well, and so I had to become resilient as a child and reach out to others who were generous, and I continue to do that today. I only hope I am there for others when they reach out for help and that I can make a positive difference.
Denise: My father was a tremendous influence, I’ve come to realize over the past few years. He was an early adopter – on the internet in the early ‘90s, an entrepreneur and very creative. I taught myself how to use a Wang word processor in 1982 and never looked back. But it was my father’s curiosity and adventurous nature around technology that I realize I have inherited.
My former husband was also a big influence in that without his encouragement I would never have come to realize my skills and gifts for building and running a successful business. I learned that I am much more successful having my own business and not working for someone else.
Dale King: If you could give my readers one piece of advice, what would it be?
Patsi & Denise: Get started today. There will never be a better time, or a time when everything’s perfect. You can correct and learn as you go along. But get some clarity on your niche, your audience, and how you can make a difference.
Study and learn. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, so watch and learn from the people you admire and who are successful.
Dale King: I couldn't agree more. Thank you very much, Patsi & Denise. I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview.
Patsi & Denise: It was a pleasure, you made us think! We’ll see you around the Blogosphere, so blog on!
The BlogSquad's Blog: http://BlogSquad.biz
This interview is the exclusive property of Patsi Krakoff & Denise Wakeman. It may not be republished in any format - period.
