This week on the podcast I have interview Ed Dale the godfather of market leadership. At the beginning of 2012 I made a short list of who I wanted to have on my podcast by the end of the year. And Ed Dale was on that list.

It goes to show you how powerful it is when you pick a goal and write it down. Imagine how thrilled I was when my goal was coming to fruition before the end of 2012.

Ed Dale’s Definition Of Market Leadership

Ed defines market leadership as: Content X Consistency

Here are some of the highlights of our conversation.

• How local businesses become market leaders
• Everyone can be a publisher
• The importance of Facebook and yelp reviews
• Businesses must be creating content
• Small businesses have to get on board even if they are busy
• A Siri demonstration from Australia
• Web sites must be mobile friendly
• 50% of searches for local businesses will be mobile in the next two years

I also asked Ed what he would do if his uncle work to ask him how to get a business a fantastic web presence in today’s Internet climate. Here’s what he said.

• Get a website that’s mobile friendly
• Create a Facebook page for your business
• Get your business on Google plus

Ed Dale On Creating Content

Ed has been creating a staggering amount of content over the last few years. He has a lot of really interesting philosophies and techniques that he shares in this interview.

Here are some of the ideas.

• The hardest part of creating content is starting
• Give yourself permission to be awful at first
• Don’t compare your first draft to everyone’s final results
• The beauty of the ritual
• Schedule your content creation into your calendar

Some Predictions

It was awesome to hear that Ed is a big fan of podcasting. His Internet Marketing This Week podcast was one of the very first podcasts I ever listened to. He believes that we are at the beginning of a resurgence in podcasting right now. And obviously I couldn’t agree more.

Ed’s Links

• Ed’s Blog
• Ed’s Book Of The Year Post – Awesome
• Ed’s Facebook Graph Search PDF Link
• Facebook’s Graph Search Video
• Ed on Twitter
• Ed’s Facebook Page

On this first episode of the year I get back to my roots with the show’s format.

In this episode I talk about my fantastic experience in Las Vegas at an New Media Expo (NMX). It was incredible to hook up with so many pod casters and content creators. All of the sessions I attended were fantastic. But the good stuff happens in the hallways and at the after parties. It’s when you can shake someone’s hand and talk to someone face-to-face where the friendship is really created.

I even got my picture taken with Leo Laporte and Guy Kawasaki.

It was really cool attending the podcast awards. It was a packed house as Leo Laporte presented the awards. I think even he was just surprised to see the turn out. It’s amazing to see the variety of different podcasts out there. Some of the shows have been running since 2005.

I thought I would bring you an Extended Edition of the show this week with two separate interviews.

The Podcast Answer Man Drops In

My friend Cliff Ravenscraft dropped by the studio via Skype just before I left for Vegas. It was only days before my flight that I recorded this interview. We talk about what to expect on the up coming new media Expo and about his presentation.

You’ll get a lot of insights from the interview as you hear how Cliff has built some of his communities.

Some Interview Highlights

• Why each and every listener is important. (Or Every Customer)
• How Cliff became the man in charge of the Podcasting track for NMX
• How to use Twitter to build a “hungry for your content” following
• And more…

Cliff has built his community one member at a time. Now, he is one of the most sought-after Podcast teachers in the world.

While in Las Vegas a group of podcasters sat around the table with a digital recorder and we recorded a whole episode of the podcast answer man. I am proud to say I was one of them. It was one of my highlights of my trip to Las Vegas.

You can you could check that out at this link: Late Night Podcast

There is one unfortunate thing to do with this interview and it really bug me. I changed the set up of my computer moments before I connected with Cliff on that day I interviewed him. Some static that I had never heard before creeped its ugly head onto the recording. Unfortunately, you’ll hear it in a few places on the interview.

• Contact Cliff
• Cliff’s Twitter
• Learn To Podcast Videos
• Cliff’s A to Z Podcasting Course - Use ‘SMP’ at checkout for $100 off

A Podcaster’s Friend

While on the expo floor in Vegas I played reporter. I interviewed Dave Mansueto from the BossJock app. The interview you here on the podcast was recorded entirely on the BossJock app on my iPhone with a handheld microphone by iRig.

Dave and I have been connecting on Twitter ever since Blog World in New York last year in June. We had some time to chat while in Vegas. I really enjoyed hearing about his passion for recording. He himself is a musician, a Quiz Show Host in Pittsburgh and one of the founders of Libsyn. He knows his stuff.

• BossJock on Twitter
• BossJock in the App Store

The Resource of The Week

My resource of the beak beak can be none other than the BossJock app itself. It truly can be one of the only apps you need to create your recordings or even your full blown podcast.

Here are some of the features right from their site:

Podcasters, Voiceover Artists, DJs, this is your app. Life without fan noise is good!

• Record a podcast while triggering intros/outros, bumpers and background music all on-the-fly
• Dynamics processing (Compression/Limiting) is applied to the mic and mix for loud, level audio
• Up to 35 audio carts duck and fade behind the mic for dynamic sound and smooth transitions
• Audio is Podcast ready, no need for post production.
• Load carts with audio from your Music Library, Dropbox, Email, Wifi or AudioPaste from other music apps
• Send your recordings out via FTP, Dropbox, Soundcloud, iTunes, Wifi, iTunes Share, AudioCopy and Email
• Encodes to all your favorite formats – mp3, m4a, wav, aiff
• Works with external mics like the Apogee Mic, IK Multimedia iRig Mic Cast and Blue Mikey
• Full VoiceOver compatibility for visually impaired producers
• Optimized for every iOS device. Perfect for the iPad Mini!
• Turnkey publishing for Podcasters, Audioboo and Soundcloud Producers, Voice Over artists, Audio Bloggers and Mobile Broadcasters

Check out the BossJock app from the App Store

The Benefits Of Being The First To Podcast Within Your Niche

On this second last interview before I leave for New Media Expo in Vegas I talk to Cesar Abeid from the award winning podcast, The Construction Industry Podcast.

We talk about starting a podcast in a “non-techie niche”, the big tech obstacle keeping podcasting from becoming mainstream, Cesar’s article: 7 Ways to Create an Audience for your Podcast in a Podcast-less Niche and Cesar’s podcasting journey.

Show Notes & Links

• Cesar at New Media Expo
• Creating A Podcast Audience (Article)
• The Construction Industry Podcast
• Remontech Website
• Cesar on Twitter
• Cesar on Google+
• Cesar on LinkedIn

How To Use A Virtual Assistant To Produce Your Podcast

Jonathan Shank is my guest this time on Let’s Talk New Media Expo.

Jonathan is a master of teaching people how to use virtual assistants in their businesses. He even has a podcast at www. YourFirstVirtualAssistant.com you can tune into.

I want to be clear that virtual assistants (VA’s) can be used not just for podcasting but for regular brick and mortar businesses as well. In fact, Jonathan’s job has been doing just that.

Perfecting His Presentation For New Media Expo

Jonathan has put together a topic for new media Expo called How To Use A Virtual Assistant To Produce Your Podcast. He went about setting up his talk very cleverly. A couple months prior to new media Expo he had a small group of people go through a version of his talk which was basically a small course to iron out the bugs.

Here are some of the highlights from our interview

* Getting yours podcast show notes done for $5-$7
* Using Virtual Assistants to do your research
* Using Virtual Assistants for audio engineering
* Using the APPLE method to work with VA’s
* Looking for all-star VA’s

How Am I Going To Use A Virtual Assistant?

In the interview you’ll hear me ask Jonathan to hold me accountable as I commit to using a virtual assistant in my podcast workflow before the end of January 2013.

You can find more about Jonathan and how to use VA’s in your business at at the links below.

Jonathan’s NMX speaker page
Your First Virtual Assistant Website
Your First Virtual Assistant Podcast
Jonathan on Twitter

In the second episode of Let’s Talk New Media Expo I interview Your Website Engineer, Dustin Hartzler.

You may remember Dustin from his previous visits to The Local Method. He and I also went to Blog World NYC (now called New Media Expo) back in June of 2012. I thought it would be fitting to have him talk about his new role at NMX this coming January.

Highlights Of Our Interview:

• Dustin’s Ninja traveller skills. Hint: airBnB
• How and why Dustin decided to become a presenter at this conference
• How he and his panel coordinate their presentation
• Podcasting from the new Podcast Pavillion
• Heading for a tour of Zappos
• Some of the sessions Dustin is looking forward to attending
• What is a Holiday Podcast Dead Week anyway?

Some Of Dustin’s Favorite Podcasts

At the time of this recording Dustin had 72 unplayed episodes in his que. Here is a sampling of some of his favorite shows from his list.

Entrepreneur On Fire
Mac Break Weekly
Beyond The To Do List
Smart Passive Income
Business Tips For Start Ups

Connect With Dustin Hartzler

Your Website Engineer
Dustin On Twitter

[New Blog Post]The Local Method Presents 002 Let’s Talk New Media Expo – Interview With Dustin Hartzler aweber.com/t/KBHrq

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) December 20, 2012

A Brave Experiment

Welcome to the very first episode of my podcast experiment.

Let’s talk New Media Expo is where I talk to the people who will be attending the New Media Expo in Las Vegas in early January 2013. The show notes for these episodes are going to be fairly short. I want to keep all the content flowing. Not having to write long show notes will help me do that. I hope you really enjoy the episodes.

My First Brave Guest

My first guess this Peder Aadahl. He has a blog at 168 Opportunities and the podcast by the same name. He is going to be heading up the panel at the new media Expo called The Top Reasons Why Bloggers Should Launch A Podcast.

Here are some of the topics we talk about:

• How he decided on the topic for the panel
• Who are the other guests on the panel
• What came first for Peder? His blog or his podcast?
• Why Peder feels so strongly about podcasting
• Peder’s recent health scare and how it has helped him
• And more …

Find Peder Aadahl:

[Podcast] The Local Method Presents 001 Let’s Talk New Media Expo – Peder Aadahl hathazi.co/12q5HHR #nmx

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) December 14, 2012

 

What One Year Of Podcasting Can Do To You

In late November 2011 I released my first podcast episode. There have been many lessons over the last year and I have grown as a result.

I am proud to say my show has been listened to in over 35 countries. Some of my greatest satisfaction has come from the feedback of the shows listeners. Thank you so much for being a podcast subscriber.

Pursuing Your Writing Passion

One the first interview this week I talk with Heather Lieghton Dickson about becoming a published author. If you have ever thought to yourself, “I have a book in me.” then this interview is for you.

• Heather’s Website ——-> Here
• Heather on Facebook —> Here
• Heather on Kindle ——–> Here

CBC Radio Visits The Local Method

You will also here my interview with CBC Radio here in Thunder Bay. Amy from the station came by my house and we talked about The Local Method Podcast, Marketing and my Elvis Presley Tribute artist hobby.

A List Of Past Guests And Shows

It’s hard to believe but I’ve had a total of 19 guests on the show this year. Here is a list of those fine folks along with the topics we covered.

• Ashley Bolivar – WordPress For Local Businesses
• Gloria Rand – The importance of Copywriting
• Brian Williams – How to get Hot Leads using Tele-seminars and webinars
• Jeanne Hurlbert – How to Use Surveys In Your Business
• Susan Merlo – Online Directories and Why They Are Critical For Your Business
• Nat Green – How To Use Mobile Marketing That Your Customers Will Love
• Greg Rollett- The Secrets To Creating Money-Making Products for Your Business
• Cesar Abeid – Market Leadership in the Construction Industry & About Being More Productive
• Alan Dickson – Professional Photographer Interview
• Steve Cunningham – How To Learn Faster
• Erik Fisher – How Universities Use Social Media and Landing Your Dream Job
• David Foster – Three Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Facebook Page
• Valerie Van Booven – How o Properly get Your Business Online
• Travis Ulrich – Top Five Tips for Graphic Designers
• Miguel Hernandez – How to Make Awesome Videos for Your Business
• Tamara Patzer – How to Get Your Business on Pinterest and Why You Should Write a Kindle Book
• Steve Querio – Using Google Plus As A Lead Generation Tool
• Dustin Hartzler – What is a Responsive Website
• Michael Nitz – An interview with the Chairman of the board of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce

Announcements

Market Leadership Audit – I am closing the door on the FREE Market Leadership Audit for now. I may open it up again sometime in the future but I haven’t yet decided.

Let’s Talk New Media Expo – New Media Expo (NMX) in Vegas is one month away. I am going to be doing short podcasts over the next month interviewing speakers, attendee and talking about my preperations for the event.

You can expect 2–3 short episodes each week leading up to the event. I know you will enjoy the episodes. Stay tuned to this podcast and visit the website for updates.

In late October I put on the  Facebook For Business Webinar. This is worth your time if you are considering starting or improving your Facebook Page. You can watch the full recording of the webinar right on this page.

Special Thanks

Before you click the play button I want to give credit to two people who really made this whole Facebook For Business Webinar possible.

Firstly, Dustin Hartzler from the wildly popular Podcast Your Website Engineer. He was the an integral part of pulling this off. He shared the info on his podcast, he tweeted and we even used his Meeting Burner back end to actually sign people up and run the Webinar.

Secondly, I want to thank George Dunlap from Nelson Manufacturing for all of his promotion of the webinar. George did a great job letting his colleagues know about this event. He realizes the companies he deals with need to jump aboard social media or they will be left behind.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the webinar below.

Let me know what other topics you would like to see covered.

On this weeks episode of the local method we are talking with Wordpress website developer Dustin Hartzler from Dayton Ohio. You may remember Dustin from a couple episodes back where he interviewed me on his podcast. I am happy to have him on my show this time.

Let’s Talk Some More About WordPress

I have had other WordPress developers on the show before and you may be wondering why I have you another one. I strongly believe having a WordPress website for a business is critical. And every developer brings their own twist to the way they create and use WordPress website. It can only help in hearing these different perspectives.

There is a new buzzword online regarding websites these days. The word is “Responsive” websites and it has nothing to do with conversion. (Converting your visitors into customers). It has everything to do with being able to view your website on any device. A smartphone, iPad, computer screen or any handheld device. In our interview you will hear how important this new technology is.

Dustin also talks about how he became a WordPress developer full-time. To the outsider his daily activity may seem very boring. But to him his bliss is sitting in front of his computer and developing fantastic websites.

Today because of the power of the Internet Dustin can be in his office and communicate with clients all over North America.

Here are some of the topics we discuss in the interview.

• The difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
• Why you don’t have to learn how to code to use WordPress
• Since WordPress is open source there are hundreds and thousands of people making it better all the time.
• Dustin shares how he was able to make changes to his website while traveling overseas this summer
• How it’s possible to convert a non-WordPress website to a WordPress website
• The easiest way to get started out with WordPress – purchasing a high quality theme from a place like Woo Themes, Theme Forest or iThemes
• The miss conception behind the term “Blogging”
• How WordPress allows multiple contributors to participate in the website
• How business owners can create fantastic content for their website visitors – ask your sales people what the top 10 questions your customers have
• Some of the top built-in features of WordPress – built in comments, plug-ins, testimonial plug-ins, SEO plugins
• What something called Responsive Web Design is and why everybody with the website has to take notice

Our Favorite WordPress Plugin

One of Dustin’s favorite plug-ins, and the one that I use, is called Backup Buddy. It’s a plug-in that backs up your WordPress sites automatically at intervals that you set up. It also allows you to transfer your websites easily from host to host. Dustin and I highly recommend this plug-in.

A little about Dustin Hartzler

I want to help you to create professional looking web sites using WordPress. WordPress is a great content management system (CMS) that you can create more than a blog, but a full featured website, plus it is extremely simple to keep updated with an online update feature.

Your Website Engineer on the web
Your Website Engineer Podcast
Dustin on Twitter
Dustin on LinkedIn

On this weeks show I interview Michael Nitz. He is the chairman of the board for the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. I also talk about the upcoming small business week and about my Facebook webinar at end of the month.

The “Chamber Of The Board” Interview – (no, not Frank Sinatra)

Just this past week I sat down to interview Michael Nitz who is the chairman of the board for the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. Michael and I have gotten to know each other over the last year working on the chamber marketing committee.

Initially when I wanted to interview Michael I was interested to hear what the chairman of the board does for the Chamber of Commerce. Instead I came away with a much deeper understanding of what the chamber does for local businesses here in Thunder Bay.

Like myself, most businesses initially join the Chamber of Commerce for great networking opportunities. Once a member, they realize the Chamber does have a lot of clout and plays an advocacy role for local business.

Highlights From The Interview.

The Four Pilars of The Chamber

• Advacocy
• Networking Oportunities
• Communications
• Professional Developement

Small Business Week

Small business week is a national incentive that is kicking off October 15. The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is playing a large role in promoting this event. It’s an opportunity for business people to attend events that will help them learn, innovate and promote their businesses.

You can find out how you can participate by visiting the link below.
Link: National Small Business Week

Michael shares some great examples of some local businesses that are leveraging social media and seeing immediate results.

Shift – Thunder Bay’s Young Professionals Network.

From their website: “SHIFT is Thunder Bay’s home for young-minded professionals who understand that moving their community forward means more than just doing business. It’s the big picture, from social and environmental concerns to personal professional development.”

As past president Michael and the Chamber has leveraged his involvement with the organization to draw upon their input on many issues regarding our city. You can find out more about shift by visiting them online.

Shift

Thunder Bay is fortunate to have three members who sit on the board of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. The Ontario Chamber Chamber of Commerce has a direct line of communication open with the Premier of Ontario. This is helpful in that issues can be brought forth directly to him.

Ontario Chamber Chamber of Commerce

Open Lines Of Communication

Michael’s term as chairman will be over at the end of the year. He, invites anyone who has any questions about the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce or being a member to give the office call. The lines of communication are always open.

Visit the chamber website.
Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce

Presentations and Webinars For October

October 16th, 2012, 9:00–11:00 AM at MJL Black Library
The Secrets To Getting Your Business Found Online Today

October 29th, 2:00 PM on The Internet
Register: Free Facebook Webinar

Link to Cool Promo Video: Click on the picture below.

About my guest.

Michael Nitz is the Chairman of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce until the end of of 2012.

He has also been the past president of Shift, Thunder Bay’s Young Professionals Network.

From April 2011 – April 2012 he was vice president of  Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce (NOACC).

He has been a branch manager with RBC since May 2005 and is current managing the Arthur and Ford Branch.

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn. Michael Nitz

On today’s episode I am sharing an interview done with me by Dustin Hartzler of Your WordPress Engineer about the favorite tools I use in my business. I will be giving you an update on the construction of my new office and you will hear about some presentations I’m going to be giving this month.

My favorite tools

Q: Do I use a Mac or a PC?  
A: 90% Mac and 10% PC. What the biggest concerns I had when I was making my transition from Mac to PC was the software compatibility. I also worry about having to learn a new way of doing things. During our chat I talk about how that switch went and how it wasn’t as hard as I would’ve originally thought.

Q: What program do I use for editing HTML?
A: when I first began my journey online on the PC I used a free HTML editing program called Kompozer. Many of the people I was learning from where using it so they offered many tips on how to get the best out of the program. At that time I was doing something called squeeze pages. It was just a simple HTML webpage online where people could sign up for a free report.

When I made my switch to the Mac 2 1/2 years ago I started using a free program called Sea Monkey for HTML editing. Nowadays most of my work is with WordPress.

Markdown is a text-based script, so to speak, that allows me to easily create and keep a consistent HTML format to insert into my WordPress blog posts. It really isn’t as complicated as it sounds. Learn more about it here: Markdown Syntax

Byword is the Mac only editor that allows me to input my markdown text. It is iCloud synced and I have versions on my iPhone and my iPad. It allows me to preview my HTML right from within the application.

Q: What FTP client am I using?
A: In my PC days I was using the Firefox adding called fireFTP. I still recommend that for people that are on the PC. It’s free, it’s simple and it works. I’ve recently started using a Mac program called Forklift. I purchased the program as part of a 10 app bundle. Dustin confesses in the interview he purchased the app for $0.99. What a deal.

Q: What do I use for an image editor?
A: Luckily I was able to talk about more than one because I do use several image editors. Each one has some unique features that are called upon for certain projects.

Pixemator is my favorite Mac-based, full featured image editor. It is 99% of what most people need without having to buy a full copy of Photoshop. The support for the product is incredible. There are many folks online creating videos and blog posts how to use it. Incredibly it is only $14.99.

Snag-It is a premium image editor that is available on the Mac and the PC. I purchased the PC version 2 1/2 years ago for $49 and I do not regret it for a second. When you purchase a license you will have access to the PC and the Mac version for the one price. With Snag-it you can capture a whole webpage, a part of the screen or even the text on a webpage. Once it’s captured you have a lot of editing options. The graphic options which they use, called stamps, allow you to do mockups of Windows, Mac or iPhone UI’s. Plus a whole lot more.

Skitch is also an excellent option for capturing parts of your screen. Once captured you can annotate your picture with circles, arrows, text and now with the new update you can even blur out password fields, for example.

Q: What is my default web browser?
A: Chrome is what I use almost exclusively these days. I really like the way it allows me to have all of my bookmarks and tabs available once I signed in. Even if I’m on a different computer.

When on my iPhone I do Safari because of its built-in integration with the iPhone. I am not a big fan of browsing on my phone for more than a page or two.

LastPass is a password utility that will generate encrypted passwords for all of your logins. I added this utility in the browser section because it’s a plug-in that you could to all of your browsers.

Do you hate it when you get to a webpage and they want you to fill in about 15 different pieces of information including your email? With last pass you could create the prefilled form and then press one button and have all those fields automatically populated anytime you come across a page like that.

Q: Do I use any productivity apps?
A: Siri with the reminders app on the iPhone 4s. In the GTD philosophy you want to get as much out of your head and into a location where you could deal with it at a later more suitable time. Siri combined with the reminders app lets you handle this almost effortlessly.

Things is an excellent app that is available on the Mac iPad and iPhone. It is a GTD based system that helps you stay organized. Just this last week the folks at cultured code announced that Things is now compatible with Siri. This allows you to dictate your reminders into a special reminders list and have it import right into your Things inbox. This is going to be another timesaver.

Presentations and Webinars For October

October 16th, 2012, 9:00–11:00 AM at MJL Black Library
The Secrets To Getting Your Business Found Online Today

October 29th, 2:00 PM on The Internet
Register: Free Facebook Webinar

Link to Cool Promo Video: Click on the picture below.

On this episode of the show my guest is Steve Querio of Upward climb and we are going to be talking about Using Google Plus Local as a Lead Generation Tool. We also look at the what the new iPhone and it’s new operating system means for your business and I talk about how I am about to go into super productive mode.

What The New iPhone & iOS 6 Mean To Your Local Business

Apple has just released it’s new iPhone 5 and it has already sold 5 Million units in the first week. These numbers are impressive. But what does it mean for you, a business owner?

The iPhone 5 and iOS 6 uses an improved voice controlled assistant named Siri. She responds to your commands faithfully. She will even tell you where the best places to buy your products and services are if you ask her. This means as millions of people start to use Siri to find where they should eat a great meal, hire a photographer or get their next Chiropractic adjustment, you better hope your business is going to be one of the one she recommends. That’s a bloody important thing to know.

Siri is using a service called Yelp to provide the answers to people’s questions. That means your business had better be signed up for this free service to be included in the fun and in the profits.

Go to www.Yelp.com or www.Yelp.ca and create an account and fill it out completely. Then get your customers to leave you reviews there.

If you need help you can search Google or you can contact me albert@thelocalmethod.com and we can set up a call to see how I can help.

How I Plan To Be More Productive

My own office is finally being built in an un-used space in my home. Soon I will be able to go to my own quiet space and work on my podcasts, screencasts, videos and local business consulting.

During the podcast I talk about what I am really want out of my office. (It’s probably not what you think). Click the link below to see how Gideon Shalwick inspired some ideas for my new office space.

Video: Gideon’s Cool Office Layout

Using Google Plus Local as a Lead Generation Tool

As a business owner you will want to hear Steve Querio and I talk about what is working today for getting more business from the internet. Here are some highlights of the interview.

• What Steve did before he became a local business consultant.
• What Lead Generation is and why it’s the life-blood of any company.
• Why Google Plus Local is a key part of lead-generation today.
• Why it’s important to have a strategy and use the tools to get the most out of your marketing online.
• What website rank is and how it fits into the puzzle.
• Why it’s important to get customer reviews and why a bad review isn’t going to sink you business.

Steve Querio is owner of Innova Group, LLC, and directs its primary program called Upward Climb.

Upward Climb provides local business marketing including business lead generation, PPC Marketing and PPC Management, business reputation management, and business authority boost.

With a background as a health professional, business owner and entrepreneur, he has worked to develop affordable and effective marketing systems to generate the ability for businesses to find more prospects, engage them and convert them.
Upward Climb

On this episode we are going to be talking with Tamara Patzer about Pinterest, Google Plus Local and Kindle Publishing. She shares with us her experiences and real life examples of how she is putting all of this into place for her business clients. By the end of the show you will have many ideas to be able to plug into your business.

On A Personal Note….

It’s Autumn in Thunder Bay and that means the kids are back to school. This is their first week back and they handled it well. This time of year has always been my favorite. Not only is the temperature comfortably cool, as long as you wear a sweater sometimes, the scenery is great for listening to my favorite podcasts while I walk outside and enjoy the beautiful colours in this part of the world.

On Being More Productive

This time of year also signals something in me to get back to work. To get serious. To take some major steps toward my goals. It must be all the years of starting school again. I am not sure. With this motivation nudging me on, I decided to move my home office around late one night last weekend. I wanted to have a better place to record my videos. Before the move you could see my treadmill, couch and random other items scattered out behind me. Now, I have a nice clean white wall behind me. I tell you, I feel more productive already.

If your feeling stuck, pick up your work space and change it up. Freshen it up with something new. Face your desk a different way. Use your imagination. It may be the boost in productivity you need.

Shout-Out Of The Week

This week I want to thank George Dunlap for his iTunes rating and his review. It’s very much appreciated. Feel free to check out George’s Website. If you say “Hello” be sure to mention The Local Method sent you.

My friend Erik J Fisher has launched his own podcast and he is Crushing It. It’s called Beyond The To Do List. I highly recommend it because the content has been superb and the guests have been top notch. Here is the description from the iTunes Store:

Join your host Erik Fisher, as he talks to successful friends and influencers about how they manage their time, prioritize their tasks and take steps to avoid burnout.

iTunes: Beyond The To Do List
Website: www.beyondthetodolist.com
Erik on The Local Method: How Universities Use Social Media & Landing Your Dream Job

On Pinterest And Kindle Publishing

Hearing about all the latest razzle dazzle of what you should be doing with your business online is all fine and good. Frankly, there is a lot we all could be doing but aren’t. Sometimes I would bet you may not even believe any of this internet stuff even works. I am about to change that for you.

I would like to introduce my guest, Tamara Patzer.

Tamara shares with us some real life examples of how Pinterest can be used to boost visitors to your site and even make sales. We then go on to have an in depth conversation about how she became a Kindle publisher and how you can do the same. I am serious. You can be a Kindle Publisher too. Check out her Kindle book: Ask Tami:Pinterest for Local Business Marketing (Aff Link).

If you are interested in learning how to publish a book on Kindle, Tamara suggests you join us on this Private Facebook group. It has some smart cookies when it comes to Kindle. Request to join, let Tamara know you heard about it on The Local Method Podcast and after a criminal record check you are in.

Request to Join The Facebook Group here: Instant Author Academy

Tamara (Tami) Patzer is creator of Ask Tami! She answers questions about social media, new media and current trends in internet marketing. If you have questions, Ask Tami!

Tami’s Background

With Tami’s experience in Mass Communications, teaching and media, she developed Total Audience Market Immersion (TAMI). She helps authors, experts and businesses dominate most search engines within hours.

Internet Marketing is becoming one of the fastest growing marketing methods to gain results and market share in your chosen business or profession. What I love about Total Audience Market Immersion is that I can help everyone achieve their goals – more business which equals more customers/clients which equal a better bottom line.

Total Audience Market Immersion (TAMI) is a win-win situation for all concerned that helps people get real results fast.

Visit Tami at: www.AskTami.tv . You can watch what she calls her “my evidence” videos on her Facebook Page: Total Audience Market Immersion. Call her personally at 941-421-6563.

[The Local Method Podcast 027] How To Get Your Business On Pinterest & Write A Kindle Book http://hathazi.co/QudVK5 #tbay

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) September 10, 2012

The Kindle self publishing platform is a red hot topic. On today’s episode we are talking about how to market your kindle book.

I have been hearing so much about this subject that I just can’t avoid it any longer. The opportunities to reach hundreds of millions of hungry readers is truly unprecedented in our time. There is no need to be intimidated or turned off by the technology. It’s straight forward.

Once you listen to today’s episode you will have a good idea on what it takes to get your own Kindle book published . I also provide a link to a helpful Kindle book on how to publish and market your Kindle Book.

Ideas For Marketing Your Kindle Book

I received and eMail this week from Heather asking me if I had some ideas on how to market a Kindle Book. Here is a portion of the eMail.

“Hey Albert, I have a question for you to mull over. I have published two books on Amazon Kindle this july and they are doing very well, but I was wondering if you have ideas for the marketing and/or social marketing side of things? Google Ads, tweeting, etc. I already have an author website, author facebook page, author twitter, etc, but I know I’m not using any of them to their potential. I am being interviewed by an independent blogger and I have ‘fans’ asking for more books.”

Here are some of the topics we discuss

• Fill out your Authors Profile completely in Amazon’s Author Center – including a photo, put your the links to your social networks
• Give away your book for 3-5 days to get some reviews – reviews are essential
• Share you book on free and discount Kindle Book sites – www.pixelofink.com
• Follow @kindlenews on Twitter
• Use www.CreateSpace.com to print books on demand
• Create an audiobook of your book and put it on Audible
• Use the services of Kunaki to create a CD and a Jewel Case to sell or give away
• Use Youtube to create short videos promoting your book with links to your book online

If you want to learn more about how to publish and market a book on the Kindle Publishing platform I suggest Ryan Deiss’s book Kindle Publishing Revolution. (Affiliate Link)

Check out Heather Leighton Dickson’s Books:

• To Journey in the Year of the Tiger (Tails from the Upper Kingdom)
• A Walk In The Way Of Lions (Tales From The Upper Kingdom) 

Please consider sharing this episode with others by ReTweeting it!

026 The Local Method – How to market your Kindle Book hathazi.co/MTexJo

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) August 26, 2012

Awesome video for your business is the topic of today’s podcast. My guest is the founder and CEO of Grumo Media and I have a 40 minute interview with him. He created the successfulcourse called: How To Create An Awesome Demo Video For Your Business.

We also talk about a very important topic regarding Google that I read and what your business has to do about it.

Google Now & Local Business

I read an article on some important advancement in how Google is presenting information to us and about what it means to local business. Since I help local businesses with this sometimes complicated stuff I wanted to share that article with you, the listener of The Local Method.

Here is a summary:

• Google is introducing a new age of search called: Google Now
• Context means having your devices (phones) anticipating what you need before you ask for it
• Soon over 50% of searches will be mobile
• *Google+ is not a social network *Google+ IS Google (implying everything would be unified under Google+) – once you sign into Youtube and Gmail guess what? You are on google plus
• My advice is to get your business page on Google Plus right away

Here is the article by Ed Dale: Google Now

How To Make Awesome Videos With Miguel Hernandez

Miguel Hernandez started making awesome videos in an effort to promote his own start up. Here is the video that got the attention of other startups. Hipmunk

Other companies saw the way he worked his magic and they wanted him to make awesome videos for them. He quickly realized there was a market for demo videos. He made $500 on his first video which took him two weeks to produce and hasn’t looked back.

You don’t have to be Pixar to make effective videos. In other words the production doesn’t have to be a Hollywood budget to be effective. The magic is in the story and in the script. There has to be personality in the video and connect with the viewer. Put a smile on their face at least once.

Doing It All Yourself And Learning To Delegate

Miguel talks about the transition of letting control go and delegating his production. Once you start delegating you can get exponential results if you change your mindset. Build a business that can run by itself.

Sole founders are so busy working in their business that they don’t think about where they want to take their business. Not seeing the big picture. This is a big mistake.

Your Script Is Most Important

The Script has 3 main parts

1. Explaining the problem
2. Introducing your solution, explaining what it does and why it’s so great
3. Call to action

Videos for local businesses

Short live action videos work the best. Interview the owner. Shoot a “B Roll” of the shop or the process. Then have the owner talk about the business and then have a call to action.

Brick and mortar businesses will create more of an attachment with their customers when you can see the place and the people working there.

Listener questions:

Leanne Golan: (Q) Can I make great videos with my iPhone or do I have to buy more expensive equipment. (A) The short answer is Yes, you can make great videos on your iPhone. The tool isn’t as important as what you do with it. If the lighting is right, the script is good and the post production is good then your video will rock.

Rav Chaudhary: (Q) Can you provide a list of resources for making good videos and equipment?  (A) Check out “How To Create Awesome Demo Videos For Your Business on: Udemy

Miguel uses the main social sites but he gets the best feedback on Facebook. Usually within minutes. He suggests publishing  good content and don’t self-promote too much. Post regularly and use all the main social media sites. His trick is using the helpful tool Hootsuite.

Special Discount On Miguel’s Courses

Take Miguel up on his offer to get a special The Local Method discount on his courses by sending him an email to miguel@grumomedia.com and mention you heard about his offer on The Local Method Podcast.

Here are the fantastic courses available:

• How to Create an Awesome Demo Video for Your Business
• How to Create an Awesome Online Course
• How to Create a Successful WordPress Site

Grumo Media
Miguel on Twitter
Miguel on LinkedIn 

Miguel Hernandez is the CEO of Grumo Media which he founded in October 2010.

Miguel has over 10 years of experience in multimedia production and has created promotional videos for cool startups like Hipmunk, inDinero, Ashton Kutcher, Faronics, Clipboard, VideoGenie, Buy4.com, Olo.com, and big companies like Microsoft and Walmart.

Miguel’s many passions have taken him from his original love for mechanical engineering, to 3D animator, all the way to music video director, and web application developer.

Miguel has always had passion for film, technology, and startups.

Miguel was born in Bilbao, Spain and relocated to Vancouver, Canada in 1996 with most of his family

Please share this episode with other by ReTweeting it below. Thanks.

EP 025 – How To Create An Awesome Video For Your Business & Google Now hathazi.co/Pa74ml

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) August 21, 2012

On today’s episode we will be talking about top five tips for graphic designers or any business for that matter.  This episode contains some good information about branding and design as I interview a graphics designer from here in Thunder Bay. There are a couple of really cool announcements as well.

Graphics Design Here In Thunder Bay

I’m excited to be my second interview of a business from my hometown. This is something I am trying to more of. I want to hear what is going through the minds of local businesses. How did they get to where they are today and how are they using social media? These and other questions are going to be answered on this weeks show.

A few months ago Travis and I ended up going out for coffee at our local Starbucks after connecting with me on Twitter. Since then we have stayed in touch. After our last meeting at Starbucks I asked him if he would be kind enough to come on the show and share some of his real life business experience with my listeners. He agreed.

About a month after our first meeting Travis surprised the heck out of me as he took the information in a book I talked about with him and put it into action. The book was Built To Sell by John Warrillow (link). Since I was a subscriber to his email newsletter I noticed he had created a process he called “Logo +”. In the Podcast we talk about what Logo + is and how it could help his clients and how it could help his business. 

Top Five Tips For Graphic Designers

During the Podcast Travis also offers us his top five tips for graphic designers. These tips can be applied to any business. So, even if you’re not a graphics designer think about how you can adjust these tips for you.

1. Pricing: Make sure you’re losing on some of the jobs you bid on
2. Networking: Make sure you’re annoying someone
3. Keep getting better, even if it’s by minuscule increments
4. Use Freshbooks
5. Never design something that sucks

My Small Business Week Speaking Gig

I’m happy to say that I just firmed up some details about my presentation at small business week in October. I recently had coffee with Ryan from the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and we have  narrowed it down to a couple possible topics. It was over a year ago I first offered to do a free workshop for Chamber Members so needless to say I am pumped to finally be able to present.

I am considering sharing that information with listeners of the podcast and members of the The Local Method Market Leadership email newsletter. Have you signed up yet?

I still have a couple of months prepare so look for more details on the blog here as we get closer to October.

A Special Thank You

I also want to give a special thank to the folks that have taken a few minutes out of their busy day to leave me a rating and review in iTunes. I thank you and appreciate it.

Firstly having you listen to the show means a lot to me and second, the reviews go along way in spreading and sharing the message of the Podcast with more people.

Canadian iTunes

• Vringz Inc.
• Cesar Abeid from the Construction Industry Podcast

American iTunes

• Cliff Ravenscraft from Podcast Answerman
• Jesse Lahey from Man Cave Radio
• Adam Saverian – The Online Business Hour 
• Wayne Henderson – Packers Fan Podcast & FringeCasting with Wayne Henderson

Be sure to check out these fine folks by clicking on the links to their Podcasts.

*Note: I noticed I gave an incorrect address in my completed Podcast and it was too late to change it. The correct address is albert@thelocalmethod.com to contact me.

Here’s a little more about this weeks guest…..

Travis Ulrich is the owner of Ulrich Design; A graphic design company in Thunder Bay, that specializes in Identity & Branding. Ulrich Design uses a process called Logo+ (“logo plus”) in which a client’s Logo is designed using Ulrich Design’s 5-Step Logo Design Process and then the “+” branded items are designed. You can view Ulrich Design’s website at: ulrichdesign.ca. Follow Travis on Twitter: @ulrichdesign

Travis has lived in Thunder Bay since 2000. He graduated from Lakehead University where he double-majored in Marketing and General Business Management. Travis also coaches Midget hockey and blogs about his coaching experiences.

Consider sharing this episode by Retweeting it below. Thanks.

024 The Local Method Podcast – Top 5 Tips For Graphic Designers And Most Other Businesses hathazi.co/P9yfxV

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) August 11, 2012

If you have a business and want to know how to get your business online then you will really enjoy this episode. My special guest is a marketing expert for a very specific market, Elder Care and Home Care. Here are some of the things we are going to be talking about.

What does a marketing specialist for Home Care and Elder care do exactly?

Small business owners are interested in having their phone ring with prospects and new clients. Many businesses still need help with websites, google ranking and google local places.

Valerie  VanBoovan (my guest this week), looks at what her clients are presently doing and finds out what is and isn’t working for them.
She concentrates on creating lead generation sites. The main focus isn’t design and smart flashy stuff. The job of Valerie’s websites are to make the phone ring.

The Google Changes

Just a few years ago you used to be able to just put up a video and get ranked easily. Not today. The rules have changed. The competition is getting tougher. You need to insure your websites are optimized in ways Google likes it to get your business online. Plus Google has made major changes to the way local businesses get found in their search results.

Google places is still around but now everything is being integrated into a Google Plus Page. Google is taking the  old Places pages and turning it into the new Google Plus Page. There are some advantages to Google Plus Local. One of them is not as many people on Google Plus, yet. But that is going to change. Also the new Google Plus Page is big on the Mobile platform. You should have a presence on all places google right now. Get the advantage.

Google Reviews

Google got into trouble because they were showing reviews from other places when you used to do a google search. Now they are showing only Google Reviews. Valerie recommends people leave a review on Google for a business. The problem is most people won’t do it. It’s beyond them technically.

A great idea for businesses is to put reviews and testimonials on their website. Valerie has an offsite website where people can leave reviews. She sets up a system where all the Elder Care Reviews can be posted. The site has developed into an Authoritative site.

The Bigger the City The Harder It Is To Rank

In bigger markets it becomes a little harder to rank but you can still get your business online. One thing you can do is to make more blog posts. Pick your keywords and write more content. Also, use the keywords of surrounding communities to improve your rank.

She also will use some low level Pay Per Click Traffic (PPC) to generate visites to the websites and get the phone ringing.

Lead Capture Sites – What are they

Lead capture websites have one job. You want to make the phone ring. These lead capture sites want the call to action be clear … “Call Now“. Valerie uses a tracked number to carefully keep track of the amount and the quality of the calls coming. She also puts a form on the sites. She asks a few questions and helps people engage with the agency. They also send out a monthly news letter. It’s a great way to stay in front of people and easy once it’s automated.

See the example below of a “call to action”.

3 Things To Note When Taking Your Business Online

• Your website doesn’t have to cost you 10K. Design it to get people to call you and take action.
• Have  a call to action. Call 555-1212 or Download this free report.
• Give it time. You need to give it 6 months or more. You can’t rank quickly on Google anymore. If you don’t have the time then do a Pay Per Click campaign. Understand how much this is going to cost.

Some Links Mentioned In The Podcast

Home Care Marketing Examples
LTC Social Mark – Valeries Business Site
Valerie on Twitter
Home Care Daily on Twitter

Some more about my guest on this weeks episode:

Valerie VanBooven, Managing Partner/ Co-Owner of LTC Expert Publications

Valerie’s motto and favorite saying is: “Impact is not created by big budgets, impact is created by innovative marketing ideas!”

Valerie is a Registered Nurse and the author of three books, Aging Answers (2003), The Senior Solution (2007) and Priceless Caregiving (2009). Her adventure in internet marketing began as a self-promotion experiment and ended up becoming a full time marketing consulting business for the elder care market.

Valerie has appeared on national television (Today Show), has hosted her own local radio show, and has been interviewed for dozens of publications and radio shows across the country regarding her business and the business of elder care.

She fast became the foremost authority in driving sales via the internet, seminars, and e-mail for senior service providers and elder care entrepreneurs.  While Valerie’s best known for her expertise in marketing, her students share that her biggest impact comes from her ability to make things happen quickly, even on a small budget.

Podcast Episode 023 – How to properly get your business online, tips from a marketing expert hathazi.co/Q2rvVk

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) July 30, 2012

Let’s Get More Productive

In this episode we are going to work on getting more productive with my friend and fellow podcast mastermind member Cesar Abeid. Over the last few months I have been hearing Cesar talk and tweet  some really useful content on productivity. Instead of just talking to him 1 on 1, I decided to record our conversation and share it with you. If you have  desire to get more done without loosing your mind then you will enjoy this episode. Let’s pick up some tips from Cesar and get things done.

Some Highlights Of The Interview

GTD is an acronym for Getting Things Done (Amazon). It’s a system. A lifestyle. A way to approach your work and life to be more productive. It’s also a book by David Allen that is a national best seller. In it David gives you the goods on how your brain works and how to best harness it and be productive. It comes highly recommended from me and thousands of people who have changed the way they work because of David. My guest this week is one of them.

Our brains work best when they are free to think. Having a system to get our thoughts out of our heads into an “Inbox” is critical for GTD to work. Nowadays and inbox can be a smartphone app, physical inbox tray on your desk or even a manila folder. This is our “collection” mechanism to ensure we don’t miss anything important and be more productive.

Now what do we do? Cesar sets aside time a few times a week to sort the information in order of importance. He also puts the Tasks or Projects into categories that help him work on them at the most optimal time.

Here is a great chart you can use for reference during and after the show. Quick Reference Card

Articles on GTD by Cesar Abeid:

• My Getting Things Done Setup
• How To Be Productive When Things Keep Coming At You

There is more detail on GTD in the interview. I really enjoyed talking to Cesar about GTD and picked up several tips I am implementing myself.

A Few Of The Tools That Work With GTD

Some of the tools mentioned below are work on PC’s and Mac. Even on your smart phone. There is one that sits on your desk. They all help you get GTD working for you.

Evernote
Toodledo.com
Omni Focus (Mac)
Things (Mac) – what I use
Desktop File (Amazon)
SoundEver App 

I hope you enjoyed this episode on productivity. My goal is help your business be a market leader. If you can be more productive then you will have more time to do the market leadership activities we talk about in these podcast episodes on The Local Method.

Now please schedule a task in your new Getting Things Done system to come back next week for another episode.

Do you have any recommendations about GTD that work for you? Please leave a comment below for us to discuss.

Allow me to introduce Cesar Abeid.

Cesar Abeid is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has a B.E.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the The University of Western Ontario.

Cesar joined Remontech in 2004, and since then he has successfully implemented and managed construction monitoring projects throughout Canada, the United States, Brazil, and Peru.

He has a passion for bringing project management solutions to the construction industry.

Cesar is also the host of Remontech’s Construction Industry Podcast, a show dedicated to bringing content relevant to today’s construction professional.

You can visit Remontech’s website at: www.Remontech.com
And the Construction Industry Podcast at: Construction Industry Podcast

In this episode we are going to be talking Facebook Pages and how to get the most out  your Facebook Pages for your business. You are going to learn 3 great tips that will help a brand new Facebook Page or one that has been just floating around awhile. I am also going to discuss some quirks in the way Podcasts are rated in iTunes currently.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Facebook Page

On my recent trip to Blogworld NYC in June, I was surprised to see a familiar face in the hallway between presentations. It happened to be David Foster of Hubze. I had been a customer of theirs for almost a year. His company was one of the first in the industry to offer an easy solution for businesses and consultants to create awesome looking Facebook Pages. I don’t know why I was so surprised to see him but it didn’t stop me from introducing myself.

We had some time before the next presentation and had a great conversation about the ever changing landscape that has become Facebook, David’s recent entry into the Podcasting realm and general stuff about Blogworld. I was thrilled to learn that he had also been “trained” in podcasting by my friend Cliff Ravenscraft of the Podcast Answerman. (Most of the people at Blogworld had been trained by Cliff or knew of him).

That night when I got back to my apartment (it was close to 11 pm) I found David’s Blogworld Report from that very day and had a listened. It was entertaining and informative. However I was envious. He had seen at least three celebrities while walking the streets of New York while I had seen NONE. Not fair.

David and I had a Skype chat for about 35 minutes the other day. I wanted to get my listeners an experts opinion on how to get the most out of your Facebook Fan Page. I got that and a lot more.

Here are some of the new products David’s company has available to help you with your Facebook Pages:

Page Builder App, Sweepstakes App, Deals App, Video Contest App, Photo Contest App, Evergreen Launch App (in development) and EZ Leads App (in development).

Three Ingredients For A Successful Fan Page

1. Decide on your brand
2. Engage your community
3. Offer 95% content & 5% offers

David has given listeners of The Local Method a special discount code to save a whopping 25% on any of the products Hubze has. Just use “localmethod” (no quotes and all lower case) at checkout. See what they have here: Hubze Products

Oh, did I tell you David is a HUGE fan of Christopher Walken like me?

The iTunes Podcast Review Problem

On the show I talk about how there could be an inaccuracy in how podcasts are rated in iTunes. It seems when more people agree with a review, it pushes that particular review to the top of the list for people to see. This may not be the best way to show the quality of a podcast that may have had a slow start but has now got it together.

Make sure to not only rate and review your favorite podcasts to help the producers but to also “Agree with …” good reviews in iTunes.

This was the Top review because “6 out  of 6 listeners found this helpful”

What are your thoughts on this in the iTunes Podcast review system?

David Foster | ceo and founder

I have been a social media marketer going on 3 years. I have been an Internet marketer for over 14. I was a spammer back when that meant entrepreneur. I have always worked hard for what I have and never went to college. I did however tour some colleges just out of high school playing music, so I guess I lived the life without the large loans. I never liked working for other people. I always knew that someone else was making a fortune from my hard labor; I built houses and then sold cars. I do what I love and love what I do! Oh and I love my wife, kids and dogs. Kitty…you’re OK I guess…

Hubze Blog

Please consider sharing this information by ReTweeting it below. Thanks

We have made it to episode 20 and here is what’s in store this week.

I will be reconnecting with one of the panelist who I met in NYC during Blogworld New Media Expo just a few weeks ago. My guest and I discuss his podcast timeline and how it helped him land his job as a social media manager at a University. We also talk about Apple’s brand new dedicated podcast app just released this week. And, it’s still not too late to learn how to podcast with AtoZ course.

How would you like your employer to notice the great work you in your spare time and then offer you a job doing it for them? It’s like getting paid to do your passion. Sounds too good to be true? That’s exactly what happened to Erik Fisher. (See Erik’s Bio at the bottom of the page).

After starting a podcast for fun with his friend Erik was bitten by the podcasting bug. Especially when he discovered he was building a group of loyal followers. After that show wound up because of his co-host moving, Erik had an idea for a new show. He pitched the idea to Cliff Ravenscraft. After a half hour of ironing out the details the Podcast Social Media Serenity was born.

This was a show I enjoyed listening to as did hundreds of listeners. Social Media has been big news for the last few years and it fed my appetite for the latest news. The success of this show was the best “Resume” Erik could have put forward for his application for the position of Social Media Manager for Indiana Wesleyan University. The podcast insured Erik had no competition for his “dream” job.

Our interview also talks about some of his duties as a social media manager and some of the evolving trends in social media and podcasting.

Apple’s Dedicated Podcasts App Gets A Thumbs Up

When Apple showed a developer version of IOS 6 recently, the podcast community got very jittery. Many people jumped to the conclusion that podcasting was getting the boot from iTunes and the Apple was making a mistake. Well, just this week Apple quietly slipped it’s very own dedicated Podcasts app into the App store. The sentiment is definately changing for the better.

There are links below that will help you learn more about this important evolution in podcasts.

Cliff Ravenscraft’s Review
Father Roderick’s Review
The Local Method’s Review
Apple’s Official App Page

Still Time To Save $100 On The Podcasting AtoZ Course

There is still room in Cliff Ravenscraft Podcasting AtoZ course if you want to learn how to podcast for your brand or passion. There is no other trainning like this available online. It’s not cheap. I believe the value of the training is UNDER-PRICED.

Check out the link: Podcasting AtoZ . Use my promo code: SMP at checkout to save $100 dollars. (I do revieve a commision from Cliff when you sign up and goes to support The Local Method).

We Have A Winner

Congratulations to Dean Mostow of Lakehead Backup who was the winner of the Premium Instapaper Account from last weeks show. Instaper Episode 019

Meet Erik Fisher

Erik coordinates all social media efforts of Indiana Wesleyan University. He is constantly researching and testing new advances in higher education online marketing. He has been part of a number of podcasts, and currently gives social media reports on a regular basis on as social media correspondant for Cliff Ravenscraft at PodcastAnswerMan.com

Track: Podcasting
Session:Podcasting Your Way To Your Dream Job

Company Site: http://www.indwes.edu
Twitter: @erikjfisher
Facebook: http://facebook.com/erikjfisher
google+: https://plus.google.com/101985586791698653149/posts
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erikjfisher

Please consider sharing this episode if you found it helpful by ReTweeting it below.

020 The Local Method Podcast is out – How Universities Use Social Media and Landing Your Dream Job. hathazi.co/QFJvn7

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) June 30, 2012

Listen to the report I recorded outside my studio with the cool BossJock App by clicking above.

Apple unexpectedly released it’s very own dedicated podcasting App appropriately called, Podcasts. This move isn’t a surprise. In a recent beta release of IOS 6 developers noticed podcasts were no longer in iTunes. What we didn’t expect was to see this new app so soon.

What Does This Mean For Podcasts?

The introduction of the Podcasts App is like a re-launch. It’s almost like a re-branding. Podcasts have been around for years and people have previously found them in iTunes. But, you needed to know where to look. Now with this new stand alone application a whole new generation of podcast listeners will be born. As a podcaster myself this excites me in a geeky way. This is a great way to get people to listen to podcasts.

A Good First Version

I give Apple credit for this first release. Everything you need to listen to Podcasts is there. However, if you have been a podcast listener for awhile and have been using PocketCasts (my favorite) or DownCast, I don’t believe this Apple’s newest offering will inspire you to switch. The Podcasts App just doesn’t measure up to the previously mentioned Apps feature wise.

The Best Features

The feature that stands out for me is gorgeous interface that comes alive when you select the Top Stations icon on the screen. (See Picture). You can search for audio or Video podcast by setting the toggle switch. The new Hi Resolution graphics Apple recently announced look fantastic. Scrolling through the categories is function and fun. Just move the wheel with your thumb and easily find interesting looking podcasts to listen too. This just re-emphasizes the importance of Podcast producers to create top notch Podcast graphics.

Another great looking visual happens when you are listening to a podcast. Just move the cover art for the show up and you will reveal a reel to reel animation paying your show. Underneath the beautifully designed graphic you will find the social sharing menu, playback speed controls and the sleep menu.

Closing Thoughts

Apple has given Podcasting a huge boost with it’s latest App. The dedicated Podcasts Application is making news and doing so will introduce millions of new people to the world of Podcasting. Podcasts isn’t as full featured as some other more mature ones on the market. It does have a great looking search feature and some great animated visuals.

Apple’s Podcasts may just be the App of choice for many of the new listeners of Podcasts. It has everything one needs to listen to Podcasts. Oh and let’s not forget … it’s free.

Resources

Apple’s Podcasts App
BossJock App
DownCast App
PocketCasts App
Father Roderick’s Blog – Podcasts App Review

On today’s episode I go over four great take-aways I got from BlogWorld NYC, the very useful and slick App/service called Instapaper and an opportunity for you to learn how to podcast from The Podcast Answerman.

BlogWorld New Media Expo NYC Was Fantastic

I was lucky enough to go to New York during the first week of June and attend BlogWorld this year. There are so many positive experiences and lessons I got out of my adventure that it would take me pages to share with you. Here are some of the ones I talk about on the show this week.

• Meeting & networking with many members of the Podcast Mastermind I am involved in.
• Making new friends and connecting with other like minded content creators, bloggers and podcasters.
• Hearing some of the industy leaders speak about new media, how to build our communities and producing killer content
• Understanding the message that: You are your brand

I also had the opportunity to visit the B&H NYC Super Store (Link) during our lunch break one day. It was an amazing place to take in all the technology.

They had video equiptment I had never seen before or even knew existed. Today you would be surprised at how little you could start your own studio. I was blown away at how accessible technology now is.

As a podcaster and technology geek this place is down-right dangerous on my pocket book. I could have stayed there for half the day. They probably would have kicked me out.

Luckily, I was travelling light and nothing more would have fit into my bag.

Instapaper

Instapaper is an Free App and a service that allows you to save web pages to read for a later time. It’s a little hard to visualize. Just imagine you are browsing a really good article and you don’t have time to read the whole thing at the moment. Just hit the “Read Later” button in your browser and it will be saved in your account and you can come back to it when you have some down time later.

The iPad app is particularily gorgeous. It is also available for the iPhone and all Android platforms. But there is more….

You can view all your content offline too. It also has a feature where you can strip away all the non-related and distracting advertisements. Once you have opened your article you can then share it on your social networks. It is pretty slick.

Check out Instapaper here: Link

I have a code for a free Premium Account that I would like to give away. The premium account will run you around $12 per year. I have a coupon I got at Starbucks when Instagram was featured as app of the week. Here’s is what you have to do to get it. (You can always ask at your favorite Starbuck’s if they still have any of the Promo codes left. That’s what I did.)

Just leave a comment below and letting me know where you listen to The Local Method podcast and I will randomly select a person on June 27th and send you the code. Simple.

How You Can Learn How To Podcast Too

Have you ever wanted to do your own podcast too but way to over-wealmed with the whole thing? Well I have good news. My podcast mentor is having another session of his Podcasting AtoZ course and it starts very soon.

If you are interested I recommend you watch the video and read all about it here. Link

IMPORTANT! When signing up, use the promo code “smp” to get $100 off. This is my affiliate link and by using my code you can save money and help support The Local Method podcast. I do appreciate your support.

Future Episodes

I want to let you know I do have some great guests lined up for some of the upcoming shows. Keep coming back to learn more great strategies for becoming a market leader in your community.

Episode 019 – What I learned at Blogworld NYC, Instapaper & Learn How To Podcast hathazi.co/PWu0G5

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) September 10, 2012

The biggest news of the week has to do with Google completely eliminating Google Places for business. We are going to be covering that in the main segment of the show.

Shout Out Of The Week

I am introducing a new segment on the show where I do a spotlight a community member of The Local Method in the Shout Out Of The Week.

My first one goes to Dean Mostow. He has a great service for business owners that want to have peice of mind with off-site back up of their data. What I think is really neat about the system is, after a one-time set-up, it runs on autopilot and the business owners don’t have to worry about a thing. It’s automatic.

Lakehead Backup is a business here in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Since Dean is just launching, his prices are very competitive.

Check out his site: Lakehead Backup

BlogWorld & New Media Expo NYC 2012

At the time of this podcast I am just 3 days away from BlogWorld. On the podcast I talk about a service we used to get a killer deal on my accomadations in NYC. I also discuss some of the events I will be attending and what I am hoping to bring back to The Local Method community here. It’s going to be fantastic.

Note: On the podcast I mention the Virtual Ticket is around $99. That is the price as an upgrade for the attending members. If you are not attending the Virtual Ticket price is $399. I believe it is still valuable. If you do want 10% off then my friend Cliff Ravencraft’s code:gspn10

Additional Links Mentioned:

Pat Flynn’s Blog
Derek Halpern’s Blog

Another Great Reason To Attend Chamber Of Commerce Events

Every month the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce has an After Business Event at a member’s place of business. I enjoy attending every one I can.

This month I got real lucky because my name was drawn for the Spotlight. It’s a spread in the monthly newsletter where the Chamber Spotlights a business. In June it’s going to be me. Yay!

In my write up I decided to plug my podcast because I think it’s a good way to show potential clients what I am about and how I am different from the other marketing consultants. Here is something to think about: What makes your business different from your competitors out there? (Please don’t say – Price!).

If something interesting comes regarding the Spotlight you can be sure I will comment on it on a future podcast episode.

The Reason I Do This

Every once in awhile I stop and remind myself why I am spending my free time Podcasting and starting a business. The answer will always boil down to my family. It’s actually funny because my daughter has actually said you can help this business and that business as we ride in the car sometime. I see her being an entrepreneur in the future, I really do.

My Daughter Alexa and I went on a movie date just last week and had a terrific time. I talk about how cool it was to get some 1 on 1 time with her as we enjoyed The Hunger Games Together.

Click to see a picture at the theater here: Alexa at the Hunger Games

Google Axes Places – Big Changes For Local Search

I have talked a lot about Google Places during the first 17 episodes of the Podcast. That is about to come to an end. Just 3 days ago Google has totally removed Google Places from it’s world and merged it with Google Plus. From now on it’s going to be called: Google Plus Local

There is an excellent article at SearchEngineLand explaining the whole change. You can find it at: Google Places Gets Axed

Some Highlights

* The substitution of the new Google+ Local pages (as mentioned) for Google Places pages
* The appearance of a “Local” tab within Google+
* The integration and free availability of Zagat reviews (its entire archive across categories)
* The integration of Google+ Local pages across Google properties (search, Maps, mobile)
* Integration of a circles filter to find reviews/recommendations from friends/family/colleagues

Source: SearchEngineLand

I still have more to learn about this recent change and you can be sure I will keep you up-to-date. My feeling is Google Plus isn’t an option anymore. Google’s influence cannot be ignored if you are a business owner and want to be found online in your city. Even though people will groan at this latest update, it IS for the better.

House Keeping

There was a notification problem with the Market Leadership Audit (MLA). That is fixed now. The people who have requested an MLA are being contacted. Have you requested yours? What are you waiting for?

Remember to sign up for the newsletter on the right had side or below this post. You won’t want to miss some of the subscriber only training I have planned.

Please consider sharing this episode by Retweeting below.

018 The Local Method Podcast | Google Changes Local Search Again | More About BlogWorld | hathazi.co/M9fg6R #BWNYC

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) June 3, 2012

In this episode we are going to look at some of my favourite tools I use online everyday. Then I have a great interview with a fellow Ontarian about his great service for all of us busy people who want to keep learning but find it hard to keep up.

Three Of My Favourite Tools For Market Leadership

Google Reader is one of the cornerstones of my system because it allows me to get all of the updates from my favourite sites sent to me. What this means is I no longer have to go hunt for information. I just open my google reader and all the new content is there.

(Please Note: This is NOT a detailed guide to setting up your Google Reader account. You may need to search YouTube for more detailed info. I may be offering training for my newsletter subscribers in the future.)

You will need a Gmail account to use it. Head over to www.reader.google.com and sign up for the free account. Once you do you can now start gathering the RSS Feeds from your best sites. (You will only have to do this once and then the updates will be sent to your Google Reader account)

When you visit your sites you will want to click on this graphic to add it’s feed to your Reader account.Now you can visit your Google Reader account and have the important updates just waiting for you.

Buffer is the social media tool that is “A smarter way to share information on your social networks.”

It’s concept is simple but very effective. You just put all of your updates on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn into Buffer and it will distribute them at optimal times though out the day automatically for you. You don’t have to be sitting at your computer doing it yourself. And believe me, it works.

Sign up for your Free account: www.bufferapp.com.

You will only need a paid account if you are putting more than 10 updates into your Buffer. Start with the Free and go from there.

Tweetbot is my iPhone Twitter Client of choice.

This is an app you can tell is made with a lot of love. It looks good, it’s functional and perhaps most importantly, it’s fast.

They have a great website that show you what a great job it does. Go check it out here: Tweetbot. It’s $2.99 at the App Store.

My Interview with Steve Cunningham, CEO of Polar Unlimited

Steve and I talk about his company Read It For Me. The tagline reads: Learn Faster, Go Further. It’s a new service on the market for people who want to keep learning but at the same time not spend forever doing it.

His service is truly unique in that it isn’t just an audio rehash of what his featured books are about. It’s the most important content from his featured books provided in memorable video form, actionable workbooks and special pdf’s that drive the lessons home.

We talk about how this business idea came about, the reaction to the service and some of the new things they are working on. Plus more.

He offers free and paid memberships. You can even get the paid version for 1 week free to see what it’s about.

Visit here to learn more (Affiliate): www.TheLocalMethod.com/read

Steve Cunningham

Steve Cunningham
Toronto, ON
steve@polarunlimited.com

Steve Cunningham is the President and CEO of Polar Unlimited based out of Toronto, ON. Polar specializes in social media and digital marketing strategy. Before taking the reigns at Polar, Steve was an economist, mathematician and lawyer. What does that have to do with digital communications and innovation?
Everything, if you consider that his background and training has equipped him with a unique view of the world and the ability to solve complex issues in elegant and simple ways.

Polar’s clients include some of the most progressive thinkers around, in the
healthcare, hi-tech, financial services and environmental industries. Clients and
colleages confirm that Steve has a unique ability to solve challenging business
issues in creative and innovative ways.

Steve is very active in the digital marketing space. He has written for Mashable,
the largest online publication dealing with social media with about 4.5 million
readers a month. He writes a two regular columns for the National Post, one on
marketing and one reviewing latest business books. Steve is also the founder of
Readitfor.me, a business and personal development platform that summarizes
the best books on those topics in an innovative and interactive fashion.
Readitfor.me reaches over 100,000 people weekly, and has subscribers in over
60 countries around the world.

Please consider Retweeting this episode to your friends.

017 The Local Method Podcast – Google Reader, Buffer and Learn Faster hathazi.co/M9gQWf

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) June 3, 2012

Facebook Makes It’s Stock Market Debut

Today is a special day in the world of tech. It is the day that Facebook takes it’s social network public on Nasdaq. It is big news with a ton of money at state. Many new millionaires are about to be created. It will be a one of those..”I remember that day when Facebook went public…” days.

On the show I even give you periodic “live” stock price updates. How is that for high tech? The price opened at $38 per share and expectations were high. Now, I don’t pretend to be some sort of financial expert but one thing is for sure, Facebook has held our attention and a lot of our free time over the past few years. And there are few signs of it slipping away anytime soon.

Some Facebook Fan Page Tips

It’s great local businesses are putting up fan pages on Facebook. Brick and mortar business is catching on. Still many of them seem uncertain how to make the best use of their fan pages. It’s not entirely their fault. They are busy running the show.

I want to share some easy Facebook tips to get your customers engaging with your brand. (That is where the money and loyalty are).

• Don’t just post about your products you want people to buy. (That is boring and sucks!)
• Use interesting pictures in almost every post.
• Ask questions related to the benefits of your products. (Be creative around holidays for example)
• Have “fill in the blank” posts. (This weekend I am going to _________.)
• Post pictures of happy customers.
• Do a “behind the scenes” series of your operation or your staff.
• Use your phone to Record a video of the cool business you have.

If you want to see someone who gets loads of engagement on her page check out Mari Smith on Facebook. Use some of the strategies she is using. She wouldn’t mind.

Here is a great article for beginners on Facebook from Mashable.

This Week’s Interview

Heather & Alan Dickson

Alan Dickson of Alan Dickson Photography in Thunder Bay, Ontario is my guest this week on the show. I sat down with him in his gorgeous studio/house and we had a great chat about his beginnings as a photographer all the way through to today.  He runs his business with his graphics artist, his wife Heather, and has established himself as one of  Thunder Bay’s top photographers. Here’s some of the topics of our discussion:

• His beginnings as a photographer
• When he decided to go full time
• What he started taking pictures of
• His various studios through-out the years
• How he diversified his skills to offer his clients more
• How his blog helps his business and his thoughts on blogging
• Why it’s important to keep learning by going to photography events and shows
• Much more…

One of the things that was really interesting was how things have changed in the technology over the last 25 years but how some things in business will never change.

It was an insightful interview and I am glad I got to ask one of my clients to do the first of these Local Business interviews. (First of many to come).

You can find Alan Dickson Photography at the links below:

• Website: www.AlanDickson.com
• Blog: Link
• Facebook: Link
• Twitter: @ThunderBayPhoto

The Local Method News

Check out the link on the top of the page, Market Leadership Audit. It’s live! Find out how to get your free audit.

I have some really interesting guests lined up for the show. Keep coming back to find out more.

016 The Local Method Podcast | Getting The Most Out Of Your Facebook Page | Thunder Bay Photographer hathazi.co/KybIZb

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) June 3, 2012

On today’s podcast I have my friend Cesar Abeid from my Podcast Mastermind Group and the Construction Industry Podcast on for a chat about how he uses social media in his business.

Speaking of Masterminds, I have started one with a couple of friends who are also started Tech related businesses in my city of Thunder Bay. Many of the lessons I am learning from my MasterMind are being applied to this little group of three. It should be a great experience for all of us.

Find Out The News About Your Business And The Competition

Here is a tip to stay up to date on what is being said about your business on the web. Go to Google Alerts and sign in with your Gmail account.

In the “Search Query” field put in the name of your business in quotations. See picture below. Now every time something gets mentioned online about your business ou will know exactly what it is and where it happened.

Here is another tip: Do the same for your competition! Wouldn’t it be great to know what they are up to?

Google Alerts Query

The Interview

Cesar and I talk about how his business came to the realization that they had to have a social presence online. He goes into detail on how he interacts with his market with his favorite social sites:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• His Website

The session with Cesar was a great way to understand how a business can begin to compete with the “Big Boys” online and with social media.

Blogworld is just 1 month away and I am so looking forward to it I can’t even tell you. It’s going to be a game changer and you, the listener, are going to benefit by all the experts and generally cool people I learn from. Hopefully some of them will even come on and guests on the show.

If you enjoy the show please consider leaving a rating and a comment on iTunes for The Local Method. It would be very much appreciated.

Allow me to introduce Cesar Abeid.

Cesar Abeid

Cesar Abeid is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has a B.E.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the The University of Western Ontario.

Cesar joined Remontech in 2004, and since then he has successfully implemented and managed construction monitoring projects throughout Canada, the United States, Brazil, and Peru.

He has a passion for bringing project management solutions to the construction industry.

Cesar is also the host of Remontech’s Construction Industry Podcast, a show dedicated to bringing content relevant to today’s construction professional.

You can visit Remontech’s website at: www.Remontech.com
And the Construction Industry Podcast at: Construction Industry Podcast

015 The Local Method Podcast | Leadership In The Construction Industry | How To Use Google Alerts hathazi.co/M9gcIk

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) June 3, 2012

This episode is inspired by the opportunity I see when talking to some of my clients.  Most of them have years of expertise and knowledge that has made their businesses successful. However there is an untapped side to this. It’s the ability to share this knowledge with a practically unlimited audience on the web by creating a product. Yes, putting their knowledge into a series of documents, audios or videos and selling it on the internet.

My guest today is Greg Rollett who has been doing just this for the last few years.

Greg’s story is very interesting as he never set out to be known as the Product Pro. He realized the potential of helping more people, or in his case bands, learn how to use the internet and social media to promote themselves and their music. Instead of just helping 1 client at a time, Greg was able to reach out to thousands with a $47 dollar product he created. That was two years ago and that product still makes him money every day.

Now, with his company, The Product Pros, he has created over 60 products or the last 12 months for others.

There are two classification of products; one that educates your market and one that you can sell for a profit.

Creating a product isn’t as hard as you might think it is. The technology gap hardly exists anymore. You don’t need thousands of dollars in equipment. You will learn some of the different ways to create your product

Some of the examples Greg uses to illustrate products in this episode are for:

• Restaurants
• Real Estate Agents
• Photographers

Some Tools From The Episode:

• Free Conference Call – to record your interviews
• Screen Flow – Mac screen capture program
• Camtasia – Pc screen capture program
• Jing – PC and Mac screen capture program
• Switch – strip the audio out of your video
• Fiverr – $5 transcription service (and much more)
• Udemy – hosting your course solution

Many of the strategies we talk about on this episode will shorten the time and effort for creating a product in your industry.

Greg has a special offer for the listeners of the podcast. He reduced his online course Info Product Pro that will take the lessons from the interview to the next level. The course is normally $497. As a listener of the podcast you can get it for only $297 if you use the link below. Full disclosure: I would get a commission should you purchase through my link.

www.infoproductpro.net/thelocalmethod 

The Local Method News

I am proud to announce The Local Method is now available on Stitcher Radio. This is a network of hundreds of shows that cover News Radio, Talk Radio, Sports News, Public Radio, News and much more. There is even a smartphone app. Go check out Stitcher and my show at this link: The Local Method on Stitcher

Greg Rollett

Greg Rollett

Greg Rollett, the ProductPro, is a Best-Selling Author and online marketing expert who works with authors, experts, entertainers, entrepreneurs and business owners all over the world to help them share their knowledge and change the lives and businesses of others. After creating a successful string of his own educational products, Greg began helping others in the production and marketing of their own products.

Greg is a front runner in utilizing the power of social media, direct response marketing and customer education to drive new leads and convert those leads into long-standing customers and advocates.

Previous clients include Coca-Cola, Miller Lite, Warner Bros and Cash Money Records as well as hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business owners. Greg’s work has been featured on FOX News, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Daily Buzz and The Wall St. Journal. Greg has written for Mashable, the Huffington Post, AOL, AMEX’s Open Forum and more.

Greg loves to challenge the current business environments that constrain people to working 12-hour days during the best portions of their lives. By teaching them to leverage technology and the power of information Greg loves helping others create freedom businesses that allow them to generate income, make the world a better place and live a radically ambitious lifestyle in the process.

A former touring musician, Greg is a highly sought after speaker having appeared on stages with former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Chris Brogan, Brian Tracy, James Malinchak, Mike Koenigs and Nick Nanton as well as at events such as Affiliate Summit, The Best-Seller’s Summit, Putting America To Work and many other events across the country.

Download free information on creating more freedom in your life through information marketing and educational products at http://productprosystems.com.

Contact Greg directly at greg@productprosystems.com

Please Consider Sharing This Episode.

New Episode | 014-The Local Method | Secrets To Creating A Money Making Product For Your Business | hathazi.co/IqFgvZ

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) April 27, 2012

In today’s episode we are going to look at why on earth Facebook would pay 1 Billion Dollars for a company that was only valued at 25 Million just a year ago. We are going to go over some picture-taking tips. We are also going discuss a stunning video prediction about this Facebook purchase by social media pioneer Gary Vaynerchuk.

Facebook Purchases Photo-sharing App Instagram

The purchase price for Instagram was 1 Billion dollars. Does it makes any sense for Facebook to do such a thing? Many insiders are saying it makes perfect sense.

Here is a link to the great article on this debate at Read Write Web: What You Need To Know About The Facebook-Instagram Merger

Instagram on the iPhone

The web is becoming more visual. You can see it with the enormous growth of Pinterest. People don’t only want to text anymore they want to share pictures and images that contain great graphics. It’s so easy with the high quality  images that Smartphones take. Now is the time for the new visual social media revolution. (OK, I am getting a little carried away).

Insiders are saying Facebook needs a way to deeper in-roads into becoming more mobile. Instagram has this covered. It is on 10% of all IOS devices (iPhones & iPads) and it is a mobile only social network. (I love it, btw).

5 Tips To Better Pictures For Visual Social Media

• When you take a picture of a person, NEVER centre your subject right in the middle of the frame. Move them off to one side.
• Change your angle. Take pictures from above or below the subject. It’s too boring to be eye level.
• Take close ups. Get real close to one of your products so only part of it shows. When you get close to something the background will go out of focus and it looks cool.
• Take pictures in Good light. Try to have your subject well lit by natural sunlight or good indoor lighting. Go for the shade on a bright sunny day.
• Experiment with the different effects in Instagram. You can really get creative.

The Amazing Prediction by Gary Vaynerchuk

Watch this video that was uploaded to YouTube on December 28, 2011.

I recommend you grab two books from Gary: Crush It! and The Thank You Economy. If you can, grab the enhanced version from the iBook store. They contain videos of Gary explaining his ideas from the Chapters in persuasive Gary Vee style.

Gary V on Twitter
Gary V on Facebook
Gary V on Google Plus
Gary V on Youtube

Remember to check out my special offer of a Free Market Leadership Audit for you and your business by going to www.MyMarketAudit.com or by clicking HERE. It’s for listeners of the show who want to take things to the next level. Oh did I say it’s free?

This weeks episode is very Google-centric. I am going to be going over some great highlights of a brand new book out on Google’s not-so-new social network and about some important changes Google is introducing to more accurately calculate what comes up for us when we are searching online.

There is a good chance that many of you reading this post have heard of Facebook and Twitter. There is an equally good chance that many of you may not have heard or have not really given Google’s social network, named Google Plus, a fair shake. I am one of those people. Getting on and learning how to use yet another social network is as appealing to me as getting a molar extracted by a street dentist in a third world country.

There is someone who says that the newest entry in to the social media space, Google Plus, is the one with best features out there. Especially, if you are interested in connecting to people with the same passions as you. Meet Guy Kawasaki, the author of ‘What The Plus? Google Plus For The Rest Of Us’.

Here are just some of the points he makes:

• Google is committed to Google Plus.
• Google practically ownes the way we search for information on the internet.
• Google has ALOT of resources and ALOT of  bright Engineers working for them.

Guy uses social media like a few others to promote his brand. (He is the Author of 11 books). He has 500,000 Twitter followers: @guykawasaki and 90,ooo fans on Facebook: www.facebook.com/guy. So you can say he knows a thing or two about social media. Even with these impressive numbers on Twitter and Facebook, he prefers using Google Plus now to share his content and build his brand.

After reading this book, and it is an easy read, I am inspired to give Google Plus a second try. My recommendation is to spend the very little it costs ($2.51) to get this book and see if it fits into your plan.

Guy Kawasaki on Google Plus: Link
Albert Hathazi (me) on Google Plus: Link

My Amazon Link To Guys Book: What The Plus? Google Plus For The Rest Of Us by Guy Kawasaki

The Google Crackdown…Codename: Panda

In the second segment of the show I talk about how Google has started to do what they have been promising for some time now. That is to punish all the websites that have questionable or unnatural SEO being done to them. The first wave of the crackdown has begun and it affects something called “Link Networks”. Here is a list of several casualties:

• Build My Rank
• Authority Link Network – About 20-25% of network has been deindexed.
• LinkVana
• SEO Link Monster
• SEO Elite Linkvine
• SEO Nitro
• Elite Network
• Backlink Buddy
• High PR Society

Here is a link to a post by ‘Blog Words You Want’ that provided me with the above info. You will find a deeper explaination of the Panda update there. Words You Want

Site News

I have finished my first version of my special of for The Local Method listeners of my Free Market Leadership Audit. It’s a service I am offering to people who are ready to see where their business stands online and what they need to do to kick some butt with their Market Leadership. If that sounds like you then check it out at www.MyMarketAudit.com.

Important: When you sign up for my newsletter you will also receive my new report: Facebook Timeline For Business. It details the critical information you need to know about the brand new changes Facebook just rolled out last week. (Late March 2012)

Please consider sharing this episode by Retweeting.

Have a look at some “Behind The Scenes” footage here at The Local Method Podcast.

In this video you will see where I record the show, get a glimpse into my workflow, have a look at some of my gear and also see some of the tools I use to keep me on track and focused.

Here are the links to the equipment I mention in the video.

Heil PR-40 Microphone
Mackie 1202-VLZ3 Mixer
Roland R-50 Digital Recorder
Blue Yeti Microphone
Apple 27″ iMac

Wunderlist (for my show ideas)

Did you like the “behind the scenes” look into the podcast? Would you like to see more? Leave me a comment below and let me know so I can create more videos for you.

In today’s episode we are talking all about mobile marketing.

You can see it everywhere you go. Whenever someone’s got a free second they are looking down at their mobile devices. All of those folks aren’t just playing “Draw Something”. They are your customers. Mobile marketing and text marketing are excellent ways to get your brand in front of them.

Some Amazing Statistics

My guest share with us some incredible numbers on this podcast that are too incredible to ignore if you are a business.

• The number of mobile devices.
• What percentage of text messages actually get read.
• How quickly those text messages get read.

If you want to find out more about the $1 text messaging 30 day trial mentioned at the end of the show, please send an email to Nat@revolutionmarketingstrategies.com. (Be sure to mention you heard about it on The Local Method Podcast).

Introducing this week’s guest, Nat Green.

Nat Green

Nat Green is the founder of Revolution Marketing Strategies and  Rev Mobile Marketing. Nat balances his time spent learning and implementing the latest and most effective marketing strategies to benefit business by enjoying quality time with his amazing girlfriend and their great dane.

Office: 604.240.8445
Toll Free: 855.245.6966

FaceBook: Revolution Marketing Strategies
LinkedIn: NatGreen

Please consider sharing this episode by Retweeting.

011 The Local Method – How To Use Mobile Marketing That Your Customers Will Love hathazi.co/AxtVJM

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) March 18, 2012

In this episode we are talking about my favorite website platform for businesses, WordPress. We cover a lot of the key features and smash some of the myths surrounding WordPress, including:

• Can WordPress handle my businesses needs?
• What major companies/brands use WordPress? (You will be surprised).
• How can plugins and widgets enhance your site?
• The most important decision you have to make before choosing a theme for your site. (My guest shares a recent story how this has bit him in the @ss recently).
• The vital element almost every business website is missing. (Most web designers aren’t marketers so they just don’t usually include it).

I am trying something different with my show notes. What do you think? Do you like this short version that encourages you to listen to the Podcast or do you like the longer version? Let me know underneath in the comments.

Free WordPress Mastery Training Videos

If you look on the right side of the site and you can sign up for the 30 part WordPress training videos. If you have any interest in WordPress then this is a “No Brainer”. Plus, I would love to have you as a Subscriber to my email list.

Blog World NYC 2012

You can find out more about Blog World New York, click HERE

Sign up for a discounted rate by clicking Cliff Ravenscraft’s picture on the right. (Discounted until March 22, 2012).

Cliff is from Podcast Answerman and is going to be speaking at Blog World. He is also the facilitating the Podcast Mastermind I speak so highly of on this episode.

My guest on this episode, Ashley Bolivar.

Ashley Bolivar

Ashley is the owner of Magnetic Marketing Solutions, a full service marketing firm for local businesses. His office is in the greater Chicago area.

Facebook: Small Business Marketing Solutions
Website: www.MagneticMarketingSolutions.com
Twitter: @AshleyBolivar

More detailed Bio Coming Soon!

Please consider Retweeting to share this episode with others.

WordPress as your businesses Website: What you need to know. | The Local Method Podcast | thelocalmethod.com/010

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) March 11, 2012

In this weeks episode we are exploring Online Directory Listings. What are they? How can they help my business? Why should I even care? These are some of the questions we answer.

In previous show we have talked quite a bit about how important it is to have claimed your Google Places listing. Just to refresh; Google Places Listings are the first results popping up now on the first page of the search results after someone searches for your business category. If your customers see you there  you will get phone calls. It’s that simple.

Setting up your Online Directory Listings is an important part of making sure your business comes up in the top seven. That’s because Google Places uses the information from the Online Directories to rank you higher.

I have good news. These Online Directories are free. However, it’s important to know they may try to up-sell you to monthly packages. So far, in our experience, it’s not necessary to have the paid version of the Directories.

3 Online Directory Strategies

• Keep a spreadsheet of your business information to use and keep it consistent on all the Directories
• Fill out your business profile completely as possible
• Update your profiles with fresh pictures and other information monthly or quarterly at a minimum

In the interview you will learn how to find out where you should be listing your business. Here are a few Online Directory sites to get you started.

Yelp (Canada)
Yelp (USA)
Angies List (Canada)
Angies List (USA)

Hopefully after listening to this episode you will see there are many free places and opportunities to get exposure for your business. Spend some time using the tips mentioned in the podcast and visit the sites and register your business. Additionally, I do offer consultation services and you can drop me line to inquire at: albert@thelocalmethod.com.

I would like to introduce my guest Susan Merlo.

Susan Merlo

Susan Merlo is a published writer, an accomplished marketer, and a successful business coach supporting small business owners throughout the US and Canada.

She has created several successful on-line and off-line businesses, and has been working for over 30 years in both the corporate and non-corporate arenas.

Her latest venture has her focusing specifically on Restaurant Marketing, where she’s teaching restaurant owners how to attract more new and repeat customers through their front doors than ever before. You can learn more about Susan’s latest successes at www.MarketARestaurant.com.

Office # 203.312.9707
Cell # 203.994.9119
Email: Susan.Merlo@MarketARestaurant.com 
Twitter: @susanmerlo
Facebook: susan.m.merlo

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[New Blog Post]009 The Local Method – Online Directory Listings And Why They Are Critical For Your Business aweber.com/t/HgrNK

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) March 4, 2012

In this episode we are talking about more ways to become a market leader and some of the key places to have an online presence. We start at the foundations of what every business needs online today and go deeper into some of the areas from previous shows.

The Foundation

Every business that has a physical address needs to set up their Google Places listing. This is the cornerstone of your business’s online marketing. Nowadays, when people search for you online the Google Places listing will be the first thing they will find. In fact, Google has made it clear they want Google Places to accurately return results for local searchers both web and mobile based. Sadly, only about 10%-20% of business in Thunder Bay (where I live) have claimed their Google Places.

• Google Places

More Places Where Your Customers Are

There are a few other places you want to have a presence on and update regularily. You don’t have to be on every site mention on the show. Some will suit your business better than others. We talk about the social media sites and their power to reach your market listed below in some detail.

Social Media sites mentioned on the show:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Photo: cybertoad via: Flickr

You Don’t Have To Go Crazy Trying To Keep Up

Stay Calm! You don’t have to devote hours a day to updating your fans or customers on social media. In fact, there are services designed to make your market leadership activities simple. To help you manage and automatically update your social media sites you can try these free services:

• Ping.fm
• Hootsuite

We also talk about some of the key elements a good business website should have. And it has nothing to do with graphics or over the top Flash plug-ins. We want you to be thinking about capturing leads on your site by offering them something of value in exchange for their email address. Once they are in your database you can send them more about your business and build a relationship with them.

I want to thank Tamara for making time during her visit to Minnesota to talk with me. If you listen carefully you will hear there is another guest making her podcast debut.

I would like to introduce my guest, Tamara Patzer.

Tamara (Tami) Patzer is creator of Ask Tami! She answers questions about social media, new media and current trends in internet marketing. If you have questions, Ask Tami!

Tami’s Background

With Tami’s experience in Mass Communications, teaching and media, she developed Total Audience Market Immersion (TAMI). She helps authors, experts and businesses dominate most search engines within hours.

Internet Marketing is becoming one of the fastest growing marketing methods to gain results and market share in your chosen business or profession. What I love about Total Audience Market Immersion is that I can help everyone achieve their goals – more business which equals more customers/clients which equal a better bottom line.

Total Audience Market Immersion (TAMI) is a win-win situation for all concerned that helps people get real results fast.

Visit Tami at: www.AskTami.tv . You can watch what she calls her “my evidence” videos on her Facebook Page: Total Audience Market Immersion. Call her personally at 941-421-6563.

Please consider sharing and Re-Tweeting this episode.

More Ways To Market Leadership | How Not To Go Crazy Keeping Up |Ep. 008 of The Local Method | TheLocalMethod.com/008

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) February 26, 2012

I am going solo in this episode but I have a lot of content to share with you.

Today, I go over 10 ways you can become a market leader. Just a fair warning: I don’t go into great depth in anyone of the way, however my list should expand some of the opportunities available for you. Pick out a few of these that will work for you and get the ball rolling. Let’s get right into it!

10 Ways To Be A Market Leader In Your Community

Keyword Research

In order to know what your customers and potential customers are looking for you must do keyword research. You can get ideas for how much “google search traffic” you can expect once you find the keywords for your local business. Also, by using some of the paid tools you can see what keywords your competition is using and what you will have to do to get ahead of them.

• Google Keyword Tool (Free Tool)
• Market Samurai  (Paid Tool)

Google Places

Over the last couple years Google has shifted it’s focus to local search results. Leading the way is their flagship service for local businesses called Google Places. The incredible thing I have found is that only 30% of the business out there have even claimed their Google Places Listing. (It’s free by the way). When you optimize your listing you are well on your way to being one of the top results for your business in your city.

• Google Places

Your Website

My weapon of choice for websites is a self hosted WordPress site. It’s easy to use and in-expensive to set up. You can choose from thousands of ready made designs, Themes, or have on made custom for you for a small price. Make sure you get your own domain name and hosting.

• WordPress
• Thesis Theme (my Theme)
• Email Autoresponder (Aweber)
• Web Hosting (Host Gator – who I use)

Social Media

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Video Marketing

Today, people are consuming video at incredible rates. It’s seems to be one of the most preferred ways to take in information. Businesses have opportunities to show their customers their products, answer important question and give valuable information that the printed word just can’t do. Once  you put up a good video you can get traffic to your site for a long time.

• YouTube

Audio Marketing

I recommend a service called AudioBoo. It’s free and you can upload your messages for your market right from you smartphone. It’s really slick. Then just grab your link and put it on your website or social network.

• AudioBoo (my channel)

Direct Mail

With this digital age upon us, businesses should still be using direct mail. It’s still very effective when done right.

Press Releases

You can do press releases for your business at anytime you want to communicate a new product or service offering. This is a great way to drive traffic and bring awareness to your business. If you do it right you may even be quoted in the local paper or even better, interviewed on the radio or TV.

Update

I have decided to call my forth-coming free service a Market Leadership Audit. More details to follow.

Please consider Re-Tweeting this update to share this episode.

10 Ways To Be A Market Leader In Your Community | Details on episode 007 of The Local Method | thelocalmethod.com/007-the-local-…

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) February 17, 2012

In this episode we going to cover the nuts and bolts about surveys and what they mean to your business. Here are just a few of the things will go over today.

• How to use survey’s to build the four critical pillars of your business;  Connect, Create, Convert & Cash In
• What’s holding businesses back from doing survey’s
• Why survey’s get a bad rap
• The one thing you need to do to have people happily fill in your survey
• Plus much more

My guest and I talk about how many businesses simply try to guess what their customers want from them. More times than not, the answer is wrong. Dead wrong. You can eliminate the guesswork by using a properly put together survey.

There is so much awesome information about surveys and the benefits to market leadership in this interview, you will want to have a pen and paper handy. Not many people are talking about surveys in such depth.

You can get the Product Creation Blueprint and the other special resources mentioned in the podcast by visiting: www.MySurveyExpert.com

I would like to introduce my guest Jeanne Hurlbert.

Jeanne Hurlbert, PhD is an expert in survey research, social networks, and social media. Jeanne has served on the faculty of Louisiana State University for more than 20 years, where she taught hundreds of social science students and marketing students how to read people’s minds with surveys and directed the Louisiana Population Data Center Survey Research Lab. She and her husband/colleague, John (Jack) Beggs, have used survey research to study how individuals’ social networks affect such things as job-­finding, job satisfaction, access to social support, and health. This research has been funded by such agencies as the National Science Foundation and published in top social science and health journals.

She is co-­founder, with Mike Koenigs, of MySurveyExpert.com, which helps business owners have a conversation with their customers and prospects to connect meaningfully with them, create the products they want, convert sales, and cash in on the conversation.

Jeanne helps you to be the “Chief Business Intelligence Officer” in your own company. Her clients include The Tony Robbins Companies, Inc. 500 entrepreneur Ali InternaDonal, John Assaraf, Tatum, StomperNet, Newport Trial Group, Joe Polish, Andy Jenkins, Traffic Geyser, and three New York Times bestselling authors. She has also worked as a consultant on projects with the US Army Corps of Engineers. In fact, when the Corps put together its expert teams to understand what happened after Hurricane Katrina, they tapped Jeanne and Jack for the social science team.

Jeanne has spoken to thousands of business owners about how to have a “cash conversation” with their customers and prospects. She has been featured or quoted in such media as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The LA Times, USA Today, Oprah and Friends, smSmallBiz.com, Forbes.com, Monster.com, Juneau.com, US News and World Report, Radio-­TV Interview Report, Health, Smart Money, Nature, The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The History Channel, ABC News Now, and Business Talk This Morning.

She is the author of the forthcoming book, Conversion: Turning Convertion Into Cash. It’s about the science of surveys and how you can know what your customer wants even before they do.

Jeanne’s offices are in Baton Rouge, LA.

Please consider Re-Tweeting this update to share this episode.

How To Use Surveys In Your Business | Details on Episode 006 of The Local Method | thelocalmethod.com/006-the-local-…

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) February 7, 2012

In this episode we are going to talk about getting leads with tele-seminars and webinars for your business.

Fresh leads are the life blood of any business and today my guest, Brian Williams, is going to share with you a 7 Step System that has worked for him and his clients.

The 7 Step Hot Leads Formula

1. Make a list of everyone you know and keep it current.
2. Organize your list into logical categories that make sense to you.
3. Pick a topic that you are skilled or passionate about and that you can teach others and put together a valuable 20-30 minute presentation.
4. Set a date and a time for presenting this material and choose a delivery format.
5. Invite all or part of your list from step 1 to attend.
6. Deliver your presentation at the given time and at the end have a Call To Action.
7. Repeat steps 1-6 twice per month for the next 3 months.

Some of these steps may seem simple and even unimportant. When you listen to the podcast you will learn just how important each step in the process really is. Brian does a great job going into just the right amount of detail in each of the steps of the formula.

Brian also talks about some of the obstacles that may come up when trying something new like this.

Brian Williams

Tele-Seminar and Webinar Resources Mentioned In The Show

• www.FreeConference.com (Free)
• www.InstantTeleSeminar.com (Free Trial)
• www.GotoWebinar.com (Free Trial)
• www.MeetingBurner.com (Free)

You can learn more about Brian Williams at his brand new blog at: www.WiseWilliams.com. Check it out because he has loads of information and videos he regularly updates.

The Local Method Updates

The details of my Complimentary 30 minute Online Market Leadership Checklist are still coming together.  Members of The Local Method community who have signed up for updates will be notified first as soon as it’s ready. Sign Up for updates on the right hand side of the page.

Look for the “New Twitter” embedded tweets coming to the blog here. You will see them at then end of every post. I have been told by my friend Cliff Ravenscraft they work great on his site. Check out his site to see how they look at: Podcast Answer Man (Scroll to the end of his posts).

I am thrilled to be included in a special group of Podcasters and business folk who have decided to make a massive difference one Mic at a time. I will be talking more about this great opportunity before me and what it means for The Local Method Podcast and it’s listeners in up-coming shows. For now you can visit here if you are curious. It’s going to be a GREAT year my friends!

Please consider Re-Tweeting the update below to share this episode.

How To Get Hot Leads With Tele-Seminars & Webinars. Details on episode 005 of The Local Method! thelocalmethod.com/005-the-local-…

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) January 31, 2012

After a short break from producing the podcast, I am back with the first episode for 2012.

Today’s episode is about the importance of copywriting for your business. My guest is Gloria Rand who is a copywriter herself. She shares some of her experience and great tips on this important part of your marketing message.

Copywriting is often times thought as a mysterious skill by some people. It is also said if you read a headline or ad and it doesn’t seem like your being sold to, then that is a good bit of copywriting being done.

Here are just a few tips from the interview.

• Copywriting is important because you have 3-5 seconds to capture people’s attention or else they are going to hit the back button or click off to somewhere else.
• When writing your message have your target customers needs in mind.
• Reviews and testimonials are so important in writing good copy.
• Have clear and concise offers for your readers (Calls to action).
• Have your phone number clearly displayed on your site.

Gloria also shares some resources for listeners of The Local Method to learn to become better copywriters for their own online and offline marketing:

• The Copywriters Handbook  (Amazon)
• Wealthy Web Writer
• American Writers And Artists Inc

We also get on to the topic of our favorite social networks. Some of our favorites right now are:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• LinkedIn 

You can find out more about Gloria by visiting her at the links below:

Gloria Rand (Website), Facebook, Twitter

My Goals This Year For The Podcast

• Deliver 1 quality episode per week
• Grow ‘The Local Method’ community
• Feature some listener feedback/questions in coming episodes
• Offer a free personal Online Market Leadership Checklist Consultations (20-30 mins) to those interested in the future
• Issue a Press Release to the local media here in Thunder Bay to raise awareness of the podcast for local businesses by the end of February (hold me to it)

If you are interested in finding out more about the Online Market Leadership Checklist (working name) mentioned on the podcast, drop me a line at: albert@TheLocalMethod.com

Please consider Re-Tweeting the update below to share this episode.

The Importance of Copywriting. You have 3-5 seconds-that’s all. Episode 004 of The Local Method. thelocalmethod.com/004-the-local-…

— Albert Hathazi (@TheLocalMethod) January 31, 2012

The Benefits Of A Blog Broadcast Email

How To Do It

I am thrilled to have my first guest for the podcast.

I was referred to Ashley Bolivar early this year when I needed some website work done for a local business here in Thunder Bay. (That project has been a great success I am happy to say). Since then I have come to really look forward to our chats together. He provides me with much more than just his technical expertise.

Taking Charge Of Your Marketing

Here are some of the topics we discuss on the show

• some mistakes businesses make with their marketing
• common questions businesses have when starting to market online
• ideas for tracking your marketing efforts
• a big website mistake
• a little about marketing funnels
• and more..

The Local Method Playing Santa Clause?

Right before I hit the record button on our interview Ashley told me he would like to offer my listeners something special. What he said next just floored me because I wasn’t expecting anything at all.  His Christmas spirit was overflowing. He would like to offer 7 business/professionals the following:

• A complete wordpress website done for you for NO CHARGE. ($ 1,497 Value).
• (some conditions apply).

(Listen to him explain it on the podcast)

This offer limited to seven businesses and to find out more we ask that you inquire either with Ashley at: ashley@magneticmarketingsolutions.com or with me at: albert@thelocalmethod.com.  At that point we will forward you more details. There is no obligation should you inquire. In fact this isn’t for everyone. Serious Inquiries Only.

If you are ready to kick off your marketing online for 2012 or to just to make it more effective, I sincerely don’t think you should let this extremely generous offer pass you by without at least finding out more.

Thanks for stopping by and having a listen. My aim is to leave you with some useful ideas you can implement in your business in every show.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday and a fantastic 2012.

Please leave a comment below and a rating on iTunes. It is Christmas after all.

A Useful Exercise In Market Leadership – 20 Questions

In this episode we start off by digging a little deeper into what a Market Leader is. There is a two part exercise we go through together that will put you ahead of your competition right from the get go. It’s simply because they haven’t taken the time to sit down and do this.

When you really put in the effort to complete this process honestly two things will happen:

1. You will gain a deeper understanding of what your clients/customers are looking for
2. You discover some common characteristics of the clients/customers you really love working with.

More Answers To Important Questions

I also talk about a free service called Yahoo Answers that helps you find out what your customers are asking regarding any subject but more importantly, what they are asking about your business. By looking around this site you will learn a lot about your customers and what you need to help them with. Do this and prosper. You will also be able to compare some of your answers from the 20 Questions above.

A Tale Of Email Fail {Small Rant}

Having an email list for your business is one of the most important Internet Marketing take-aways you can have. There is so much to say about it that I will be doing an entire show on it in the future.

In the meantime have a listen to a real life example of “Email Fail”. Please make sure you aren’t making these mistakes ok? Seriously. We talk about how to start using email properly with the use of an Auto-responder. I talk about the many benefits of the service I use called Aweber (Affiliate).

Getting And Keeping Inspiration

We all get our ideas and our creativity from different places. I talk about when I usually get my ideas and some of the tools I use to keep those ideas alive.

Check out Evernote and Wunderlist. They are free tools that work great to make sure your next big idea doesn’t fade away like a one hit wonder. (Do you remember the group Ah-Ha?)

In this very first episode of The Local Method I talk about:

• What becoming a market leader is all about
• A little about my journey so far
• What I hope this podcast accomplishes for you

What is a Market Leader and Why Should You Care?

Being a Market Leader in your community for your business or industry should be every businesses goal in my opinion. Your business has a personality. The way you  solve a need, interact with your customers and how people interact with you give your business a personality.

It has never been easier to use technology to show your local community about why your customers should do business with you.

Once you learn the techniques and strategies to use technology to get your message out there, you will become a Market Leader. You will become a content creating machine.

A Little About Me

My father fled Hungary in 1956 and came to Canada where he worked where ever he could until he finally saved enough money to start his own business, a pool hall. A few years after starting he expanded the business by bringing on some of his fellow countrymen.

I grew up as the “luckiest kid” in my school. You will find out what I mean when you listen to the show.

Over the last two years I have devoured all I possibly can about using the internet to drive business. Soon after I started it became obvious to us marketers that local businesses could benefit from the techniques the online marketers were using.  Things like social media, video, email marketing and much more.

What Can You Expect From The Local Method Podcast

Through the weekly podcast you will learn what is working right now for my clients as they become market leaders. In between shows there will be blog posts with tips and strategies. Sometimes even video tutorials. (I love making videos!)

If all goes well, I plan do interview some of my mentors and members of the communities I belong to who also help local businesses with their online marketing.

My ultimate goal is to teach, share and build a community of people who want to learn how to become market leaders with their business in their community.