Kyle Lacy is the co-founder and CEO of Brandswag, a social media and marketing consulting company with offices in Indianapolis and Oklahoma City. Kyle and his team have assisted businesses in the development and implementation of social media campaigns and strategies and has worked with companies such as Ruth Chris Steak House, Interactive Intelligence and Make a Wish Foundation.

Brandswag focuses on helping companies achieve results through their web site, blogging and social media strategies, raising the value of their client’s business in the eyes of the customer. Author of Twitter Marketing for Dummies from Wiley Publishing, Kyle is a recognized leader in creating ideas that infect business and producing intentional campaigns and dialogue that move customers to buy.

Kyle joined us live on the Internet Marketing Radio Show on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

Would your company like to have a VP of Interactive Marketing but don’t want to pay the six-figure salary?

Let’s face it, the internet is where people are turning in this rough economy and you cannot afford to put your business in front of all those potential customers.

But how do you do that?  Or even worse, how do you do that WITHOUT spending a fortune on a C-level executive to guide you down the right path?

I spoke to Maria Harrison from iClarity and she revealed just how to make it all work for you.

Maria is an Internet industry veteran with experience in online marketing strategies, creating online marketing plans, and online media buying plans, web site usability, email marketing, search engine marketing and more.

Most recently, she served as the VP of Marketing for The Laredo Group, an industry leader in training companies on how to buy and sell interactive advertising. Prior to that, Maria was Director of Online Marketing for Interval International, an InterActive Corp company and often served as an interactive marketing consultant for IAC’s new business opportunity unit.

Maria was a founding board member and served as president of the South Florida Interactive Marketing Association from 2005-2006 and continues to serve as a board member and advisor to the association. She started her career in 1997 as an Interactive copywriter and marketing strategist for Internet Solutions Worldwide, Inc., the largest reseller/partner for AT&T web design and development. She later founded and operated Key Promotions, Inc., a private web consulting firm for small to medium sized clients as well as national companies and organizations.

What are they?  Why are they important?

Today I interviewed Jay Berkowitz of TenGoldenRules.com about the ten rules and how you can apply them to your business right now.  During the interview Jay goes into great detail about the 10 Golden Rules:

1. There are no “rules”
2. The Internet is not television
3. Create a Unique Value Proposition
4. If you build it they won’t just come
5. Subscription Models Survive
6. Remember the 4 P’s
7. Trust is Golden
8. Use the right tactic
9. The Best Never Rest
10. Lead the Trends

Since Jay has managed marketing departments for Fortune 500 brands: McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, and has developed traditional and direct marketing programs for AT&T and Sprint and eDiets.com, I’d say he knows a thing or two when it comes to marketing and teaching these ten rules.

Jay also announced the launching of his new social network website called The Internet Marketing Club.  He created it as a place for internet marketing folks to network and learn from one another.

You can listen to the interview by clicking the player below or subscribing to this podcast in iTunes.

Do you have a product or service that you need to get in front of your audience RIGHT NOW?!

The fastest and easiest way to get traffic to your website is with pay-per-click advertising … but are you doing it correctly?

Too many businesses rush to setup a campaign and then see little or no conversions because they missed a few VITAL steps. What exactly are those steps?

Betsy Kent, the President and Founder of Be Visible Associates will talk about those vital steps in a live interview on Monday, Oct 5 at 9pm eastern.

Betsy’s search engine marketing firm is based in New York and her client list includes everything from real estate companies and restaurants to photographers and medical organizations.

“When I first went into business my goal was to introduce as many companies as possible to the exciting power of paid search advertising on Google, Yahoo & MSN. My clients were very successful with the programs I set up and it wasn’t too long before many of them began to ask me for more help: help improving their websites, help with their email campaigns, help getting better organic search rankings, and so on.”

“Today, Be Visible Associates is the one-stop-shop for companies that want to be visible to their target market on the web in the smartest, most strategic and most successful ways.”

Listen to the interview with Betsy on the Internet Marketing Radio Show.

For over 12-years, Jim Kukral has helped small businesses and large companies like Fedex, Sherwin Williams, Ernst & Young and Progressive Auto Insurance understand how to:

• Build successful new online businesses or energize and refresh existing ones
• Learn how to leverage social media for more sales, leads and publicity
• Create imaginative marketing campaigns that get talked about
• Innovate new products and services that could positively change your business bottom line
• Attract first-class publicity that actually means something and gives an ROI
• Make more profits with less work

A graduate of The University of Akron with a BA in Public Relations and a minor in Sales & Marketing, Jim has spent time working for publicly traded firms and small businesses alike. Jim’s work and experience in the Internet marketing industry has branded him as a leading thinker and thought-leader in the community.

Jim started work in the Internet business in 1995, mostly in the trenches writing code, designing websites and managing large projects for one of the USA’s first Web firms based in Cleveland, OH. Jim is credited with building some of the first major Fortune 500 websites and blogs in America. His work has been viewed by millions around the world.

As a serial Web-entrepreneur, Jim has consistently innovated many online businesses such as ScratchBack.com, an online tip jar built for bloggers, or BlogKits, an affiliate marketing network designed for bloggers. Jim was the part-owner/creator of a search engine marketing firm that now ranks as the world’s top 15 SEO agency according to Adage.

A blogger since 2001, Jim has reached millions of readers through online channels/networks and offline by writing for magazines and trade journals that are sent all over the globe.

You can currently see Jim’s writing in magazines like Revenue Today and FeedFront. Jim has also spent time writing professionally for online sources like clickZ and Builder.com as well as the Web’s largest tech group blog at ReveNews.com where Jim served as the Publisher for 2-years.

Jim has done well producing publicity for himself and for his projects or others who have hired him to do so. He has been quoted or featured in some way in online and offline print publications such as Forbes, Brandweek, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BusinessWeek, Inc., Small Business Trends, FeedFront, Revenue Today, Marketing Sherpa and Duct Tape Marketing network… to name just a few.

On stage is where Jim really finds his passion. As a professional speaker Jim has presented to thousands of people at many different events all across America on the topics of Web-entrepreneurism, success and failure, Internet marketing and more.

As an emcee and moderator, Jim has organized countless panels and had the pleasure of introducing some of the Web’s biggest celebrities, such as Newark Mayor Corey Booker, Mahalo’s Jason Calacanis, Dallas Maverick’s billionaire owner Marc Cuban, social media guru Chris Brogan and more.

Most recently, Jim is working on two new books to be released in the Fall of 2009 and is actively traveling the globe helping to inspire entrepreneurs to find success online. The first book is called Your Pitch Sucks and focuses on the art of the pitch and how individuals and businesses use pitches every day to accomplish their goals.

The second book is all about attention marketing. Blend This Book tells stories from businesses and brands that are effectively using creative marketing campaigns and attention-getting ideas to drive more sales, leads or publicity.

On a daily basis Jim spends most of his time helping entrepreneurs and small business owners learn how to find success online. His passion for teaching shines through in his training and coaching programs that have been taken by hopeful business owners from around the globe.

Most recently, Jim serves as a Program Faculty Member for the University of San Francisco’s Internet Marketing Program where he teaches classes to students around the globe on the topics of Internet marketing, Web monetization and social media.

You can find out more about Jim by visiting http://www.jimkukral.com.

In this episode of the Internet Marketing Radio Show learn how to build your own personal brand and how to market yourself (and your company) online.  Jeff Dyson speaks with Internet Marketing Expert Jim Kukral about branding, social media, and getting motivated to take action.

Listen to the interview below or download in iTunes.

Is the technology of running a membership website holding you back from running your business?

I recently interviewed Ken Gary of Kencinnus.com about how to seamlessly integrate aMember with AWeber, Wordpress, and other software to help you run your online business more efficiently.

If you’re like most internet marketers who use aMember to handle the sign-ups, payments, and membership privileges you understand that it is a great piece of software but it does have it’s limitations with ‘out-of-the-box’ functionality.  For instance:

• You cannot seamlessly integrate AWeber, MailChimp, AutoResponse Plus, or any other list management software without some MAJOR re-programming.
• It is difficult to change the wording on the ‘Thank You’ page after a person has signed up for your website.
• You cannot create ‘members-only’ posts or categories in WordPress and tie it into aMember.
• There’s no option for up-selling or one-time-offers in aMember without some MAJOR hacking or re-programming.

After using aMember for close to a year and constantly feeling handcuffed by the technology I came across a guy who had some solid solutions.

Ken Gary of kencinnus.com is an ultra-sharp programmer who can integrate just about anything into anything else.  More specifically, he’s come up with a bunch of solutions to help make aMember more user friendly and integrate with other programs.  He’s also developed and maintained software for the NASA Integrated Shuttle Mission Training Facility at the Johnson Space Center and was the lead engineer on the Space-to-Space Communication System.

Now you don’t need to know rocket science to use or follow his stuff because he’s created some pretty easy to follow video tutorials that show you exactly what to do and how to do it.

You can visit Ken’s website by clicking here.

Listen to the full interview with Ken on “How to Run Your Membership Website Like the Gurus” below or subscribe in iTunes.

What does it take to get your website onto the number one spot in Google?

Internet marketing expert Chad Pollitt thinks that if you ONLY shoot for getting the number one spot you are selling yourself short.  When Chad optimizes websites for himself and his clients he goes for search engine domination.

Just what exactly is search engine domination and how does he do it?

Listen to this 30 minute interview that’s jam packed with great information and hidden gems that can help you with search engine optimization.

In 2009 Chad H. Pollitt earned an Internet Marketing Masters Certification from the University of San Francisco’s prestigious School of Business and Management and in 1999 graduated with a BS in Entrepreneurship from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.  Since completing his undergraduate degree he’s won multiple awards in sales/marketing and sales management while working and residing in Fort Wayne, IN.  Chad is also a Lieutenant in the Indiana Army National Guard and a decorated veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He started his web career working for a small web development firm in the Midwest called Cirrus ABS as a web technology and sales consultant.  Since then he’s played an integral role in designing, developing, deploying and executing robust web marketing strategies for over 80 client companies and organizations.  Chad currently works for Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. as a Web Technology Consultant and Internet Marketing Manager and has been on The Diane Rehm Show on NPR  and featured in The Wall Street Journal.

Chad also consults with more than 30 organizations in matters of Internet Marketing, SEO, Social Media Marketing, Web Design, Conversion Strategy, eBusiness Analysis and Analytics while managing four geotargeted microsites.

In a short amount of time Chad has harnessed the power of the internet for more than 80 companies and organizations while amassing over $5 million in client ROI with Search Engine Optimization alone. Chad is available for Speaking, Training, Agency Partnerships and Consulting on web topics ranging from SEO, Affiliate Marketing, PPC, Unique Value Propositions, Calls to Action, Conversion Testing, Social Media and many many others. . .

As an added bonus, Chad wants to give you his free report entitled “10 Ways to Effectively Write Content & Use Keywords for SEO”.

Just enter your name and email address to receive your free report.

You can also visit Chad’s website at Fort Wayne Web Design.

Follow Chad on Twitter.

Click the play button below to listen to the interview.

One of the biggest problems people have with growing their business is finding or generating leads which can convert into sales.

Let’s face it, everyone wants to get more traffic to their website.  But without some way of capturing the visitor’s information (ie – name and email address) how can you justify spending a dime on pay per click advertising or countless hours on search engine optimization?

The reality is that if a visitor has enough interest in your product or service to search for you in Google they are probably willing to give you their name and email address when they come to your site.

But it doesn’t end there.

Converting that lead from a name to an actual sale can take some time and finesse (depending on your market) and there are some strategic things you can do to increase your conversion.

I interviewed Justin Premick, the Education Marketing Manager of AWeber Communications on strategies to improve your opt-in rate, relationship building with your prospects, and improving conversion rates.

This past weekend I was invited by my friend Jeff Johnson to attend his Underground Training Lab conference in Detroit, MI.  Aside from the fact that just hanging out with Jeff and his family is a great time I got the opportunity to speak with a lot of the other folks who attended the conference and learn about some of their business frustrations.

Although most of the people sitting in that room were brilliant marketers many of them still have issues with websites, SEO, content management, and some other issues relating to programming.

Does this sound like you?  If so, you’ll want to listen to this episode of the show to learn how you can have a lot of your technical issues go away.

Here’s a photo of Jeff Johnson and me (Jeff Dyson) at the conference:

You’ve finally got your website completed and you’re ready to start taking on new customers. Now what? How do tell the world that you or your business exists? Unlike the early days of the internet if you build it they won’t necessarily come. So how do you begin telling people about your new website without spending a fortune on AdWords or other online advertising campaigns?

The answer: Social Media

You can easily drive traffic to your website and help boost your search engine rankings by using social media. There are many benefits to social bookmarking but there are also things you’ll need to watch out for before starting your social media campaign.

This episode of the Internet Marketing Radio Show discusses how to use social media effectively without getting banned from any networks.