The Cost of Money - by Patty K Mooney

Image via Wikipedia

Today I would like to talk about the cost of money. It has been said that "Money is the root of all evil" but money is merely a medium of exchange. It's the lust to acquire money at all costs that becomes problematic.

Anyone of us in business is in it to make money, to provide food and shelter for ourselves and our families, to buy a romantic dinner from time to time, to vacation in Yosemite, Cozumel or Tuscany, perhaps, as a reward for our hard work, and to maintain a good standard of living.

Anyone who has seen the film, "The Corporation," is privy to the conclusions presented to the viewer; namely, that if a corporation, which enjoys the status of an individual, were actually a person, that person would be a psychopath because its one main goal is to generate income without caring who gets hurt in the process.

We all see the proof of this in the latest ecological disaster in the Gulf of Mexico which makes British Petroleum look like a Tim Burton version of the Cat in the Hat. BP wanted to cut corners here and there and failed to include the kind of technology that would have nipped this tragedy in the bud. Their rig exploded, taking eleven people with it. Now it appears that BP has prevented activists from saving endangered sea turtles prior to burning huge oceanscapes filled with burgeoning oil.

The sea turtle most affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the Kemp's Ridley which is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Parties responsible for killing the endangered turtles are liable for criminal penalties that include prison and civil fines of up to $25,000 per violation.

As a result, BP perversely has a financial incentive to let the endangered turtles be incinerated rather than to allow rescue crews to cull them from the burn boxes before the containment fires are lit.

"They ran us out of there and then they shut us down, they would not let us get back in there," said turtle rescuer Mike Ellis in an interview with conservation biologist Catherine Craig that was posted on YouTube.com. (Source - MyFoxTampaBay.com)

Clearly the actions of BP leading up to the tragedy, and in handling their spilt oil, reveal to any thinking person that they care more about money than people (or endangered animals) and just want their life back.

I have a feeling that over the ensuing months, and years, we are ALL going to want our lives back, but the people feeling it the most are those in the Gulf who had livelihoods that are now destroyed.

Not ALL corporations are psychopathic. Case in point. Our company, Crystal Pyramid Inc., is a corporation. As one of its principals, I decided to use my super powers for good, and recently collaborated on a music video that the songwriter, Katherine Archer, of St. Augustine, Florida, and I hope will bring more awareness, and aid, to the disaster in the Gulf. It's called "Black Black Blood."

I wrote about my collaboration with Katherine in a recent blog in "A Diary Left Open" in an entry called "Black Black Blood."

Here is the video. Please share it with all your friends so that we can all get on the same page regarding our shared future. I think we all realize by now that it is not about money. It's about love.

Radio Interview 101 - by Bryan Farrish

Why Smaller Stations Can Be Better

People who are trying to get interviews for the first time invariably want to start out on the "biggest" stations in the biggest cities. You can't blame these folks, because from the outside it does look as if that's the way to make the most things happen for them (since these stations "reach the most people"). But it's not. Making things "happen", meaning sales, web hits, speaking engagements, etc. is not just a function of how many people you reach; it's also a function of how many TIMES you reach them, and how much you SPEND reaching them. Take a look at the market (city) sizes here...


The situation can be compared to the opening of a new restaurant: The amount of food you sell is not just a function of how many people walk or drive by your location; it's also a function of how many TIMES they drive by (staying open for just one day would yield little sales,) and how much you spend to put your restaurant there in the first place. And so the idea of radio interviews is that you want to hit as many people as possible, several times, and do so for the least amount of money as possible. This leads us to smaller stations. Smaller stations/markets have advantages because:

o They are more likely to ask you back for additional interviews; most listeners need to hear something several times before they act... and this is how you make that happen.

o They are more likely to ask you to become a regular, i.e., every Tuesday at 2pm. This sort of makes you a weekly guest, and many listeners will think you actually work at the station.

o They are more likely to have the receptionist give out your phone number to callers. Larger stations just have too much going on, and, their receptionist (many times they are temps) are in constant change.

o They are more likely to put you on their website. Talk about a free plug!
This would never happen at a big station.

o They are more likely to announce your website repeatedly during your interview. This is crucial to getting traffic to your site. Larger stations/shows (on average) will simply resist doing this.

o They will more readily post their opinions of you in the radio discussion groups. Think radio people don't talk to each other?

o You'll stand out more as a pro speaker, since larger stations in larger cities are already saturated with established speakers. You want to be the biggest fish possible... that is, if you want to be hired.

o You'll reach a wider demographic of listeners, since smaller cities have fewer stations, and thus each station has a broader group of people listening to each one.

o Their advertising rates are less; bigger station ad rates are so high you probably would not be able to buy even a single commercial, much less the
20+ you would need every week to sell your offering properly.

o They may offer to continue give-aways of your product (i.e., free on-air
promotion) for several days after your interview. This will NEVER happen on a large station.

o They are far more likely to take a syndicated show from you, should you ever promote one to them. You only stand a chance of starting syndication in smaller markets, anyway.

o And finally, they are FAR easier to book interviews with in the first place, because they get FAR fewer people trying to do book them. So you (or the person/firm you hire for booking) is going to have a much easier and less costly time setting up your interview schedule.

------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan Farrish Promotion is an independent promotion company handling radio interviews on talk and music radio stations.
310-998-8305 - interviews@radio-media.com

When Social Media Goes Wrong - by Mike Clough

Image by webtreats via Flickr

I have been dabbling in many of the social networks now open to us all. LinkedIn proves to be ever more valuable in many aspects. Through one of the groups to which I belong, I became acquainted with the work of Mike Clough, someone who has written many articles on his blog about the benefits of social media in marketing. Isn't this something that is important to all of us?

I came across one of his latest articles which really resonated with me, and I think that it will with you, too, about scenarios where "social media goes wrong."

Mike says, "I believe that social media has leveled the playing field to some degree between big business and small business. Nonetheless, as with many great things, it can sometimes go wrong. A recent experience of mine illustrates this point..."

If your curiosity is piqued, as was mine, go check out the rest of Mike's article here: When Social Media Goes Wrong. I am not the only person who was curious about the topic. You'll find comments from several other bloggers who weigh in with their thoughts, as well.

Why Do Salesmen Need Laptops? - by James Mowery

Image by Arbron via Flickr

Why do salesmen need laptops?

Business people were once confined to their offices. They had to tolerate annoying coworkers because there was just no other way. On trips, they had to rely on hotel televisions and pay-per-view movies. Meetings on the road had to be conducted by phone in order to get everyone on the same page. With the advent of laptop computing, those are things of the past.

Laptops used to be the ball and chain that salesmen carried around. Those computers were slower and more awkward than the desktop computers, so they were the piece of hardware that people loved to hate. Technology caught up, and now laptops are replacing the desktop as the computers of choice for many users.

Those same salespeople can now get out of their offices without needing to worry about being effective. They can hang out at the coffee shops and type their reports, avoiding distractions in the workplace. They can manage time more efficiently because a follow-up report can be written in the parking lot right after a client visit.

Relaxing is a lot easier for those with laptops. Where these individuals once had to rely on hotel movies, the technology is available to stream movies right to the businessman's desktop. They can play a few hands of online poker and win the world.

The laptop's size makes it a perfect tool to carry anywhere. Worries about communication have been reduced, as the laptop's power allows users to talk anywhere. In general, laptops are a boon to society.

About the author: James Mowery is a computer geek who writes about technology and related topics. To read more blog posts by him, go to Led TV.

Social Media and Video Production - by Fred Ashman

Image by cleopatra69 via Flickr

The production business is, in my opinion, one where the use of social media can be quite helpful when used judiciously. The amount of time consumed with social media needs to be balanced. Also the content of the blog or tweet is very important as business people are so barraged with media that unnecessary or unwanted communications can make the sender into an irritant rather than helpful.

The company vs a producer vs the director or editor or talent each have different needs in communication. Part of the idea is to keep yourself top of mind to customers and potential customers, without being a pest.

Like most of life, the best solution is finding the right balance.