This week on #Smallbizchat LIVE, our show featured three guests: Online Marketing Secrets with Neil Patel @neilpatel, How to Use a Book to Promote Your Business with Stephanie Chandler, @Steph__Chandler, and How to Drive Retail Sales with Romina Brown, @ssiconsults.

 I pulled three of the best questions from each of them to share with you. Every third Wednesday of the month, Smallbizchat LIVE is broadcast on my SmallBizLady Facebook Page, YouTube channel and on Twitter @SmallBizLady.

Neil Patel is a New York Times best selling author. The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he is one of the top 10 marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies. He was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations. Learn more at neilpatel.com

 SmallBizLady: It can be overwhelming when it comes to figuring out what is the best strategy to drive traffic, increase conversions, rank optimization. If you were to recommend a CRO plan for those just starting out, what would it consist of?

Neil Patel: CRO starts with data gathering. If you just run tests based on your gut you will just lose money. I would start off with both quantitative and qualitative data. Based on what common objections that keep coming up, I would then run tests that answer those objections and go from there.

SmallBizLady: Digital marketing is changing at a rapid pace. Where do you see it going in the next 2-5 years…and how can we be proactive and prepare?

Neil Patel: You will start seeing it integrated more offline. From your fridge to physical devices you use on a regular day, marketing will become tied in with these devices. For example your fridge will eventually tell you what food you are about to run out of and automatically order it for you. It will eventually display coupons and deals for other competing brands… that’s where digital marketing is heading.

SmallBizLady: What are some tips you have for entrepreneurs just starting off? What are some mistakes they need to avoid to ensure they launch a successful company?

Neil Patel: You are going to make a lot of mistakes. Focus on speed and learn from your mistakes. As long as you avoid making the same mistake over and over again, eventually you learn what not to do.

Stephanie Chandler is the author of several books including The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan: The Professional Guide to Profitable Self-Publishing and The Nonfiction Book Marketing Plan: Online and Offline Promotion Strategies to Build Your Audience and Sell More Books. Stephanie is also founder and CEO of the Nonfiction Authors Association, a vibrant educational community for writers, and the Nonfiction Writers Conference, twice-yearly events conducted entirely online. Learn more at http://stephaniechandler.com/

SmallBizLady: How can a book help promote a business?

Stephanie Chandler: Authoring a book makes you an instant AUTHORity in your field. It can impress prospective clients, help to generate leads, add credibility so you can raise your rates, attract media attention, and help you get booked for speaking engagements. A book is truly the ultimate business card!

SmallBizLady: How can a book help to generate leads?

Stephanie Chandler: Send copies of your book to potential clients and watch the magic happen! I like to think of it this way. If I were going to hire a personal trainer to get in shape, I would interview at least two trainers. Most likely their programs would be pretty similar, but if one of them handed me a book, I’d immediately be impressed and far more likely to hire that trainer.

The same is true for financial advisors, consultants, coaches, medical professionals, computer pros, and anyone else with a service-based business.

 SmallBizLady: For business owners who want to land speaking gigs, how can a book help?

Stephanie Chandler: Simply adding “author” to your title can go a long way in helping you book speaking engagements. You can also send books to key contacts and decision-makers who book speakers. Every speaker I know would tell you that a book helps speakers land more opportunities.

Romina Brown is a founder and CEO with a deep background in strategic planning and integrated marketing — having worked for and with world-renowned CPG, Beauty, Apparel and Real Estate brands. Romina leads a team of executives and project managers in illuminating insights to inform, strategic development and execution of best-in-class programs for our dynamic base of clients. SSI represents some of the largest and fastest growing brands in their respective industries. Learn more at http://ssiconsults.com/

SmallBizLady: What do you think are some of the major challenges retailers are facing and how does it impact CPG manufacturers?

Romina Brown:

1. They must recognize that Online and B&M go hand in hand because the competitive landscape has shifted.
2. They have to solve for challenges they have not had to consider in the past.
3. They must re-imagine and maximize shopper ROI.

SmallBizLady: What are some of the key strategies that manufacturers can use to drive their retail sales?

Romina Brown:

1. Understand the market and the consumers within that market.
2. Integration of Deep Contextual Insights from Category Management.
3. Focus on Innovation and Disruption.
4. Become Category Partners with Key retailers.
5. Understand retail levers that drive sales (seasonality, consumer demand, promotional merchandising, pricing, etc…).

SmallBizLady: What exactly is Category Management and how can it be used to drive retail sales?

Romina Brown:

1. It should now be considered Category Growth Management – It is an objective approach to any category where experts gather, evaluate and integrate data points to illuminate insights that create opportunities to allow manufacturers and retailers to innovate in the white spaces.
2. The purpose is to arrive at insights that will lead to Real Growth.  Real Growth is Consumer Driven, Sustained Growth.

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