Marketing podcast with Ramon Ray (Click to play or right click and “Save As” to download – Subscribe now via iTunes or subscribe via other RSS device (Google Listen)

So much of what we do in business today can be done virtually, digitally and technically.

So much so that I believe we actually have to make an effort to meet in a way that allows us to acquire hugs and handshakes in the good old fashioned offline analog way. In fact, I further believe that making an effort to fuse the online and offline worlds is how you build deeper and richer experiences much faster.

A few of my favorite ways to create analog experiences:

• Bring five customers together for lunch so they can meet each other
• Host MeetUps focused on a very specific topic of interest
• Go spend some time shooting video of a strategic partner or customer
• Host a small peer-to-peer panel discussion with customers and prospects
• Create a day long event co-hosted by several strategic partners
• Hold annual customer appreciation events or learning events
• And of course, don’t forget to get out there and attend some events

Once you get the hang of creating offline events you could even take this to much higher level and start creating paid and sponsored events.

My guest for this week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is Ramon Ray, Editor of Smallbiztechnology.com and producer of the long running Small Business Summit, which he has co-produced since 2006.

In this interview Ramon shares:

• The benefits and pitfalls of creating events
• Technical details you need to get started
• The best ways to create an engaging program
• How to get people to sign up for events
• How to attract sponsors to underwrite the event
• The math of making money with events.