An Interview with Netrepreneur Marcia Yudkin

by Bonnie Boots 

The newsletter is an endemic part of doing business on the internet. Most of us are involved in either reading or writing them, or both. My own mailbox overflows with newsletters, most of which I want to read but regrettably few of which I find time to open. There's one, however, I never miss.  It's Marcia Yudkin's "Marketing Minute."

 While Netrepreneuers around the planet struggle to build their mailing lists by putting out lengthy newsletters, Yudkin makes her mark with the world's shortest newsletter. Every issue offers a pithy and powerful tip that takes--true to its name-- just one minute to read. 

Yudkin is well aware that time is the one thing no Netrepreneuer has enough of. By offering subscribers solid information in a small package, she gives them something they can peruse and use immediately. 

That approach seems typical of Yudkin's style. If you're looking for black hat techniques, go elsewhere. She stresses straightforward marketing and publicity methods that take into account the real world wants and needs of cybercitizens.

Yudkin earned her expertise along her own life path. She's been self-employed for 26 years, a time period that's seen the internet grow from a small geek gathering into a world wide phenomena. In that same time, Yudkin's gone from a print book author and teacher making occasional use of email to a professional who runs her enterprise entirely on the internet.

 Marcia recalls getting her first taste of the World Wide Web in 1989 when, as a teacher in Boston, the school gave her an email account. "Of course, back then, so few people had email that there weren't many people to talk to," she says.

 She took a bigger step into the Web in 1993, during the production of her book 6 Steps To Free Publicity. "My editor thought it would be a good idea to add some mention of the internet. I told her I didn't know much about it myself, but would find someone that did and interview them for the book."

 While looking for information to round out her book, Marcia became interested in learning to use the internet as a resource for her own business. From that small beginning, Marcia's interest in and knowledge of the internet grew at a steady pace. Today, the internet is her primary place of business.

I asked Marcia what aspect of her life has been most changed by the internet. "I think the biggest impact has been on my choice of where I live," she says.

Years ago, Marcia left a small town to live and work in the bustling city of Boston. She spent 15 years there and says she's glad for the experience. "I learned a lot of lessons and had a lot of opportunities I never would have been exposed to if I'd stayed in a small town all my life," she says.

 Still, Marcia missed the quietness of small town living. In 2002 she left Boston for a Massachusetts town with a population of just 900 people. "The internet made it easier for me to take that step," she says.

 Marcia points out that as a pre-internet writer, she'd used the phone, the mail and overnight delivery services to run her business. "I could still run my business like that today. But the internet certainly makes it faster and more convenient. For that reason, high-speed internet access played an important part when I was deciding where to live."

 Because the town she lives in today doesn't have cable--either television or internet-- Marcia says her decision, when it came to house-buying, revolved around satellite access. "There's no way I was going back to a dial-up account," she says, then adds "This is key-KEY-for people to consider if they're thinking of moving to a small town. Figure out how you're going to get high-speed access before you commit to moving or buying."

 Marcia clearly revels in the lifestyle of small-town living. "Now I never, ever have to get dressed up. I don't have to worry about driving somewhere and finding parking. And it's very quiet here. That's really important to me," she says.

 The lady is an early riser, usually starting work at 6 AM. "Post office hours and my clients needs are the biggest constraints on my time," she says, noting that the local Post Office closes for lunch at noon.

 Not one to tie herself to her computer desk, Marcia says she allows plenty of time for being outdoors. "I hike every weekend and snowshoe in the winter. I live near a lake that allows for swimming in the summer. These activities are very important to me."

 Boston offered a great many networking opportunities, something that dropped by the wayside when Marcia moved to a small town. Now most of her networking is done in cyberspace. "I participate in a lot of discussion groups," she says. Finding avenues for face-to-face networking in her new town was a greater challenge..

 "It can be difficult to get integrated into a new community, especially when it's small and tightly-knit," she says. She credits taking a job as the town librarian with helping her find a foothold in her new hometown. Working ten hours a week in the town's one-room library gives Marcia a window onto the community. "I meet almost everyone sooner or later," she says, "and because I can do things like forming a reading group, I've been able to make a real contribution."

 I asked Marcia what she thinks of the latest developments on the internet and if she sees herself participating in them in the future. "I'm not all that interested in blogs," she says. I think it's rare to find someone successfully using a blog as a fundamental marketing tool. And I don't see myself doing streaming video or any of that. What I do appreciate most about the way the internet runs now is the freedom it offers me to travel."

 Marcia says she's taken some long trips, lasting 3 to 4 months, and been able to keep up with her business entirely through the internet. "Before, if I were going to be away from home that long, I'd need to use an assistant, a delivery service and such. Now I find I can handle it all myself, and it's cheaper and more efficient."

 Marcia's personal life and business life both seem to be coming full circle. She started off in a small town, left for the big city and has returned to a small town. By the same token, she started off working in print, moved to the internet and now finds herself moving back towards print.

 "There's an interesting trend now in information marketing," she says. "After years of focusing on purely digital delivery, some people have now concluded that a mixture of digital and tangible products and services is more profitable in the long run. Currently, my own products are taking a turn toward the more tangible."

 I asked Marcia what advice she had for people just bringing their business onto the internet. She advises avoiding the hype and holler to adapt whatever's new. Make decisions based on what makes the most sense for you, your personality and lifestyle, she says. "Go at your own pace," she says. "Bite off what you can chew. Take it step by step and see what works for you."

 "Find what is most enjoyable to you and work it. If you enjoy blogging, that's great. Blog. If you don't enjoy it, don't force yourself into it just because other people are saying it's the thing to do. Everyone has their own communication preferences," Marcia says. "Find what yours are and focus on them."

 For more: Marcia Yudkin is an independent publicity and marketing consultant, speaker and author of numerous popular books. Visit her web sites:

 http://www.yudkin.com/marketing.htm

 http://www.pressreleasehelp.com

 http://www.namedatlast.com

About the Author

Bonnie Boots is the publisher/editor of The Internet Wizards Magazine for people who want to create their own products and market on the internet. Register for your free 1-year subscription at http://www.theinternetwizards.com