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Attention! This Book Will Make You Money When you’re an entrepreneur and run your own business, chances are your marketing budget is limited. But you can make up for that limitation with attention marketing.

Attention marketing is all about attracting attention to your business and your brand — in such a way that you turn that attention into revenue. And that’s what the new book, “Attention! This Book Will Make You Money” is about.

Author Jim Kukral said on my radio show earlier this week that the worst thing for a marketer is for people to forget about your brand. Your goal should be to get a reaction.

But, if you think this book is a PR (public relations) handbook, you would be wrong. Jim points out the difference between getting attention and publicity, noting in the book:

“There is a clear difference between the definitions of attention and publicity. Attention is an attempt to make people pay you notice to reach a goal, regardless of your message. Publicity is the coverage you obtain once the attention has taken place, and how your target market reacts to it.

You cannot have bad attention, but you can have bad publicity. They are two different things.

Case in point, it would be nearly impossible to argue that the publicity Tiger Woods has earned from his sexual escapades and infidelity has resulted in anything good for him, his sponsors, or for golf in general. Why is this the case? Because he was already at the top of his game with a well-established brand.”

In a section of the book that is sure to be controversial with some, the author goes on to state that bad attention can be good, especially if your brand is not yet well-known. He points out how Pamela Anderson and Paris Hilton both became global brands after unauthorized distribution of their sex tapes. For them, negative attention turned into a positive for their business interests.

The Author Knows What He is Talking About

Jim himself has benefited from attention-getting behavior. Jim has the distinction of getting the attention of a billionaire, Mark Cuban, in 2 days’ time. Jim set up a website called MarkCubanPleaseCallMe.com and sent out a press release through PRWeb. The next day Jim is being interviewed by the Dallas Morning News, and later hears that Mark Cuban “hates” him. Not necessarily good attention, right? But in the end, it worked out quite positively. Jim ended up developing a friendly email relationship with Cuban, did a project with one of Cuban’s businesses, got to introduce Cuban as a keynote speaker – and in the process brought himself tons of publicity.

It even got Cuban to give Jim a back-cover blurb for this book. (Cuban’s blurb appears right below mine — probably the only time I’ll ever get top billing over Mark Cuban, but hey I’ll take it.)

The book focuses mostly on how to generate attention online. I’ve known Jim for years, because he’s located here in the Cleveland, Ohio area as I am. I know that Jim has been making his living online for years. When I think of successful online entrepreneurs, his name is always one of the first that comes to mind.

I’ve learned a few things from Jim, too, that I put into place in my own business. For instance, one of the things Jim taught me is to be bold in emphasizing the impact of my own websites, by highlighting the number of small business owners my sites reach. Modesty is admirable as a personal attribute; but modesty in business won’t help you pay your overhead and meet payroll. So I can confidently say, Jim Kukral is someone who knows what he is talking about when it comes to getting attention using the Web.

What I Liked About Attention!

This is a fast-paced book. The writing is snappy and colorful.
Examples in the book are ones that anyone with enough gumption and creativity and perseverance could emulate. While a few examples are billionaires and celebrities like Mark Cuban and Paris Hilton, the majority of the examples in the book are entrepreneurs who started out one day just like the rest of us, with nothing, yet have learned how to make themselves and their businesses memorable — people who are “rock stars” in whatever narrow niche they’ve chosen.
Attention! walks you though how to generate ideas to attract attention. My favorite chapter in the book is called “26 Ways to Generate Killer Ideas.” As Jim writes, “Generating ideas — useful ideas — is a skill and, like any other skill, it can be learned. The more you practice, the easier it will be to come up with ideas whenever you need them.”
The book covers ways to monetize all that attention you will get. Several chapters are dedicated to business models and techniques for how to generate business online, such as affiliate marketing; group coaching; making money with YouTube videos; and blogging as a business. He even profiles Aaron Wall’s successful model of running a membership site, the popular SEO training program, SEOBook.

Who This Book is Best For

This book is designed for entrepreneurs who are not satisfied with the status quo, but who want to build and grow an online business or one with a significant online component — but perhaps don’t know how to go about it. It’s especially good for those with more time than money. If this describes you, then you will find “Attention! This Book Will Make You Money” a great investment.

Editor’s Note: Wiley, the book’s publisher, graciously provided 5 copies of this book for a random drawing we are holding. Enter the drawing by August 22, 2010 and throw your hat in the ring to be chosen to receive a copy of this hardback book in the mail.

From Small Business Trends

Review: Attention! This Book Will Make You Money