Interview with Serial Entrepreneur & Publisher, Jack Criss

Jack Criss chatting with ResultsRevTV hostess, Marianna Hayes Chapman.

Yesterday, I interviewed 20-year publishing industry veteran and serial entrepreneur, Jack Criss. Criss is currently publisher of locally-owned and operated Greater Jackson Business magazine. Here are some of the questions we discussed and my paraphrases to his answers. For precise quotes, please watch the full interview on ResultsRevTV here (30 minute video).

Marianna: As a news insider, explain how small businesses can get their business covered in the media? What approach would you recommend?

Jack: Realize that the media love to be contacted and love to have their ego stroked. Recognize their work. For example, “Dear Jack, I read the article you wrote about the Two Lakes project – incredibly well written piece! I love what you’re doing with the new magazine… I have a story idea I think would fit well…” Address press releases or story ideas to specific people. Find their real name and correct spelling and send a personalized e-mail directly to that person’s e-mail address.  Be personal and find ways to connect with them unrelated to the need. Don’t mass send information to 50 journalists and address it to “Dear Sir/Madam” – those messages get trashed immediately.  If you don’t personalize a press release at least make sure it’s well written and correct and keep the information to one page as much as possible.

Marianna: How has technology played into having a successful business?

Jack: The demographic that the magazine is geared towards calls for a print magazine in addition to the website.  Jackson isn’t ready for a 100% online magazine yet, in my opinion. However, corrections can be made online within hours instead of waiting for the next edition to be printed.  We can supplement the print magazine stories, post video and photos not in the magazine and much more. Also, GJB is really a multi-media effort with the print magazine as the cornerstone providing readers and advertisers with a valuable and interesting long shelf life. But we supplement that with Facebook, a weekly radio show and vide on the web site.

Marianna: How have you overcome your fear of technology to keep up with the speed of news?

Jack: Facebook is often primarily used to communicate, network and make deals, in many cases more than e-mail. You have to get over your fear and get on Facebook.  Your competitors are on and you have to be too.

Marianna: How do you use Facebook to network while balancing your personal and professional life?

Jack: I’ve used it in incorporating my business and personal life. I’m just an ordinary guy who likes to run and has two daughters. I love being a father and a runner and a member of the community. I think being who I really am on Facebook helps me connect with others who share my interests and builds deeper relationships.

Marianna: How do you make time to do it all? Facebook, web site updates, sales, writing, events, networking and Twitter, too?

Jack: One way is that I’m leveraging the technology so that some things just happen automatically without me spending any time at all. For example, whenever a news article is posted to the web site, Facebook and Twitter are automatically updated with that information. You can leverage technology to make time to do it all without a big staff.   Facebook and Twitter all point to the magazine and help promote it.

Marianna: What do you do in your business to give back, even when cash is tight?

Jack: I can’t always give cash, but I can always give space in the magazine. Of course, certain “restrictions apply,” but non-profits that need advertising get free advertising in Greater Jackson Business – always. You’ve talked a lot about generosity in recent weeks, and this is how we do it at Greater Jackson Business – it’s important.

Marianna: What have you learned from failure?

Jack: Learn from your failures and be humble. You have to appreciate your customers more than ever.  Make friends with them and take time to develop a friendship. See them face to face on a daily or weekly basis as much as possible. Also, know when to say no and know when not to expand.

Jack talks much more on each point in the 30 minute ResultsRevTV broadcast…watch it now.

Next week on ResultsRevTV we will have Jack Criss join us to share some of the knowledge he has gained in his 23 years of experience in the media and publishing industries.

Jack is the owner and publisher of Greater Jackson Business Magazine and has founded and published several other Mississippi based magazines.  He has spent the last 18 years in the field of business newspaper publishing as an editorial and advertising executive.  He is also the author of “Ready, Aim, Right!”, a collection of political and philosophical essays and editorials, published in 2004.

In addition to his work in the publishing world, Jack has hosted and produced business talk radio shows in the Jackson area for several years.  He is also a popular public speaker in the Jackson area, having addressed classes at the University of Mississippi, Millsaps College, Belhaven College, the Jackson, MS Young Urban Professionals organization and many other civic groups.  Jack has also spent a great deal of time with the Mississippi Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training.  He is a Board Member, Alum and Mentor and has run one marathon and two half marathons with the group.

As an active member of the community and with years of experience and success in the publishing industry Jack has much to say about business networking and surviving the ups and downs of owning a small business!  You will not want to miss this opportunity to hear about his experiences and much more!

One of the top benefits of social media is found in TIME SAVINGS.

Yes, you heard me right. TIME SAVINGS.

It’s funny that we get asked about how to “make time” for social media. But really, social media has allowed our clients – and us – to work more efficiently and produce results at an exponentially greater rate than ever before. This one simple application is very telling: We all have experienced a situation where a large number of people were involved in a registration or related process. Inevitably, some piece of information is confusing, incomplete or even incorrect. You know the day: You come into the office and the phone rings asking “the question” that alerts you to the problem. You sigh knowing you’ll spend your day answering the phone to fix this problem. Why tie up human resources (that’s code language for YOUR TIME) answering the question when you can post the question and related answer to a Facebook page, tweet the link and set your voicemail, e-mail responder, etc. to point folks THERE to get the answer. Within 20 minutes of the phone call your day has opened back up again.

We all get questions everyday in our work. What if the answers to those questions were all on-line – we post them as we answer them to the first person asking. The time savings from this alone is HUGE.

Most businesses aren’t measuring HOW they spend their time, so they don’t even notice how much time they save and/or how much more effectively their time is spent when social media are leveraged.

Beyond that, time saved by using social media to bring in business versus the long-term effort required for traditional media, the ability to speak once and touch many with a personal message, the networking power without leaving the office (not to say you never have to leave – but this can replace at least a few “hand-shake” meetings a week with greater results) and the shortening of the sales cycle (common in social media) are all huge time savers.

Photo Credit: cdammen