Interview with:Randy Kemp [randylewiskemp]
WRITING
 | What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote? I read the books of Ayn Rand, various existential novelists, Zen literature and Plato. I began to write when I was the editor for the Aurora University newspaper. Since then, I have been a part of various writing groups and creative writing courses, at the College of DuPage. I was probably the first person to read my own writing. |
| What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it? |
| What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write? Sometimes I listen to either the WFMT classical music station, or the WDCB College of DuPage radio station. Or I might sit in silence for a while. Then I let things flow, like the "stream-of-consciousness" writers. |
| What type of reading inspires you to write? |
| What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story? Good plot and excellent character development. |
| What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Definitely the first person. I like getting up close and personal. |
| What well known writers do you admire most? Ayn Rand, Franz Kafka and tolkien. |
| What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours? They must have flaws. They are neither pure good nor pure evil - but a mixture. I base mine on a composite of people I know or have met. |
| Are you equally good at telling stories orally? As Curly Stooge would say - "Certainly.". |
| Deep down inside, who do you write for? I write for me first. |
| Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force? Yes and Yes! |
| Does reader feed-back help you? Certainly! |
| Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards? No and No! |
| Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust? Sometimes. |
| Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for? I believe I have found it. |
| What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.? Just do it! |
| What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate? Nice pictures of religious artwork. |
| Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process? I use a work processor and only print the final copy. It's basically a matter of writing, rewriting and editing. |
| What sites do you frequent on-line to share experiences or information? Mostly social media sites like LinkedIn, FaceBook and Twitter. |
| What has been your experience with publishers? It's best to try and solicit an agent. |
| What are you working on now? Blogging and Ad copy. |
| What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone? Keep polishing them - you may never know! |
TECHNOLOGY
| What is your professional position? What technology do you work with? I'm a technology copywriter who has been in the technology arena for many years. |
| Please list web addresses where one can see something about you. |
| Do you consider yourself a geek? Yes - and I'm proud of it. |
| How did your professional interest in technology come about? I just fell in love with computers. |
| Were you one of those who broke toys to see the inner workings? No. But I did look at ones already broken. |
| How would you describe the emotion that comes from getting involved in a new technology? electrifying |
| In your field of work, what is the major technological trend on the horizon? Inter-connectivity. |
| What factors should one keep in mind when giving advice about an investment in technology? What market research has been done? |
| Do you think businesses waste a lot of money on bad technology? Yes. |
| What brands or companies within your professional environment are you used to recommending with great confidence? The major players - Google, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, etc. Also good open source products - PHP, Apache, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Perl, etc. |
| How do creativity and methodology combine to resolve technological problems? Usually it is best done in a Six-Sigma environment. |
| Which one is needed to work in technology: great patience, or an especially ordered mind? Both |
| Does pressure impede your concentration or is it a stimulus to outdo yourself? It's a stimulus. |
| Aside from work, what other technologies interest you on a personal level? Web technology. |
| What are your favorite gadgets? If someone can't find you, what store would they need to go to in order to look for you? I like any VOIP stuff. You can find me at the big super chains (i.e. Walmart, Target, etc.) |
| Are kids and teens too “technified”? Can one become addicted to technology? I think they are just right. Isn't it better to be addicted to technology then things like drugs and alcohol? |
| Which is more difficult: dealing with machines or dealing with people? People. |
| How often are you called on outside of work hours to solve an urgent problem? Occassionally. |
| Play futurologist: what will the technology of your sector be like in 20 years time? No one really has a crystal ball. Yet Science Fiction literature usually gives some clues. |
| Do you attend fairs, conventions, or other events related to your sector? Yes. |
| What professional challenge would you like to undertake at this time? Writing ad copy for major technology companies. |
| Where is your professional career headed? What do you imagine yourself doing five years from now? I hope to be a professional writer. |
| What magazines, forums or websites do you use to keep up to date with technology? I subscribe to a variety of e-zines and watch shows on Discovery, PBS and the History channel. |
| What advice do you have for those reluctant to try new technologies? Just jump in and swim. What's the worst that can happen? |
MARKETING
| Up till now, what has been your professional career path? I have been in technology |
| Please list web addresses where one can see something about you. http://b2b-techcopy.net |
| What is your stance as a marketing professional? What are you good at? What differentiates you from others? I'm a B2B Technology Copywriter working in Direct Response, Internet and Viral Marketing. I'm an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional; Certified Internet Marketer |
| A marketing strategy begins with an idea. How are yours born? They just come to me - I'm intuitive. |
| In which market, products or services, are you currently working? The technology sector, Viral and Internet Marketing. |
| Did this product exist ten years ago? And the brand? Viral and Internet Marketing were not important 10 years ago. The brand is embedded in the media. |
| What is the consumer or user like that you have to win over? Usually mid sized to large technology marketing departments. |
| What is the key to gaining consumer fidelity? Develop trust. |
| How do you determine what consumers think and feel? Is something more than qualitative research necessary? Take a pulse by hanging out where they do - forums, social media outlets, conventions, etc. See what their pain points are. You must do most than just qualitative research. |
| What type of communication are you utilizing? Usually social media and the Internet. |
| Who/what is your competition? Anyone who writes copy in my niche market. |
| What differentiates your product/service from the competition? It's what I bring to the table. You need to visit http://b2b-techcopy.net to find out. |
| How do you value the results obtained up to now? The results for clients are very good. |
| What is a better way to communicate your product: emotional or rational? People buy on emotion and justify by reason. Yet for select audiences (i.e. engineers), rationality might win. |
| What's your answer to the typical question: does marketing create nonexistent needs? Sure. Because we appeal to certain emotions, like greed and fear. |
| In times of crisis sales of generic store brands rise. What should premium brands do or not do when faced with this? You need to focus on what you bring to the table, that the generic brands do not. It could be quality, customer service, image, status, etc. |
| Can you cite brands or well-known products that you admire for marketing brilliance? I like the Geiko commercials. |
| The consumer is king: have advertisers realised this yet? The successful ones have. |
| Are we heading towards more individualised marketing and advertising? To a degree. Look how precise FaceBook and Google targeted ads are. |
| What percentage of your marketing budget is invested in digital advertising and why? A good portion. It's cheaper to produce and very effective. |
| What is the most surprising thing you have learned about digital marketing in the last few years? Nothing can surprise me. |
| A few years ago, it was said that online sales would end up killing traditional store sales, but that has not been the case: how can you explain this? People still like the personal touch, along with seeing things in person. Why do you think independent pharmacies succeed, against the likes of stores like CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Target? It's the people they know and trust behind the counter. |
| How do you evaluate the potential of social networks for marketing on-line? Do you really think there is a new 2.0 marketing paradigm? I think they have excellent potential and regularly read the HubSpot e-zine. Please note that many big companies have an active social media presence. |
| What industry or market segment do you find attractive for devoting yourself to in the coming years? Technology |
| Be a prophet. What phenomenon will revolutionize marketing in the next few years? Nobody has a crystal ball. |
| Are you part of any professional networking sites? Has it served its purpose for you? I am and it has served the purpose. |
| How do you do your own personal branding? What do you recommend other professionals do to position themselves in the job market? Everyone has their own personal branding. I recommend people to study new things and become certified in them. |
BLOGGING
| What is your blog address? What subjects do you deal with? My blog address is http://b2b-techcopy.net, and I deal in marketing and technology. |
| What was it that made you create your blog? On what date did you start it? I just wanted to write and I created this about 2 - 3 years ago. |
| What blogging system have you adopted and why? I use wordpress, as it has a large user community. |
| How many visits a day do you get? What type of comments do you receive? I get a good share of visitors. I usually get favorable comments, but their is much spam I need to throw out. |
| How has 'having a blog' contributed to your life? I have to think and reflect more often. |
| Have you created relationships with other bloggers or readers of your blog? Yes |
| How often do you post? Does regular posting of your blog require a lot of effort on your part? I post once a week and it does require some effort. |
| Does blogging bring in income for you? Can one make a living from posting? Not directly. One can make an income via advertising on the blog (i.e. Google Adsense, othr products, etc.). |
| How do you promote your blog? SEO and Social Media. |
| How would you define your readers? Have you got a faithful audience? They are readers that like technology and marketing, and I do have a "core" audience. |
| Are there any blogs you follow daily or regularly? Too many to remember. |
| Have you ever received gifts for blogging about your opinion of products or services? What do you think of bloggers who do that? I haven't and I don't judge other bloggers. |
| How do you see your blog evolving in the future? I can't predict anything. |
| What advice would you give to someone who wishes to begin a blog? Just start it and make regular contributions. |
| 
508 visits Whohub
Randy Kemp
Carol Stream, Illinois USA
|
95743 interviews created
![[randylewiskemp] Randy Kemp](http://www.whohub.com/_pics/49051.jpg?1337672791)
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS