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We are so proud to welcome Boesen the Florist to the createWOWmedia family

August 17, 2009 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment 

I am so proud to be working with Tom and Frank Boesen at Boesen the Florist…a fixture in Beaverdale, (Des Moines) IA since 1923.  It’s such a pleasure to work with great companies and great personalities.  We’re guiding them down a clear web strategy and execution plan that will let everyone share in the magic they create every day.  Please welcome the Boesen’s as they stretch their online muscles and start leveraging tools to amplify their online brand.

Get To Know Corning, Iowa

May 6, 2009 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment 

I was honored to spend the day yesterday with the Adams County MyEntrenet group in Corning, Iowa yesterday for a lunch and learn where we dove into Organic Findability and Engaging Online.  It’s truly amazing to see entrepreneurs and business owners coming together to support one another and grow their businesses.

Downtown Corning is an amazing little strip of businesses who are trying to differentiate and draw in clients and visitors from a wide radius.  I learned about Shearer Christmas Tree Farm, Fudge Town Interiors (no site..yet , and the Fickle Frog…most of whom are just now starting to spread their “web wings”.

I captured a video on my way home since I wanted to share some of my reactions to the day as they were raw and on my mind.  Please visit Corning Iowa and look up Nancy Turner if you’d like to know more about doing business with or in the great town of Corning, Iowa in Adams County.

Entrefest Conference Live Stream

March 4, 2009 by Doug Mitchell · 1 Comment 

I’m getting ready to head off to the Entrefest Conference in Coralville, Iowa this afternoon.  I’m unbelievably excited to immerse myself in throngs of entrepreneurs…some of which are budding “yet to take the plunge” folks while others are probably much more experienced than myself.  The speaking panel alone comprises vast resources that I can’t wait to connect with.  Word is that attendance is WAY up and there will likely be close to 300 “Uber-preneurs” providing positive energy.  Can you feel it too?

I’m giving two breakout sessions:

1. Search Engine Optimization:  The Basics
2. Social Media Marketing:  New Name. Same Stuff

I hope to bring a unique approach to each session and can’t wait to field the QA portion of the show. We’ll be capturing my talks and others on video AND:

We’ll be live streaming my sessions and others, providing real time chat, and the twitter stream at http://createwowmedia.com/entrefest so tune in at your convenience and see what we’re cookin’ up.

Blogging Slow Down – Kool Aid Shortage

February 25, 2009 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment 

Now that blogging is more “mainstream” are you noticing a slow down in blogging by those blogging to grow business versus those blogging for profit?  I have.  I’d say 2-3 years ago there was almost a “Drink the Kool Aid” type feel about blogging with 3-5 posts a day being the norm.  Of course, the economy and business had yet to reveal its true dysfunction so maybe business leaders had more time then.

Now, I get the feeling that “People are too busy trying to make sales and grow business” to spend time blogging so much.  I’m not in anyway discounting the power and purpose of blogging.  I am commenting on the pace.

I know my personal blogging pace (commentary on life, general business, and Iowa) has slowed dramatically.  I haven’t had the brain bandwidth to be thinking about anything but growing my business and much of that growth is coming from human interaction, (aka face to face meetings…eeek!).

Even here on the CWM site, blogging volume has been steady but no where near what I coach my own students to do.  Are we experiencing some of that “I’m too busy to blog” syndrome that we preach is an excuse for not marketing strategically online?

Blogging seems to follow a bit of a cyclical nature in my world.  When I’ve recovered some time to think and “Work on the business instead of in the business” I blog more.  When I’m running from 6am-9pm 14 days in a row, I blog less.  You know I’m cool with that.  Put down the Kool Aid and let’s have a group blogging hug.

Do what you’re good at and please leave the rest to us

January 6, 2009 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment 

We practice what we preach at create WOW media.  “Do what you’re good at and use insourced (local Iowa or USA based) resources to do the other stuff.”  This can be translated into many versions like:

1. Focus on profitable tasks and don’t waste time on the chaff.
2. Always consider the opportunity cost of “Doug doing coding” when it takes him 50x longer than having someone better/stronger/faster do it.
3. To client:  “It’s better for you to do X and Y with referral company Z, and we’ll leverage our expertise to bring X and Y together.

We send this clear message to our clients as well.  “If you are into doing everything yourself…no matter the opportunity cost, then we’re probably not your huckleberry.”

create WOW offers clients the opportunity to focus on their core business, their strengths, their…mojo.  While we fill in the wizardry part.  Let me emphasize:

Possibly the number one reason why businesses fail is that the owners/management spend time doing that which does not positively effect the business.

There are many reasons for this:

1. Owner gets pleasure from doing “comfort tasks” like coding.
2. Top level managers don’t want to expose their weaknesses in certain functional areas so they ignore/put aside important issues to avoid confrontation.

The team here is frequently quoted as saying, “We don’t have ‘hosting’ which you can find for $4/month.  We offer a full service concierge service that allows you to work ON your business instead of being immersed IN the tasks that don’t make you money (web technology, video, multimedia, etc.)

Sure for some who dabble with their own sites, we often fill in the blanks with video and audio specialization.  We don’t make the decisions for you about what matters in your business…but we do try and preach the virtues of doing what matters FIRST.

We are a small business at createWOWmedia….yet we have a killer team assembled that lets us focus.

We use:

1. The great accounting services of Ron Stallman at Short & Company
2. The shining star Kelly Moore for Public Relations
3. The legal and advisory services of super Attorney Rush Nigut
4. The web wizardy and strategy work of 48Web and WebboyConsulting
5. The non-linear connective thinking of Adam Steen at 25 Connections

Our team of experts that ensures we’re doing profitable tasks is larger than our firm.  That’s leverage and doing what you’re good at while leaving the rest to the pros.

“Become Findable on the Web” class offered in January in Des Moines

December 15, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment 

My class formerly titled, “Blogging for Business” has been renamed as sort of a test to compare response rates, to “Become Findable on the Web”.  It’s being offered for only $50 and is being held at Roosevelt High in Des Moines.

For those of you outside of Des Moines, watch for the same class among many others being offered in our Interactive Learning Environment early next year.

Here are the details and if you have questions of course let me know.

Become Findable on the Web 4 Wks $50

Blogging can be the most effective and affordable form of business marketing. Taught by Doug Mitchell, a successful technology entrepreneur, this class will provide an action-packed workshop-style class. Students will learn to search for, subscribe to, create, and effectively write blogs while gaining a clear understanding of available technologies, most of which are simple and low cost (if not free). Most importantly, students will understand how business blogging can translate into more loyal customers and enhanced ‘findability’ on the web. The class will include numerous professional-blogger guest speakers from around the metro. Instr: Mitchell

B016201 Roosevelt-107 Wed January 14 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Hey so does this blogging and social media thing really drive new business?

December 15, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · 1 Comment 

If you dive into blogging and social media with a pure “get more riches quickly” plan you’ll quickly burn out and give up.

If you refuse to keep up your end of the bargain, you will rot on the blog vine.

But if you have a good plan and a great site as a foundation and you simply share yourself and your excellent brand with the world, bring value to others, and provide open a two-way dialog with you market…great things happen.

Our client Ryan Irwin at Nutrisport – Full Potential training just told me today that another client contacted him after finding his web site and videos through google searches (the way most things are found these days right?)  Well get this…his new client is a few states away so Ryan has gone regional with his nutritional and training guidance in his super niche training people for natural fitness and bodybuilding shows.

So by sharing knowledge, providing value to a world of people you’ve never met, connecting through blogs and social media tools like twitter, and following through on a good online findability strategy…Ryan Irwin IS GROWING his business in our current economy.

That’s some serious mojo and we’re proud to be associated with him.  Right on team!

Audio and Video of Doug Mitchell’s “Increasing Your Internet Findability Factor” Session

December 2, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · 2 Comments 

I was honored to speak in front of the New Iowa Entrepreneurs Meetup group last Wednesday evening.  The group had some great questions and was totally engaged.  The small room format lent itself to an intimate setting where I could connect with everyone close up.

Below I’ve posted the audio file of the discussion (with most of the QA) and the video of the entire session.  The video is broken into smaller chunks for easier digestion.  Sorry for the “back to the camera” angle.  I was in the center of the room managing my slides and was engrossed in the moment!

The headline of the seminar, “Help My Company Is Invisible!:  Increasing Your Internet Findability Factor” really resonated and I’ve received 3 word of mouth referrals from this talk.  Thank you all so much for honoring me with your evangelism.  The create WOW media team is out there trying new things every day to help our findability online and those experiments are translating into results for client partners.   Thanks again and please let us know if you have any questions.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Ignite Des Moines Video Experience

November 11, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment 

Thanks again to Daniel Shipton and the crew at Impromptu Studio for putting on the super successful Ignite Des Moines.

Ignite Des Moines was a huge success with over 75 people in attendance.  It was such a great time that Impromptu has decided to offer up Free Co-Working during November!  So head on down and see what the buzz is all about.

The announcement can be found at:
http://impromptustudio.com/blog/november-is-an-open-coworking-month/

Ignite Des Moines Video

The createWOWmedia team put together video that we hope captures the excitement and energy of Ignite Des Moines.  Please share the video as far and wide as you can and encourage your friends, associates, twitter followers, and blog subscribers to attend.  Thanks again for a great night Daniel.  Enjoy.

Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneur Conference Notes

October 16, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · 5 Comments 

I attended the Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneur Conference yesterday in downtown Des Moines. The conference was well attended as always and the breakout sessions had some great information from Iowa based entrepreneurs/start up companies.

The overwhelming message was to “look around you” and breathe in all the innovation, growth, and positive outlook. So true. I’d say, “What recession?” “What banking crisis?” “What credit crunch?”

Rooms were full of current and future business owners networking and connecting.

The AM keynote was given by Mark Thompson, co-author of Success Built to Last. His talk was inspirational.  The key takeaway for me was listening to audience members define success.  As you can imagine…all different.  The point was that success and the path to success is different for all of us and often requires brazen disregard for what OTHERS define as reality.  I’ll take that!  How many entrepreneurs do you know that simply accept “the way things are.”  No go.

I scanned as many company websites of presenters and keynote speakers, etc. as I could this morning to see how they leverage web video and rich media to enhance Internet findability.  Not so much.  I can think of no better time to leverage the powerful “explanatory nature” of video than early in a company’s lifespan. One firm I met said, “We have trouble explaining what we do to the masses.”  I say, “Let video capture and display your best elevator pitch/explanation.”

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