Managing the Edge Awarded Top 100 Small Business Technology Podcast
March 11, 2010 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment
The very smart and savvy folks at Small Business Trends Radio put Managing the Edge into their “100 Best Small Business Podcasts” lists in the “Small Business Technology” category! If you’d like to subscribe you can do so here.
This is great recognition for Andy Brudtkuhl and I as we just reached our 30th episode on the show and we’re only picking up steam. The podcast as a vehicle to share knowledge, build value, develop a reputation, demonstrate skills, etc…is unparalleled.
We have great time doing the show too and putting what we preach into practice. We’re living what we provide our clients and that authenticity is driving business growth. Thanks Andy and SMB Trends, and to our amazing audience that keeps us inspired to share knowledge in our special way.
Maximizing email newsletter subscribers with aweber.com
December 16, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment
So if you’ve visited us for the first time, you probably were confronted within 5 seconds with an “email subscribe” box and a grayed out site. This is a nifty feature in the email marketing system from aweber. (we are an affiliate and this is an affiliate link because we believe strongly in this product and recommend it heavily). Some people probably find this “insta-pop” annoying. We understand. We’re assuming that you have limited time so we’re giving you a quick out, in exchange for permission to market to you. Straight forward we think.
The proof is in the pudding. Email subscriptions up 500%. We hope you’ll subscribe too. There’s a box down by the comments of this post if you’d care to join our little small and medium sized business online branding revolution.
Leveraging an email marketing system is a MUST if you’re planning to amplify your brand. Aweber goes a long way to helping companies do this in a non-technical/non-threatening way.
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Video SEO Presentation by ReelSEO
December 11, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment
Again, unbelievably relevant information on Video SEO from Mark Robertson at ReelSEO.com. This slideshow will give you some great tips and strategies for making your video more findable on the web.
Small Business Tip: Some of the tips and information in this presentation will probably be more than you’d like to handle on your own and that’s fine. Maybe you haven’t filmed a single video yet. Just try to extract a few key tidbits that you CAN use and leave the rest for later, or ask someone you trust to help you out. Keep up the unbelievable work Mark/ReelSEO.
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Word of Mouth Marketing Works Best Sometimes When You Provide Words
October 9, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment
Word of mouth marketing drives a huge amount of small business success. We’re a youthful firm and most of our business is derived this way so we know what it means to us. But sometimes we think its best to help clients deliver a better word of mouth experience to achieve maximum results.
We’re launching a WOM system here at createWOW. We’re leveraging:
- Send Out Cards to immediately follow up with clients and guide them to what we think will minimize their time investment and maximize new business for us.
- Referral cards to share our brand and message with the new potential client. This way the client doesn’t need to have our “porch pitch” on the tip of their tongue. They can hand off the card and just say, “Wow! It was unbelievable doing business with these guys!”
- A more formalized “Referral business follow up appointment.” Here we actually revisit the client at a scheduled time to go through their contacts and formally contact them via phone and/or email together and attempt to set appointments or at least make introductions and connect the dots.
- A “secret password” that clients can share with potential clients. I know it’s corny but nothing is cooler than saying, “I was told to give you a call…and the password is “CheesyPoof.” It’s an ice breaker and a fun way to start a relationship. Adam Steen at 25 Connections can take credit for this method. Anyone that calls and says, “Hello Doug, the password is Tube Sock” is in like Flynt and gets every bit of my attention instantly. Thanks Adam.
These methods are designed to assist and maximize value within the Word of Mouth Marketing process. We believe it helps systematize something that is often left to chance. Generating new business, especially in this economy, shouldn’t be left to chance. What do you think?
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Thank you National Pork Board
September 23, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment
Thank you to the National Pork Board for asking me to speak today.
It was a pleasure to share some of the things we’ve learned through our web video journey. There’s always a balance between production quality and cost. It’s createWOW’s opinion that many small and medium firms are better served by the “Guerrilla Video” approach of putting out MORE, BETTER, FASTER on their own vs. leveraging the “Pro Studio” folks all the time.
We still stick by the winning formula of “You create…..we produce” model as well. It doesn’t take much training (our courses are available soon) to create good quality video with lighting and a decent lapel or or boom/shotgun mic. However doing good edits and post-production usually involve a bit more software, time, and expertise that SMB’s don’t have. How about uploading that raw video to your trusted editing partner? Let them crank out a blockbuster and either deliver it right back or blast it to 20 websites for you. Your call.
Of course we’re SUPER excited when a company “graduates” and can produce all of their own material but sometimes…it’s just more efficient to leverage someone outside.
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Directing Tips
September 11, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment
At createWOWmedia, we focus on the business reasons for producing video for your small business BEFORE
we begin formulating the creative aspects of the piece. This approach serves small-to-medium businesses very well because it delivers results…on time…and on budget.
We’re also hugely in favor of you (the SMB) doing your OWN video when it makes sense. As such, here are some great Directing Tips from www.FilmDirectingTips.com
Some of the tips may be a bit too “touchy feely” for the content you’re trying to create…but there’s some great stuff in here.
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A test multimedia project for your small to medium business (SMB)
August 19, 2008 by Doug Mitchell · Leave a Comment
Here’s a quick idea that can give you a sense for what multimedia can do for your firm.
- Choose a short 30-60 second script to read. We suggest your company’s mission statement or guiding principles.
- Practice reading it with passion and proper emphasis.
- Find images that support your words using google image search. Just copy and paste those images into a PowerPoint presentation.
- Find some music on your computer or borrow some that support your reading and imagery.
- Now click play on the music, read the script, and click through the images one by one.
You’ll get a very rough cut idea of how it will feel when you put the pieces together. If you get goosebumps…nice work. If your results are less exciting, perhaps you can rework/revise/rethink and try again.
Total budget? ….about 1 hour of your time.
Convincing the CEO to wake up your marketing/promotion/presentations with multimedia…priceless.
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