How To Fight The Cost Of “Free” Media

There’ IS a price to “FREE” media production; while it may not show on the books, it will show on your brand. Buying radio or television media production is every creative’s worst nightmare. The schedules are hard to plan – especially in the “Political” and “Sporting” blitz months. Any positive calendar can be preempted at the drop of a very well financed hat.  Budgeting is often a guessing game and costly without the right media partner or a person at the station “going to bat” for you. And God forbid if the spots are produced at the station…   (think

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Which Wall Displays YOUR Holiday Cheer?

SO, the Holiday season is in full swing. The joy and laughter around the office tends to get a little bigger. The warmth of the coffee tends to feel a little cozier and the casual feeling of family creeps into the sometime stodgy business environment. I think I start to notice it when the first Holiday card arrives in the mail. Generally oversized envelopes with holiday stamps and hand written addresses start filtering their way through the mail slot right after Thanksgiving (some earlier for you holiday addicts). Once a year, the only time mail is taped, pinned, stuck to

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Social Media: Efficiency Tool or Necessary Evil?

Social Media. It’s everywhere – our computers, our phones, our video game consoles.  We hear the phrase in television shows and commercials.  You see the logos in shop windows encouraging you to “Like us on Facebook!” or “Follow us on Twitter!”  Most of us DO, too.  Just trying to keep a finger on the pulse of the world around us, afraid of missing out on something. How do YOU use your social media outlets?  Is it for business and marketing?  Do you strictly use Facebook and Twitter to connect with potential clients/customers?  Is it a platform for your political/religious views

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Focus: A Small Business Owner Stumbling Block?

As small business owners, sometimes we get so focused on the “tasks at hand” we forget the “bigger picture.” Unfortunately, that happened to me last week. CreateWOW had a couple of projects “Pop Up” that HAD TO get done before the week was out. So, being the eternal “people-pleaser” I am, I did my very best to deliver. (Sound familiar?) In a caffeine induced, gel-crackling, bearded blur, I dug in and wrote scripts, created and produced radio and webinar spots, coded, designed and delivered as quickly as I possibly could. Logos. Creative outlines. Proposals. You name it, I was a

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Finding The Face Of Ag Marketing

If you didn’t realize it, AGRICULTURE is big business – not just the growing of plants and livestock production aspects, which luckily has seen an uptick even in the struggling financial economy as of late.  We’re talking the business of being involved in the “Ag” world. Agritourism, Ag education, Ag sciences and others have all seen a huge surge of interest and involvement in the past decade. No longer do we drive through the green fields of Iowa, Nebraska and other Midwest states and just see corn, beans, pigs, cows, more corn, more beans, more pigs…  well, you get our

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We Cured Writer’s Block!

Some days I sit back in my chair and wonder, “Why the heck isn’t anyone posting?” It’s not for a lack of information.  It’s not for a lack of inspiration.  It just falls on that blank page!  It’s too intimidating.  It’s too…  blank; so your mind goes blank. In attempts to alleviate that, I’ve coached my clients to keep a journal, either digitally in EverNote, or the “Old fashioned way” in a notebook, of ideas, snippets, quips or even a doodle that would later inspire a blog post (and I’ve changed “blog post” to “article” for most clients – that’s

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Hands In The Air

This is about as political as I get. Considering the events that have unfolded this week (the “untimely” demise of Osama BinLaden), I found it appropriate to speak up. Whatever side of the isle you sit on or whatever God you pray to, take heed. Look beyond yourself – just for 60 seconds. THEN, go back to what you were doing, knowing that there IS more. May 2, 2011: I watched a riveting documentary on Dr. Martin Luther King last night and felt compelled to talk about committing to something. More importantly, the relentless pursuit of committing to something greater

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Are You Prepared To Create Your Own WOW?

Growth is a positive thing.  I mean growth that produces great things: Business opportunities Professional credibility Community ties Industry stability Economical security ALL good things, right? YES! So why not join the CreateWOW team and grow with us (me)? If you have a desire to join a nimble, progressive marketing and communications company with a drive to change how companies use media, then I want to hear from you. CreateWOWmarketing, LLC has brought on a handful of new clients that will require talent and support from: Public Relations Professionals Media Buyers and Managers Account and Marketing Managers Creatives and Multi-Channel

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*VIDEO* EntreFest 2011 Closes with Great Reviews!

Entrefest was such a HUGE success this year that we just HAD to show the world how much fun we had. The EntreFest program covered workshops and seminars for small to medium sized businesses (SMB) and entrepreneurs covering everything from social media, marketing and search engine optimization to financial structuring for small business, sales and networking. It was a VERY full few days, but we ALL took something valuable away from it.

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The Art of Networking – by Adam Steen at Entrefest 2011

I had the honor of working with the marketing panel and producing media for Entrefest 2011 last week.  We had some spectacular speakers and some break-out sessions on marketing, sales, technology, finances and management for entrepreneurs.  But as always, there were some standout sessions. Adam Steen’s (from 25 Connections) session on Networking was one that got a LOT of positive reactions.  Below, thanks to Adam and the Entrefest crew, we’ have captured and re-posted the session! (sorry for the typing and my loud laughter…  I was right behind the camera and couldn’t resist being involved!)

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