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	<title>CreateWOWmarketing, LLC</title>
	
	<link>http://createwowmarketing.com</link>
	<description>CreateWOWmarketing is a central Iowa based interactive media strategy and brand marketing company, providing our clients with branding, marketing, social media marketing, graphic design, marketing strategy and public relations.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 17:01:17 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>We’re Hiring – CreateWOW Needs YOU!</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Createwowmarketingcom/~3/Yh9KFEdms3k/</link>
		<comments>http://createwowmarketing.com/were-hiring-createwow-needs-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2012 15:25:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>The Brand Chef</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brand Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CreateWOW News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education and Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interactive Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advertising job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andrew B. Clark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Create WOW Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[createwowmarketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[des moines jobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Job offer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jobs Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing intern]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing Teamwork]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thebrandchef]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://createwowmarketing.com/?p=1829</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
      
			
				
			
		
WOW&#8230; We&#8217;re growing again, and it&#8217;s become quite a fun ride for all of us.  While CreateWOWmarketing continues to increase in scale and scope, we&#8217;re challenged daily to maintain the service and quality we have set as a STANDARD for ALL of our clients.  That&#8217;s why we need YOU!
We need the master of the impossible [...]]]></description>
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<p><strong>WOW&#8230;</strong> We&#8217;re growing again, and it&#8217;s become quite a fun ride for all of us.  While CreateWOWmarketing continues to increase in scale and scope, we&#8217;re challenged daily to maintain the service and quality we have set as a STANDARD for ALL of our clients.  <strong>That&#8217;s why we need YOU!</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/job-post-wow-300x266.png"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1831" title="job-post-wow-300x266" src="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/job-post-wow-300x266.png" alt="" width="300" height="266" /></a>We need the master of the impossible -</strong> someone that can handle themselves with multiple account administration for marketing and communications.  If you&#8217;re driven and want experience doing <strong>everything</strong> you see on &#8220;MadMen&#8221; <em>(minus the sex and alcohol and general stupidity)</em>, this is the place to start.  We&#8217;re small. We&#8217;re driven to achieve greatness. We&#8217;re focused on <a href="http://createwowmarketing.com/what-is-this-brand-you-speak-of/"><strong><em>TRUE brand integration</em></strong></a> and marketing that makes sense for our clients &#8230;  and US!</p>
<p><strong>Your duties would include:</strong> <em></em></p>
<ul>
<li>Basic Account administration and traffic coordination &#8211; schedules, data and basically keeping everyone&#8217;s head on straight.</li>
<li>Use of WordPress and WordPress administration</li>
<li>Basic Graphic Design for Print, Web and Interactive <em>(Adobe Creative Suite)</em></li>
<li>Marketing Copy Writing <em>(and proofreading for me, cuz, while I&#8217;m infinitely creative, I&#8217;m a horrible grammarian&#8230;  I just like to use big words&#8230; )</em></li>
<li>Participation in a Team Creative Environment for Client Services &#8211; Creative TEAM TEAM TEAM brainstorming and sharing of credit&#8230; <strong>did I mention <span style="text-decoration: underline;">TEAM</span>?</strong></li>
<li>Client Service &#8211; Meetings and Consulting as needed.</li>
<li>Willingness to <strong>GROW WITH THE COMPANY</strong>!  Stick it out and we&#8217;re going to be <strong>BIG</strong>!</li>
<li>Self motivated. Self directed.</li>
<li><em>(everything and the kitchen sink)</em></li>
</ul>
<p>Is there more?  GOD knows. Right now this is a 3/4 time position, but in a blink of an eye we&#8217;ve seen that change.</p>
<p><strong>Interested in joining a team that values you, your work, your opinion and your time? </strong></p>
<p>Please contact us <strong>TODAY!</strong>  We&#8217;ve picked up a few clients that need your help <strong>NOW!</strong></p>
<p>To apply, you can email us the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>A Good Cover Letter -</strong> PLEASE something you&#8217;ve written within the last 24 hours <em>(boilerplate will promptly be printed and shredded while we dance around singing and baying at the moon)</em></li>
<li><strong>A Current Resume -</strong> Just because this is a <em>&#8220;kinda entry level&#8221;</em> position, that doesn&#8217;t mean we <em>need</em> to know you mowed lawns over the summer to pay for college.  But if you did&#8230;  MAKE IT AN INTERESTING TALE.</li>
<li><strong>An AWESOME Portfolio -</strong> Website is good, but the site better work. PDFs work, too, but PLEASE don&#8217;t plug up our inbox with everything you&#8217;ve ever done. Designs, writing samples and <strong>actual</strong> projects you&#8217;ve done for marketing communications would be ideal &#8211; in any format as long as we can gain access and insight to your style and quality. <em>(we can sniff out ISU, SIMPSON, DRAKE, DMACC, GRANDVIEW and other college class projects from a mile away, so MAKE IT STAND OUT)</em></li>
<li><strong>Finally, A Blog Post -</strong> YES&#8230;  a blog post that WILL be read and evaluated for use in future CreateWOWmarketing and promotions.  Write <em>(video is also acceptable)</em> WHY you love working for CreateWOW.  YES&#8230;  As if <strong>you already have the job</strong>, because if you walk into an interview with the expectations of already having the job offer, then <strong><em>you&#8217;re the go-getter we need</em></strong>.  Make it unique. Do your research. And keep it to 400 words MAXIMUM.  <strong>THIS IS NOT YOUR COVER LETTER!</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Wrap it all up in a pretty bow <em>(figuratively speaking)</em> and send it off to:</p>
<p><a href="mailto:info@createWOWmarketing.com">info@createWOWmarketing.com</a></p>
<p>Or if you&#8217;re old-school, you can mail it to:</p>
<p>CreateWOWmarketing, LLC<br />
c/o The Brand Chef<br />
1533 Linden Street, #100<br />
Des Moines, Iowa 50309</p>
<p><strong>Good Luck!  We&#8217;re excited to welcome you to the team!</strong></p>
<p>If you want more on working at CreateWOW check out these links:</p>
<p><a href="http://createwowmarketing.com/are-you-prepared-to-create-your-own-wow/">http://createwowmarketing.com/are-you-prepared-to-create-your-own-wow/</a><br />
<a href="http://createwowmarketing.com/who-creates-wow/">http://createwowmarketing.com/who-creates-wow/</a><br />
<a href="http://createwowmarketing.com/who-creates-wow/talk-to-the-brand-chef/">http://createwowmarketing.com/who-creates-wow/talk-to-the-brand-chef/</a><br />
<a href="http://createwowmarketing.com/five-web-marketing-questions-you-should-be-asking/">http://createwowmarketing.com/five-web-marketing-questions-you-should-be-asking/</a></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Photography As A Communications Tool</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Createwowmarketingcom/~3/QfWjd0IE9-s/</link>
		<comments>http://createwowmarketing.com/photography-as-a-communications-tool/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 14:51:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>The Brand Chef</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education and Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andrew B. Clark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[createwowmarketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Des Moines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to take better photos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thebrandchef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tips and tricks for photography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://createwowmarketing.com/?p=1816</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
      
			
				
			
		
Have you become victim of the digital world of photography?
On Friday the 5th of May, CreateWOWmarketing presented the following photography in communications deck to the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.  In our presentation, we discussed the use of photography as a STRATEGIC communication tool as well as showed the audience some tips and tricks for [...]]]></description>
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<h2>Have you become victim of the digital world of photography?</h2>
<p>On Friday the 5th of May, CreateWOWmarketing presented the following photography in communications deck to the <a title="Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives" href="http://www.iowarec.org/" target="_blank">Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.</a>  In our presentation, we discussed the use of photography as a <strong>STRATEGIC</strong> communication tool as well as showed the audience some<strong> tips and tricks</strong> for making their photos better &#8211; from better photo <strong>composition</strong> to photography <strong>styles</strong> and <strong>mediums</strong> that would enhance their communications needs. Then we broke out into groups and shot some test photos using some of the styles and techniques mentioned in the presentation.</p>
<p><strong>Overall, it was a great day.</strong> We hope they left the seminar with a new passion for photography and the power of a simple photo.</p>
<p>Here is the deck &#8211; feel free to share it with others in your communications circle, or just take some of the tips and tricks to use for yourself.</p>
<div id="__ss_12831575" style="width: 425px;"><strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a title="WOW - Photography Tips and Techniques PREZO" href="http://www.slideshare.net/TheBrandChef/wow-photography-tips-and-techniques-prezo">WOW &#8211; Photography Tips and Techniques PREZO</a></strong><object id="__sse12831575" width="425" height="355" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="src" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=wowphotography512-120507094351-phpapp02&amp;stripped_title=wow-photography-tips-and-techniques-prezo&amp;userName=TheBrandChef" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed id="__sse12831575" width="425" height="355" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=wowphotography512-120507094351-phpapp02&amp;stripped_title=wow-photography-tips-and-techniques-prezo&amp;userName=TheBrandChef" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/TheBrandChef">CreateWOWmarketing, LLC</a>.</div>
</div>
<p><strong>REMEMBER:</strong> Instagram does NOT make you a good photographer. <img src='http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Keep Cooking,<br />
Andrew B. Clark<br />
The Brand Chef</p>
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		<item>
		<title>What Is This “Brand” You Speak Of…?</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Createwowmarketingcom/~3/GQnUcWEwHtQ/</link>
		<comments>http://createwowmarketing.com/what-is-this-brand-you-speak-of/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:24:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SharonLC</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brand Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CreateWOW News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education and Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interactive Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://createwowmarketing.com/?p=1746</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
      
			
				
			
		
It seems you can&#8217;t swing a dead cat these days without hitting a &#8220;Brand&#8221; expert.
(No cats were harmed in the writing of this blog.)  
Seriously &#8211; type &#8220;branding&#8221; into your search engine and see what pops up!  More than 10 pages of branding blogs and websites.
While there ARE companies who know branding and how it [...]]]></description>
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<h3>It seems you can&#8217;t <strong>swing a dead cat</strong> these days without hitting a <strong>&#8220;Brand&#8221; expert.</strong></h3>
<h6><span style="color: #000000">(No cats were harmed in the writing of this blog.)  </span></h6>
<p><span style="color: #000000">Seriously &#8211; type &#8220;branding&#8221; into your search engine and see what pops up!  <strong>More than 10 pages</strong> of branding blogs and websites.</span></p>
<p>While <strong>there ARE companies</strong> who <strong>know branding</strong> and how it works, there <strong>are also</strong> companies who just use a lot of <strong>big words</strong> and <strong>involved formulas</strong> to make them sound like they know what they&#8217;re talking about.  So, how do you weed out <strong>the experts</strong> from the <strong>snake-oil salesmen</strong>?<a href="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/iStock_sleazysalesmanXSmall.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1772" src="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/iStock_sleazysalesmanXSmall-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a></p>
<h3>Let <strong><span style="color: #0000ff">TRUE</span></strong> <span style="color: #0000ff">Branding</span> be your guide.</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">TRUTHFUL</span></strong>  Smoke and mirrors will get your audience&#8217;s attention, but <strong><em>if there&#8217;s no substance</em></strong> behind what you&#8217;ve presented, they&#8217;ll soon <strong>wander off to see the next big show</strong>.  Make sure you aren&#8217;t being encouraged to &#8220;create&#8221; your brand rather than to &#8220;develop&#8221; it.</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">RELEVANT</span></strong>  You wouldn&#8217;t try to kill a <strong>fly</strong> with an <strong>atomic bomb</strong>, right?  Be sure that your marketing efforts are <strong>focused on YOUR potential clients</strong>.</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">UNIQUE</span></strong>  Just as the term <strong>&#8220;branding&#8221;</strong> implies, it&#8217;s what <strong>differentiates YOUR cattle from the next cowboy&#8217;s.</strong>  It isn&#8217;t only about your colors, your &#8220;swoosh&#8221; or your jingle &#8211; it&#8217;s <strong>your personality</strong> that sets you apart.  Find a company that wants to <strong>get to know your business</strong> before making a plan instead of using someone else&#8217;s brand.  <span style="color: #0000ff"><em>What is unique for them may not be unique for you</em></span>.</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">ENGAGING</span></strong>  If you can <strong>create a connection</strong> with your target audience, the rest is gravy.  Why should someone <strong>choose your product or service</strong> over the next guy&#8217;s?  Because they <strong>relate</strong> to you, because they feel <strong>you truly care</strong> about their well-being, because you make them <strong>laugh/cry/think/feel.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Developing your brand is a process not a magic bullet.</h3>
<p>It takes time and insight, but when your <strong>TRUE Brand</strong> starts showing results, it will be <strong>worth the effort!</strong></p>
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		<title>How To Fight The Cost Of “Free” Media</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Createwowmarketingcom/~3/jN72niiHdy8/</link>
		<comments>http://createwowmarketing.com/how-to-fight-the-cost-of-free-media/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:17:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>The Brand Chef</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://createwowmarketing.com/?p=1716</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
      
			
				
			
		
There&#8217; IS a price to &#8220;FREE&#8221; 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&#8217;s worst nightmare. The schedules are hard to plan &#8211; especially in the &#8220;Political&#8221; and &#8220;Sporting&#8221; blitz months. Any positive calendar can be preempted at the [...]]]></description>
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<p><strong>There&#8217; IS a price to &#8220;FREE&#8221; media production; while it may not show on the books, it will show on your brand.</strong></p>
<p>Buying radio or television media production is <strong>every creative&#8217;s worst nightmare.</strong> The schedules are hard to plan &#8211; especially in the &#8220;Political&#8221; and &#8220;Sporting&#8221; blitz months. Any positive calendar can be preempted at the drop of a <strong>very well financed</strong> hat.  Budgeting is often a guessing game and costly without the right media partner or a person at the station <strong>&#8220;going to bat&#8221;</strong> for you. And God forbid if the spots are produced at the station&#8230;   <em>(think all &#8220;As Seen On TV&#8221; Ads)</em>.<a href="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/AsSeenOnTrucker-HAt.png"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1730" title="AsSeenOnTrucker-HAt" src="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/AsSeenOnTrucker-HAt.png" alt="" width="274" height="293" /></a></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s put it this way. Why does virtually every marketing resume <strong>START</strong> with television and radio and newspaper production as the <strong>first job out of college</strong> and <strong>not END</strong> with a long tenure and a mass of accolades? Do you want your company&#8217;s <strong>public brand perception</strong> in the hands of 20-year-old-Timmy-Something right out of the local community college and chomping at the bit to try the newest <strong>puke-inducing filter</strong> he discovered in <a title="Final Cut Express" href="http://www.macworld.com/product/413377/apple_final_cut_express_4.html" target="_blank">Final Cut Express</a> last night?</p>
<p><strong>Cue lens flair and glow effect&#8230;  *gag*</strong></p>
<p>While CreateWOW manages a lot of social media marketing as well as traditional advertising and production, a majority of our clients leave final scheduling, video and audio production up to the stations. <strong>We have warned against this practice</strong>, but often times, with small businesses come smaller budgets. With that, most stations will produce a spot <em>&#8220;at no cost&#8221;</em> just to sell the air time, <strong>so WHY NOT</strong>, right? While the creative may be strong and the client loves the direction, once they&#8217;re produced by &#8220;KXYZ&#8217;s&#8221; latest <strong>video phenom</strong>, they tend to lose their appeal.</p>
<h1>We call that &#8220;A lesson learned in &#8216;You Get what You Pay for&#8230;&#8217;&#8221;</h1>
<p>Here are five simple tips to <strong>fight the cost of &#8220;Free&#8221; media:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Show them the brand map.</strong> Provide <strong>EXPLICIT</strong> guidelines for use of your client&#8217;s brand including what to do and specifically what <strong>NOT</strong> to do.</li>
<li><strong>Hand them a FINISHED creative plan.</strong> Make sure your video script (or audio or print ad) contains all visual cues and language that would <strong>best</strong> represent your client&#8217;s brand <strong>BEFORE</strong> sending it to production and do not allow for post editing or deviation. If you leave ANY room for interpretation, <strong>you have failed!</strong></li>
<li><strong>Proof&#8230;  Proof&#8230; Proof&#8230; </strong> NEVER let something go to final production without a signed approval <strong>from you AND the client.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Be fearless in the face of bad production</strong>. When it comes to protecting your client&#8217;s public brand perception, you fight until the last drip of ink flows from your little red pen. NEVER let a mistake get through. NEVER let quality lapse &#8211; <strong>not for a second.</strong></li>
<li><strong>When in doubt, refuse their crap and do it yourself. </strong>While not an ideal solution, if you have the technology and the time, eat the cost and produce a spot (or spots) that will benefit the client.<strong></strong></li>
</ol>
<h1>How We Fought For The Client&#8217;s Brand And Won</h1>
<p>The following spots are a result of CreateWOW opting for #5 above. Again, while this is not the ideal solution, what we were being presented by local production departments for both radio and television were &#8230; well&#8230; offensive.</p>
<p>By doing the spots ourselves, CreateWOW was able to maintain brand consistency throughout the spots and platforms by:</p>
<ul>
<li>Properly presenting the client&#8217;s logo mark and contact information</li>
<li>Using the client&#8217;s jingle in lieu of the station&#8217;s choices of music (each station gave us a uniquely horrendous ditty&#8230;  while they had, in-house, the approved jingle for the client!)</li>
<li>Created a consistent campaign tie-in with the visuals of the <a title="Click here to see the Valentines Day APP promotion fro Boesen the Florist" href="http://flowersdesmoines.com/win-the-boesen-the-florist-valentines-day-getaway/" target="_blank">Valentines Day APP promotion</a> we have been running on the clients blog</li>
<li>Created a visual spots that could easily be translated to radio at no additional cost in time or cash&#8230;</li>
</ul>
<p>While the stations each provided their &#8220;interpretations&#8221; of our creative, it was finally CreateWOW&#8217;s responsibility to tell the client&#8217;s story. <strong><em>(By the way, the stations all proposed ONE spot&#8230;  we did FIVE!)</em></strong></p>
<h1>Valentines Day Spot 5<br />
<object width="640" height="480" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/er56XTDWFNE?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="640" height="480" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/er56XTDWFNE?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></h1>
<hr />
<h1>Valentines Day Spot 4</h1>
<p><object width="640" height="480" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6pQlmI1jPmA?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="640" height="480" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6pQlmI1jPmA?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<hr />
<h1>Valentines Day Spot 3</h1>
<p><object width="640" height="480" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/07eYgO680Hg?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="640" height="480" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/07eYgO680Hg?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<hr />
<h1>Valentines Day Spot 2</h1>
<p><object width="640" height="480" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cjnnqBvp53A?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="640" height="480" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cjnnqBvp53A?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<hr />
<h1>Valentines Day Spot 1</h1>
<p><object width="640" height="480" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z40xHLhLwYg?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="640" height="480" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z40xHLhLwYg?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" /></object></p>
<p>With that, we thank you and our clients for letting us go to battle for <strong>good branding, good marketing, good communications and good production.</strong></p>
<p>This is what we love.</p>
<h2>How do YOU fight the cost of &#8220;FREE&#8221; media? We&#8217;d love to hear your story.</h2>
<p>Until next time&#8230;</p>
<p>Keep Cooking!<br />
Andrew B. Clark<br />
The Brand Chef</p>
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		<title>Measuring Social Media Marketing &amp; E-Commerce</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Createwowmarketingcom/~3/IYPPsAgSHbA/</link>
		<comments>http://createwowmarketing.com/measuring-social-media-marketing-e-commerce/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:48:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>The Brand Chef</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://createwowmarketing.com/?p=1669</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
      
			
				
			
		
HEY, social media marketers, are you doing your job? How do you measure the effectiveness of your services to your clients? Hours billed vs. profit gained? Sure, but measuring ROI is often a tricky game. Do you take the client&#8217;s sales reports and compare them to the activity you&#8217;ve (hopefully) documented for every campaign, or [...]]]></description>
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<p><strong>HEY, social media marketers, are you doing your job?</strong> How do you measure the effectiveness of your services to your clients? <strong>Hours billed vs. profit gained?</strong> Sure, but measuring <strong>ROI</strong> is often a tricky game. Do you take the client&#8217;s sales reports and compare them to the activity you&#8217;ve <em>(hopefully)</em> documented for every campaign, or do you have a <strong>tracking mechanism that works</strong> within their e-commerce workflow?</p>
<h1>Measurement is Important</h1>
<p>All of the above questions are those that should be asked when embarking on a serious social media marketing campaign. Unfortunately, many clients have yet to understand <strong>how to ask that question</strong> when it comes to accurately partnering with social media marketing (SMM) companies / consultants. Without actual <strong>conversion measurement,</strong> how do you &#8211; how does the client &#8211; know that there is <strong>actual gain on the investment</strong> (ROI)?</p>
<p>The formula is simple&#8230;</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1670" title="Social-Media-MArketing-Measurement" src="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Social-Media-MArketing-Measurement.png" alt="" width="473" height="157" /></p>
<ol>
<li>Cooperatively, you and the client decide the target / goals for the campaign.</li>
<li>The client commits to a budget that will allow for the campaign to be realized.</li>
<li>You invest your time, materials and intellectual property into developing and executing the campaign.</li>
<li>Cooperatively, you and the client evaluate the gain vs. the cost of the campaign.</li>
<li>This all results the actual return on the client&#8217;s investment(ROI) into the campaign.</li>
</ol>
<h3> SIMPLE!</h3>
<h1>Create Measurable Social Media Marketing Campaigns</h1>
<p>When we pitch a client a social media marketing campaign, we <strong>assure them</strong> that all activities, all action taken on behalf of <strong>driving SALES</strong> to the customer&#8217;s website will be <strong>measured</strong> and, thus, <strong>reported</strong> for success<em> (or failure)</em>. One simple technique that we use at CreateWOW is taking full advantage of <a title="Google Analytics E-Commerce Reporting" href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/analytics/features.html" target="_blank">Google Analytics&#8217; e-Ccommerce reporting.</a> It&#8217;s <strong>simple</strong> to engage and <strong>spectacular</strong> for tracking sales conversions.</p>
<p>At a base level, Google Analytics is a great tool and should be used by ANY marketing campaign. If the analytics illustrate an increase in traffic during a specific campaign window, Great! You made more people go to the website, but what a truly measurable marketing campaign needs is the<strong> MEASUREMENT OF CONVERSIONS</strong> to sales (or subscriptions, appointments, whatever the end goal may be).</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1672" title="e-commerce-tracking" src="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/e-commerce-tracking.png" alt="" width="430" height="377" />To the right you can see a snapshot of an analytics chart that we supplied to our client after a VERY successful campaign. As the chart illustrates quite dynamically (I Love Charts) the campaign we developed to drive sales just before Christmas was a monster success.  The numbers even surprised us ab it, but as you can see, the sales conversion form December 11th took a <strong>HUGE leap to 27.58% conversion</strong> versus an average of 5% to 8% the previous year.</p>
<p>Simply stated, we were able to go back to the client and say,</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Because of your social media marketing efforts, on the 11th of December, you experienced a <strong>500%+ increase in e-commerce conversions</strong> over last year.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<h1> Guessing in Social Media Marketing Is Over</h1>
<p>As an entrepreneur or business owner, would you EVER invest on a venture that &#8220;Should, Might, Can,&#8221; or any other passive measurement scale your bottom line?<strong> I think not.</strong></p>
<p>As social media marketers, the use of these tools is imperative. Being able to defend your work, support your client and drive your collaborative success is the ONLY way to stay in the game.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>So, with that, I close with a <strong>Happy New Year.  And here&#8217;s to a measurably improved 2012!</strong></p>
<p>Keep Cooking!<br />
Andrew B. Clark<br />
The Brand Chef</p>
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		<title>Social Reputation Management – SHOULD You?</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:05:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>The Brand Chef</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education and Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andrew B. Clark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brand management]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[The Brand Chef]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://createwowmarketing.com/?p=1662</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
      
			
				
			
		
When it comes to SOCIAL media, I&#8217;m often asked by customers and peers alike &#8220;What can I do to really manage my brand&#8217;s reputation through social media?&#8221;
(Yes, somewhat a redundant question, but I&#8217;ll get to that in another post&#8230;)

Well, a lot of that answer depends on the circumstances in which your &#8220;reputation&#8221; finds itself.  In [...]]]></description>
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<p>When it comes to SOCIAL media, I&#8217;m often asked by customers and peers alike <em>&#8220;What can I do to really manage my brand&#8217;s reputation through social media?&#8221;</em></p>
<p>(Yes, somewhat a redundant question, but I&#8217;ll get to that in another post&#8230;<em>)<br />
</em></p>
<p><a title="who creates wow?" href="http://createwowmarketing.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cold-gazpacho.png" alt="My Gazpacho Is Cold!" width="349" height="334" align="right" /></a>Well, a lot of that answer <strong>depends on the circumstances</strong> in which your &#8220;reputation&#8221; finds itself.  In the case below, I had a conversation about a peer&#8217;s client wanting <em>&#8220;Edit&#8221;</em> reviews on <a title="FourSquare" href="https://foursquare.com/v/createwowmarketing-llc/4db87f04fa8c978590ba4635" target="_blank">FourSquare</a>&#8230; <em>Hmmmmm</em></p>
<p>As always, I try to keep my advice<a title="Above The Line Link" href="http://abovethelineamerica.com" target="_blank"><em> &#8220;Above The Line&#8221;</em></a> and beneficial to all parties, but the implications of what the client wanted to do seemed pretty drastic&#8230;</p>
<p>This is how it all went down:</p>
<p><strong>Original Email:</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>Andrew:<br />
Have to ask you a question. I just had a client tell me that if you “claim” your location on Foursquare, you can remove unsavory reviews from a user…has something changed that you know of with Foursquare that enables that function? I “claim” the location and can manage all the check-in specials, but certainly can’t access that edit function at all.</p>
<p>What the hell?</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>My &#8220;PC&#8221; Response:</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>No, you&#8217;re not crazy&#8230;  at least when it comes to the whole FourSquare thing&#8230;  <img src='http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>From what I can tell, you can add / edit campaigns and specials and even add comments and &#8220;to Do&#8221; items on Foursquare, but to edit or delete negative comments on your account would be &#8230;  well &#8230;  unsavory in itself&#8230;  I don&#8217;t know of any geo location marketing service (DexKnows, YellowBook, etc.) that will allow the editing or deletion of submitted content by users.</p>
<p>I advise clients to respond to any possible negative comments with a positive clarification of details or an offer to make amends. Once that has been done, ask the critic to append or add a new review stating &#8220;All is good in the world.&#8221; If the request goes un answered, at least future viewers will see that the client made an effort to serve the customer (if it is a customer) in a positive way.</p>
<p>Such is the life of SOCIAL media marketing.  <img src='http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>&#8230;Mind if I use this email as a post / case study in my blog?</p></blockquote>
<p><em>Of course, she approved&#8230;</em></p>
<p>Ethical business practices aside, if you COULD go in and censor posts about your company, would you in favor of better reviews? Certainly the desire is there, but what happens when &#8220;Disgruntled customer X&#8221; sees his comment was deleted?  Would you be in line for a hailstorm of negativity then? Where would it stop?</p>
<p><a title="shameless plug for create wow marketing" href="http://createwowmarketing.com" target="_blank">Where I work (shameless plug)</a>, we use an array of Social Media Monitoring tools to assure our clients that they are being kept &#8220;On Top Of&#8221; any brand mentions, discussions, tweets, articles, etc&#8230; but when it comes to managing those remarks, where is the line drawn?</p>
<p>So, what do you do to help clients manage their brands and reputations in social media?</p>
<p>Food for thought&#8230;</p>
<p>Keep Cooking,<br />
Andrew B. Clark<br />
The Brand Chef</p>
<p><em>(originally posted 12/28/11 on <a href="http://thebrandchef.tumblr.com" target="_blank">http://thebrandchef.tumblr.com</a>)</em></p>
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		<title>Which Wall Displays YOUR Holiday Cheer?</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:30:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>The Brand Chef</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://createwowmarketing.com/?p=1647</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[      
      
			
				
			
		
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 [...]]]></description>
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<p><strong>SO, the Holiday season is in full swing.</strong> The joy and laughter around the office tends to get a little <strong>bigger</strong>. The warmth of the coffee tends to feel a little <strong>cozier</strong> and the casual feeling of <strong>family</strong> creeps into the sometime stodgy business environment.</p>
<p>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 <em>(some earlier for you holiday addicts)</em>. Once a year, <strong>the only time mail is taped, pinned, stuck to the wall or posted on the front desk for all to see.</strong></p>
<p><strong><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1650" title="christmas-cheer" src="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/christmas-cheer.jpg" alt="" width="331" height="293" />This year is a special one for me.</strong> This is the first year that <strong>CreateWOW actually has a &#8220;Front Desk&#8221;</strong> to speak of. Sure, holiday cards arrived in the past, but pulling them out of a P.O. box to take to my home office just didn&#8217;t feel the same. This year, I watch. I listen for the mail slot to clank open <strong>like I&#8217;m waiting for the winning lottery numbers</strong> to be called. And there they are. Cards from customers, vendors, friends and neighbors alike flooding through the door like a gush of Christmas cheer.</p>
<p>This year, though, I&#8217;ve seen <strong>a dip in traditional &#8220;Snail Mail&#8221;</strong> deliveries for digital deliveries of cheer. Email or Facebook Posts from friends saying <em>&#8220;Merry Christmas, hope to see you soon,&#8221;</em> or Tweets <em>(yes, Tweets)</em> saying <strong>&#8220;Have a great Xmas!&#8221;</strong> &#8212; short enough to add a custom shortened URL link to a landing page with a stock holiday greeting on it… <strong>WHAT?</strong></p>
<p><strong>What happened to the art of handwriting a holiday greeting?</strong> Has time become such a commodity these days that pulling out a pen and simply signing your name has become too tiresome? When I get holiday greetings over social media channels, I feel like they just noticed I was online so they just remembered to mention it to me like:</p>
<h3><em><strong> &#8220;Hey, nice tie!&#8221;</strong></em></h3>
<p>Maybe I&#8217;m a little old fashioned. Maybe I&#8217;m just old. Who knows? But when it comes to sending a greeting for the holidays I&#8217;d like to have something to hold on to.<strong> A card is perfect.</strong> Of course, they will be lost and / or forgotten after a few weeks, but for the season, <strong>the cards that I put on my wall don&#8217;t disappear with every following post or Tweet.</strong></p>
<p><strong>How about you? Which wall do you want to display YOUR holiday cheer on?</strong></p>
<p>Happy Holidays! From The Brand Chef and everyone at CreateWOWmarketing.</p>
<p>Now you can print this off and tape it to your wall… Or maybe we actually sent you a card?</p>
<p>Keep Cooking<br />
Andrew B. Clark<br />
The Brand Chef</p>
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		<title>Social Media: Efficiency Tool or Necessary Evil?</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:27:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>SharonLC</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[      
      
			
				
			
		
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 [...]]]></description>
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<h3><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Social Media.</strong></span></h3>
<p>It’s everywhere – our <strong>computers</strong>, our <strong>phones</strong>, our <strong>video game</strong> consoles.  We hear the phrase in <strong>television</strong> shows and <strong>commercials</strong>.  You see the <strong>logos</strong> in shop windows encouraging you to <strong>“Like us on Facebook!”</strong> or <strong>“Follow us on Twitter!”</strong>  Most of us <strong>DO</strong>, too.  Just trying to keep a <strong>finger on the pulse</strong> of the world around us, afraid of <strong>missing out</strong> on something.<img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1628" src="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/handshake.jpg" alt="" width="278" height="217" /></p>
<p>How do <strong>YOU</strong> use your social media outlets?  Is it for <strong>business and marketing</strong>?  Do you strictly use Facebook and Twitter to <strong>connect with potential clients/customers</strong>?  Is it a <strong>platform</strong> for your political/religious views or just for <strong>keeping in touch</strong> with old <strong>schoolmates and family</strong> on the other side of the country?</p>
<h2><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>No matter</strong> what your <strong>preferred use</strong> of the medium is, here are <strong>two sides</strong> to the <strong>Social Media</strong> coin:</span></h2>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #ff6600;">On the <strong>one side</strong>,</span> it is an <strong>amazing tool</strong> to <strong>save time</strong> and cover great <strong>distances</strong> to bond with people.  We are always<strong> on the move</strong> – to<strong> work</strong>, taking kids to <strong>activities</strong>, running <strong>errands</strong>.  Trying to <strong>coordinate</strong> a time to sit and <strong>catch up on the phone</strong> with Uncle Harry for half an hour can be a <strong>logistical nightmare</strong>.  But, through the <strong>magical world of technology</strong>, you have many options to <strong>find out what’s going on</strong> in his world.  For<strong> immediate questions</strong> such as “Will you be in town this weekend?” you can shoot him a <strong>quick text</strong>.  To <strong>fill Uncle Harry in</strong> on what the kids are up to and to <strong>ask </strong>a string of “How are you?” <strong>questions</strong> while they&#8217;re on the top of your head, an <strong>email message</strong> may work best.  Or, through <strong>Twitter</strong> and/or<strong> Facebook</strong>, you can just <strong>follow</strong> his daily <strong>check-ins and status updates and random tweets</strong> to know just <strong>what’s going on</strong> in his head.  You can <strong>coordinate a dinner</strong> or get-together with <strong>several</strong> family members <strong>at once</strong>, without the <strong>hassle of calling</strong> <strong>Joe</strong> to set a time that works for him, then calling Betsy to then be told that day doesn’t work for her so you <strong>have to call Joe again</strong>, and so on.  One series of <strong>group emails</strong> puts it all out there <strong>at once</strong> with no time-consuming back and forth.  <strong>Easy, efficient, connected</strong>.  It <strong>applies</strong> similarly to <strong>business dealings</strong>.  Several people from <strong>different offices</strong> working on a project together can be <strong>hard to manage</strong>.  Online <strong>chat</strong> or a group <strong>email</strong> or an <strong>event page</strong> where notes and ideas can be shared can be an <strong>efficient</strong> means to an end.</li>
<li><span style="color: #ff6600;">On the <strong>flip side</strong>,</span> is <strong>THIS</strong> sentiment, overheard in conversation – “This <strong>social media</strong> sh** is <strong>ruining families</strong> and I’m done with it!”  Social media takes a lot of the <strong>face-to-face interaction out of communication</strong>.  How many of us <strong>text our kids</strong>, <strong>check</strong> our Facebook or Twitter <strong>accounts</strong> during <strong>dinner</strong>, <strong>forego the weekly phone call</strong> with an out-of-town sister/brother/father/mother/cousin in lieu of status updates?  We <strong>send emails</strong> to our friends and business associates, <strong>declaring</strong> that we HAVE to <strong>get together soon</strong> for lunch/drinks/dinner <strong>without</strong> actually <strong>solidifying plans</strong> and penciling them in for that <strong>elusive “someday”</strong>.  We feel we know <strong>what’s going on</strong> with our siblings and friends because we see what they <strong>post online</strong> when, in reality, we KNOW <strong>they aren’t</strong> really <strong>posting</strong> their <strong>REAL</strong> struggles and feelings.  Social Media puts up a <strong>barrier</strong> to actual human <strong>contact</strong>, turning our <strong>family into acquaintances</strong> who we don’t share our real lives with.  We <strong>lose that honest connection</strong> with a client by keeping a <strong>distance</strong>.  You know the name and maybe the face, but there&#8217;s <strong>no real relationship</strong> and, hence, <strong>no real reason for loyalty</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Personally, <strong>I can see both</strong> views.  I agree – to an extent – with all of it.  I am <strong>guilty</strong> of using my Social Media venues to <strong>stay on the sidelines</strong> of my sisters’ lives, <strong>being involved without actually being INVOLVED</strong>.   I also admit to <strong>loving</strong> the “party-line” <strong>convenience</strong> &#8211; in fact, Facebook was <strong>ESSENTIAL</strong> to the coordination of my 20-year High School Reunion!</p>
<p>I&#8217;m <strong>not saying</strong> <strong>one side</strong> or the other is <strong>right</strong>.  I&#8217;m certainly <strong>not condemning</strong> Social Media venues <strong>nor</strong> am I <strong>extolling their virtues</strong>.  But I AM <span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>curious</strong> about <strong>YOUR feelings</strong></span> on the matter.  So <strong>what is it</strong>: An amazing, <strong>time-saving tool</strong> to keep in touch with everyone at once?  Or a <strong>necessary evil</strong> that has pervaded every aspect of our lives, <strong>eroding</strong> the need for <strong>human contact</strong>?</p>
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		<title>5 Tips On Writing Blog Posts To Increase Traffic</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:11:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>The Brand Chef</dc:creator>
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I&#8217;m often asked by clients and peers, &#8220;How do I (we) increase my site traffic? How do I (we) get more people to read the blog?&#8221; Well, it&#8217;s a matter of targeted marketing, brand consistency and good writing.  All of which even the BEST writers, marketers and bloggers struggle with on EVERY post.  But once [...]]]></description>
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<p>I&#8217;m often asked by clients and peers, &#8220;How do I (we) increase my site traffic? How do I (we) get more people to read the blog?&#8221; Well, it&#8217;s a matter of targeted marketing, brand consistency and good writing.  All of which even the BEST writers, marketers and bloggers struggle with on EVERY post.  But once a successful post formula is found, it&#8217;s like crack. You want, no, NEED to do it over and over again until your eyeballs rollback in your head and you fall to the ground in crippling ecstasy&#8230;</p>
<p>Okay, maybe not that far, but it&#8217;s close. <img src='http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<h2><a href="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/pencil-tip.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1591" title="pencil-tip" src="http://createwowmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/pencil-tip.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="360" /></a>So, how do you write blog posts that increase traffic?</h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>Fill The Tank Before You Travel:</strong> Or in clearer terms, read before you write. You are the master of your blog, but once you&#8217;re topic and professional and personal point of view has been documented, what do you do? Just like a car, you need to fuel it to keep moving. Reading about your industry, target audience and related segments will help <strong>keep that tank full</strong> and diversify the content you develop, making it easier to <strong>write on demand</strong> and create a broader interest in your content.</li>
<li><strong>Write Regularly &#8211; Post Often:</strong> We all know the phrase &#8220;Practice Makes Perfect.&#8221; Well, it pertains to blog writing as well. When I suggest to write regularly and post often, that means <strong>practice your writing &#8211; not post-by-post, but day-by-day</strong>. If you write every day <strong>about your subject and to your audience</strong>, only posting the best of the bunch on a regular schedule (weekly, daily, etc), your writing skills WILL improve and the enjoyment of reading your posts will increase.</li>
<li><strong>Write With SEO Strategy:</strong> This is a tricky topic. SEO. Writing for SEO and creating content that is keyword rich is often difficult. Writing for SEO is not peppering &#8220;keyword this and keyword that&#8221; into the posts. <strong>1) you still want the post to be readable</strong> and, <strong>2) search engines look for keywords and phrases relevant to your site in MANY places other than your post.</strong> It&#8217;s best to be coached or have an SEO strategy in place <strong>before</strong> you start writing. If you write focused on SEO, it does become easier, but the strategy is better left to the professionals.</li>
<li><strong> Write To ALL Of Your Readers:</strong> When you&#8217;re writing, assume that those that will be reading your posts have NO IDEA what you&#8217;re talking about. Sure, <strong>you know your business</strong> and industry inside and out, but if you want to be able to really engage with those that will buy your service / product, you need to write at a level THEY will understand and be comfortable reading. <strong>Try it this way:</strong> Pick your most industry savvy client and write a paragraph about your service directly to them. THEN, read it aloud to your children. If they tilt their heads like a dog hearing a whistle, then you may need to rewrite.<strong> If they say, &#8220;I get it.&#8221; You&#8217;re gold.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Toot Your Blog Horn:</strong> Social media has destroyed the modest mastermind and created monsters of meme, but that doesn&#8217;t mean that you shouldn&#8217;t let people know that you&#8217;re trying to speak to them. On the contrary, if your content is meaningful, if your content is engaging, if your content is valuable, <strong>SHARE IT!</strong> The opportunities to submit your feed or link to any number of industry-specific outposts is endless. Whether you post it to your Facebook Page, or Tweet it, or even syndicate it to Newswire services; make sure you tell anyone and everyone how to find you.</li>
</ol>
<p>Before all of my &#8220;Social Media Guru&#8221; friends get all up-in-arms about promising higher traffic and better ROI on a blog, I have to offer one caveat. The tips I&#8217;m offering above are <strong>general at best.</strong> If your website, and therefore its content is <strong>brand-driven, with a strategically developed content schedule and focus,</strong> then these tips will simply augment the work you&#8217;ve put in. this is how I as <a title="TheBrandChef.com" href="http://thebrandchef.com" target="_blank">The Brand Chef</a> and CreateWOWmarketing have seen measurable increases in traffic. When applied strategically, they WILL show results. But testing and editing your strategy is the best advice!</p>
<p>Food for thought&#8230;</p>
<p>Keep Cooking, (and cooking&#8230; and cooking&#8230;)<br />
Andrew B. Clark<br />
The Brand Chef</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>The 8 D’s Of Successful Marketing</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:28:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>The Brand Chef</dc:creator>
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If I include my college internship, this September {was} my 21st year working in, on and around marketing. I’ve seen some successful campaigns. I’ve seen some pitiful campaigns. Fortunately, I’ve learned something from them all, but the most important thing I’ve learned is how to tell them apart. (Trust me, some can’t…)
So what IS the [...]]]></description>
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<p>If I include my college internship, this September {was} <strong>my 21st year</strong> working in, on and around marketing. I’ve seen some <strong>successful</strong> campaigns. I’ve seen some <strong>pitiful</strong> campaigns. Fortunately, <strong>I’ve learned something from them all</strong>, but the most important thing I’ve learned is how to tell them apart. <em>(Trust me, some can’t…)</em></p>
<p>So what IS the difference between a successful and a pitiful marketing campaign? <strong> STRATEGY</strong>.</p>
<h3><img class="size-medium wp-image-2967 alignright" title="FEELING_LUCKY" src="http://thebrandchef.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/FEELING_LUCKY-211x300.jpg" alt="" width="211" height="300" />All Marketing Strategy Is Not The Same</h3>
<p>If you <strong>walk through any marketing department or advertising agency</strong>, without a doubt, you’ll see computers, printers, scanners, cameras and all of the nifty <strong>tools</strong> that go along with the production of marketing. But without a strategic process, those tools are <strong>worthless</strong>, as are the people using them.</p>
<p>Some marketing departments and agencies swear by their specific <strong>system</strong>, their standard to which all campaigns must abide. Others are a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of shop that take a <em>“more organic”</em> approach. But all successful marketers and agencies alike understand <strong>strategy is imperative to their success.</strong> Strategies vary, and one agency doesn’t have the corner on the market<em> (no pun intended)</em>, but <strong>marketing without a strategy is just plain ignorant.</strong></p>
<p>So for your ease and my pleasure, I’ve put together <strong>The 8 D’s Of Successful Marketing:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Dream</strong><br />
Contrary to some companies, marketing still requires a little creative forethought. At the onset of a campaign you and the client need to dream, and dream big. Set goals for the campaign and create the passion you hope to have the consumer “buy into.”</li>
<li><strong>Demographics</strong><br />
So many campaigns fail to take full advantage of this step. If you don’t know your target audience, then how do you know where to shoot? Do some research on your product or service to find out how it fits, where it fits and, yes, if it fits within the marketplace.</li>
<li><strong>Develop</strong><br />
Start bringing those dreams along to a logical and executable campaign that can be performed by the marketing team. Narrowing focus and slicing the fat from the creative until all you have left is a laser-focused campaign targeted to the demographics you found in the previous step.</li>
<li><strong>Design</strong><br />
This stage encompasses more than the “look” of the campaign. Design the vehicles and all parts that go into it. From the mailing lists to the website to the logo and packaging, design applies the dream to the product or service.</li>
<li><strong>Disseminate</strong><br />
Get the dream out there. You’ve picked the right idea. You’ve targeted the right audience. Now deliver the dream to them.</li>
<li><strong>Discover</strong><br />
Measure results and response. If that’s analytics or responses to a direct mail or sales; you need to track and discover the strength and weaknesses of the campaign.</li>
<li><strong>Doctor</strong><br />
Based on the discovery stage, make the changes that are necessary to focus the campaign even more. A great idea is to split the campaign into A and B versions for further refinement and testing.</li>
<li><strong>Do-it-again</strong><br />
And again&#8230; and again!</li>
</ol>
<p><em>Put that in the squishy pink blob between your ears. You’ll thank me later.</em></p>
<p>Everyone approaches marketing differently. My approach is different than another marketer’s approach. If 20 years has taught me anything its the truth about successful marketing campaigns. Simply put, <strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">ALL SUCCESSFUL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS START WITH STRATEGY!</span></strong></p>
<p>Where does your marketing start? Is my <strong> 8 D’s of Successful Marketing</strong> similar to your strategy or strategies? What would you change / add / subtract from the eight?</p>
<p>Help me <em>(and others)</em> continue to learn and help create successful marketing.</p>
<p>Keep Cooking! <em>(TRUE strategic marketing decisions)</em><br />
Andrew B. Clark<br />
The Brand Chef</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<address>This post was originally published on <a href="http://thebrandchef.com/2010/07/the-8-d%E2%80%99s-of-successful-marketing/" target="_blank">TheBrandChef.com</a> in June of 2010.</address>
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