OUTdrive

How do you know if your marketing campaign is working? Not all channels are created equally when it comes to reporting. Fortunately, digital marketing avenues such as Search Engine Marketing (SEM), offer the value of predictive analytics and effective reach. In the first episode of a two-part podcast series, I sit down with Steve Kroll, President of Granular, to discuss his lifelong exposure to and the power of online relevancy.

Tune in to this podcast for a deeper understanding of why getting your SEO and SEM strategy on the right track is paramount for the success of your digital marketing campaigns and online presence.

What you'll learn:

• Steve's background growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and where his passion for digital and online business started
• Details behind Steve's first job as an intern with a digital marketing agency in the early 2000s
• How Steve's family, support system, and early job exposure provided the perfect launch pad for his career
• An overview of Granular and the digital advertising space Steve's team specializes in
• The predictability of search engine marketing (SEM) and how important FAQs are in developing an SEM strategy
• Other things businesses can do to make Google reward their site with better placement on the search results page
• A deep dive into the impact of paid search on organic search

At Callis, we take pride in putting together a great marketing team to develop and execute the best insights and strategies for our clients. Part of that comes from finding people with all types of business-related backgrounds, like sales, finance, or communications. Darren Grove, one of our account executives, is a prime example of that philosophy. Darren brings years of sales experience and high-level business education to our team. In this episode, Cliff and Darren cover a lot of ground on what makes a great sales, business, and marketing professional.

What you'll learn:

• Darren's rural American background, growing up in both Minnesota and Alaska, and how that exposure led him to pursue a degree in aeronautics
• Darren's enjoyment of flying drones and some recent examples of where he has been able to utilize his aviation skills and knowledge
• The strategies and paradigm shifts Darren saw throughout the course of his sales career
• Why it's important that marketers have a knowledge of business to be successful
• Darren's experience in the medical sales arena and learning how to deliver your pitch to highly educated medical personnel
• How Darren's sales and B2B experience has transferred to marketing and insights from his entrepreneurial education
• Darren's hobbies and interests outside of work and why he prefers the rural American lifestyle

Did you know that Missouri youth involved in agriculture education courses directly contribute to the state's economy? In 2021 alone, Missouri FFA students generated over $58 million dollars of income through their supervised agriculture experience and work-based programs. And, those work experiences are not just farming-based, they are in business, tourism, science, and even marketing. In this episode, Keith Dietzschold outlines the incredible opportunities that ag education programs bring to our high school students and the importance of agriculture literacy in today's world.

Tune in to learn more about the state's agriculture education program and the life lessons Missouri FFA instills in thousands of young agriculturalists every year.

What you'll learn:

• Keith's background and how he got to where he is today with the Missouri Department of Education
• The primary focus of Keith's department of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
• Details and misconceptions behind the Missouri FFA education program and how Keith is striving to educate Missourians about all the other pieces of agriculture outside of farming
• The other organizations involved in ag education in the state of Missouri, from junior high students to young adults
• Where to find more information about Missouri Ag Education and key takeaways from the 2022 Annual Report
• The role the State of Missouri Ag Education has at the Missouri State Fair
• The types of life lessons youth learn while involved in FFA programs, primarily agriculture literacy and comprehension
• What media and strategies Missouri Ag Education programs are using to tell their story and to reach students and adults

Community colleges offer accessible and affordable training and education to a diverse demographic of students. This brings value and economy to the rural communities in which they serve. In this episode, Cliff chats with Dr. Brent Bates, the president of State Fair Community College, to discuss how community colleges should be considered a solution and asset to community challenges and opportunities.

What you'll learn:

• Brent's journey to education and the value of exploring career opportunities
• Why being president of State Fair Community College (SFCC) is Brent's dream job and the vision he has for SFCC
• The community benefits of partnering with a community college in rural areas
• Details behind the development of the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center and other advanced technology education programs at the college
• The career paths available to SFCC students and the advantages that community colleges have over a four-year university
• How the demographics of community colleges tend to fluctuate with the state of the economy
• How the evolution of digital marketing has impacted SFCC's marketing strategy in recent years
• Some of the lessons SFCC learned through the pandemic and the improvements they made to their virtual learning environment

Today's market is lacking in what consumers crave most: authenticity. However, a recent surge in agritourism has many Missouri farmers opening their gates for visitors to buy locally sourced products, support small businesses, learn about agriculture firsthand and enjoy a family-friendly outing. It really doesn't get more authentic than that. In this episode, Missouri State Fair Foundation executive director, Lorin Fahrmeier, discusses personal connections and how brands can reach rural American audiences. Tune in for a deep dive into Missouri farming and agriculture - as a business and lifestyle.

What you'll learn:

• Lorin's background growing up as an in-town farm kid in Marshall, Missouri and her career path to executive director of the Missouri State Fair Foundation
• Details on the Missouri State Fair Foundation and the support it provides to the fair
• Lorin's takeaways from her first Fair as the executive director of the Foundation
• Lorin's description of farm life and why she thinks farmers have to be "serial entrepreneurs"
• Details on Fahrmeier Farms U-Pick, produce market and winery
• The need for marketing strategy to address consumer assumptions and emotions
• Marketing trends in agriculture and the heightened interest in agriculture-related activities

Some people just know how to get the most out of life. They are constantly pursuing a new hobby or interest. They are involved in community boards and organizations. They are always in the know about the next big thing in town, most likely because they were part of the process to establish it. We often refer to them as movers and shakers, and our guest today is one of those people. In this episode, Cliff sits down with Dr. Doug Kiburz, a small-town orthopedic surgeon and true Renaissance Man.

Tune into this episode to learn more about Dr. Kiburz's varied interests, perspectives, and historic community projects.

What you'll learn:

• Doug's background growing up in rural Nebraska and what led him to a career in medicine
• How advancements in technology have impacted hospitals and Doug personally during his years in practice
• Where Doug's inspiration comes from and what he does in his free time (maintaining properties, serving on community boards, hosting foreign exchange students, writing books, traveling and so much more)
• Details behind the Trail's End project in Sedalia, Missouri
• Doug's involvement in the development of "Mentor Town USA" as a pipeline into the school district program that helps prepare youth for their future career path
• The inspiration behind and the details of the Mozark Music Festival in 2024 and the Peace, Love and Halloween concert on October 29, 2022 (www.themozark.com)
• Doug's passion for cycling, specifically high-wheeled cycling on a penny-farthing
• What Doug loves about living in rural America and why he chose to practice in a rural community

Local governments address issues that have an impact on nearly everyone who lives, works or plays within city limits. If you look around rural communities, you'll see that many public servants are our neighbors, co-workers, and local business owners. Unlike federal lawmakers, these individuals actually have skin in the game. For today's episode, Cliff sits down with Andrew Dawson, mayor of Sedalia, to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and projects that lie ahead for Sedalia and communities like it.

Local governments address and balance the needs of both the city and its citizens. Tune into this episode to hear from Sedalia Mayor Andrew Dawson on public servanthood and why you can't approach a public entity with a private sector mindset.

What you'll learn:

• The types of communications and messages that Andrew fields daily as mayor
• What led Andrew into local government and how being a council member helped prepare him for his current role
• The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges that lie ahead of the city in the coming years, including addressing housing and a new sewer plant
• Some of the challenges that come with the role as mayor, from delegating to balancing the needs of the many to the needs of the few
• Opportunities for improved technology or automation in city departments
• The differences in the business approach between the public and private sector
• The City's partnership with the Missouri State Fair, the economic and tourism impact, and what it means to our community

The long-term success of a business hinges on loyalty. Every day, companies are competing for brand loyalty, customer loyalty, and employee loyalty. This might be most evident in the car industry. Purchases are few and far between and a customer usually has their mind made up before they walk in the door. Building loyalty grows from the inside out, and today's guests, Kyle and Kelsey Weymuth, experienced this firsthand growing up in a family-owned business that now boasts over 100 years of service to Central Missouri.

Through a family work culture, community involvement, and strategic marketing, W-K has hit the loyalty trifecta. Tune into this episode to hear how the Weymuth family has stayed up with trends, technology, and the ever-evolving world of consumer buying habits.

What you'll learn:

• Kyle and Kelsey's background growing up in the family business and the different paths they took that led to running W-K
• An overview of the car business and the different types of departments within W-K
• How Kyle and Kelsey divide up their daily responsibilities and how their long-time employees keep things running smoothly
• Details on the organic growth of W-K, the benefits of owning dealerships with different brands, and how the industry is moving toward the direction of consolidation
• The current challenges and trends in the automotive industry
• How W-K positions themselves in front of a rural audience, including details behind W-K's new video podcast series, wkburnouts.com
• What Kyle and Kelsey love about living in rural America

2022 is a significant year for Callis & Associates - it's our 35th Anniversary! Back in January, we started our #CallisTurns35 initiative on our digital and social channels. Every week for the first 35 weeks of 2022, we shared a lesson from each year Callis has been in business and featured a past client or project from that year, as well. It's been a challenge to churn out this content every week, but it's also been a joy looking back on work and memories from the last three and a half decades and we have seen some great engagement from our followers. As we approach our 35th week, we wanted to share a special OUTdrive episode in recognition of this initiative and celebration of 35 years in business.

Tune into this week's solocast to learn more about #CallisTurns35 and grab a couple of key takeaways you can apply to your online and social strategy.

What you'll learn:

• Details behind the #CallisTurns35 initiative
• What Cliff and the Callis staff have enjoyed about creating content for the blog and social media
• Where you can catch up on the last 35 weeks of content, at ecallis.com or on Callis social channels
• Some ideas for how to highlight milestones in your business

We know there can be a lot of complexity surrounding digital marketing, specifically within the topic of Search Engine Optimization. But, when you break it down, SEO can be simplified to crafting the most relevant and accurate answers to your consumer's frequently asked questions. In this episode, agency owner Rogelio Rodriguez gives valuable and simplified insight into digital marketing and how to make it work for your business.

Check out this episode of OUTdrive to get a crash course from Rogelio in SEO, inbound marketing, and trending strategies like message testing and Account-Based Marketing.

What you'll learn:

• How Rogelio's time in the Marine Corps shaped him as a person
• What led Rogelio to online business, SEO and eventually digital marketing
• Some of the ways that companies can take initial sales leads and nurture them into repeat customers
• Rogelio's insight for those looking to start inbound marketing and how to take FAQs and make them advantageous on your website and social media
• A simplified breakdown of SEO and the strategy behind it
• Strategies like message testing and Account Based Marketing, that Rogelio's company has found effective
• Rogelio's perception of rural America and his experience hiring talent from the Midwest