iAmDigital - Marketing. Innovation. Technology.

Don't have a mobile/responsive site yet? Oops, you stuffed up. April 21, 2015 doesn't only mark 81 years that people have been looking for the famous Loch Ness monster , but more importantly for some business',  it marks the end of you site showing up on Google's mobile search. So if you haven't yet come to the 'mobile party' and optimised your website via either a mobile or responsive site, your website will be harder to find on Google than catching a glimpse of Nessy herself! Starting today, Google expanded their use of 'mobile-friendliness' as a ranking signal . This is an attempt to assist users to find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are essentially optimised for their device. They (Google) did give us fair warning on their blog at the start of the year so if you've been caught out, well, you're probably ranking where you should be. Remember this old post from 2012 about where I was pleading wi...

  Isn't it funny how in the online space, the biggest threats typically comes from the most unlikely sources. Coles and Woolworths have been so pre-occupied with holding market share against relatively newcomer Aldi that they may have fallen even further behind, online at least. Cue Kogan Pantry. In a strike of (what initially looks to be) genius, Ruslan Kogan the independent online king of electrical goods, now seems to be moving in on new territory, tackling our pantries! Ok so 'threat' was maybe a little loosely used earlier and though Kogan has promised to offer half price 'pantry' goods in an attempt to save us money at the till, an initial offering of only 600 products isn't really going to do much as far as market share goes. I just love the fact that the likes of Kogan Pantry , Instacart , GroceryRun and co. are managing to shake things up in this space. What does this mean for the industry? Initially, not a great deal, even global gia...

I'm continuously on the look-out for creative ads on YouTube that inspire me not to choose the 'skip ad' option; more so, those that actually get me to click through and be glad I did. New in 2015, SEEK have partnered with Clemenger BBDO (the mob also responsible for MYER's very fresh 2014 ' Find Wonderful ' campaign) to inspire Australians to reflect on their current career and move closer to that, which inspires them. After all, we only spend about 13 years at work...so make it count. Watch the Full SEEK ad The accompanying interactive tool that's been created, displays the key campaign messaging in an interesting way, have a look, it's pretty cool. Launch the SEEK interactive tool It's a tough gig for agencies trying to tailor an already existing ad for YouTube, especially knowing that people typically use those 5 seconds to position their mouse or finger over the 'skip ad' option ready to pounce.  Though this...

image credit: xcluesiv.com Not since Rocky lined up against the Russian, has there been a bigger East vs West battle brewing, as the online retailers Alibaba and Amazon get ready to do battle. One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be exciting for consumers and investors alike. Based on my recent dealings with Alibaba , they need a serious boost in their communication with clients, to be in the same league as the American giant. So far, the score for me, is 6 – 1 in favour of  Amazon  (it's a soccer/football reference, so 5 goals is a fair drubbing). It will be interesting to see where Alibaba invests, as it moves into a stage of hyperactivity of acquisition. Looking merely at the IPO or potential profits, you might be quick to side with the newcomer, but don't be fooled, to get ahead of Amazon , Alibaba will have to make some changes. Have you tried buying something from Alibaba ...eek! What I believe it will come down to for the two juggernauts: 1. Custome...

In my opinion, educating people about your brand and value proposition at every stage of the marketing experience/funnel, is just as important as conversion, in fact more so. Many B2B and even B2C marketers however, struggle to see past the ' what does this mean for sales'  angle, which is of course the easier measurable to side with. The Funnel In essence 'the funnel' is about: marketing, automation, lead management, demand generation and lastly sales. TOP Attract - to draw potential customers towards you Increased brand awareness Targeted display / banner adverting Delivery of messaging and value proposition (VP) Drive website traffic Educate (brand & VP) MIDDLE Engage & Nurture - a series of communications to help the person know, like, follow and trust you: Drive content engagement Social advertising Boost form conversions & harvesting relevant details Increasing page views & visits Educate (brand & VP) ...

As most of you already know, being good at social media isn’t about making sure you post to every network you dabble in. The timeliness of the response is essential, more so the ability or patience to hold off on the hard sell. In fact, here’s a quick rule for you to follow if you’re unsure on whether to post it or not. Can you actually picture the exact type of person the post will be of interest to? No? Well, stop spamming my feed and don’t post it! Being a genuine ‘peoples person’ is all that’s required to be a social media superhero. Below are the 10 superpowers of the greatest social media marketers, above all though, be engaging, educational and entertaining.

There's something about being entirely responsible for the life of a baby, that makes you do the job well...completely. I recently attended a range of birthing classes. Other than these classes being completely frightening and teaching you how to best look after your baby, they teach you how to take care of another baby…your brand. Ask the right questions Something that all marketers and parents alike must learn to do, is ask the right questions. The parental class kicked off with the acronym B.R.A.I.N. This acronym can be applied to any campaign and/or new technology under consideration (as well as holding you in good stead, when your partner is in labour). Once you have established the objective and budget, remember B.R.A.I.N ! B – Benefits : What are the benefits to the brand or department? This is normally a snug fit around the objective(s), which should remain front of mind at all times. R – Risks : What risks or potential disadvantages may be invo...

So everyone thinks they have good email etiquette, but by jeez aren't there just too many emails flying around with no consideration given to etiquette! So what exactly is email etiquette? In its simplest form, email etiquette is basically how we conduct ourselves via email. How to exercise good email etiquette Exercising good email etiquette is actually pretty simple. 1. Be nice! If you think you’re not going to be, write it up, save it and consider sending it in an hour or at a later date, when you have calmed down. 2. Add a greeting Always use a greeting, Hi, Hello, Hey, etc. unless you intentionally intend on being rude in which case, simply state the person’s name. I hate it when people do that, sadly it's done too often and even worse, it’s these people who think they have good email etiquette. Being succinct is just as important as being as detailed as required. Some people take this too far by leaving not only the greeting off, but the person’s nam...

Having now been in digital marketing for over 10 years, I've been asked many questions from graduates and people wanting to kick off their career in the digital industry; none more pressing or prominent then " Where should I work, on the agency side or the client side?" What do you want? In order to find your answer, you really do need to outline your career objectives, not the type of objectives you might put in a resumé, but your 'real' career objectives: salary experience working for a desired brand making a difference shaping a brand's online presence building a portfolio, etc. Be under no illusions, if you want all of the above, you will have to build a solid foundation with one primary objective (albeit more of a 'must do'), work hard and work smart. I've worked for both a digital agency for a few years, as well as within marketing teams on the client side, and I can positively tell you that you would be best se...

To qualify for this party all you have to do is this: At you company, simply think mobile first ! By doing this, you won't only get an invite; mobile will be your best friend! So come along - there's room for all. Not only is our mobile experience getting better and more engaging; our lives are getting better and more engaging. Mobile makes us international Being a global citizen doesn't only mean our business' gets more exposure, but our personal lives do to! Last night I skyped a family member in Europe who was celebrating her birthday just before I headed out to dinner. Returning back home I jumped on Facebook and saw a few pics from the birthday lunch with all the family. I have never been so close to family overseas, especially considering , we only see each other every few years. It's no different in business really, though there is still a slight preference for services to be delivered locally, when dealing with products, it's fair game whe...

Digital marketers and online specialists around the world (including yours truly) will talk about having an online presence, but you and me both know that you need to have more than just a presence. What you do with your online presence is reflective of your brand and the way you earn customer loyalty, regardless of whether you’re a B2C or B2B organisation. How loyal your customer is, is actually based on something quite simple, how your brand is perceived online and exactly what you’re offering. Remember, a competitor is merely 1 Google search away. Don’t just have a presence If your online presence is simply having a website and social media in place in a somewhat static form, the good news is that you do have a presence, the bad though…your presence sounds like it needs an injection of life. If you’re not making any updates, then you may just be getting as much out of your ‘presence’ as the guy who doesn’t have one at all. What should I post about? Try no...