Devon Wijesinghe is the energetic CEO of audience cultivation and conversion platform, Insightpool, an invaluable tool for large scale marketing campaigns. The company derives from the need for businesses to cultivate leads through social media engagement, and to maximize the investment of time, resources and money on existing social media engagement strategies.
Read more about: How to 'In-sight-pool' followers on Twitter → Expert Marketing Blog - Page 59
Brand communication via smartphones is not a new concept, however marketing agencies and other savvy businesses are now making better use of the tool.
A report by eMarketer found that mobile budgets have increased more than 735% between 2011 and 2014 and spending is expected to accelerate.
Content is king. In the magazine world, which is vastly different to that of marketing, content drives advertising, audience and sales. Come to think of it, perhaps there isn’t much difference between the two.
What makes a magazine successful is a good mix of editorial and feature articles written from within the editorial department and outsourced articles written by experts within particular fields. As a business editor, I would ask contributors to supply specific topics on property, investments, risk management and marketing. In-house editorial combined with carefully curated content, creates a magazine that encompasses the most important aspects of readability: information and entertainment.
As part of my new time management ritual, I am cutting back on my time surfing the net, checking for updates on social media and reading blogs.
When you run a business such as mine, it's hard to find time to do everything that you want to do, at the level you would like to do it at. So, I spent some time this morning reading over 50 marketing blogs and was amazed at the varying levels of quality content.
Read more about: 5 Marketing Bloggers That Are Worth Your Time → When you run a business such as mine, it's hard to find time to do everything that you want to do, at the level you would like to do it at. So, I spent some time this morning reading over 50 marketing blogs and was amazed at the varying levels of quality content.
Marketing Eye's Melissa Sharp attended Media Social recently, a Sydney-based event which brings together some of the country’s best and brightest marketing managers to share their views and experiences.
Melissa gave me a run down of the event and the presentations she found most inspiring.
Curating a team of would-be champions in the workplace is like trying to put together a 1000-piece miniature puzzle; it is difficult, takes time and is a challenge you can’t turn away from until it’s complete. The workplace puzzle, however, is never complete. When one vital piece is lost, another takes its place … and it’s never the same fit.
Different personalities in the workplace is an advantage, but managing a range of psyches, emotions and needs provides serious challenges.
It’s crunch time. No longer can marketing teams and their agencies disregard their organisational sustainability policies. Any why do I think that? Because we’ve had a few clangers lately.
Remember the Telstra iPhone 6 ad, where the man opens the packaging and throws it away so that a crab becomes stuck in it? It's a terrible example of environmental responsibility and reinforces our overt consumerism.
Who we are or what we perceive ourselves to be sometimes does not align with the perception that others have of us. This is true of brand, business and personal image. Take a look at the rigour with which certain ethnic groups have been scrutinized this year. Due to circumstances beyond their control, they have been vilified, put upon and generally admonished just for being who they are.
For moderate Muslims, Islamic State is causing an identity catastrophe. They are in crisis management and it seems, at this point, there is no way back.
As a sports lover, I am inspired by the stories of past and present champions: Muhammad Ali, Pelé, Rod Laver, Steffi Graf and Stephanie Rice to name a few. I am inspired by their motivations, their will to succeed and the die-hard sacrifices they make. In some instances I want to emulate them, in others I just want to interview them to discover more because there is so much that isn’t being told that goes on behind the scenes.
I have, in fact interviewed several sporting champions across the fields of athletics, tennis, swimming and various football codes and while I am not about to drop names, I will say that there are certain traits they have in common that determine their success.
Read more about: A back to basics approach to perfection → I have, in fact interviewed several sporting champions across the fields of athletics, tennis, swimming and various football codes and while I am not about to drop names, I will say that there are certain traits they have in common that determine their success.
Some ads following you around like a lost dog. They are targeted directly at you, enticing you to click and buy.
I am often followed by ads: enticements from retailers with online presence that I have vistited in the past. They seem to know that I want new headphones. They understand my desire to stay clear of shopping centres and shop only online. They whisper sweet nothings in my ear until I relent or click off for fear of spending money.
Being part of Atlanta Technology Village, I have had the privilege to see first hand companies that go from zero to 100 in 12 months, others that prod along, and some that unfortunately did not make the grade.
The buzz that surrounds the Atlanta Technology Village is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur, and visionary, David Cummings. He is a great guy with an even better philosophy. Due in part to the sale of Pardot and his big pay check, a marketing automation software he developed, he commands the respect of everyone. But it is his development of Atlanta Technology Village that really stands out to me.
Read more about: Why exponential sales growth eludes some companies → The buzz that surrounds the Atlanta Technology Village is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur, and visionary, David Cummings. He is a great guy with an even better philosophy. Due in part to the sale of Pardot and his big pay check, a marketing automation software he developed, he commands the respect of everyone. But it is his development of Atlanta Technology Village that really stands out to me.
We are at the pointy end of the year, and it's without doubt my most reflective period. It's 10 years since I registered the Marketing Eye business name, and it's been a long, arduous journey, but one that I don't regret.
Marketing Eye started with investment money. The first few years, we had some tweaking to do, which was stressful, because I wasn't just playing with my money. Bringing a new model into a mature market is just a case of rolling the dice, seeing how they fall and hoping for the best. But I believed in it with all of my heart. I thought I knew something that others didn't and that was that all small businesses need to manage cash flow with no surprises and they all need marketing. This is a formidable combination, capable of allowing small to medium sized businesses the freedom to do what they do, without being held to their next invoice.
There were changes that needed to occur in the business model, but the day we got it right we never looked back. In the time leading up to this moment, I doubted myself, cried myself to sleep because I felt like a failure and constantly put myself in situations where I was uncomfortable. I was stressed off my head and didn't know how to deal with it. No one taught me how to do this. Often, a simple thing that would go wrong, would seem to me like the end of the world. Once, some hackers hacked into our bank accounts and emptied them. I had a public speaking engagement only an hour later. Instead of dealing with it later, I cancelled the engagement. I didn't know what to do and I didn't have the hindsight to know that it could wait an hour or two. It was the wrong choice and something that I now realize was not how an entrepreneur acts. They are supposed to suck it up, put on their good shoes and show the world how things are done.
I am not a born entrepreneur. In fact, I am anything but. I am more like a person who has an idea and just wants to see it through. It's like finishing a mathematics equation. I wish I could say that I had undying passion for business, but instead, I feel gratitude that I am able to provide myself with a great life, as well as the ability to employ people and provide them with a secure income and an opportunity to see themselves shine.
Being a woman should never be a disadvantage and I am the last to hang my hat on the entire equality equation. I believe in 'the best person for the job' regardless of gender.
But being a woman is hard. Being a single woman in her early forties who hasn't had a family yet, is even harder. You are placed in a category by people with a certain distain for you. It makes people feel sorry for you. It makes people think that there must be something wrong with you. If you haven't done it at all at least once, there must be something wrong with you mustn't there?
I am speaking from first hand experience. I am that girl. I am that woman. I am that sister. And I am that daughter. What went wrong? Was she so career-obsessed that she thought it would be around forever; that looks, availability, men and a never ending line up would stay around forever? Or is she just plain hard work?
Having done a lot of soul searching, I have found the answer: I forgot to stop and smell the roses and keep myself open to possibility.
In my case, my 30's were spent building a business -- this business, Marketing Eye. And it was spent being in love with two men and not looking elsewhere. Two that just kept the carrot dangling enough so that while I was so busy working, I had no time to look for anyone else. Instead, I had someone when I needed them and I had my business that I could dedicate my time to. One was during my early 30's, the other in my late 30's. They were narcissistic men who knew how to manipulate. I was vulnerable and weak. They were both the wrong men and twice I made the same choices. If nothing changes, nothing changes. You would think a smart woman like me would know better.
I woke up one month ago. I realized that growing a business is hard work and I have given my heart and soul to it. I also become acutely aware that I have been played by people smarter than me because I am easy prey. I am that career woman who has a dream and has so many moving parts that she will never have time to open herself up for possibility. Instead, when she catches her breath, she just wants the person who is most comfortable to her.
I am telling a story that most women would be afraid to tell. The story of how we miss things because to run a business, we not only have a vision and a plan, but we have to have the guts, determination and fearless ability to pick ourselves up off the ground over and over again when no one, and I mean no one is going to give us a hand.
We may have family who love us; but they too think something is wrong. They can't quite figure out how we don't 'have it all'. I am someone's daughter and someone's sister. They love me like no one else is ever going to love me - unconditionally. But they too look at me and wonder what went wrong.
Every single time that I think that everything is going to work out fine and things are falling into place - something falls apart. And it's never small. It's big. It brings me to my knees and it is excruciating. Worse still, I am dealing with this by myself, internalizing the pain, the hurt and the disappointment. I know tomorrow that I have to get up and do it all over again and I have no one who is going to do it for me. I mean no one.
Being a woman in business, whether you have five children and a loving husband, or you are like me - single and not sure where you fit in the world - is challenging.
Next time you look at that female entrepreneur that walks into the room in her designer outfit, head held high, navigating her next move; spare a thought for the fact that she has a role to play and she is doing it to the best of her ability. She will fall down, make the wrong choices and come across as if her world is perfect - but she is human, and the truth of the matter is that it isn't easy being her. It isn't easy being me.
Read more about: Guts, determination and fearless ability to pick ourselves up off the ground → Marketing Eye started with investment money. The first few years, we had some tweaking to do, which was stressful, because I wasn't just playing with my money. Bringing a new model into a mature market is just a case of rolling the dice, seeing how they fall and hoping for the best. But I believed in it with all of my heart. I thought I knew something that others didn't and that was that all small businesses need to manage cash flow with no surprises and they all need marketing. This is a formidable combination, capable of allowing small to medium sized businesses the freedom to do what they do, without being held to their next invoice.
There were changes that needed to occur in the business model, but the day we got it right we never looked back. In the time leading up to this moment, I doubted myself, cried myself to sleep because I felt like a failure and constantly put myself in situations where I was uncomfortable. I was stressed off my head and didn't know how to deal with it. No one taught me how to do this. Often, a simple thing that would go wrong, would seem to me like the end of the world. Once, some hackers hacked into our bank accounts and emptied them. I had a public speaking engagement only an hour later. Instead of dealing with it later, I cancelled the engagement. I didn't know what to do and I didn't have the hindsight to know that it could wait an hour or two. It was the wrong choice and something that I now realize was not how an entrepreneur acts. They are supposed to suck it up, put on their good shoes and show the world how things are done.
I am not a born entrepreneur. In fact, I am anything but. I am more like a person who has an idea and just wants to see it through. It's like finishing a mathematics equation. I wish I could say that I had undying passion for business, but instead, I feel gratitude that I am able to provide myself with a great life, as well as the ability to employ people and provide them with a secure income and an opportunity to see themselves shine.
Being a woman should never be a disadvantage and I am the last to hang my hat on the entire equality equation. I believe in 'the best person for the job' regardless of gender.
But being a woman is hard. Being a single woman in her early forties who hasn't had a family yet, is even harder. You are placed in a category by people with a certain distain for you. It makes people feel sorry for you. It makes people think that there must be something wrong with you. If you haven't done it at all at least once, there must be something wrong with you mustn't there?
I am speaking from first hand experience. I am that girl. I am that woman. I am that sister. And I am that daughter. What went wrong? Was she so career-obsessed that she thought it would be around forever; that looks, availability, men and a never ending line up would stay around forever? Or is she just plain hard work?
Having done a lot of soul searching, I have found the answer: I forgot to stop and smell the roses and keep myself open to possibility.
In my case, my 30's were spent building a business -- this business, Marketing Eye. And it was spent being in love with two men and not looking elsewhere. Two that just kept the carrot dangling enough so that while I was so busy working, I had no time to look for anyone else. Instead, I had someone when I needed them and I had my business that I could dedicate my time to. One was during my early 30's, the other in my late 30's. They were narcissistic men who knew how to manipulate. I was vulnerable and weak. They were both the wrong men and twice I made the same choices. If nothing changes, nothing changes. You would think a smart woman like me would know better.
I woke up one month ago. I realized that growing a business is hard work and I have given my heart and soul to it. I also become acutely aware that I have been played by people smarter than me because I am easy prey. I am that career woman who has a dream and has so many moving parts that she will never have time to open herself up for possibility. Instead, when she catches her breath, she just wants the person who is most comfortable to her.
I am telling a story that most women would be afraid to tell. The story of how we miss things because to run a business, we not only have a vision and a plan, but we have to have the guts, determination and fearless ability to pick ourselves up off the ground over and over again when no one, and I mean no one is going to give us a hand.
We may have family who love us; but they too think something is wrong. They can't quite figure out how we don't 'have it all'. I am someone's daughter and someone's sister. They love me like no one else is ever going to love me - unconditionally. But they too look at me and wonder what went wrong.
Every single time that I think that everything is going to work out fine and things are falling into place - something falls apart. And it's never small. It's big. It brings me to my knees and it is excruciating. Worse still, I am dealing with this by myself, internalizing the pain, the hurt and the disappointment. I know tomorrow that I have to get up and do it all over again and I have no one who is going to do it for me. I mean no one.
Being a woman in business, whether you have five children and a loving husband, or you are like me - single and not sure where you fit in the world - is challenging.
Next time you look at that female entrepreneur that walks into the room in her designer outfit, head held high, navigating her next move; spare a thought for the fact that she has a role to play and she is doing it to the best of her ability. She will fall down, make the wrong choices and come across as if her world is perfect - but she is human, and the truth of the matter is that it isn't easy being her. It isn't easy being me.
When it comes to website design, there are a few things to consider; design, usability, audience, content, interactivity, responsiveness, and call to actions. Of course, there are many other things, but these things are key.
We have been working on the design and development of three websites:
Read more about: 3 New Website Designs That Will Blow Your Mind → We have been working on the design and development of three websites:
It's Sunday and I have been madly working away since 6am. That I suppose is the life of an entrepreneur.
Of late, it's been crazy. My 'to do list' seems endless and there really isn't enough hours in the day. On top of that, I only recently realized that I am not utilizing my time effectively enough and need to make some changes - except I feel like I need to catch up before making changes. It is 'the chicken and the egg' scenario all over again.
People can look at Sundays in a number of ways; For me, I look at the day as the first day of the week, as in Australia it is a Monday. I am of course sitting in my hotel room in Atlanta.
Read more about: The Sunday Ramble - a life of an entrepreneur → Of late, it's been crazy. My 'to do list' seems endless and there really isn't enough hours in the day. On top of that, I only recently realized that I am not utilizing my time effectively enough and need to make some changes - except I feel like I need to catch up before making changes. It is 'the chicken and the egg' scenario all over again.
People can look at Sundays in a number of ways; For me, I look at the day as the first day of the week, as in Australia it is a Monday. I am of course sitting in my hotel room in Atlanta.
For anyone that doubted Baz Luhrmann's ability to bring elegance, style, sophistications and desire to the latest Chanel No.5 advertising campaign - it is now clear that there is only one Director capable of making Chanel No. 5 remain relevant.
At 34 years of age, Gisele Bundchen is the richest and highest profile supermodel in the world. She is at the top of her game. Chanel No. 5 is the world's most famous and well recognized perfume. And after watching this television commercial, it is truly "The One That I Want".