Interview with James MacDonald, Digital Marketing Manager at Homechoice

Interview with James MacDonald, Digital Marketing Manager at Homechoice Describe yourself in 3 wordsGeeky, stubborn & relaxed. Tell us a bit about your journey the past few years working in the digital team at Homechoice? It has been an incredible journey of rapid learning, both personally and for the business. We had to adapt at a rapid rate when lockdown was announced, but we managed to pivot to serve our customers via digital channels quite successfully. Talk about a steep learning curve, but we are really proud of the digital transformation and how quickly we could accelerate our timeline. Digital transformation seems to be the buzz word these days – what does it mean for you in your current role? I used it above before reading this question! Most people just think it is about transforming a sales channel to be digitally enabled. At homechoice we rather use the term to mean how can we put technology first to service our customers through a truly omnichannel experience. Technology is rooted in that and how can we transform our systems to provide longevity as the rate of technological acceleration continues at a rapid pace. How do you and your team stay up to date with the ever-changing technology available to digital marketers nowadays? Fortunately, we have a great relationship with both Google & Meta who offer incredible resources and learning sessions to the broader community, but there are also a few special goodies that get shared with priority businesses like ours. There are also loads of great resources out on the internet, with a lot of them being free. It is remarkable how one can build skillsets across a range of verticals in the digital space without having to attend formal education. What sets Homechoice apart from other online homeware retailers? We really do provide a full offering that is customer focused. The last few years have been tough financially for many but our blend of truly quality products on our range of payment terms mean that we can help you create the home you love without breaking the bank. Everyone thinks a blanket is just a blanket until you touch our faux mink blankets – then you realize what luxury and warmth REALLY is. What were the biggest challenges Homechoice faced in going from a catalogue service to an online retailer? I think it was changing our mindset and adapting rapidly to the changing needs of our consumers. Customers loved receiving their catalogue every month and ordering via either calling in to the call centre, walking in to a showroom, or purchasing through our digital channels. Lockdown suddenly stripped those options away from them and we had to adapt just like our customers. Support used to largely be handled by a call as that was the easiest way for the customer to communicate a range of questions, but during the pandemic, we had to give them the same personalized attention, just through digital channels. This was new to the customers and ahead of our digital transformation roadmap, but we were really chuffed how quickly we could adapt and continue to serve our customers when we were one of the few businesses that could trade during level 5 lockdown to bring them their essentials like bedding & blankets during winter. Which digital channels have you found to be most effective in attracting new customers and building brand awareness? I can’t share all of our secrets, but I would advise digging into marketing automation through product feeds, email campaigns and dynamic remarketing. With digital, there are numerous new channels that help you reach certain audiences. The trick is to ensure that you have the correct objective per channel and have sufficient reporting to help you understand whether that channel is meeting your objectives or not. Sounds easy, but can be really challenging with privacy concerns, different attribution methods and ever-changing platform tweaks such as Performance Max from Google, and reduced audience segmentation from Facebook. You recently spoke at the Meta VC Acceleration program webinar. Can you tell us a bit about that? It was really fun to showcase some of the results that we have achieved working with Meta as an In-Market client. This means that we are one of their priority customers and work very closely with a very talented team to help us succeed on the various Meta platforms. It was nice to show new businesses that they can succeed if they find the right partners. Your favourite thing to do in Cape Town when you are not working? When you live in a beautiful city like Cape Town, it feels criminal not to take advantage of the incredible views on offer and if you can through in some exercise at the same time then even better. My favourite is to unwind on the weekend with a round of golf – have you seen how many picturesque courses we have in the Mother City? If only my golf was as good as the views…   Follow Homechoice! Shop online: https://www.homechoice.co.za On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homechoice On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homechoice.co.za/?hl=en All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next

Upskill or get left behind – the new reality

Upskill or get left behind – the new reality If you run a business within the digital marketing space you will no doubt be aware that finding skilled people is hard. This is a global problem, with some reports citing that most businesses’ digital skills are at 35% of what they should be. Besides understanding Google and Facebook advertising, at the forefront of the most desired skills in modern marketing teams are quantitative and qualitative data analytics; data-driven CX design; and data privacy and governance. That’s no small ask. This is a new risk facing many businesses. Companies which do not invest in digital skills, and rely on third parties to deliver their business transformation, risk losing relevance and their competitive edge in the digital landscape. And while in the last number of years, there has been much discussion about the digital skills challenge, there is still a massive issue about shortages in the pipeline of this talent being fed into the workforce. But skills can be learned. With a layered approach to constant upskilling, it is possible to keep pace with the changes in a specific area. For example, despite the pace at which social media marketing is evolving, a specialist will get better at it over time. As a marketer and author Neil Tambe put it, a skill is “something you learn to do and go do it. You repeat it over and over and get better at it.” In order to stay ahead in the game, businesses need to take this risk seriously and look at ways to upskill their existing marketing teams. This will of course look different for every company, but a few ways to do this include using in-house and external experts, sponsoring employees to courses and seminars, utilizing mentoring, offering lunchtime seminars, creating training guidelines, encouraging microlearning, and using technology to make the learning experience interactive. By using the right experts, tools, and methods, you can improve your team’s productivity and maximize the ROI of your investments. Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next

Interview with Joshua Roode, Head of Marketing at The Pole Yard

Interview with Joshua Roode, Head of Marketing at The Pole Yard Our April profile is Joshua Roode, seasoned digital marketer and since end 2018 Head of Marketing at The Pole Yard, a unique home-grown business specialising in outdoor timber and home improvements. With a strong focus on strategic business development he shares some of his insights from having spent the last ten years assisting various brands in developing effective digital marketing strategies. Describe yourself in 3 wordsFocused, Fun & Dedicated Tell us a bit about your journey the past few years as Head of Marketing at The Pole Yard The past few years have been filled with adventure and rediscovery as we were navigating our way through the chaos of covid-19.  Our focus was set on solutions and how we can remain relevant to our clients during a time when the market was being influenced by many factors.  All in all, the journey has been filled with excitement and the thrill of running a business in South Africa. How did the pandemic affect the outdoor timber and home improvements industry? The pandemic was a catalyst for a fairly big growth spurt in the outdoor timber and home improvements space. This sector boomed during the lockdowns and we were very fortunate to be able to stay open at times when other companies remained closed. An example of this was when the first lockdown was announced we had customers queuing out of our yards to get their orders and timber supplies. We are very grateful for the support of our clients during that time, and going forward. How do you ensure that your marketing efforts in your stores and online are aligned? We are constantly evolving and trying new things in order to keep the dynamic between what we do online in line with our in store experience. Our staff on the ground is key to this success as they really bring the vibe and ensure the customer’s needs are met. We then try and share some of this fun and client oriented service through our design and online messaging. We also make it our mission to follow up on every enquiry that comes through and hand them over to a sales staff member who sees it through to the end. What are the biggest challenges that brick-and-mortar business face in setting up their online offering? I see the pace and ability to adapt to change as the biggest challenge for a lot traditional businesses.  There is a great opportunity right now for smaller businesses to pivot into the online space and utilise powerful tools like WhatsApp to sell directly to their customers.  The learning curve may seem scary for some, but the rewards are worth it. Which digital channels have you found to be most effective in attracting new customers and building brand awareness?We have spent a lot time in nurturing and growing our audience on Facebook, along with Instagram. We have now started playing in the shorts form video space on TikTok. Our biggest lead generation point is still through Google and that is why it is so important to work with the right team in getting your lead and brand building in the online space set up correctly. What differentiates a good-enough website from a great one? Websites should constantly be evolving to accommodate the end user’s experience. Good-enough versus great is a matter of perspective. You won’t be able to keep every person happy, so the best is to try and create the least amount of friction for your clientele to get what they need from your site. It could be something as simple as adding a direct download button for your price-list or having a call-me-back request. With that being said, good websites generally have good imagery and keep it simple. Apple is a great example of this. How would you describe your management style? My leadership style is anchored deeply in a personal value set and ultimately I am here to serve my team mates. I know it is used a lot, but teamwork really makes the dreamwork. I have focused on building others and empower them to get the job done. It is way more valuable to focus on your strengths than to try and spend all your energy on your weaknesses. The self-awareness of your weak spots is important in order for you to tap into your team’s strength to fill in the gaps. Best advice anyone has ever given you? If you are going to eat an elephant, throw a party. If you eat it one piece at a time the meat will spoil and rot. Follow The Pole Yard! On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePoleYard/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poleyard.co.za/ All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next

Most common digital marketing mistakes

Most common digital marketing mistakes Digital Marketing, being the most evolving field, possesses significant challenges to marketers and businesses. If your business is currently failing to get the desired results in sales, lead conversions, traffic generation, and more, then it’s possible that mistakes are being made with your current digital marketing efforts. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid: When the focus (and optimization) is on channels as opposed to users. By focusing too much on the channel or trying to optimize for those channels, it takes the attention away from the user and the value you are providing them which will, in turn, become increasingly counterproductive. SMEs often spread themselves far too thin.  Don’t get distracted by shiny new platforms and tools. The reality is that many small businesses and a portion of big brands aren’t delivering on the basics of digital marketing. For most SMEs the majority of their business growth still comes from the foundational tools in digital marketing: social media, digital ads, email marketing and SEO. So get that right first. Lacking realistic and measurable goals. If you don’t have clearly outlined goals, then you don’t know what results you hope to achieve. How will you know if you have reached your goals if you haven’t outlined what that looks like? Start by creating SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. Ignoring competition. The online platform is full of competition, and you need to stay very active to stay ahead of your competitors. Anyone who is ignoring the competition is making a big mistake. You need to analyze the performance of your competitors and their marketing strategies. If you want to make a smart move, you need to be smarter than your rivals. For this, you need to be well-updated about their strategies and methods. Not doing retargeting. Your online customers have a lot of options in front of them. So, if you want to be in their mind at the time of purchase, you need to focus on retargeting. With effective email marketing activities and bulk SMS services, you can quickly inform your audience about your latest products and offers. They are the most effective retargeting methods adopted by digital marketing experts to increase sales volume. Buying followers. There are ways to increase your followers without buying them. Buying them is a huge mistake you can make since followers that are bought don’t interact with your page. It can also get expensive, and you don’t always see the return you hope to see. Instead look at hosting giveaways and contests, running ads and campaigns and using the right hashtags. Be sure to engage with people on your page by creating engaging and relevant content. Believing email marketing is dead. With the improvement of technology over the years, many people are under the impression that email marketing isn’t effective any more – but they couldn’t be any more wrong. In a matter of seconds, marketers have the ability to find out the best times to send emails in order to increase open rates, what subject lines should be used, and what to expect from each email. The future of email marketing is something no marketer should avoid. So don’t underestimate its potential. All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next

Raising the bar

Raising the bar There are those who say perfection doesn’t exist. Some even argue that it can be the greatest stopper. Achieving perfection can seam so unattainable at times that we become afraid and then chose to do nothing instead. High expectations on oneself and one’s team however can be a positive driver. The higher we aim the closer we will come to achieving excellence, and that should after all be the end goal in all our endeavours. Whether as an advertiser, merchant or publisher, running and building a business has its challenges. It isn’t always exciting or rewarding or even fun, but it can be if we know when to recognise small achievements along the way since these happen far more often than greater ones. By setting high standards and expectations for ourselves and our stakeholders, we avoid settling in the comfort zone where there is little opportunity for growth or change. It doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes, but we learn from them and we move on. As the saying goes, making mistakes is far better than faking perfections. Equally there is no such thing as a perfect marketing strategy. It is mostly a case of combining well-researched facts and stats with educated guesses, intuition, experience and creativity. Then testing and tweaking it as you go, constantly aiming for improvement, for perfection. And if one is consistent enough in that process it will eventually lead to excellence. It is neither quickly nor easily done and it does require a lot of hard work and organisation. Of course some mistakes can easily be avoided, which is why we dedicated the next article to highlighting some of the most common mistakes digital marketers make. I trust you will find it useful and in the very least thought provoking. As always I appreciate feedback that can help us improve our offering and have a positive impact on our industry. I wish you a productive week further. Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO All Interviews and Insights Industry News CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next

Back to basics for SME’s

Back to basics for SME’s The explosion of digital marketing options means that many businesses are spread too thin across too many channels these days. We often do audits for new and existing clients on their digital assets/channels’ performance. With so much data spread over so many channels, it is crucial for businesses to do this ‘health check’ regularly to avoid over-spending or to identify areas that yield real returns for their business. Smart businesses focus on dominating one channel. Marketers should get more focused and aim to do fewer things better. Of course it is easy to get distracted by shiny new digital objects. Marketers love new trends and to be on the leading edge of new technologies and platforms. We often see surveys where marketers say AI and machine learning are critical channels. Ultimately, yes, this kind of technology could have a dramatic impact on marketing performance and optimization, but how many advertisers (small businesses and brands) are actually using proprietary AI or machine learning to improve marketing? Currently, not many. The reality is that many small businesses and a portion of big brands aren’t delivering on the basics of digital marketing like websites, SEO, social media, blog writing, Google ads, online reviews, etc. Given the huge marketing budgets of big brands, small businesses must execute on these foundational tactics. For most SMEs the majority of their business growth still comes from the foundational tools in digital marketing: social media, digital ads, email marketing and SEO. Don’t forget to focus on your foundation. Often, optimizing your base digital execution will provide a better return on investment than experimenting (and getting distracted) with every new tool. So the next time you speak to an agency or martech company trying to sell you what’s “new” or “cutting edge” or “the future”, ask them to help you get the basics right first. Upwards and onwards! Daniel Gross – CEO All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next

Getting started with social media-based affiliate marketing

Getting started with social media-based affiliate marketing While traditional affiliate channels like blogs, websites and email marketing can still be very effective, affiliates who have not yet added social media channels to their mix should seriously consider doing so. Not only will this allow you to reach new, highly relevant customers as well as influencers and creators, but most platforms also provide affiliates with the tools they need to create content and seamlessly share referral links to their built-in audience of followers. Here are a few tips to help you get started. Choosing which social media platform really depends on your social media objectives; for example, are you aiming to build your brand or looking for lead generation?  Either way, you need to consider which channels are used by your target audience, the channels that your competitors are using, and the type of content that is most likely to engage with your audience. Facebook – Facebook is by far the biggest channel for posting affiliate marketing links as they now reach around a third of the world’s population. Most businesses consider it as the second website for their products these days. Since their market penetration is so large, you can target almost every age group on Facebook. Start by setting up a business FB page from which you can share your affiliate links. And be sure to keep content fresh, highly relevant and original. Also don’t forget to regularly analyze your stats so you can easily decide your future strategies. Youtube – The video-sharing site now has around 2 billion users so competition for eyeballs is quite stiff, however, there are no limits to the niches for which you can create video content for. As with other social media channels, you can monetize your video content as part of your affiliate marketing campaigns by creating videos and placing affiliate links in the video and the video descriptions. Affiliates can also place a small image overlay on the video with the tracking link. Affiliate marketers can use tracking to redirect the user to the affiliate website or affiliate landing page, where the user will make the purchase and generate the commission. Twitter – Although not as popular as Facebook, Twitter has incredible engagement rates that could benefit your business. Using Twitter for affiliate marketing will help you to increase your brand awareness and most importantly, to start building your own audience of loyal followers. Once you have signed up to Twitter, make sure that you have a good profile for your future visitors to get an idea of who you are, including a short description of you, your hobbies, interests, and the URL of your website as well. You can get followers by following users in your niche first, posting engaging posts with useful advice to your followers, and retweeting advice from trusted users. It’s also very important to get the timing of your Tweets right. B2B posts do well on weekdays whereas, for B2C companies, weekends are the most engaged. Instagram – Insta has grown into a great platform for affiliate marketing since it gives you the chance to monetize your audience easily. Instagrammers can promote a merchant’s products by placing a discrete affiliate link in published content. You can also promote your affiliate offers by just writing them on the images as a text overlay and using a tool to shorten the long tracking URL, for example, Bit.ly. Instagram affiliates can also use coupons instead of tracking links and display the coupon as a text overlay on images to enable affiliate tracking.   There are of course several other social channels like Tiktok, Whatsapp, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, Telegram etc. but as a beginner, it is best to start with a few and build it up from there. Feel free to get in touch with us if you need any assistance. Good luck! The Publisher Management Team All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next

Doing well by doing good

Doing well by doing good Most businesses these days have some form of CSR strategy outlining how they give back to their stakeholders, the environment or the community. Research even shows that doing good reduces a company’s team turnover rate, increases its productivity and boosts employee engagement and satisfaction. I recently did an audit of our clients and it struck me how many businesses we have in our client pool that do good while also doing well. These are businesses that have ‘doing good’ at their core – the reason they started their business in the first place. I would like to mention a few here as I find it both inspirational and encouraging to do business with companies that ultimately do good, by benefiting our community, the planet, and the people who inhabit it. Faithful to Nature was founded in 2006 with the aim to give ordinary people access to honest, affordable and ethical products. They created a world-first ingredient policy in search of clean ingredient lists and products that were free from toxins. Ultimately the company wants to create a world where the products we use do not harm us, our communities or our planet. Today they have over 100,000 followers on Facebook. Hannah products offer a healthy alternative to sanitary pads and cups for women. Hannahpad offers a zero-waste, chemical-free lifestyle which benefits women’s bodies and our earth. Hannahpad also believes in helping their communities and reaching out a helping hand. As part of this philosophy, they have created a set called the ‘Help a Girl Cloth Pad Set’ to help a girl stay in school. This is only available as a donation and has been discounted to make this affordable to sponsor a girl. Cyber Finance is a leading financial solutions provider offering a range of effective debt counselling services that provide consumers with an affordable repayment solution and ultimately financial freedom. The past two years have been tough economically and many South Africans find themselves trapped in bad debt. To date, Cyber Finance has helped over 5,000 SA consumers become debt free and has been voted the Top 10 National Debt Solutions Provider in the country. Greenfish was founded by two brothers with the intention of providing the restaurant, hospitality and wholesale industry with high-quality, seasonal and locally sourced fish and seafood products. Growing up as artisanal handline and tuna pole fishermen, their combined 60 years of fishing experience has instilled in them a deep respect and connection to the ocean that underpins everything that Greenfish does. In addition, businesses like Earth Natural Hair, Natural Options, Skin Fresh and The People’s Fund all have ‘doing good’ at their core. We are proud to partner with and help grow these brands through our digital channels and offerings and look forward to seeing them disrupt and create change for the better in the world. Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO All Interviews and Insights Industry News CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next

Privacy please!

Privacy please! The world of Martech (marketing technology) is developing at a breakneck pace. Marketers can bearly keep up with the rate at which new technologies and solutions are coming into the market. From video & audio to AI, the Metaverse, Web3 (crypto) and the rise of marketing fortresses (think Amazon, FB, Tiktok, Instagram), competition for eyeballs and consumer dollars is stiff indeed. But the word that is likely to rise to the top of the priority pyramid in 2022 is undoubtedly Privacy. Whether you are an advertiser or a consumer, we’ve all been there. We’ve signed up for a newsletter with a company we like/trust or want to buy from, and the next day we get emails from companies we’ve never even heard of, using personal information we never gave them. We don’t like it. Or you want to buy some coffee pods for your morning cuppa, but in turn, the sales lady needs your cell number, ID etc. WHAT?? That’s too much information. We don’t like it. Each year we grow more and more suspicious, and every time we hear about a data leak or a hack, our trust goes down even further. Because of the way data has been treated in the past, consumers have become angry, confused and suspicious. We want a personalised experience without personal infringement. This will be the biggest challenge for marketers in 2022. Marketers need to be or become mini data scientists in today’s tech-driven world. They must be prepared to invest and get the right tech in place to develop its first-party data (the data a customer shares with you directly). Customers want brands to have this data and want them to use it to personalize experiences. They don’t want brands to share it with others. Of course, there will always be those who won’t share data at all. For that, mass personalization is still a viable strategy: tailoring experiences, content, ads, and products to known segments of consumers. That delivers a “personalized” experience feeling without requiring the data that true personalization requires. Delivering it successfully demands new skills, however. There is no doubt that marketers have their work cut out for them. The focus will need to shift towards building their own audiences and communities and embracing new types of data using intent-based solutions. As we head towards more privacy-focused advertising, contextual targeting has become one of the main viable ways to reach a target audience, and thanks to technological advancements, the solution has become much more scalable. Those who do the best job at integrating these contextual tools with the entire programmatic ecosystem will ultimately be the most successful. Happy selling! The Publisher Management Team All Interviews and Insights Industry News CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next

Interview with Laura le Roux, Blogger & Head of Social at Fio

Interview with Laura le Roux, Blogger & Head of Social at Fio This month we chat to Laura le Roux, founder of the HarassedMom blog which has become one of the most read blogs amongst South African mothers in recent years. The blog aims to help mothers understand their own unique challenges and how to overcome them as part of a community. Laura is also a self-taught Social Media maestro who has spent the last 14 years working with clients as Head of Social at her digital agency Fio. Describe yourself in 3 words Creative. Organised. Passionate. What made you decide to start your HarassedMom blog? We are especially intrigued by the name 😁 I was going through a divorce (16 years ago) and needed an outlet to share life as a single mom and a friend suggested I start blogging. The day I started I was feeling particularly harassed by my kids and so HarassedMom was born. How do you find and keep your readers? Initially, it was pretty easy because I started blogging 16 years ago when it was still pretty new and developed an audience of single moms just by people sharing my content with their friends. We were all going through the same things so that’s why they hung around. What is your content strategy – in a nutshell? I fly by the seat of my pants a lot so my strategy is often not clearly defined. But as blogging has evolved so have I. My kids are also bigger now so I shifted from posting predominantly about parenting to more about sustainable living and our journey to a zero-waste life. I try now to post a mix of our personal journey and general educational-type posts. What are the benefits (for you) of working with affiliate marketing? Affiliate marketing allows me to share new brands and products with my audience that I support while also generating income. It is a little less intrusive that doing product reviews or sales types posts. You also run your own digital agency, how do you juggle the two? By planning and staying organised. I try to schedule a time to work on HarassedMom each week as if it was a client because in a lot of ways it is. But I am not perfect and don’t always get it right. What are the biggest challenges your clients face in building a solid social presence? Being heard in the noise that is social media. We are quick to blame the algorithms, but the fact is we are all now competing against so many more voices than we were previously which means it is harder to be heard – even if you tick all the content creation boxes. What advice do you have for aspiring bloggers and social marketers? Just start. I believe everyone needs to start blogging. We all have a story to tell, and we should all tell it. Don’t focus too much on the numbers in the beginning, just start and the rest will come. The best advice anyone has ever given you? When you know better do better! Read more at harassedmom.co.za https://www.instagram.com/harassedmom/ All Interviews and Insights Industry News CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next