Upskill your digital team or get left behind – the new reality

Finding skilled people in the digital marketing space is a global problem, with some reports citing that most businesses’ digital skills are only at 35%

What ChatGPT means for Digital Marketers

What ChatGPT means for Digital Marketers If you’ve recently heard people talk about ChatGPT you may be wondering what all the hype is about. ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI and released in November 2022. It is built on top of OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 foundational large language models and has been fine-tuned using both supervised and reinforcement learning techniques. The potential applications for ChatGPT are huge, from understanding and responding to customer queries, personalized support and assistance to conducting research in super-fast time. But what does ChatGPT mean for digital marketers? Why is ChatGPT important to Digital Marketers? ChatGPT is important in digital marketing because it can help businesses to create content that is relevant, engaging, and personalized. By using ChatGPT, businesses can automate many of their marketing processes and save time and resources. Additionally, ChatGPT can help businesses to improve their customer service and increase customer satisfaction. ChatGPT is also important because it can help businesses to stay ahead of the competition. By using advanced artificial intelligence technology, businesses can create content that is more engaging and relevant than their competitors. This can help them to stand out in a crowded market and attract more customers. Potential Applications of ChatGPT in Digital Marketing Content creation: One of the most significant challenges in digital marketing is creating content that resonates with consumers and effectively communicates a brand’s message. This is where ChatGPT shines. ChatGPT can generate high-quality content that is engaging and relevant to the audience. By inputting keywords and topics it can create blogs, articles, social media posts, and even product descriptions that are optimized for search engines and tailored to the target audience – without human input. Improved personalization: It costs five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. ChatGPT can analyze customer data and create personalized recommendations for products and services. By analyzing the customer’s previous interactions with the brand, ChatGPT can suggest products or services that the customer is likely to be interested in thereby upselling and improving customer retention. Email marketing: ChatGPT can be used to generate personalized email content that is tailored to the individual recipient. By analyzing the recipient’s previous interactions with the brand, ChatGPT can suggest products or services that are likely to be of interest. Customer service: Many businesses are already using chatbots to automate customer service, but ChatGPT will personalise the experience even further, which in turn can help businesses improve their customer service and increase customer satisfaction. Social media marketing: ChatGPT can be used to generate social media posts that are engaging and relevant to the target audience. By analyzing social media trends and topics, ChatGPT can generate posts that are likely to go viral and reach a wider audience. Of course, there are two sides to each story. While the applications mentioned above are clearly beneficial and can assist greatly in businesses streamlining their processes and being more efficient, ChatGPT has been criticised in a number of areas. A security breach in March 2023 meant some users on ChatGPT saw conversation headings in the sidebar that didn’t belong to them. Accidentally sharing users’ chat histories is a serious concern for any tech company, but it’s especially bad considering how many people use the popular chatbot. The lack of transparency is also an issue. We simply don’t know the details about how ChatGPT is trained, what data was used, where the data comes from, or what the system’s architecture looks like in detail. Like humans, no technology is without errors. ChatGPT has failed at basic math, can’t seem to answer simple logic questions, and will even go as far as to argue completely incorrect facts. There is also a certain bias built into the system since ChapGPT was trained on the collective writing of humans across the world. Unfortunately, this means that the same biases that exist in the real world can also appear in the model. But perhaps the most controversial topic that has been raised since the public launch of ChatGPT is the fact that it will most certainly take jobs from humans. Among the apps which have integrated GPT-4 are Duolingo and Khan Academy. This could be just the beginning of AI holding human jobs. Among the other jobs that could likely be affected are paralegals, lawyers, copywriters, journalists, and programmers. In conclusion, as digital marketers, it is crucial to be aware of both the risks and the opportunities ChatGPT offers in order to make the most of this new technology as well as mitigate potential problems, while also retaining integrity. Happy selling! Your AdMarula Team All CEO’s Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News CEO’s Thoughts Upskill your digital team or get left behind – the new reality 22 May 2023 Finding skilled people in the digital marketing space is a global problem, with some reports citing that most businesses’ digital skills are at 35% of what it should… Read More Interviews and Insights What ChatGPT means for Digital Marketers 18 May 2023 What ChatGPT means for Digital Marketers If you’ve recently heard people talk about ChatGPT you may be wondering what all the hype is about. ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer)… 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 Prev123Next

Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before

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 levels. The real question then is how to achieve profitable growth and for many businesses, Black Friday sales make up as much as 20% or more of annual sales. Although the trend seems to be going ‘back to normal, Black Friday 2022 will be different from previous years. Here’s how: Sales will be stretched out over a longer period – This is partly due to retailers having so much inventory. It’s also been a trend in recent years for retailers to start their sales much earlier, in some cases as soon as October or early November, and run those sales later. That’s very likely to continue this year. Brick-and-mortar stores will drive growth – Online shopping remains a convenient option for most shoppers. But buying journey is no longer a linear physical vs. digital experience. Buyers interact at multiple touchpoints before completing their purchase. As you prepare to offer competitive prices on your website, buckle up to fulfil this demand in-store by: Using the latest technology to enable digital payment solutions and self-service will help you mitigate health concerns and offer a better shopping experience. Adding signage for sanitation and social distancing instructions and updating customers about any major changes to your store’s flow on the website, social media, and mobile app. Customers will expect value – The early pandemic years saw buyers’ marked preference for a frictionless experience. They gravitated towards online shopping and curbside pickup, but in 2022, they will go a step ahead. Alongside comfort and convenience, shoppers will look for lower prices. In fact, according to Salesforce, nearly half of all shoppers will ditch their regular brands for a lower-priced competitor. Consumers will choose sustainable options – Modern shoppers won’t buy from you if there’s a value mismatch. This Black Friday, ensure you are honest about your carbon footprint and account for emissions. Share your sustainability initiatives and regularly promote sustainable practices. User experience and trust will matter more than ever – Shoppers no longer believe the best prices are on those days. Trust has increasingly become a factor and the best way to fix that is to offer genuinely good prices that aren’t just overly exaggerated sales pitches. In other words, if you promise that these are the best prices of the year, deliver on that promise. Happy selling! All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News 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 Interviews and Insights Interview with Kristin Weixelbaumer, Black Betty Design 14 Sep 2022 Interview with Kristin Weixelbaumer, Black Betty Design Our September profile is Kirstin Weixelbaumer, designer and owner of BlackBettyDesign.com. Founded in 2012, Black Betty aims to create unique and… Read More Prev123Next

Never stop marketing

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 happening around us when considering economic forecasts and the future business lanscape. While many companies are still reeling in the aftermath of the pandemic, Putin’s war on Ukraine (which has escelated in recent weeks), has left many economists, world leaders, and us wondering, ‘ what next?’. While the data suggest that we may be heading for a global recession, there are things business owners can do to ensure they are in as strong a posision as possible to weather the storm: Manage your cash flow – In easy or difficult economic times, cash is always king. Cash flow can make or break your company. To get a handle on your company’s cash flow, look at your current cash flow statement daily, and start forecasting (if you aren’t already) with trailing three-, six- and 12-month cash flow forecast charts. Manage your costs – With inflation at a 40-year high, costs are up, and an economic recession is only going to make increasing costs more difficult. Do everything you can now to evaluate your operations and trim the fat so you enter the next recession already lean and mean. Stay on top of receivables – During a recession, everyone struggles. This means your customers might too. Make an effort now to evaluate your clients and their paying habits. Be sure to schedule contract renegotiations whenever possible to close up your pay cycles and shorten your sales outstanding figures. Make data-driven decisions – When times are tough, accuracy is crucial. Even if your instincts as a business owner are good, you need to consult your numbers, look at your company’s financial trends and evaluate forecasts before you make any changes in your business. Last, but not least: Never stop Marketing! – You might guess one way to conserve expenses is to cut back on your marketing budget, however continuing your marketing efforts through difficult times projects your company as a true leader, teaches your current customers they are in good hands, and gives new companies confidence to do business with you. 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 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 Interviews and Insights Interview with Kristin Weixelbaumer, Black Betty Design 14 Sep 2022 Interview with Kristin Weixelbaumer, Black Betty Design Our September profile is Kirstin Weixelbaumer, designer and owner of BlackBettyDesign.com. Founded in 2012, Black Betty aims to create unique and… Read More Prev123Next

Experience – the teacher of all things

Experience – the teacher of all things Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States once said that the reward of suffering is experience. September is a special month for us as we celebrate AdMarula’s 11th birthday. The past eleven years have certainly provided us with many challenges and opportunities to learn. We have made mistakes, hussled like crazy, solved problems, adapted, celebrated as we growed, cried as we lost clients during Covid, forged incredible business partnerships, helped companies grow, and done it all over again. Here are some of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt so far: 1.Fear is the greatest stopper – when running and building a business you will often find yourself in unchartered waters, having to do things you’ve never done before. Just do it! The fear of doing it is much worse than the actual doing, and you will figure it out along the way. 2. It’s all about relationships – we may live in a tech-centric world, but behind the tech there are still real people who need real connection. The technology will change and come and go, but strong business relationships survive the ebbs and flows of change. 3. You’re only as good as your team – I know this is a bit of a cliché, but that’s because it’s true. No manager or leader can grow without the team to help make this happen. Keep your staff happy and your clients will be happy too. 4. Doing the right thing gets you farther in the long run, but not necessarily in the short run – all industries have grey areas which some businesses chose to explore in order to gain results quicker, but the damage you do to your reputation, relationships and brand will catch up with you in the long run. Do what is right, always. 5. Are you a problem finder or a problem solver? Most people would rather not solve their problems, it’s sad but true. People would rather ignore them and hope they go away, but by going to the root and solving them you save unbelievable amounts of time, pain, and suffering. So be the guy who solves the problem, not the one who finds them. 6. There is no easy business – at least not what I’ve seen. That said, you CAN make your business simpler,  which will make things feel easier. Businesses naturally increase in complexity as they grow, so it’s important to continually look for ways to simplify. Remember: Less is More! Finally, I wish you all a good Heritage Day and may we all use this day to celebrate what makes our country and its people so special. 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

Why less is usually more in Digital

Why less is usually more in Digital I often tell clients/marketers/start-ups: “Rather do a few channels well than all of them poorly”. While this statement applies to all areas of life, it is particularly relevant to internet marketing. Of course, if you have an unlimited budget and time, then definitely go ahead and design a new site, set up a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, search engine optimization (SEO) campaign, content campaign, and blast everything on social media. However, most companies have a finite amount of money and time. Therefore, it is better to grow your marketing plan by starting small and adding on elements. Start with a website and then add-on core social media accounts your users actively use. Then, build your content up and begin to rank higher on search engine results pages. Once you have nailed search, expand to PPC and Affiliate Marketing. Finally, once you have mastered all of this, expand to newsletters, podcasts and videos. If you have a small marketing team, spreading resources thinly across several channels will unlikely yield the results you are looking for and will leave your team feeling frustrated and demotivated. From the user experience point of view, the less-is-more approach is also becoming more and more appealing as users are inundated with messages, ads, videos and emails. Marketers have been going full steam ahead, pressured by C-suite, high customer expectations, and the daunting selection of new innovations and tech tools, to adopt and master more channels in order to reach more customers and to create a more sophisticated multi-channel explosion. Yet research shows that we are seeing a shift towards the compact and minimal in everything from lifestyle to home building. It’s the backlash from too much screen time, always being plugged in, and the personal device addiction. As a result, more people are unplugging, embracing minimalism, and decluttering their life. LESS OVERWHELMING IS IN. So, if your customers are simplifying and downsizing their lives, your marketing messaging will more likely come off as appealing if it is presented in a cleaner, simpler box. For example, instead of creating 20 marketing videos a month to keep your social media channels active and your brand relevant, what if you created 2 really amazing videos that are more likely to go viral. Better quality video, better quality content. Finally, with August being Women’s Month, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the women who have been a part of AdMarula’s journey the past decade and who have made their mark on our business in more ways than I can say. These include our clients, publishers, industry friends, suppliers and of course our staff, from the very first day we pushed the ‘go live’ button up till now. I have been privileged to work with some incredibly talented and smart women and have learned many valuable lessons from our interactions. May you all be celebrated as you deserve to be. 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 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

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