Whether it's a large-scale conference designed to set the standards for the next phase of industry growth, or a trade show to give prospective clients a reason to work with you, these events require detailed planning

Annual conferences and trade shows are must-attends for every business. From product launches to thought-leadership from industry insiders, conferences and trade shows are some of the hottest events of any season, and the most defining for the future of business. Whether it's a large-scale conference designed to set the standards for the next phase of industry growth, or a trade show to give prospective clients a reason to work with you, these events require detailed planning. These events are crucial to representing your brand and image and set the stage for business development and growth. They give clients a sneak peek of the unique customer experience that your company and the rest of the industry can provide.…

Take an hour to create your profile and your business will look much better in search results

It’s startling how many local businesses have failed to claim their Google My Business profile after the free marketing tool has been available for half a decade. Some would say it’s an essential element of your digital marketing strategy – but up to 56% of local retailers have failed to do this bit of SEO housekeeping in a period when we’ve all been busy with the gold rush of social media presence. Another reason for putting it off is that it may seem like a complicated thing to do. For small business owners who do their own SEO, the stats and admin offered by various services are alien to the creative business instincts that drive them to get started in the first place. However, it’s actually very easy to set up a…

How can building a digital community can help with business growth?

Rapidly changing technology is quickly making the old ways of brand management redundant. It’s also bringing to the forefront new ways of engaging with customers. A thriving digital community is one such way of creating customer engagement. In 2012 a study found that customers spend 19% more after they join a company’s online community. The main point of the study was that businesses actually profit more from personally created social communities than from using third-party social networks like Facebook. The point was not that companies should stay away from third-party channels, but rather to show the benefits of a custom network. Third-party platforms can still be good for a company’s bottom line, and they don’t require an initial cost to start. Different third-party platforms are good for different types of customers and customer interactions. Another advantage of third-party…

Digital marketing, simply put, cannot be ignored

No one can be found disputing the power of effective marketing. After all, if a marketing and advertising campaign are executed expertly, it can serve the requirements of any business and grow the demand for the product or service that they offer. While the need for marketing is still present, the areas where marketing is most effective has improved a lot. The rapid growth in the field of digital marketing has launched a new era of human engagement throughout every aspect of life. For industries that are business-centered, the combined effect of digital technologies in promotion and marketing has proven to have a high value for online trade and distribution. Since the world today is witnessing the feasibility of the digital era, marketing strategies involving the utilization of electronic media are prioritized in today’s business approach. Trends of a digital scene including personalized & unique content,…

AI has enabled online merchants to automate tasks with much more accuracy and efficiency, making it an indispensable asset to their business model

From self-driving cars and voice-operated appliances to machine learning tools and smart virtual assistants, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a bearing on everything. While the e-commerce market has remained subject to numerous technological interventions in the past, AI has had the biggest impact so far. AI’s influence on online businesses has been the most significant development for e-commerce in recent years. Through AI applications, the e-commerce industry has progressed in leaps, allowing online merchants to reduce the costs associated with marketing, administrative, and management. Moreover, AI has enabled online merchants to automate tasks with much more accuracy and efficiency, making it an indispensable asset to their business model. According to industry experts, AI will rank in the top five investment priorities for more than 20% of CIOs by 2020. From its…

Creativity and resourcefulness may be the best weapons you can use when it comes to lead generation

Lead generation is a crucial marketing activity as it signals the start of what could be a fruitful relationship with future customers. Unfortunately, leads don’t fall on your lap that easily. Not only are you dealing with competition that will try to be first on your prospects’ radar, but you also need to cater to the changing buying behavior and needs of consumers. Faced with these challenges, your creativity and resourcefulness may be the best weapons you can use. This is where infographics come in handy. Infographics have an artistic appeal to content consumers as they are rich in visuals that pique your target market’s interest in learning more about your brand and its unique value offer.

Infographics as blog posts

To generate leads with infographics, you can post them…

Awareness of smaller retailers is on the up, but winning the high street battle will come down to a niche product offering and a personalized shopping experience

Following countless announcements of high street store closures and a long line of large retailers reporting financial difficulties, new research from Pure360 has revealed that nearly three quarters (72%) of British consumers want the government to do more to back the growth of smaller, independent retailers. The research, which commissioned YouGov to poll a representative sample of GB consumers, found that nearly half (42%) would consider shopping with an independent retailer because they prefer to support smaller operations over a larger retailer. In addition, over one in five shoppers said they like to compare price and product offerings between larger retail brands and independents, before going on to make the final purchase from the smaller retailer. …

Sending emails has been an integral part of digital marketing for its direct approach and cost-effective methodology

You’ve probably had your first taste of artificial intelligence from science fiction films that depict robots gaining sentience through the wonders of the technology. This is still far from happening in the immediate future, but it wouldn’t be surprising if such advancements are actually achieved. But as far as we are from having sentient robots that might take over the world, artificial intelligence has already made it relatively far from the day it first came to be. There are emerging trends with the technology across various industries as it’s utilized to improve different processes. In the field of digital marketing, artificial intelligence plays a crucial role, particularly when it comes to email marketing. Sending emails has been an integral part of digital marketing for its direct approach and cost-effective methodology. With the help of artificial intelligence, …

Email has remained the workhorse of visual and interactive marketing and it will get more attention and credit in the coming years

As we are well into the New Year now, the entire email fraternity is looking forward to some exciting advancements in emails. Email has remained the workhorse of visual and interactive marketing and it will get more attention and credit in the coming years. With the emergence of innovations in the designing realms, the efficiency level of email marketing has nowhere to go but up. That said, let’s demystify the email design trends that will rock the email space in 2019.

1. APNG in email

APNG, an extension of the Portable Network Graphics format, provides support for animated images. APNG and GIFs are quite similar in that both are lossless formats. The main advantage of using APNG in emails is that it supports 24-bit colours and eight-bit alpha transparency. As GIFs…

To know how to adapt, you must first identify the so-called ‘disruptors’ that are set to change the world of digital marketing as you know it

Perhaps you’re familiar with the often-misquoted Darwin aphorism, "It is not the strongest species that survives but those that are adaptable to change." While this concept largely impacts the field of biology, it may also be applied to technology and the different fields that use modern tech in making improvements. One industry that is set to go through massive changes is digital marketing. Those who dabble in this field should be aware of the changes influenced by modern technology to stay relevant. But to know how to adapt, you must first identify the so-called ‘disruptors’ that are set to change the world of digital marketing as you know it.

Big data

Cloud technology has blown the doors of businesses wide open when it comes to gathering massive amounts…