Blog - Marketing Eye Digital Marketing Eye Digital is Australia's leading marketing consultancy firm for small to medium sized businesses. Marketing Eye Digital works with companies across a variety of industry sectors including professional services, sustainability, property, technology, health, beauty, travel, mining, transport and logistics. https://marketingeyedigital.com.au Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:21:32 +0000 Marketing Eye Digital page generator en-gb Google+: where is everyone? https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/google-where-is-everyone.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/google-where-is-everyone.html

It appears that I may have been a bit off the mark in a previous article. I claimed that Google+’s entry into online social media would spell the sudden demise of Facebook. At this point in time that appears to be false. It has become apparent that social media supremacy will come after a long struggle rather than the quick and clean coup reminiscent of the Facebook takeover of MySpace that I predicted.

It seems that Google may have struck too early. For a company with no previous involvement in social media to tackle the social media powerhouse of Facebook is a highly ambitious plan. Although, if anyone was to pull it off surely it would be Google, right? I mean they have already successfully staked their claim as top dog for search engines, maps, and email. Social media should be the next feather added to their already impressive cap.

Google appears to have ticked a lot of the ‘must have’ boxes for a successful social media site. They’ve integrated new features that addressed issues with Facebook,  such as ‘circles’ which gives the user the ability to control who’s posts they are viewing in their ‘stream’ and who views theirs. Celebrities joined and regularly post which incorporates some of the appeal of Twitter, and above all they made it very easy for users to skip from Google+ to Gmail, Google web search and all the other fantastic features of Google and back again.

Although adding some great new features, they have failed to capitalise on some of the most basic functions of the product they are trying to improve on and compete against. One of those being business pages, the ability for business to further their online presence is a massive draw card to Facebook and all sorts of businesses worldwide are using Facebook and Twitter as a means of communicating with their customers and target market. Although claiming to be ‘soon’ releasing the business page feature, the fact that they launched without it seems ridiculous and is having obvious effects on the number of users signing up.

However the issue doesn’t solely lie in the product. Google’s takeover strategy is largely to blame for their mixed results. For Google+ to have instant success they needed to make their takeover swift and ruthless. Incorporating all the features people love about Facebook with the addition of new Google+ characteristics bringing it all together to create the ultimate social media experience for the user, taking full advantage of the hype around a competitor finally shaping up to Facebook. I predicted that the mighty Google organisation would have the foresight to see what is necessary to achieve this. However, they have let me down, the whole process where people initially had to apply for a spot on Google+ and only a select few were granted access to the site was a strange way to secure users. Even those fortunate few that were given early access to Google+ found themselves hampered by a friend list restriction of 150, far less than the average Facebook user’s friend count. Um, hello? The most basic appeal of online social media exists because people like interacting with other people! How on earth do you expect to keep people on Google+ when hardly any of their friends are there?

The online business world is probably the hardest industry to survive in, it is frequently changing and success can be very short lived. Google haven’t done themselves any favours with the way they have handled the launch of Plus. I cannot understand how such a professional organisation would launch a half finished product. As previously mentioned although improving on some key issues with Facebook, Plus fails to include some of the most basic aspects. Such as an easy to use instant chat system and of course the business page feature. It appears Google has rushed into the launch of Plus. The most basic rules of launching a new product should be to wait until your product is nearing completion before you began generating hype. Then at the peak of public interest, launch a product that you are confident incorporates all the aspects needed for success. I don’t believe Google achieved either of those.

Although, I acknowledge that it’s very easy for me to look back in hindsight and identify problems, I don’t think it would have been expecting too much of the mighty Google to launch a finished product of far higher quality than what they have come out with. First impressions last, and Google has just made their job much harder than it had to be.

Written by Sam Dolling on behalf of Marketing Eye, Australia's leading small business marketing consultancy firm.

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Blog Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:22:49 +0000
Bloggers to watch https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/bloggers-to-watch.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/bloggers-to-watch.html

There are so many bloggers nowadays. It’s time to get a good overview of the blogs out there. That’s why I’ve submitted a list of 5 bloggers with different interests to keep your eye on.

  1.  Food: Lick My Spoon for recipes, restaurant reviews, food and wine events. It is written by a former Wall Street Marketeer, she quit to write about food in San Francisco. 
  2. Business: Work Shifting for resources on telecommunications, online tools, travel, technology, business & virtual offices to help you shift when, where & how you work. Is powered by Citrix Online. 
  3. Women: Australian Women Online for business, career and lifestyle content for women.  Is written by five inspiring women.
  4. Men: The Art of Manliness about manning-up. Written by husband and wife to uncover the lost art of manliness.
  5. Inspiring person: The White Hot Truth  for freedom fighting + love, conscious business, ruthless compassion, all forms of affluence, and passion that persuades. Written by Danielle LaPorte, the blog is her job.

What are blogs you can’t stop reading? Tell us!

Do you need a Marketing Eye to assist with your blog?

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Blog Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:21:36 +0000
5 Best Websites https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/5-best-websites.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/5-best-websites.html

What you think is a good website is a matter of personal taste, but there are something’s that have nothing to do with taste. Obviously what you think are good websites depends on whether there style attracts you, but not only design is important for a website. There are so much more things people experience as annoying when visiting a website. So which requirements does your website have to meet?

  1. Have clear navigation; nothing is more frustrating than knowing what you need is on the page, but not being able to find it.
  2. Provide relevant content; this sounds obvious but is forgotten many times. Use the language of you target audience and be clear on what you are offering.
  3. Design; the design makes or breaks the website. Use a pleasant lay-out and not too many bright colours or complex designs; otherwise it will make it hard for visitors to know where to start.
  4. Browser; be sure your website can be displayed with every browser. A visitor isn’t going to change his browser just to see your website.
  5. Contact details; many companies refuse to put their details on their website, but a visitor wants to be able to react. Be sure there are an address, phone number and email on your website.

Just for the picture, this is how you must not do it and this is an example of a really good website.

Marketing Eye has a team of in-house designers and web developers who know how to make a website that work!

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Blog Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:21:00 +0000
LinkedIn: How ‘Groups’ Can Help You Market Your Business https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/linkedin-how-groups-can-help-you-market-your-business.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/linkedin-how-groups-can-help-you-market-your-business.html

This social network for corporates has a great feature, groups. Groups allow you to ‘come together’ with persons of the same interests. This allows you to read about other workers in your industry and gives you the opportunity to tell something about your business as well. It’s a place for discussions, event sharing and much more.

Joining groups is good, but creating your own group is even better:

-          When you’re the leader of a big group this builds status and image. You will experience lots of invites to your personal profile from your group members. They look for inspiration and want to network with you.

-          It connects a thriving business community. People love to belong to a group. Get people with the same passions together and you’ll be rewarded. 

-          It drives traffic to your website, if you: Put your website link in the group profile, add the site RSS feed to the news section, send a weekly message to you group and include a niche related article from your site, add your site to the group welcome message, create a discussion and include your link

-          You can send free direct emails. There is no ability to customize your message, but you can send an email to all your group members in one click. This will save you lots of time and money.


LinkedIn is a great medium to build your network. People take it more and more seriously, nowadays your LinkedIn profile functions as a CV. Be sure it is complete and up-to-date.

Do you need a Marketing Eye to assist with your social media strategy?
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Blog Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:20:13 +0000
Facebook: Emerging As a Keeper? https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/facebook-emerging-as-a-keeper.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/facebook-emerging-as-a-keeper.html

What do you think? Will Facebook have the same fate as MySpace had? Or is Facebook emerging as a keeper? The opinions range a lot. One says the concept will soon be out-dated, the other says Google+ will take over the world eventually and another says Facebook will keep adjusting to the needs and get even more popular.

At first I thought Facebook wouldn’t last forever, but with the latest developments after the launch of Google+, I call lists instead of circles, improved private settings and a new lay-out, I’m not sure anymore. If Facebook keeps adjusting their settings to the world’s needs, they could emerge as a keeper.

But then again I’m curious about what Google+ next steps will be. Off course they have the advantage that they are already very popular with other features like Gmail, Google Maps and many more. I think eventually these programs will be installed on Google+ and this will make it harder for Facebook to compete. Facebook is never going to get the licence to use these programs, so they will have to come up with other features to keep us happy.

What will it be in the future; will Google+ take over the as the leader? Will Facebook hold our interest?  Or will a whole new social network be invented? I can’t wait to find out!

Do you need a Marketing Eye to assist with your social media strategy?
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Blog Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:19:23 +0000
Twitter: Still Number One https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/twitter-still-number-one.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/twitter-still-number-one.html

Huh, but Facebook has the most users haven’t they? Well yeah, that might be true, but Twitter is the number one social network for businesses. Why?

First of all, offcourse, Twitter is free. Most small business don’t have much of a budget for marketing, so Twitter and all other social media are ideal for marketing your small company. Secondly, Twitter isn’t rocket science. Though you might have to read some articles or visit a seminar first to fully understand how you can interest your followers, everyone can make a sentence of 140 characters. Thirdly, Twitter has a huge audience; almost everybody has access to it.

Further, Twitter is fast, it spreads a message in seconds to all over the world. Most people log in on Twitter at least 1 time a day, so they will pick up your message quickly. Also, twitter has many applications which can help you promote your small business. For example; TwitPic, Twitterfeed, TweetDeck, Twibs and many more.

And then, last but not least, a really important reason to Tweet: Keep in touch with your clients. It’s a cheap way to do your PR and keep people tuned. If they are enthusiastic about your company they will tell others and come back themselves. Word of mouth is still the most effective promotion you can have.

So, get out there! If you don’t know how, let a Marketing Eye help you.

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Blog Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:18:34 +0000
Online Marketing Strategy: How do you do it? https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/online-marketing-strategy-how-do-you-do-it.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/online-marketing-strategy-how-do-you-do-it.html

The most important thing about being online is your strategy. Just being online isn’t enough. What makes your business stand out from the crowd? And are you communicating this online? What should you choose, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, blogging or all of it?

Start from the very beginning. What are your company’s services? What is your target Audience? What identity does your company have? Once you have got this all clear take a look at your current situation, what could you possibly do better? Is there a need to change your business basics?

Than look at the market you’re operating in. Who are your competitors? How do they present themselves online? What is interesting about your product for your target audience?

You have probably done this at least one time before, but it’s a good thing to repeat every once in a while. People change, so your company might need changes too. 

Once you’ve got a clear view of the current situation of your business it’s time to review your future perspective. Where do you want to be in five years and how will you get there? For online marketing it is also important to look at the trends, like social media and SEO nowadays.  If you miss out on these things you won’t get noticed.

So all together, take a good look at your business and your competitors. Look at the current trends and implement this in your online strategy. If you were your customer, how would you like to see your own business?

These are a lot of questions to think about. Could you use a Marketing Eye to help you out?

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Blog Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:18:13 +0000
Best International Blogs of 2011 https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/best-international-blogs-of-2011.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/best-international-blogs-of-2011.html

Blogging is the new black. In the last 2 years blogging became an important tool for businesses. The statistics show that 35% of all bloggers are corporate bloggers. These are mostly small business owners. Why do small business owners blog? The answer is really simple. It’s cheap and creates massive brand awareness for your small business.

You will get higher in search engine ranks and be taken more seriously. It’s an awesome way to show your opinions on topics and with that create the image you would like people to have about your company.

But how do you get there? What makes a good blogger? Let’s look at some very popular bloggers. Anna Racoon for example, is so popular because she has a fresh view on politics. Another example in a whole other category is Perez Hilton; he is so successful because he provides people with the latest rumours about celebrities. Apparently that is what people want to read about.

Some more inspiring international blogs are Mashable about social media, Huffington Post about breaking news, Gawker about gossip and news, Ads of the World about advertising and This Isn't Happiness about photography and art.

What they all have in common? They write about products, services, news items and all other topics that you can have an opinion about. And why do people read these blogs? Because the bloggers write about things they’re interested in.

What does your target audience want to read about? For more statistics about blogs; click here.

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Blog Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:17:35 +0000
Viral Marketing: Best Campaigns of 2011 https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/viral-marketing-best-campaigns-of-2011.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/viral-marketing-best-campaigns-of-2011.html

The best campaign ever to me is the Old Spice ad. You will probably know what I’m talking about, but for those of you who have been lying under a rock; ‘the man your man could smell like’.

Everyone, all over the world has been talking about this video. There are 41,200 parody videos on YouTube with Old Spice in the title and the video itself has more than 36,476,904 views. That’s why it was a huge success, but really why was this campaign so successful?

Is it the humour, or the handsome man? I don’t think so. What makes this ad so special is that there’s a genius strategy behind it. Old Spice was hitting bottom rock one year ago, they couldn’t handle the competition. Then they did market research, what appeared; most women buy their man’s shower gel. So they figured they should attract both men and their girls to increase market share. They came up with ‘the man your man could smell like’ and it became a huge success.

What makes this campaign even more successful is the interactive follow-up they did after the video release. People could send in any scripts they wished in relation to ‘the man your man could smell like’ and they involved these real requests in the marketing campaign which drove their hit targets incredibly. For example; the campaign had more viewers than Obama’s victory speech.

The key message of this success is listening to your market. Without good market research you are nowhere. Think out your strategy thoroughly and when your campaign becomes a success because of the planning you did, never change a winning idea, come up with an even more innovative way to follow-up. The sky is the limit.

Do you want to learn more about the Old Spice campaign? Watch this video now! http://bcove.me/xg59sl52!

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Blog Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:16:37 +0000
Why Blogging is Good for Your Business https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/why-blogging-is-good-for-your-business.html https://marketingeyedigital.com.au/blog/why-blogging-is-good-for-your-business.html These days, every business has a website, is present on Twitter and Facebook and interacts with its market through various nifty tools. However, one important ingredient of digital strategy, which is left out at times, is a business or corporate blog.

Do you Blog?

Do you have a website for your business? Sure you do. Do you announce cool promotions on your Twitter from time to time? Most businesses will say a ‘yes’ to this too.

But not all will say they blog regularly. This is because blogging is time-consuming and takes persistence and patience. It is one of the harder aspects of a digital strategy. A website, for example, is more or less a “one time effort” (with intermittent updates) and social media is much quicker – as opposed to blogging.

With a blog, you don’t see “instant” results (think comments, shares, hits) from readers. However, with consistent writing, you will.

Blogging is a great marketing tool because it allows you to:
  • Interact with clients, readers and prospects via the comment feature.
  • Gain valuable feedback and reviews.
  • Bring in more traffic to your site from rich embedded keywords.
  • Capture readers’ interest as most people prefer to look at blogs before checking out the services.
  • Help someone by sharing information through your blog – which in turn makes them come back to you and probably convert into a customer.
What do you think: Is blogging vital to a business or can it be safely avoided?
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Blog Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:13:28 +0000