Marketing Eye

Wednesday, 31 August 2011 17:13

Does your small business have the X Factor?

X-FACTOR - DO YOU HAVE IT?

Have you ever walked into a room and everyone has turned to stare at you?

Have you ever started a speech and known that every single person in the audience is holding onto every last word you say?

Do your staff proudly tell the world that they work for your company?

Are you customers skiting over the fact that they use your company's services?

If you are Mel B, she proudly proclaims that she knew she had the X Factor when she first started with the Spice Girls. More modestly, Ronan Keating from the X Factor believes that you never really know but people may start asking for your autographs or listening to your songs. The X Factor show has been a phenomenal success showcasing the talents of people with talent. The winners have the 'X Factor' and often go on to be highly successful. Think Susan Boyle.
3 days and already a 1000% increase in website traffic!!!!

A few simple changes to your website can mean a lot to your business. In the past few days, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. has made small changes to website content and layout. The reason for these changes was that we haven't had a good look at our website for a few months and the bounce rate on some pages were getting over the 50% mark.

After spending a good hour looking at the facts and figures outlined on Google Analytics, we identified pages on our website that had higher bounce rates than others. In fairness, most of our website pages rank very highly with Google and people stay on our website for more than 5 minutes on average. This is a great achievement for a website in professional services marketing.
Published in Website Development
75% of search engine traffic never scroll past the first page. Do you know what your bounce rate is?

31% of consumers browse online daily for products and services. That means, that potentially, they could be buying from your website.

If you have a website and are looking for quality leads, but it's a dog's breakfast... then now is time to take action. We are getting into the pointy end of the year and there is no time to spare to get your website right, to generate new fresh leads.
A month to live. Not the words you want to hear. It can't be you. Right?

People every day, all over the world, get this devastating news. We hear about it, we read about it and we watch it on our television screens. But what happens when this news is much closer to home?

Marketing Eye was approached by Spanish Doughnuts with the view to promoting the first annual “World Churro Eating Competition” to be held at Melbourne’s Federation Square. With just over two weeks to go before the event date it was full steam ahead from the off-set. Marketing Eye met with Michael Aldemir, Director of Spanish Doughnuts Australia for an initial brain storming session, from here the promotional strategy was developed and implemented.

Published in Marketing
Wednesday, 17 August 2011 19:51

If the shoe fits, it's yours

To build an extraordinary team, you need extraordinary people. People that are inspired, that create their own opportunities and who want to make their mark on the position so that in no time, they get career opportunities for advancement and the world is literally their oyster.

But how do you get these people to come and work for you when you are a small business? The answer is marketing. Now, as a company, we have failed miserably in attracting the right people for the job because we don't market the positions - we post them!

That's now going to change. Thanks to the awesome marketers on the team and an inspired point of view, we now are looking to create the ultimate marketing outfit - not just deliver great work.

What do you think of this?
Each industry is different.

Let me assure you, if you follow the same marketing campaign as other industry sectors - you will fail.
Wednesday, 17 August 2011 00:23

Marketing for a cause

Today, I drove to Dandenong to hear stories from Foster Care Parents and Students that are currently studying through VCAL as part of the Ozchild Day for Ambassadors.

There are so many amazing, giving people out there that dedicate their lives to helping others. They ask for no recognition or endorsement and are simply people who care about others that may not be blood relatives nor may they be people they see past a day, a week, a year.

Ozchild is a non profit organisation that needs your support. They help children who have no where to go, are abused, and whose parents cannot look after them for one reason or another.

They may have fallen to the way-side in the Australian Education System and in desperate need of alternative learning.

Whatever the case - they need your help.

Businesses

If you are business, think about ways you can work with Ozchild to raise money, give support or provide resources. Simply by making a small donation, it is helping children in Victoria.

Individuals

From being a Foster Carer through to lending your support in community events or volunteering in their office. Alternatively, if you have some spare cash or fancy a tax deduction, why not make a donation to www.ozchild.org.au.

Your support is appreciated.

P.S. If you like this marketing blog, then please feel free to share it on whatever social network medium you see fit. We love facebook, twitter and linkedin!
Published in Mellissah Smith
Monday, 15 August 2011 19:24

How to align marketing with sales

15 Years ago, I sat in the office of the then Silicon Graphics State Manager for Queensland, Mal Walker, and commenced a discussion with him to gain his support for the Information Technology and Telecommunications Awards. Basically, I needed a dollar value sponsorship for the privilege of Silicon Graphics presenting an award and gaining invaluable exposure in the IT industry.

He said, "So you have come here to sell to me!". I was mortified! I don't sell, I market! I was simply presenting an opportunity for Silicon Graphics to market themselves to the IT industry in Queensland and to gain profile. Then, my job was to ensure that they received the publicity and profile that is commensurate with their dollar value sponsorship.
We are 6 weeks into a new financial year. The market took a big nose dive last week causing many sleepless nights for people around the globe and housing prices are on the decline after a heated market that seemed to go for far too long effecting the sentiment of all consumers.

The Facebook's, Google's and Twitter's of the world, are rightly so, oblivious to any changes, because people are still flocking to their profitable billion dollar platforms that see the founders and investors laughing all the way to the bank. It's as if they won the lotto and the rest of us just keep putting our tickets in each week, in hope.
Friday, 12 August 2011 01:31

How much can you eat?

Have you ever been part of a truly historical moment?

From the humble origins of Spanish churros hundreds of years ago in the mountain grasslands of Spain to the arrival of churro makers to Australia in the 1800s, people from all walks of life now enjoy eating churros.

On Saturday 20 August Melbourne's Federation Square is host to “The World’s First Churro Eating Competition” at 12 noon.  The event will see ten dedicated churro lovers battle it out for the title and the $1000 cash prize!

This moment in doughnut eating history, organised by churro specialists Spanish Doughnuts, is heralded as the doughnut lovers’ biggest challenge.  The lucky finalists will compete by eating as many platefuls of hot, fresh Spanish Doughnuts’ original churros (a golden crispy doughnut rolled in cinnamon sugar, with a fluffy centre) as they possibly can in two minutes.

“This type of event has never been done before so we are very excited to meet the world’s first ever ‘Churro Eating Champion’.  We have received hundreds of entries daily from avid doughnut lovers via our website and stores so it really will be a close competition” says Michael Aldemir, Director, Spanish Doughnuts Australia.

Also, as part of this historical event you can enjoy salsa dancing by taking part in the “Salsa Churro Dance Competition” at 12.15pm, which offers a $500 cash prize for the pair who can dance while keeping their churros intact!  This promises to be a fun event for all, come along and be part of Spanish Doughnut history!

For further information please visit www.spanishdoughnuts.com.au

P.S. If you like this marketing blog, then please feel free to share it on whatever social network medium you see fit. We love facebook, twitter and linkedin!

Published in Marketing
Thursday, 11 August 2011 00:19

Google+ for Small Business

Google for Small Business

If you haven’t sent off your details to be included in the latest social network craze, Google , then you should do so – immediately!

With more than 25 million people joining in the first month, since its launch at the end of June, Google may very well, become the most successful social network of all time.

I have a headache - but hey, who hasn't? With GFC, natural disasters and market crash after crash - I have to say, I have now stopped worrying about the small stuff and am trying, in vein, to not feel anything when another bout of bad news comes my way.

The US debt issue is bigger than one can imagine. It not only effects the US, but the entire global economy. To find out that our Australian dollar has fallen prey and is now on par again with the US dollar is incredibly disappointing. I have just found out how easy it is to buy everything and sundry online from the US and save big time. I now feel guilty every time I make a purchase in a store locally, because I know that I am being royally screwed when it comes to price.
Monday, 01 August 2011 04:29

The World's Top Innovators

Interesting to find that salesforce.com is listed as the world's biggest innovator by Forbes Magazine. I remember when the company first came to Australia, my good friend and someone who has been an amazing mentor to me Ad Nederlof told me all about the company as he is one of the world's most famous CRM pioneers. I kind of forgot about how big they really are until I read the story. Check it out on www.forbes.com Innovators - The Nifty 50.

P.S. If you like this marketing blog, then please feel free to share it on whatever social network medium you see fit. We love facebook, twitter and linkedin!
Published in Management