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Show Notes

Sam Shetty is involved in a business called E-Web Marketing. E-Web marketing started as a digital agency about 20 years ago. At this time, having a website was a luxury. Then everyone jumped onto Google.

In 2005 and 2006, the small business environment started to acquire domain names and websites. In 2007 and 2008, Social Media started to become prominent.

There are now around 15,000 digital marketing agencies providing services in Australia.

The focus of E-Web Marketing is to help clients focus on their clients.

There is a lot of noise around digital marketing, and every business's benefit is different. There is an expectation gap. Sometimes the business outcome is not as expected. Many sales professionals are unaware of how much it costs to generate a lead. Digital marketing is designed to complement the sales effort, not necessarily to replace the sales effort.

The messaging from the sales team, website, and digital marketing must be consistent.

AI is the most significant change occurring in digital marketing. Sometimes the AI engine makes decisions on behalf of the client and Google, and there is not necessarily a logical explanation for the intervention.

When investing in marketing support, the client must clarify whether the marketing service is at the right stage of development to support the business sales effort.

The old approach of search engine optimisation is not good enough. The course is to collaborate with how Google evaluates websites and consumer interaction.

Many businesses can benefit from access to various experiences and expertise. Sam has set up an ecosystem of marketing professionals available to his clients, a panel of experts.

Digital marketing does not have a physical product. Therefore the level of expertise of the various professionals is paramount.

At the moment, Sam has a panel of 15 experts. It is set up as marketing on demand, providing practical knowledge for enabling SMEs to be more confident in the marketing decisions they are making in their business.

From a talent perspective, finding marketing professionals with a real depth of talent and appropriate formal qualifications can be challenging. Company culture plays a big role in attracting the right talent. Some university graduates are hired and put through intensive training for about 3 to 4 months. To be successful, you need a combination of business skills and knowledge of standard marketing tools.

In the future, data and AI are going to be critical in marketing campaigns. It is about targeting individuals and knowing what they need. Technology is getting sophisticated at calculating individual preferences. Voice recognition is a key part of this. Typing has evolved into a touch screen and a natural language voice interface. The required skills in marketing are continuing to grow.

In Summary:

Strategic thinking: It is essential to do this in a business.

Be strategic about what to do. At different points, it is essential to know the trends and priorities for this part of the journey and the marketplace.

Be strategic about knowing where to play. Digital marketing does not work the same for every business. Is this a good fit for what we are trying to do?

Be strategic about risk. Be aware of some of the dangers of AI and also the opportunities AI presents.

Be strategic about knowledge. Knowledge can be generic or specific. How knowledge is used and acquired is an important decision.

Be strategic about people and HR. What has the previous experience been like? Having a business mindset is critical for customer-centric staff.