Digital marketing and face to face interaction was a heady mix
The Digital Marketing Show has been and gone! It saw its second outing on the 19th & 20th November at Excel in London. In an era of digital marketing and endless connectivity opportunities why would anyone want to attend an exhibition? It’s quite simple. Face to face communication cannot be replicated as effectively.
Although modest in size the show was perfectly formed. There were a wide variety of both exciting, innovative companies and products on show. Opportunities to ask questions, listen to explanations and pose penetrating questions meant that time committed was time well spent.
Everyone felt the excitement, creativity and potential was extraordinary. The sense of possibility gave the event an inspirational and cutting edge vibe. Being asked to commentate on .rising’s video output about my predictions for 2015 was another highlight. I’ll add a link when it appears. To keep up with digital news subscribe to dot.rising. Watch the digital marketing showreel right here.
Meanwhile, enjoy my personal highlights from The Digital Marketing Show 2014
First off the blocks is Squared Digital Marketing. This course has been developed with Google’s backing. It was set up to combat the shortage of trained talent in the digital marketing sphere. Courses kick off monthly and last for about 6 months. In that time students will be put through their paces in terms of the digital marketplace. Webinars on infrastructure, mobile, branding, PPC, SEO etc. all feature. It’s a mix of webinar, peer group activity and personal research. Obviously it all happens online. Industry specialists offer additional curriculum enrichment too. Having personally experienced this course, I can recommend it to build confidence, develop skills and extend knowledge. For further Squared course details click here. or tweet me @supposeiam for a personal opinion!
If you want to consolidate marketing experience then IDM are the guys for you. IDM helps marketers improve their performance. They offer a wide range of relevant qualifications and training including: professional diplomas in digital marketing, post grad diplomas, awards, certificates and Masters degrees.. To explore further click here
Another provider who I am beta testing for is dot native who are developing online courses for digital marketers and I am currently working through them – phew! Sign up to be a beta tester here
One business that caught my eye was Beacontent. How many ways can you split their name? This company deals with iBeacon technology. Beacons are actually small sensors not much bigger than some of the old school dongles. These sensors broadcast an unique set of signals. Mobile devices in the proximity receive push notifications. This is achieved by signals triggering a connection to iBeacon’s cloud based management platform. From here a business can send out messages, alerts and develop the sophistication of communication as appropriate. Bluetooth Low Energy and WiFi signals are combined so these beacons can connect with all iOS, Android and Windows mobile devices. This is achieved through BLE or WiFi. For local businesses this gives extraordinary functionality and the chance to connect directly to people in your area check them here.
Ridgeway also impressed. As a CMS it has so much to offer when considering how to personalize content and segmenting audience need. Ridgway will help you be mobile optimized, offer ecommerce successfully, be personalized and automated. If you deal with both B2C or B2B or either, Ridgeway will assist to combine brand content with online purchasing and automate communications based on behaviours. With clients and potential clients wanting a bespoke message in a timely manner Ridgeway will fit the bill.
Leadforensics takes business analysis to the max. If you’re dealing with companies, not individuals then this system will allow you to find out everything you need to know about people who visit your website. The demonstration was impressive and provided company names, contact details, industry, turnover and employee numbers. With date and time these sensitive data points can be the difference to stealing a march on the competition. You can predict need based on their search behaviour allowing you to pitch in a more directly relevant manner.
The Headshot Guy proofs of Vivienne Neale – still trying to choose the best one of 50!One addition that straddled digital and business was ‘The Headshot Guy’ who set up a mini studio to produce some stunning headshots. There is much to be considered when choosing a headshot for an avatar and The Headshot Guy is just the person to ensure you put your best face forward. For more information and franchise opportunities click here. Watch out for a special feature next week.
There were so many things to explore. If you missed this year’s digital marketing show then 2015 is bound to be even bigger. Next year I’ll aim to produce a video instead of a written blog!
Any questions, observations or should you wish to continue the debate please leave a comment. Collaboration s such a useful exercise.
