A big thanks to our Pubcon 2014 sponsor, LinkResearchTools, your off-page SEO toolkit. Link Detox: Recover – Protect – Build.
At Pubcon 2014 in Las Vegas, I had the opportunity to catch up with three experts on marketing agencies: James Loomstein of Digital Space Consulting, Adam Proehl of NordicClick, and Joelle Blaikie of Chatter Block.
These experts provide a rare look inside the world of marketing agencies. What tactics are they focusing on right now? What can an aspiring marketing professional do to prepare themselves for working at an agency?
Those are just some of the questions I get their unique insight on in the videos below.
How to Aim for a Career in Digital Advertising: An Interview with James Loomstein
Here are some key takeaways from the video:
- There has been a big shift from the days when marketing agencies used to have hundreds of employees spread out across multiple locations. That’s something you don’t see anymore.
- There has been explosive growth in niche specialization. Brands used to be limited in what they could do to market themselves — there was radio, TV, and print advertising. Now there’s thousands of options for what you can do to market yourself online.
- If you’re aiming for a career in digital advertising, James recommends getting into the fields of math, science, or analytics. Writing and designing are also a valuable skills, but at the end of the day those have to be tied to business goals.
- In regards to designing, James says the ability to create a beautiful website was a great skill to have years ago. In the world of big data, even designers need to fundamentally understand where businesses are going and what challenges they are trying to solve.
- Instead of aiming for a breadth of knowledge, James recommends focusing on a deep understanding of one in-demand subject
Tips for Finding An Ad Agency For Your Buisness: An Interview with Adam Proehl
Here are some key takeaways from the video:
- Before looking for an agency to market your business, first figure out exactly what it is that you’re trying to solve. For example, do you want better search engine rankings? Do you want to sell more products or services? Narrow down what your goals are.
- There are often legitimate arguments within a business as to whether they should outsource their marketing or do it internally.
- If you need high level expertise of the particular field your business is in, it’s near impossible to find that kind of expertise in a marketing agency. That’s when it would be better to do your marketing internally. If you’re trying to solve a short term need that doesn’t necessarily require high level subject matter expertise, hire an agency.
Focusing On Your Demographic: An Interview With Joelle Blaikie
Here are some key takeaways from the video:
- Joelle has found that one of the most valuable tactics in marketing right now is really understanding the demographic you’re trying to reach.
- What is your demographic using to search the web? What kind of content are they looking for? These are good questions to ask when trying to learn more about your demographic.
- Joelle gives the example of the demographic she has been working with lately: Moms. What she has learned about this demographic is that they’re very social, enjoy connecting with other parents, and spend most of their time online browsing Facebook or Pinterest.
- With that insight, Joelle has focused her marketing dollars on the social networks where her demographic spends the most time. She found this kind of focused approach to be much more effective.
Please visit SEJ’s YouTube page for more video interviews.
Photo Credit for Adam Proehl: nordicclick.com
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