Matt Owen

Matt Owen is Head of Social Media at Econsultancy. He looks after Econsultancy’s global social media strategy and architecture, where he has led community engagement and growth since 2010.

Matt has a background in music, film and television in addition to marketing, and was instrumental in building the UK's largest entertainment blog network before moving into dedicated social management and strategy for one of the world's largest business schools before joining Econsultancy. He has a particular interest in social measurement and organizational integration.

In addition, he works with a community of 200,000+ digital marketers daily across a variety of social channels and has written best practice guides for popular social platforms. He contributes regularly to the Econsultancy blog, industry titles and makes regular appearances at events and conferences.

Optimise conversions in four easy steps

OK, so you've worked long and hard to find the perfect keywords for ads, you've got a team of heavyweight SEO Jedi hard at work, and kidnapped marketing geniuses chained up in the basement, and as a result your traffic is through the roof.

Getting solid traffic can be an arduous process, but it's important to remember that ultimately that isn’t why you are in business.

You're here to convert traffic into sales, and this is part of the process where many businesses falter. Having access to huge numbers of people is different from actually selling to them.

Fortunately there are some simple rules you can follow that will really help you optimise your site for conversions.

by Matt Owen 19 August 2010 08:57am 2 comments

Six key tactics for alternative search engine marketing

search-engine-logos Whether you’re a copywriter, marketer or fully fledged SEO ninja, the chances are that your optimisation will be primarily focused on the larger search engines.

More people use Google and Bing, so they’ll be your primary sources of revenue. However, there comes a time in every campaign's life when results level off. At times like this it’s worth taking time to consider other search engines.

There’s is no shortage of them available, and while they don’t have quite the same audience share, they can still provide you with a healthy traffic boost.

by Matt Owen 11 August 2010 09:49am 6 comments

Building your B2B social media case

Generally speaking, B2B organizations are well ahead of the social media curve. Figures show a higher rate of adoption then the B2C market (86% compared to 82% for B2C), and there’s certainly a willingness to innovate within the space.

However, there’s often a long hard slog to integrate and execute a strategy effectively. While ideally, social media should be multi-departmental, B2B’s most commonly place social media within the marketing department.

As marketers, one of the largest problems is still resistance or lack of understanding from senior management.

by Matt Owen 11 August 2010 14:06pm 10 comments

Six core tactics for social media managers

Over the last year we’ve seen some great innovations across the board in social media, changing the way we interact with brands online and streamlining campaign rollouts.

As trends and ideas rise and fall at an ever quickening pace, we often find ourselves running to get on board the next big thing. Signing up for new platforms and services, or utilising ever more arcane sets of metrics to track campaigns.

Here are six quick tips and tactics that can help you get ahead...

by Matt Owen 09 August 2010 09:25am 10 comments

Kanye West is following me...

Not too long ago, another celebrity decided to join Twitter. Nothing unusual there. That celeb’s name was Kanye West, and what is interesting is his unique approach to Twitter.

Instead of the usual celebrity tactic of following showbiz pals and huge brands, Kanye decided that the Twitterer he was most interested in was Steven Holmes. Kanye followed him, and only him.

You might not have heard of Steven, and it’s not that surprising. If you have heard of him, then I’m assuming it’s because you’re in one of his classes in Coventry, since Steven is an unassuming student with no particular claim to fame or knowledge of Kanye West.

by Matt Owen 05 August 2010 12:24pm 1 comment

Six ways to effectively track offline sales

tracking-offline-transactions While we often debate how effectively we can track ROI online, it’s occasionally worth stepping back and remembering that the ability to track transactions and engagement points online is actually a luxury.

In the offline domain the ability to effectively track ads and effectiveness can be severely limited. How do you know if your billboard campaign is effective?

Here’s a few ways to track what customers are up to when they’re off the grid.

by Matt Owen 06 August 2010 09:10am 10 comments

Conde Nast introduces glamourous new look for iPad

While conventional thinking tells us that tech geeks and early adopters tend to have a Y chromosome, research shows that women are increasingly the most prolific users of hardware and networks, spending more time online and engaging more often and more meaningfully.

With the launch of the Glamour Magazine app, Conde Nast is taking steps to engage this important market more directly.

by Matt Owen 04 August 2010 12:55pm 0 comments

Can Tumblr compete in the mainstream marketplace?

Facebook’s ubiquity and Twitter’s ease of use have long made them favourites for businesses entering the social media space for the first time.

With increased resources being assigned to social media teams however, it can be difficult to stand out in the crowd.

Short-form blogging site Tumblr believes it offers a solution however, and is currently working to increase its mainstream recognition, actively courting newspapers, magazines and other traditional media outlets.

by Matt Owen 03 August 2010 14:51pm 3 comments

Start Me Up: A profile of Blank Label

This week on Start Me Up we talk to Danny Wong of Blank Label.

Blank Label offers an online co-creation service that allows customers to design and customise dress shirts to specific requirements, providing inexpensive bespoke tailoring.

by Matt Owen 03 August 2010 12:25pm 0 comments

Six design tips for great mobile apps

Building a mobile app may be all the rage right now, but it's still a potential marketing misfire. You should always take time to consider exactly why you are investing in an app and how useful it will be for your customers.

Is your business best represented through a branded social media, games, digital brochures or another service entirely?

That said, the continuing growth in mobile commerce and mobile use in general means that a well considered app can be a valuable addition to your marketing arsenal, connecting you directly with customers who will increasingly engage while on the move.

by Matt Owen 02 August 2010 12:03pm 0 comments