Rob McLeod

Does your content strategy make your site ‘house’ or ‘home’?

Most digital marketers have a content strategy they would confidently defend and rightly so. Content strategies ensure there’s always something new and useful on your site for visitors and define how that content will be promoted.

The main problem with this is that something that probably started off with all the best intentions can quickly become lip service and a chore.

Keeping it fresh and relevant is a challenge.

by Rob McLeod 28 May 2012 14:10pm 6 comments

The year of earned media

There have been many changes over the past few years in terms of how information is shared.

The advent of social media, the perceived declining effectiveness of existing methods and the state of economies around the world have affected the way brands approach content creation and distribution.

Gone are the days when information flowed in one direction from the brand to the consumer with little or absolutely nothing going back the other way.

The days when brands had full control of their content, and the type of message that they wished to spread to consumers, have slowly given way to earned media – where media coverage is earned from consumers, not just paid for like a commodity.

by Rob McLeod 04 April 2012 14:00pm 3 comments

Five brands that are using Google+ effectively

According to latest figures, Google+ now has over 100m users. A phenomenal feat when you consider that the network has only been around for a little over six months.

So it's no surprise to see more and more brands getting in on the act.

The challenge many brands are facing with Google+ is how to use the network as a business communications tool and what use they can find for it that they would not be able to find on other similar networks.

A few brands are already making interesting moves, using it in effective ways to engage with their audiences...

by Rob McLeod 23 March 2012 09:18am 1 comment

Let thought leadership be just that

The importance of thought leadership in marketing and PR is certainly nothing new. But I’m constantly amazed how many brands get it totally wrong!

In an increasingly digitally driven world, thought leadership continues to be an excellent way to reach out to key decision makers, but it’s not as easy as you might think.

by Rob McLeod 25 November 2011 10:06am 0 comments

The ‘big idea’ is no big deal

In the not too distant past, creative agencies coined the term ‘the big idea’ as the Holy Grail solution to a client brief.

There’s no question that great creative concepts are worth their weight in gold, partly due to tighter than ever budgets. And I’ve worked with agencies over the years where fantastic amounts of resource were focused on coming up with the next big idea.

by Rob McLeod 19 October 2011 12:59pm 5 comments

Digital versus direct; using data for good

What’s in a name? Well, if you believe the digital versus direct debate that has been raging in the marketing industry recently, the answer would be ‘a hell of a lot’!

On the one hand, digital agencies are criticised for being overly focused on a channel, whereas the ‘direct’ guys sit across different channels but are tainted with a historical focus on spammy practices and tactics.

by Rob McLeod 30 September 2011 12:12pm 2 comments

Five simple steps to building trust online

As a brand, you can’t survive online these days if your customers don’t trust you. Fact. If they don’t trust you, they will never buy from you, and you will ultimately fail. It’s that simple.

And it’s especially true for brands that are selling high-ticket items and also when consumers are buying something they might consider a luxury.

A holiday is a good example; it’s a major purchase for most of us not just because it is expensive but also because it’s the one purchase we all look forward to every year!

by Rob McLeod 22 September 2011 08:37am 6 comments

Five reasons why data is more important than ever for digital marketers

As a planner, data has always been the bread and butter of my professional career. Since the rise of planning teams in advertising agencies during the 70s, it has been our job to really get to know the consumers we are looking to reach, to get under their skin and understand what makes them tick.

We focus on collecting as much useful data as possible that can then be used alongside considered insight and observation to create more targeted campaigns that hit the nail on the head.

by Rob McLeod 07 September 2011 14:47pm 3 comments