The Doctor of Digital™ GMick Smith, PhD

Let’s consider an example, imagine a company with two different messages to communicate in their digital strategy. The company is a manufacturer of hand tools and equipment. Let’s call them TFY (Tools For You). They are targeting two primary buyer personas: one, the consumer, who will ultimately be using the tools; two, the retail stores where their tools are sold (their distribution channel). Tim...

On the 50th anniversary of the release the song caused friction within the Motown label because of its political context. Berry Gordy didn’t like the song at all and thought that Marvin was committing career suicide. Behind his back the song was released and it went on to sell worldwide two million copies. Time to answer a quick 4-question survey? Click to answer; thank you! https://docs.google.co...

The song was so far ahead of its time that it is difficult to think about it in context. Every other song from this era is a beloved artifact, forgotten more typically. This song still sits more comfortably on any rock, Americano, or roots music playlist, and sound fresher and more relevant than nearly anything else that might come before or after. Time to answer a quick 4-question survey? Click t...

Once you know whether you are competing in a red ocean or a blue ocean we can define more questions based on our digital strategy checklist. Are we competing in a very well-known arena where sales will come from grabbing a piece of an existing pie? Or, are we offering something that has a little competition and requires a new market? Time to answer a quick 4-question survey? Click to answer; thank...

Facebook users can stream from Spotify through the Facebook app on iOS or Android. This feature will be available to both free Spotify users and premium subscribers. This is Project Boombox. Time to answer a quick 4-question survey? Click to answer; thank you! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pfdA_6_7YzUnyolusOJy0lJeU0gNm07HIOMFyM2YCT4/edit If you like the Podcast please do three simple things for...

There are two sorts of oceans: red oceans and blue oceans. In the red oceans, industry boundaries are defined and accepted, and the competitive rules of the game are known; here, companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of existing demand, and as the market space gets crowded, opportunities for profits and growth are reduced. Products become commodities, and cutthroat compe...

Like a cultural barometer, the rise of ska indicates when and where social, political, and economic institutions disappoint their people and push them to reinvent the process for making meaning out of life. When people or groups embark on this process, it becomes even more necessary to embrace expressive, liberating forms of art for help during the struggle. In its history as a music of freedom, s...

So you’ve defined your ideal customers now, how do you reach them? To reach your target audience in today’s business world, you must have a solid digital strategy in place. You’ll notice I called this a digital strategy rather than a digital marketing strategy, since I believe this goes way beyond marketing. Your digital strategy should flow out from your broader business goals and objectives. It...

Alison is author of Chapter 10 of WSI's Digital Minds volume, "Managing and Nurturing Your Database." Marketing automation software and CRM systems are absolutely essential to daily business efficiencies, lead nurturing strategies, and data security. If your business hasn't made the leap yet consider this chapter introduction to software for your unique business objectives. Time to answer a quick...

A striking contrast between 1957 and the present is that Americans today appear to have a much lower tolerance for risk than their grandparents and great grandparents. As one contemporary recalled, “For those who grew up in the 1930s and 1940s, there was nothing unusual about finding yourself threatened by contagious disease. Mumps, measles, chickenpox, and German measles swept through our entire...

Now that you know the buyer persona identity for your contacts how do you serve them personalized content? First, try personalizing your landing pages, so they speak specifically to your buyer persona. Many landing page editing programs have dynamic content capabilities that enable you to connect your landing page contact directly to your CRM. You can customize the landing page copy dynamically, s...

Local SEO is all about increasing search visibility for businesses that serve their customers in a focused local geographic area. Any company that is local and serves loyal customers can benefit from local SEO. Local brick and mortar stores like restaurants, bars, laundromats, healthcare practitioners, law offices, and retail stores are all businesses that should be losing local SEO. Time to answe...

Who is this? Pain points; gain points; what do they want to know? What do they not want to know? Why do they buy from us? Where do they find us? Time to answer a quick 4-question survey? Click to answer; thank you! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pfdA_6_7YzUnyolusOJy0lJeU0gNm07HIOMFyM2YCT4/edit If you like the Podcast please do three simple things for me: rate, subscribe, and write a review. Than...

Win more business and increase your revenue; understand your unique selling points; avoid boilerplate marketing; crafting the perfect message to woo your prospect; and, the missing link in your content strategy. Time to answer a quick 4-question survey? Click to answer; thank you! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pfdA_6_7YzUnyolusOJy0lJeU0gNm07HIOMFyM2YCT4/edit If you like the Podcast please do th...

Tony Defries, considering that to be a star, you had to act like a star, and with a nod towards Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley, David Bowie was marketed creating an image of stardom and success. As Mott The Hoople and Bowie met, David had just completed recording sessions for the album that would bring worldwide acclaim, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. He had f...

Step one page experience, step two fix errors in search console, step three don’t forget to run a site audit, and finally, conclusion don’t wait for Google to roll out the update to see what happens to your website. Unlike most updates, Google is giving you a chance to fix your issues before they roll out the algorithm. So, do yourself a favor and fix them. This way you won’t have to worry about y...

Rethinking the role of SEO and Social Media in your search strategy: with Google’s constant algorithm updates, Mark covers how audio and search is essential for everyone. Explore the new strategies for capitalizing on voice search, Web Site FAQs, online directories, influencing marketing strategies and more. Social Audio: Beams Clubhouse Discord Stages Facebook Live Audio Rooms Pludo Quest Racket...

The genius marketing of Woodstock 1969 by any marketer will tell you to set goals, and the four entrepreneurs behind Woodstock ‘69 were optimistic with theirs. John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld, and Michael Lang created Woodstock Ventures with success in mind. They were all 27 or under, with just two being involved in the music industry in some way, shape, or form. They mapped out their...

Blues artists are master storytellers. Through the music they tell amazing stories of struggle, sorrow, joy, and well, more struggle. It’s the blues after all. Through it all many artists found their own unique voice and have created their own distinctive brand of blues. And with it, adoring fans that follow them feel a connection to the particular brand of blues that they play. As a social media...

Once you have conducted your market research and have your completed competitive analysis report in hand, use your newly gained insights to develop a digital marketing strategy that will drive results for your business. Your objective is to create a plan that has your customers and their experience with your brand at the center of your activities. By continually analyzing your results and refining...

The keywords that a website ranks for can reveal a lot about your competitor’s strategy. Download their top 100 Google ranking results, highlight which keywords your competitors rank for in the top 30 Google results, and filter and categorize them: branded, non-branded, information, research, and intention or commercial. Keying according to the Urban Dictionary is: 1. The act of scraping the sharp...

How do I beat my competition? Check their reviews, review their social media, competitor product summaries, strategies used by your competitors, Google ads, remarketing and banner advertising, and SEO. Jonesing according to the Urban Dictionary is to have a strong need, desire, or craving for something. For example, in the Cheech and Chong song, "Basketball Jones, I got a basketball jones, I got a...

The third-party cookie is dying, and Google is trying to create its replacement. No one should mourn the death of the cookie as we know it. For more than two decades, the third-party cookie has been the linchpin in a shadowy, seedy, multi-billion dollar advertising surveillance industry on the web; phasing out tracking cookies and other persistent third-party identifiers is long overdue. However,...

Once you have your list of online competitors, drill down further into their online presence, and review how their SEO has been performing. You can compare their information over the past 24 months to uncover: their estimated ad spend on search advertising, specific months when they engage in search engine advertising, the keywords they target in the ad copy they use to attract search engine visit...

Eric helps community banks build their digital strategy and community bankers build a personal brand via online and social strategies. Digital strategist, public speaker, educator and mentor, and the #TheLinkedBanker. Time to answer a quick 4-question survey? Click to answer; thank you! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pfdA_6_7YzUnyolusOJy0lJeU0gNm07HIOMFyM2YCT4/edit If you like the Podcast please...