By Duncan Parry, Search Engine Watch

One of the drivers of the growth of the digital industry has been the low barriers to entry in the industry. Anybody can start learning PPC from the Google site, or reading about SEO or other channels on sites like Search Engine Watch. That’s been a fundamental part of the industry’s rapid, vibrant growth.

But low barriers to entry have created another problem – the scammer.

Since the early days of the industry, people have fallen foul of the “too good to be true” approaches to PPC. After presenting at SES London, I was again approached by somebody who was paying a set fee to an “agency” and receiving no sales and no transparent reporting.

Here are some of the approaches you should be suspicious of when looking to outsource PPC. [Read more →]

By Shamsul Chowdhury, New York office

 We made an interesting paid search discovery whilst admiring our Managing Director’s cable knit sweater.  He disclosed that the garment was from Scotch & Soda, a store in Soho that also sells their clothing through other retailers. So, we decided to search the brand and check out what else they had. 

The result was interesting:

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By Kate Bath

With re-targeting now a standard on every planners media strategy, I have to ask the question as to whether or not this is just another form of media that picks the low hanging fruit (and picks it by apple bobbing, the most irritating way to try and get an apple into your mouth).

The concept is simple… a consumer comes onto the website, leaves the website without purchasing and is then remarketed to in the hope that they are ‘inspired’ or engaged enough to re-visit the site and purchase.

Re-targeting is now a common DR sell into clients and as one would expect, they are lapping it up. The question in my mind is twofold: [Read more →]

By Peter Wood, The Wall

So I’ve had this inkling for a while. It goes a little something like this…

What your friends like does not have a massive impact on your purchasing decisions

I know, I know… it’s a hugely outspoken thing to say. After all, Facebook have dictated to everyone in the marketing world that people are hugely influenced by what their friends eat, wear, listen to and watch. Sponsored stories; the advertising function Facebook advertisers use to tell people what their friends have liked, is supposed to be hugely powerful to anyone who wants to believe it.

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We are very pleased to announce that STEAK have been shortlisted for 3 categories in the MI EXPO Awards. 

The Debenhams Christmas Sale Campaign has made the shortlist for both Innovative use of Search and Innovative use of Mobile, and the launch of Allianz – Your Cover has been shortlisted forInnovative Brand Strategy of 2012.

Winners will be announced on the 6th March, for informtation click here…

A big well done to everyone involved.

By John Barham

EU bailouts. Stagnating political action. UK unemployment at a 17 year high. 2012 is not looking good for those recently out of university who want to grab themselves a rung on the job ladder. However there is a growing industry in the UK that is screaming out for educated, talented individuals who are looking to start their careers. Digital marketing is huge, yet I can’t imagine it appearing on the radar of many non-marketing graduates. There is an industry right under your nose every time you use the internet to search or visit social sites. PPC (Pay per Click) is just one of the many disciplines that sits under the umbrella of digital marketing and, like the other channels, it continues to grow in the UK and other markets.

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 By Phil Burgess

A client recently told me that one of my Account Managers was a bit like a “fluffer”. The only reason I didn’t immediately punch her on the nose (apart from the fact she is a woman and we were slightly worse for wear, naturally) is that she had, in a previous life, been an agency client services person and understood the challenge of adding real value to client relationships when they often prefer direct access to the delivery team…i.e. the guys and girls doing all the really hard work.  It’s something that we believe in here at STEAK.

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By Peter Wood

The STEAK Social team was invited to speak at the Enterprise Ireland Retailer Solutions CEO Forum at East Point in Dublin. Enterprise Ireland help promote the export of Irish business globally. STEAK have been charged with helping to establish Enterprise Ireland clients in the social space over the past 18 months.   

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