adam tudor, Author at Simul Digital

The UK Agency Awards 2023 – Winners!

05.10.2023

As the days start to get colder and the evenings a bit darker, the Simul Digital Team took a trip down to London for the UK Agency Awards. Our campaigns, results and culture were recognised by an expert panel of judges as a finalist in no less than 3 categories.

Taking place at the Sheraton Grand, London Park Lane, nestled in the heart of London, the hotel oozed grandeur and sophistication, just like the sites that we design and build for our clients!

The night was hosted by the esteemed Jonny Meah, part of the Heart FM family and regular reporter for the BBC on shows including Inside Out, Sunday Morning Live, The One Show and more. With charisma, charm and brilliant timing, his hosting made the night seamless and thoroughly enjoyable for all – taking regular breaks for laughs between rounds.

The Ceremony

Hosted by awards specialists Don’t Panic Events, the night kicked off in style. With a red carpet entrance, bustling drinks reception and a packed out bar, everyone was looking their best with glamorous black ties and ball gowns on show amongst the buzzing finalists.

Once we’d sampled a tipple and caught up with industry friends, everyone took their seats for a delightful 3 course meal. 5 star quality was served up by an impeccable team, starting with Truffle golden cross goat cheese tart followed up with West Country Lamb Rump, and rounded out with a beautiful Madagascan Vanilla Panna Cotta.

We were very pleased to see Poached Yorkshire Rhubarb included with the dessert, no doubt grown in our own backyard directly from the Rhubarb Triangle which is close to our hearts…and our office. Absolutely Delicious!

The Finalists & Winners

The UK Agency Awards is one of the largest and most prestigious ceremonies in the agency awards calendar, and tonight proved it so! There were 39 awards categories in total, and we were nominated finalists in three.

Being such a young agency, all our finalist nominations were for the Small Agency categories, for agencies up to 20 people – we were proud to be recognised and nominated for all three:

Best PPC Campaign
eCommerce Agency of the Year
SEO Agency of the Year

We were over the moon with our nominations, for such a fresh, small team on a rocket path to growth, this would only be our second award ceremony and we were raring to go!

Best PPC Campaign

First came the Best PPC Campaign of the year, and we were up against some tough competition, including previous winners Spike Digital with their campaign for Mighty, alongside Circus PPC, with a strong campaign delivering growth for leading brand Miele.

We saw off all of the competition and scooped a Win in this category, and were absolutely bowled over with the success and recognition for our team! Well done to Nathan and our PPC Team for your hard work, effort and amazing results..a well deserved award for both us and our client.

eCommerce Agency of the Year

Second up, we were finalists in the eCommerce Agency of the Year, reflecting the work done by the team over the past 12 months to bring new client brands to life, while growing our existing ecommerce sites with enhanced functionality, loyalty programs, improved selling strategies combined with responsive and lean ordering processes.

Competition in this group came from the likes of Quickfire Digital, Heur, GPMD and Brave the Skies, agencies that have been well established in the industry for many years.

We were thrilled to find out we were winners in this category too, taking the win for eCommerce Agency of the Year! This is a great recognition of the work of the entire agency, keeping order and revenue growth as a key objective for all our digital activity and client website.

SEO Agency of the Year

Finally, we moved on to the SEO Agency of the Year. This was the first time we had ever been nominated for an SEO award, having been heavily involved in SEO for the last 18 months, and servicing many clients

There were no nominated finalists for this category, and it was a totally open category so the awards could have gone to any of the 34 agencies nominated on the night.

We won our third award, with a clear win in SEO agency of the Year too and were absolutely ecstatic with our win in this category! For an SEO team that has only been established for a little over 12 months, the results Adam and his team have achieved for our clients in this time has truly been record-breaking and it’s brilliant to get recognition for this, for such a small, fresh agency based in Wakefield.

We beat off competition for many well established agencies in this area, those based in London, Manchester and wider all across the UK – an amazing win for our agency!

A Night to Remember

You can find a summary of all the winners and judges remarks over at the UK Agency Awards for more info from the night, along with official photos – I’m sure you can spot us!

We had an excellent night, it was lovely to meet old contacts and catch-up on all things industry, let our hair down and enjoy the fruits of our labour.

We’ll keep pushing our agency forward, driving sustainable growth for our clients, and will be up for more awards soon – we’re currently a finalist for ‘New Business of the Year’ at the Wakefield Business Awards in November, so fingers crossed our winning streak continues!

If you would like to know more about our awards wins, our approach, strategy and results that we can drive for your business, or if you’re interested in joining our award winning digital agency and working with some of the best in Yorkshire, get in touch today.

Our New Email Partnership to Elevate your ROI

16.06.2023

As the weather warms up and Summer is in full swing, here at Simul Digital we’re excited to announce the launch of a brand new partnership which will elevate our email marketing services and capability for clients.

We’ve joined forces with Klaviyo, world leaders in email marketing and comms automation. Established in 2012, Klaviyo believes in the power of data and technology to measure, track and record to optimise campaigns, drive sales and improve loyalty.

By harnessing this data in the right way, we’re beginning to see some excellent growth among many of our ecommerce clients.

We’ve been hunting for a new comms provider for a while, having supported clients across several industry leading platforms, but never found the perfect fit for both service and capability.

Now several weeks into our partnership with Klaviyo, we have seamlessly integrated our clients’ systems and are well underway managing marketing & service email comms, tracking customer interactions, running triggered sales campaigns and leveraging cart abandonment opportunities to secure additional sales for clients.

This partnership has really enabled us to deliver more for our clients by harnessing the power of Klaviyo’s world leading technology.

Just a few of the new features and capabilities that Klaviyo brings to our email marketing services include:

Dynamic Data-based Communication: The advanced data-handling aspects that Klaviyo brings, means we are able to optimise marketing content based on recipient attributes and behaviour. This means that we can ensure customers are receiving comms about what they are interested in, searching for and buying to get the best performance from our marketing comms, all dynamically generated and updated in real-time, according to user behaviour.
Total Broadcast Control: Offering ultimate flexibility in sending emails & customer communications. We can increase the likelihood of comms being opened and engaged with, as we can dynamically optimise broadcast time to maximise performance through the use of automated tracking and measurement. Less worrying about ‘the right time to send’, when we know exactly when our comms best perform to recipients.
Surprise & Delight Opportunities: With better handling and management of data come more opportunities to surprise and delight customers. We’re now much better equipped to launch last minute special offers, sales, customer rewards and loyalty promotions, which is becoming essential for many of our clients. We can also support better things like tailored sends based on buying patterns, as well as birthday and anniversary offer emails which customers love.
Advanced Creative Capabilities: When it comes to designing, building and testing email content, Klaviyo is a leader, with seamless systems meaning that email creative and build is more efficient to build and easier to manage. This can be a critical issue in some systems, and we’ve been very impressed when working on Klaviyo’s platform.

Though we’re only a few months into our brand new partnership, we’re seeing improved performance already across the board for those clients we have brought on board to manage their automated comms and email marketing.

If you want to learn more about how we can elevate your email marketing and customer comms to the next level, or see how we can deliver digital success for your business, get in touch today and let’s see how we can help.

What Creates A Great Work Environment?

05.05.2023

Having a positive, fulfilling environment for your employees is becoming one of the most important factors for many people when considering a new job. We often find that the longer people spend in their professional careers, the more importance they can place on their working environment, and finding one which is right for them.

But in what ways can you, an employer, make work not seem like work?

What A Positive Work Environment Means

A positive work environment does a lot more for a business than one may think.

Employees are generally more happy to be working. This can create better quality working and client relationships and produce more effective outcomes for the business.

The turnover rate of employees also falls, allowing companies to build a stronger, more familiar team, saving time on additional recruitment and training that can occur with a high staff turnover rate.

With the current climate it is important you are able to retain your employees, whilst also ensuring the ones you do have are present and engaged as much as possible.

The above are all linked, as they can have a direct impact on the quality of work produced and outcomes for your business. On good terms, this can lead to more revenue and better exposure for your business!

How Can My Business Become a Positive Environment?

Knowing what a positive work environment means for your business, it is important to understand how it can become a reality.

Value Mental Health

Positive mental health is absolutely vital and valuable for a productive workforce.

People handle things differently to others. If you are able to become an approachable employer when considering mental health then your employees will be able to be open and transparent if they experience any hardship in the future. Working together with your team to tackle problems, and being there to support them can be vital in helping them get through tough times.
Incentivise

Nobody is asking you to pay off their mortgage, though if you feel your employees have worked well on a particular project then taking them out for a drink or two after work really goes further than you think. Positive reinforcement like this indicates to them that their work is appreciated and valued, and team activities outside of work can help relationships to blossom.
Work Life Balance

People spend ⅓ of their lives working. Which is a long time when you give it a quick think. We feel it’s vital to appreciate your employees’ down time, especially if they are working long hours for you and your company. Incorporating ‘flexi-time’ into your business gives your employees some well deserved breathing room, and knowing you’re there if and when the unexpected happens gives them confidence in you as a employer.

We hope you found this article beneficial for you and your business going forward. These are all principles that Simul Digital operates by, putting our people first as it’s them that deliver for your business and make it what is it today.

To keep up to date with all things Simul Digital follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn – or get in touch today for a coffee to see how we can help give your business a boost in the digital world.

Opinion: Mail Privacy Protection #emailmarketing

24.04.2023

Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) has caused somewhat of a frantic response amongst the email marketing community. It has changed the way email marketing campaigns are conducted, ultimately leaving businesses and agencies left scratching their heads.

Whilst it was more of a myth at one point in time, MPP is now a reality for all email marketers. If you are new to email marketing or are just looking to refine your understanding then read on to find out more about Mail Privacy Protection.

Email marketing is a powerful channel to grow your businesses revenue and online notoriety. Don’t be put off by it, as once you have a reliable email marketing system in place, emails become an asset in your marketing plan.

What exactly is MPP?

MPP was introduced by Apple back in September of 2021 after they released their iOS 15 update for their hardware. Whilst Apple generally wants to push technological and business advancements, many felt as though they were hindering it.

We live in a time where personal data is easily accessible by businesses and marketers and as expected, potential customers want control over their data.

Data is somewhat of a commodity in the 21st century where names like META base their business model off user data.

How does this affect digital marketing?

Data within marketing is a currency and a highly valuable one at that. Whether it’s data on sales, social media or email responses, these data and performance metrics can really help brands and businesses plan for the future and to optimise current campaigns set live.

The MPP update impacted email metrics for email marketers and the overall results from campaign efforts. No longer were you able to track hidden pixels to measure open rates and which type of devices are being used. It also made it harder for locations to be tracked.

As a result of MPP being brought out, things like recency management, data hygiene and journey automation have been further affected. All 3 of these are reliant on open rates being tracked which has been a foundation of email marketing for over 15 years.

Furthermore, marketers were now having to be aware of which users were viewing their emails through Apple Mail and if they were opting into MPP.

Luckily as time has progressed Email Service Providers such as MailChimp have worked hard to accommodate Apple’s MPP – though no solution is foolproof, and metrics do still fall through the gaps.

Ways to combat the MPP updates…

This update has been out for over 2 years now. It is important though to understand how to work around Apple’s updates without compromising your businesses email marketing efforts.

After all, it can be possible to have 66% of your conversions come through email marketing if done so correctly and consistently.

There’s lots of information around the web from many email providers that will help you join the dots with your email marketing results, though there still isn’t a concrete solution. Some brands are using other KPI’s to track performance, and moving away from traditional metrics.

Some tips to consider:

Have your customers tell you themselves their location and device. Get creative with this one so it doesn’t seem intrusive.
How you measure email success can be altered – open rates aren’t meaning much due to the MPP update so think what else can be used? Website actions still remain full trackable, and present lots of options for measurement.
Make yourself aware of who is using Apple Mail on your list if you can.
Update customer journeys and email automations to reflect the impact MPP is having on your outcomes.

Our Closing Thoughts

Here at Simul Digital we have become accustomed to this new industry update. When looking into GDPR and data safeguarding, the laws and norms were bound to change. Following the continued implementation of cookie consent laws, it was unlikely that hidden pixel tracking with unconfirmed consent was going to last much longer.

Digital Marketing trends and techniques never stay still, and marketers should look at what has been placed in front of them and adapt accordingly, this is what this industry is all about after all!

Many people have reported their user experience being damaged since the updates on Apple Mail. Users will transfer back over to their email providers platform making this MPP update less detrimental to marketing efforts. Metrics can be tracked easier if this happens.

Got a project in mind? Our team of digital specialists are here to help! Book in a call with us and let us know your current and/or future plans. We will become an extension of your business, and with our proven success we’d love to work with you.

If you want to learn more, or see how we can deliver digital success for your business, get in touch today and let’s see how we can help.

Rebranding your Business in 2023

31.03.2023

“People change” is a phrase that gets used a lot in the world of work, whereas when it comes to business changes, there is a whole tranche of phrases that are used for the many different types of evolution and update that companies can go through, sometimes for the best and sometimes for the worst… Either way, they must be carefully managed and supported throughout to ensure success.

If you and your business are looking for a rebrand then we hope to point you in the right direction with a bit of info. We can’t guarantee things will always work out, but we can give you some hints that will point you in the right direction for success and future growth!

Why Should I Consider A Rebrand?

Rebrands can be a useful point for a business reset, refresh or change in direction. They can be a healthy way for a business to start from scratch, whilst still remaining relevant to their wider audience and also employees.

It’s also important to understand that markets change along with how customers respond and engage with them. Considering a rebrand can offer some valuable internal reflection for any business as competition changes and customer trends develop.

Putting your customers first and their needs is vital for any business to survive.

Take LEGO for example. By 2003 their business was becoming to look a tad outdated, with their core fanbase and audience losing interest.

Their rebrand changed all of this. By understanding their audience they were able to save themselves by bringing out new products and services. Whilst eliminating the ones initially holding them back.

From the years of 2003-2013 their revenue increased by over 500%.

The numbers don’t lie – if done correctly a rebrand can really elevate a businesses performance and authority.

What Should I Consider For My Rebrand?

Rebranding can be seen as a scary thing for any business. Don’t forget though that your foundations have already been built, meaning the really hard work is usually done and dusted.

As already touched upon, it is important to understand your customers’ wants and needs.

Like Lego, maybe your products and/or services are outdated or are not that relevant anymore?

Be aware of the business climate you are in. This along with your customer base is ever changing. Marketing channels may change and also the way they are presented.

For example AirBNB have experienced 5 rebrands since 2007. However it is important to understand how much the world has changed in 15 years.

We’ve seen smartphones and social media drastically develop in this time frame. In 2007, few would have thought Facebook and its platform for businesses would be a major contributor to the international economy.

Maybe your product is there and you have dedicated customers. But what if you are looking for that next step to really break through?

Collaborating with other like-minded businesses can really elevate your businesses efforts. To grow your business it is fundamental you attract new customers.

Well established businesses going through rebrands must also consider the retention of their previously acquired audience, otherwise their new look won’t get the results it may deserve.

Email marketing can play a huge role in communicating with your customer base on the new look. People enjoy being kept in the loop, it’s human nature – and key to ensure everyone is well informed about any changes in your business.

If you and your business feel like a fresh start is on the horizon then please feel free to contact us. As an agency we thrive from pushing businesses to new heights through a mixture of creativity and strategy, bringing a wealth of experience to our clients to support them in driving success.

What does Flexitime mean for a business?

20.03.2023

For many people working outside of the digital sphere, the concept of flexible working may seem fairly alien.

With how the worldwide pandemic shaped the working world and the economy, many companies have had no choice but to opt for a flexible work from home mindset.

If you have not considered flexitime for your business then treat this article as a useful guide – you and your workforce may be working from home in the not so distant future.

“People are more productive working at home than people would have expected. Some people thought that everything was just going to fall apart, and it hasn’t.”
Mark Zuckerberg

What actually is flexitime?

The Oxford Dictionary defines flexitime as “a system of working a set number of hours with the starting and finishing times chosen within agreed limits by the employee.”

This means that employees are able to work around their normal working hours to fit in with their lives and other personal needs.

For many the concept of flexible working was brought to the forefront when worldwide lockdowns were put in place. The social distancing restrictions meant workers had no other choice but to work from home.

Flexitime – the bigger picture

To many employers flexitime may appear not to be in their favour.

Employees are choosing when they start and finish and even where the work is completed. These practices have become more typical in today’s modern economy. In 2022 there were a total of 4.3 million workers using flexible working hours within the U.K.

Implementing this into your business practices can have positive effects on staff overall wellbeing and your impact on the environment, with less commuting comes less carbon emissions.

Work Life Balance

More and more working people are raising families and time with them is precious. Having flexitime implemented allows people to spend more time with their loved ones whilst still maintaining the high levels of productivity your business may require from its workers.
A better work environment

When you and your employees find yourselves working in the office you may notice some positive differences in the environment. It is being proven that once flexitime is available to workers there are boosts in both workplace morale and productivity.
Employee Satisfaction

As a result of the above, you’ll generally find that employee satisfaction will improve, something many people are looking for when looking for a new role. Supporting positive job satisfaction among employees will lead to loyalty from them, reducing the turnover rate in your business.

Drawbacks

Despite flexitime looking like a great idea for modern day businesses, it is important as a senior member of a business to consider the potential drawbacks there are. Although it is a privilege to work flexible hours, some people can abuse the power as you are not able to monitor them fully from home.

Before the implementation it is good practice to test things out with a trial period to see how your staff get on. This eliminates any hiccups in the future.

Simul Digital’s Take On Flexitime

As a company, Simul Digital has implemented flexitime for our employees. Operating with normal business hours with the implementation of flexitime has seen an increase in satisfaction from employees.

As mentioned it is important to monitor employees workload and productivity when allowing policies like this so your business isn’t hindered, there are many excellent software solutions available for this, to manage tasks, projects, time and communications.

Flexitime, although being a newer concept is proving to be a highly effective way to work for many businesses and industries.

To keep up to date with all things Simul Digital follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn – or get in touch today for a coffee to see how we can help give your business a boost in the digital world.

Celebrating a record-breaking digital launch for Sloomy

09.03.2023

This week, we’re celebrating the success of one of our most recent site launches working in partnership with Sloomy, a leading bed and furniture retailer in West Yorkshire. This was one of the fastest web & marketing launches projects we have ever delivered from start to finish. Among the rush of projects we receive in the run-up to Christmas, we’re very proud of what the team achieved and the results to date.

Read on for further details about the project, and take a read through our Sloomy Case Study to find out more.

A New Bed Business in Town

For over 10 years, Sloomy had been successfully trading from their high-street store in Yorkshire. A family run business, all of their beds, mattresses and headboards are handmade from their West Yorkshire factory, with a focus on efficiency and cost control to ensure their beds are high quality, luxurious and affordable – a recipe for success that has worked well for them in store and results in many happy families across Yorkshire!

The team at Sloomy recognised our extensive experience in marketing furniture retailers online, and had seen the success we had achieved with others. They wanted to incorporate our new Morf furniture configurator into the site, to bring the furniture retail experience online and allow customers to configure their furniture to perfection.

Combined with the website, we were tasked with delivering an explosive marketing launch. Sloomy would be a new bed brand on the block, launching into a heavily competitive online marketplace with some big players – not to mention online marketplaces including Amazon, Etsy and Wayfair.

Building a Successful Brand at Breakneck Speed

The team at Sloomy wanted to be trading online through their new website within 6 weeks. With a full web development backlog and a multitude of Christmas marketing campaigns to launch and manage, we had to pull out all the stops. Our team collaborated to work collectively across every aspect of the online business, creating all of the content from scratch with support from Sloomy to ensure everything was in line with retail. Our planning team worked up a full-proof project plan that brought together the branding, digital design, build, and marketing to be delivered and launched in that time – in what would be a record-breaking fast delivery for our team.

Close Collaboration to Deliver Digital Success

Once we got to work, our team got into their stride and pulled together seamlessly. Following our perfected processes for brand building and site design, our digital design team, marketers and web developers worked in tandem to ensure every aspect of the build was given adequate expertise in the allotted time.

Tight timing and smooth project management was orchestrated by our accounts team to keep all the wheels moving, ensuring everything was delivered on time and within budget.

We took Sloomy’s years of sales experience, quirks and tips from their salesmen, combined with our skill set for displaying and rendering products, making clean efficient online sales journeys, and enriching the experience. Our marketers used their USP’s to ensure all in-store values were replicated online to maximise sales conversion, order values and customer satisfaction.

A Seamless Site with an Explosive Marketing Launch

All our ducks were lined up for an excellent site launch. Following thorough testing, the site went live with high organic visibility and traffic results within a week, supported by strong paid advertising performance to drive traffic and customer interest. Morf was successfully integrated, to enable customers to fully tailor their beds and see them in situ at home before ordering, a key USP of the website.

The first orders occurred within 10 days of go live, and the site continues to outperform all forecasted expectations. Sloomy are overjoyed that they can now sell online as well as in store, replicating their amazing level of customer service and support through the website, with many satisfied customers already.

organic success in record time — Organic Visibility Growth in Record Time

We’ll continue to work with Sloomy over the coming year to elevate their online presence, drive web sales and grow their brand.

If you want to learn more, or see how we can deliver digital success for your business, get in touch today and let’s see how we can help.

Opinion: Yandex Ranking Factor Leaks #seo

24.02.2023

A few weeks ago, Yandex has fell victim to a code breach which has led to some of their SEO ranking secrets to be unearthed to the general public.

For a bit of context on Yandex, they are a new search engine used in Russia. In 2022, 64% of Russians were using Yandex, with the remaining 36% using Google to browse the web.

Yandex technically is actually more useful than Google to those living in and around Russia. Some of the services it offers include:

Marketplace
Taxi service
Cloud
Travel
Alice (similar to Siri)

Below we look further into the proprietary source code leaks and how we can learn from them for SEO marketing efforts.

What was leaked?

In the closing days of January, those within marketing became aware of Yandex being compromised by hackers.

The code was published online, which included a total of 1,900 individual ranking factors were found within. A large number for sure, but one that will be an eye opener to marketers going forward.

Alex Burak has broken them down via a Twitter feed with lots of useful information.

They are links to the full source code included, along with comment and opinion on knowledge around these recent events. We’ve summarised some of the key points below.

Domain Authority

One of the first notable discoveries is that domain authority has a direct impact on SEO and browser ranking.

This might not come as any surprise, as DA is a common metric used worldwide across the industry – it’s nice to see it confirmed for Yandex though. Having people link back to your website’s content is a clear indication of strong and reputable websites.

Website traffic metrics affect search ranking

Those who use Pay Per Click advertising be wary, as it appears that organic traffic and it’s % landing on your site affects ranking.

This has long been rumoured, with Google Analytics providing Google with full traffic information about your site, many have postured that it’s taken as ranking factor to determine the value and experience a website offers. Though we can’t confirm it is the case for Google, it’s clear from the Yandex leak that general traffic metrics do play a part in their search rankings.

Having organic traffic is more valuable and worthwhile for your search ranking. Better still you are more likely to have repeat visitors through organic search channels, typically resulting in long-term positive outcome for Yandex’s ranking decision.

URL Structure and contents

Two things regarding URLs were uncovered from this hack.

Including numbers in your web page’s URL is detrimental to search ranking. Keep it simple it seems, and plain english / natural language word are always better than using numbers.

The second thing regarding URL structure is including forward slashes. Whilst they are good for breaking up info, try not overuse them.

Backlinking and internal linking

Another SEO fundamental has been touched upon. This time with linking back to your website.

But which way works best for ranking, back or internal?

It works out that gaining backlinks from main webpages is more valuable than internal links. This is the backbone of many successful SEO campaigns, so it’s reassuring to have this detail confirmed.

Does this affect Google rankings?

With how closely related Yandex is to Google many have been quick to jump the gun with these recent source code leaks.

They are obviously different products that share similar characteristics. Whilst these leaked pieces of information do not relate to Google, it’s important to have these in mind for your future SEO efforts.

After all, for those within the SEO realm, the leaked information has not really come as a shock for Search Engine Optimisation, it’s been useful to clarify strategy and we’ve used it to support many of our optimisation activities.

It’s more scary that they have had a data breach in the first place.

Is it wise to let AI write your marketing content?

16.02.2023

AI, or ‘Artificial Intelligence’ is becoming a hot topic amongst the world of marketing. With the rise of ChatGPT from OpenAI, it is becoming increasingly popular for AI to be implemented into the content creation process for agencies and businesses.

It’s now common practice for companies to include “Written by a human” or “Written by AI” on their web pages and content. Have you ever wondered about the benefits and drawbacks of AI in a business environment?

AI is also being implemented into wider industries such as healthcare, web development and sports, and presents a lot of opportunities for business and organisations take advantage of.

In this blog we touch on what AI actually is in marketing, and how you could go about implementing AI into your marketing plan for 2023.

What exactly is AI?

The official definition of Artificial Intelligence is :

“intelligence-perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by non-human animals and humans.”

In layman’s terms this means that human intelligence and learning can be placed into machines/robots. This learning is then built upon and acted out for us to benefit from.

We then use the output results for our own gain or expand on them ourselves. The cycle then continues until a satisfactory outcome is achieved.

In the world of AI, currently there are 4 different categories, they are:

Reactive machines
Limited memory
Theory of mind
Self aware AI

How is AI being used in marketing?

AI is being used in marketing and has kicked up a storm on social media sites like LinkedIn and streaming sites such as YouTube. Content creators on these platforms are showing users how to make use of AI, specifically ChatGPT.

If you are a smaller agency or a single-person organisation and you want to get work completed in a quicker, more cost-effective time frame, then AI could be for you.

By simply inputting a general description of the sort of content you are needing, ChatGPT goes ahead and responds back with their idea of what you are after.

We will show you some examples of what people have used in the past.

This 1st example above is showing an introduction of an article that talks about what ChatGPT is used for.

Despite being written by a robot, the end result has a human-like tone and features little to no grammatical errors.

Our second example as seen above is showcasing ChatGPT and its ability to write computer code.

What’s impressive with this example is the inclusion specific industry jargon entered into the request, which has then been understood by ChatGPT.

The response is also well thought out and structured, giving the user reasoning behind their conclusion, rather than just giving the answer.

If you were to have any worries about ChatGPT and its value, we feel these 2 examples above can ease them.

What are the general arguments for AI in marketing?

It’s best to weigh the pros and cons of a new strategy or approach before fully implementing it. It can be a costly mistake if you do not consider drawbacks which can cause problems further down the line.

Here are some of the pros and cons to consider when using AI for content creation and marketing efforts in 2023:

Benefits of AI in Marketing

It can be highly effective at completing Repetitive tasks. If someone has lots of repetitive work to complete, they can sometimes lose interest which can cause unnecessary mistakes. AI will never get bored or tired, and can easily complete large amounts of repetitive tasks with ease.
Can be used 24/7 at any time of day, no matter the timezone. This works perfectly when you have an overseas client, or want to run tasks while the office is closed so they are ready for the next day.
Decisions can be made quicly when using AI. Often when you are in a meeting and have come to a decision, there needs to be others adding their thoughts to reach a conclusion. AI on the other hand can present an answer in a more timely manner.

Drawbacks of AI in Marketing

For article writing you may need to go through and cite/reference points.
Certain parts of the English language are not utilised properly through AI. Makes it easy if implemented often for human’s to notice the machine at work.
It can at times give out generally formal responses. If you are using AI for something like a social media campaign, it can be tough for AI to ensure posts come off as fairly informal and laidback, whilst still addressing points/intent in a coherent manner.
The more popular AI becomes, the more risk there is of business, websites and customers noticing its patterns and styles, which could put them off. Sometimes people simply prefer the human touch when it comes to content and marketing.
There can be a risk of repetitiveness and duplicate continent, if many people are using it to cover the same topics.

So, should you implement AI into your strategy?

If this is the first time you have heard of Artificial Intelligence in a business setting, then we recommend researching thoroughly on the benefits it can bring, particularly for the purpose you’re looking to use it for.

It has become a hot talking point on the web, with many organisations already benefiting massively from it, carrying out trials and tests to see how it could perform for them.

As a digital marketing agency, we believe in fully exploring all new technology that can benefit what we deliver for our clients and how we can deliver it. We will be putting AI through its paces to see what it can offer, and how it can benefit the services we provide. To keep up to date about how we are considering implementing AI into our marketing strategies, follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn, where we’ll be posting our progress.

If you are looking to elevate your business’s online presence, why not book a quick chat with one of our marketing experts today?

We took home Silver at the Northern Digital Awards!

31.01.2023

We kicked off 2023 in great fashion as our hardworking PPC efforts from last year were shown some appreciation. On the 26th of January, our office attended the Northern Digital Awards in Leeds City Centre, hosted at the Royal Armouries by the wonderful Jenny Powell!

This event was all about the glitz and glamour, as some of the top agencies from the North of England were shortlisted. Suited and booted was an understatement, as the suits, ties and tails were pulled out the wardrobe and dusted off.

Read on to find out more on the event, those who attended and which one of our campaigns reigned supreme!

The Ceremony

Executed very well, the ceremony was action packed from start to finish. Upon arrival, we were welcomed to complimentary drinks. The initial meeting area was a hustle and bustle with lots of networking and catch-ups, featuring an interactive selfie station that we ofc made use of! Alongside the bar, a beautifully carved block of ice that doubled as a tequila dispenser was in full flow, serving ice cold, smooth shots to get the evening started.

We were escorted into the main area, where the decor and table dressing was beautifully lavish, with a fully stocked table and range of drinks provided, ready for the meal.

Three courses were served, perfectly presented and very artfully decorated if we do say so! During the meal we were also treated to a live acoustic performance which set the mood comfortably.

Hosted by nostalgic T.V personality, Jenny Powell, the award ceremony was a barrel of laughs from start to finish, and executed with perfect timing and finesse, very impressive considering there were 27 award categories.

Overall we all had a delightful night, which won’t be our last awards ceremony this year and beyond.

The Finalists & Award Winners

There were a total of 27 award categories spread out across different aspects of digital marketing.

We were shortlisted for the best Pay Per Click Campaign with our long time client, My Hair and Beauty. We scooped a Silver award for second place out of ten finalists, just beaten by Spike and Mighty with their campaign for ‘Mighty Drinks Brand Awareness Campaign’. A well deserved victory!

The judges remarked:

“We loved the expertise for this campaign that went beyond PPC and led the client to reprioritise their strategy and resources. They had great use of automation to drive the strategy and fantastic results, especially for the small budget.”

Some of the other awards given on the night included:

BEST SEO CAMPAIGN – Distrelec
BEST LOW BUDGET CAMPAIGN – The SEO Works
BEST B2B DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN – Republic of Media and CMI
BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA – Mosquito Digital & Vileda

To check out the rest of the winners be sure to check out the winner’s page on the official Northern Digital Awards website!

Congratulations to all the winners and those who were shortlisted! 2022 was an amazing year for all aspects of digital marketing, as we expect 2023 to be just as good!

Our Silver Winning PPC Campaign

Our PPC campaign for My Hair and Beauty was one of our stand out projects from 2022. We have worked with the online beauty retailer for many years now, so it’s great to see how our relationship and campaign activity with them has blossomed over the years.

Our Pay Per Click team worked closely with the My Hair and Beauty sales experts to bring this campaign to life.

My Hair and Beauty have remained with us during 2022 and into 2023 where we have launched their very own loyalty programme.

There we have our recap on this year’s Northern Digital Awards. Congratulations to those in attendance who made the night so special. To keep up to date with Simul follow us on LinkedIn.

If you’d like to know more about our award winning approach to PPC, details about our Silver campaign or how we can deliver growth for your business, no matter the digital channel, then do get in touch, we’d love to meet for a coffee.

If you have a project in mind, fill out our contact form to get the conversation started and one of our digital specialists will get back to you.

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