Ahead of the Game

It's here! The DMI's rundown of what you need to look out for in the coming year. Host Will Francis is joined by 8 experts and practicioners across the industry to look at where digital marketing is at in 2022 and how it is responding to societal changes post-COVID. We look at issues around recruitment and upskilling and key factors regarding the customer experience. We touch on the Metaverse, NFTs, AI, Google's ever-evolving cleverness, and how brands can plan strategically. In an ever-immersive world we look at how video is becoming so much more accessible, the importance of TikTok and YouTube, and learning to live with automation. And that's just some of what we covered! You can view the full transcript on our website. While you're there, check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today.   The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.    And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Data handling is everyone's concern at the moment. But do you know the difference between 2nd, 3rd, 1st and now zero-party data? A recent term that's starting to appear everywhere, zero-party, or trusted, data refers to data the customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand.    Host Will Francis chats with digital expert Clark Boyd about how brands can treat this new form of personal preferences and information usefully and responsibly. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms.    Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today.    And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

As an experience architect for Accenture Interactive (ASGR region), Brian Corish has access to, what he calls, "the greatest toy set in the world". He and host Will Francis discuss how digital transformation is not about rushing into new technologies for the sake of it. Rather it is a transformation of mindset and culture, which is aided by creativity and attention to the customer. Brian also joined the DMI for a webinar on this topic, specifically discussing the aspect of people culture.  The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, among others.    Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today.    And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

In this final episode of 2021, host Will Francis talks to Dominik Schneider, global head of digital marketing and customer engagement at Straumann Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of dentistry products. He discusses how he has built up the group's social channels, and run global integrated campaigns across all markets and brands, and gives us an insight into their omnichannel demand generation engine. While marketing to dental professionals is a B2B activitiy, at the end of the day it's all really "business to humans". The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.    Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today.   And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

How exactly can social media - and especially LinkedIn - play a central role in feeding the sales pipeline with qualified leads? That's what Social Selling is about, and Paul Lewis - a veteran social seller at Pitney Bowes, and DMI SME - shares his experiences and tactics on making the most of LinkedIn towards your sales efforts. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.    Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today.    And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Host Will Francis talks with Jason Jercinovic, advertising veteran and VP of Technology at North Highland in New York, about the state of new technology in the world of marketing. Jason talks about how the Covid pandemic has really "let the genie out of the bottle" in terms of accelerating the need and pace of innovation. Their conversation covers a world of new learning, from the metaverse, the power of AI in understanding the customer journey, how brands can look at TikTok, and the move towards DTC. And his top tip for keeping on top of it all? Give yourself time to play and think and slow down and then you can make decisions. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and beyond. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, blogs, and more! Join for free today.  And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Host Will Francis chats with B2B marketing strategist Lee Odden about how we find the right influencers, how to decide who to work with, how to become an influencer, how to manage influencer campaigns, and how to gain the most value from those relationships over time. Lee Odden is an author, international speaker, and CEO of TopRank Marketing. Working at the intersection of content, search, and influencer marketing he is also on the Industry Advisory Council of DMI. This episode was adapted from a Q&A session with Lee after his webinar with DMI on B2B Influencer Marketing. You can view the full indepth webinar on the DMI membership library here, for free.  The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Renowned copywriting expert and trainer, Kate Toon joins Will to talk about all you need to know about good copy. (That's copy, not content). She has a particular passion for SEO and is a top-class educator through her own podcasts and websites at katetoon.com. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

Ever wonder how Google really works and why understanding search is so key to digital marketing?  In this episode host Will Francis chats with SEO expert Joe Williams about the history of Google's algorithms, the importance of relevancy, and how it's evolving to current trends in AI. Check out Joe's explaining How does SEO Really Work, one of our most popular episodes. The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!

In this episode, host Will Francis meets James Williamson of London digital marketing agency 8th Dial who works hands-on with clients to optimize their online stores after they're up and running. They talk about conversion optimization using heat mapping, the importance of testing and considering the funnel, optimizing your content, and even "the dreaded email popup form". The Ahead of the Game podcast is brought to you by the Digital Marketing Institute and is available on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Check out the DMI's extensive digital marketing library of ebooks, toolkits, podcasts, webinars, guides, templates, advice, and more! Join for free today. And if you enjoyed this episode please leave a review so others can find us!