Digital_nation is an eye opening documentary from PBS which explores how the Web and digital media are changing the way we think, work, learn, wage war and interact. The film examines the major differences between the Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives who are growing up digital.

A digital native is a person for whom digital technologies already existed when they were born, and hence has grown up with digital technology such as computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3 players.

A digital immigrant is an individual who grew up without digital technology and adopted it later.

This is a must watch documentary for anyone with an interest in the digital world we all inhabit.

Small business owners recognise today that social media marketing has a huge potential to promote their small business.

With sites like Facebook numbering over 500 MILLION active users and YouTube getting more than 2 BILLION video views per day, it’s not difficult to imagine the possible benefits to local small businesses.

Social Media makes it now possible for consumers to get recommendations and information about a business or business service/product instantly via the social web or their online social circles. It is truly “Word of Mouth Marketing on Steroids” as it can spread like a virus. (aka “Viral Marketing”).

With information and unbiased personal recommendation now freely available in the digital age, consumers can make a more informed choice if a product or service is right for them.

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Many local small business owners and entrepreneurs are now realising the importance and the huge benefit of having audio and video [multimedia] as part of their online presence.

Studies show that multimedia is far more effective than any other form of communication for getting  the attention of your visitors, prospect, subscribers and customers. The use of video and audio marketing messages dramatically increases the conversion rates of products and services many times over.

If research consistently shows the advantage of incorporating multimedia into your online marketing campaign(s), then don’t you think it’s time to seriously consider incorporating audio and video into your small business marketing strategy?

There are many video tools available today. These can be applied into a variety of marketing strategies to greatly improve the effectiveness of your communications and marketing.

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Who do you know that doesn’t have a mobile phone these days? Pretty much everyone has one, don’t they… Is it any wonder mobile phones have now reached over 4.6 BILLION worldwide? Estimates show that mobile phones and other mobile devices will be the primary way to access the internet by 2020.

So, what does this mean to your business? Well, picture this: Most people take their mobiles with them everywhere they go, so what better way to connect with them when they are on the move and away from their desk.

This is vital, because, unless you have the ability to communicate to them via their mobile phones, you are off their radar – out of sight and out of mind.

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Email marketing is considered one of the foundational principles of any internet marketing strategy. It is often said that “The money is in the list“. This is very true, as many studies over the years have shown that it is more expensive to acquire new prospects and customers, than to gain repeat and new business from existing customers and current prospects.

For the notion of the money being in the list to be truly accurate, respect for your prospect and customer lists must be at the core of your email marketing campaign. This will guarantee that you build and maintain strong relationships with these contacts. A sure way to gain and keep the respect of your your target audience can be acheived by regularly sharing relevant and targeted emails with them.

Examples of content you could share through this method of marketing includes helpful/topical articles, tips, products, services, event invitations etc, with those who have requested to receive your email messages.

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