I am a marketer and also a jazz musician and in the mid 1990s I left my corporate job and developed a website to sell CDs online.
I knew nothing about designing a website or using HTML, but by looking at the source code of other sites and using notepad,
I was able to figure out how to build a site. I did well for a year, but during this time Amazon.com got going and well…I learned a lot of business lessons!
After that experience I went to work for a software company and it was during this time that I really got acquainted with search engine marketing.
I developed a new site for them, making sure it was built so that it could be fully indexed by the search engines.
My background in marketing also came in useful and I was involved in branding the product using both traditional marketing efforts and also the web to gain publicity.
I also became familiar with pay per click advertising during this time.
All this experience came in useful when I started working with Elixir Systems a search engine marketing agency in 2004.
The business was just getting started and operating out of the owners’ home.
My experience with marketing added to the mix and since that time we have grown and now offer a full range of Internet marketing services.
I am particularly interested in online branding and publicity and developing campaigns based around social media.
We have had some very successful campaigns and with our growing reputation are attracting clients purely interested in developing their online brand.
What makes this industry exciting for me is its dynamic nature.
Things change on an almost daily basis and there is always something new to learn.
Part of the challenge is how to integrate new concepts into the day-to-day workings of the business.
The other part of the challenge is how to anticipate future developments so that the company can be in a position to take full advantage from a business point of view.
I find this really exciting!
By the way, I still play music on a weekly basis.
Interestingly my internet marketing knowledge comes in useful for this and most of our bookings come from online searches.
I must also begrudgingly admit I now sell my CDs on Amazon!