Digital Fire's Press office on Bizcommunity

Today's volatile economy is compelling investors to increasingly focus on emerging markets - countries that are currently experiencing rapid growth and industrialisation. And as the world becomes more connected via the various forms of digital culture, emerging markets are truly starting to come into their own. Internet penetration is spreading at an extraordinary rate within these territories, which in turn is facilitating the development digital marketing. 28 May 2012 Read more >>

Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing mediums of the digital age. There are numerous reasons for this such as its cost-effectiveness, measurability and its high response rates. But, email marketing only works when it is implemented in the correct way and if the processes involved in launching a campaign is carefully managed. Conversely, when marketers disregard the rules of email marketing and by extension the laws recently set out by regulations such as the Consumer Protection Act, campaigns will not be as effective and customers are inconvenienced. 4 May 2012 Read more >>

In recent months Google slowly began to implement changes to their rules and algorithms in order to make their search results cleaner, more informative and more relevant. In March the search giant announced that the forthcoming changes to their algorithms would penalise sites that are "overly optimised". 25 Apr 2012 Read more >>

Africa and specifically sub-Saharan Africa is currently experiencing massive internet expansion with an internet growth rate of 2 500% recorded between 2000 and 2011. This immense increase in internet usage is mostly due to the growing numbers of mobile and smart phone users who are introduced to the web via their cell phones and because of this burst of connectivity more and more Africans enter the world of online, more join social networks and use them to connect to the world and people around them. 18 Apr 2012 Read more >>

In the early days of email marketing open rates along with and deliverability rates were the only ways to determine campaign performance. Luckily, there are now a number of tools to better analyse success rates, but does that mean that email open rates should be disregarded? 11 Apr 2012 Read more >>

Social media has irrevocably changed the way brands interact with consumers online. The open, egalitarian nature of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter has given customers a voice and has made companies more accessible than ever. As always, businesses must adapt in order to survive and in the social media age this means altering the way your brand presents itself online - this means humanising your brand and its image in order to successfully manage social media. 5 Apr 2012 Read more >>

In the past few years, video marketing has taken off as one of the most successful proponents of digital marketing. The innately social and viral nature of these campaigns work in conjunction with the growing trend of social media and therefore have the potential to reach millions of users and viewers around the world. Online platforms such as YouTube have made short videos not only readily accessible, but an integral part of our daily online digest. 30 Mar 2012 Read more >>

Facebook has recently announced new additions to their advertising offering for businesses. Soon the hundreds of millions of users who use the social network will be seeing ads in new places on their pages and timelines. The new suite of advertising products aims to offer businesses more visibility and aims to take advantage of their burgeoning mobile user base. 29 Mar 2012 Read more >>

Blogging might not be the newest, hippest way to connect to your target market, but it's still regarded as one of the best ways to boost your brand's presence online. By having a blog your company will be able to keep customers up to date on new developments, share your wisdom and provide a space where you can express your company's ethos in a way that is more fleshed-out than micro-blogging via social media. A blog can be an indispensible marketing tool and in this article we'll take a look at the reasons why. 13 Mar 2012 Read more >>

In order to leverage the power of great content it is essential that brands understand how content is used to guide customers through what is called 'the buying cycle'. This cycle can also be read as a funnel of sorts - one where potential clients enter and then later emerge as customers. The important thing to remember is that it's a process - and any content generated by your brand should be structured in a way that complements and facilitates it. When customers are met with content that seems relevant to where they find themselves in the buying phase they are likely to be more engaged - which in turn encourages them to take the next step towards making a purchase. 8 Mar 2012 Read more >>

Barack Obama's US presidential victory in 2008 was significant for many reasons. It came during a time when the world was at a crossroads, both economically and technologically speaking. The sudden recession that hit the US and the rest of the world that year was accompanied by an explosion in the digital sector. The world was increasingly moving into the online sphere - social networking sites such a s Facebook and Myspace experienced astounding exponential growth and as smart phones and PC's became ever more common - email cemented its place as the primary means of digital communication. 28 Feb 2012 Read more >>

A favourable search engine ranking is one of the best ways to make sure that your business is visible and accessible online. As a result, SEO or search engine optimisation has become a powerful toolin ensuring that your company's website achieves that auspicious ranking. 21 Feb 2012 Read more >>

Since launching in 2006, Twitter has established itself as a global, varied and immense online community of which businesses make up a considerable part. Making your business visible, likable and accessible on Twitter is not only a good way to stimulate brand awareness, but also an invaluable way to really connect with the people engaging with your brand. 14 Feb 2012 Read more >>

Digital Fire is very excited to be bringing a brand new offering to our clients. We recently decided to venture into video marketing and, after a successful pilot project, we feel we can now show clients what they can do with video marketing and their brands. 23 Jan 2012 Read more >>

2011 was a substantially important year in the evolution of social media. What started out as a simple way to socialise online has manifested itself in whole new way to communicate on all levels, especially in that of advertising and marketing? Here is what Digital Fire sees for the future of social media and what to pay attention to when upgrading your social media marketing strategy. 16 Jan 2012 Read more >>

The world of journalism has changed dramatically since social media became a daily way of communication in commerce and social alike. It overlapped and encompassed traditional media for a number of progressive and developmental reasons. This can mainly be attributed to: 19 Dec 2011 Read more >>

Creating creditable content to promote your brand also means that you have to become attractive to two things: search engines and humans. 13 Dec 2011 Read more >>

We're gearing up towards the SA Blog Awards 2011 which will be held on 10 December 2011 at Crystal Towers Hotel. The categories go as follows: 7 Dec 2011 Read more >>

During the holiday season, those of you who use digital marketing can really get the most out of your campaigns if you gear up ahead of time and remember these following important points: 29 Nov 2011 Read more >>

What was once the tool of the elite is now the democratic medium to live and market by. You can bet on it. 17 Nov 2011 Read more >>

Oh dear. For those brands who thought they had social media and social commerce down pat may have to review their social skills come the end of the year. Having a virtual avatar to represent your brand and enable your clients to engage with you on a commerce as well as relations level of interaction is now standard procedure for business today. It is understood that online engagement though digital marketing and social media is how brands are now communicating with their clients. However, it has been proven, thanks to a research survey conducted on Klout and Twitter, that those who are especially influential online receive a higher advantage over and above their competitors, thus increasing their reach to bonus levels. 16 Nov 2011 Read more >>

Facebook has gone to the next level in the world of commerce and marketing this week after luxury brand, Oscar De La Renta became the first high end brand to launch a Facebook commerce initiative exclusively on the social network. 8 Nov 2011 Read more >>

Digital marketing is here to stay and if you want your brand to stay too, you had better take this evolution seriously. Major luxury brands in the fashion world have shown their trade mark streak for innovation and trends by taking digital marketing into account whole heartedly and the results couldn't be better. In fact, the darlings of digital like Louis Vuitton and Burberry are doing better than ever, whilst those who haven't gotten on board for this are trailing behind. We all know that as a brand, you want to be seen in all the right spots and by all the right people. The reality is that the place to be now is online and according to fashion, it's the hottest ticket in town. 7 Nov 2011 Read more >>

With the new year coming up fast and as we all draw a thankful breath that there is some form of holiday in sight, you would do well as a brand to keep an eye on what's going to be big in digital strategy next year to keep ahead of the game. 28 Oct 2011 Read more >>

When it comes to online marketing, you have options and these should be weighed up in terms of what works for your unique brand. This is because any return on investment should be considered initially before undergoing a digital campaign. Looking at the statistics and returns that are received from the various forms of marketing are essential to your business's benefit; otherwise these efforts and investments will prove simply futile. 27 Oct 2011 Read more >>

What is deemed to be the biggest fashion revolution in a hundred years according to Blogger's Wardrobe is also going to revolutionise journalism and brand marketing alike. 20 Oct 2011 Read more >>

Social media users turn 'Bryce Lawrence' into a trend and a dirty term by petitioning against his refereeing in the Rugby World Cup 2011, Australia versus South Africa. 19 Oct 2011 Read more >>

The wonderfully glamorous world of magazine media has had to make a lot of effort to protect their livelihood as a brand and a revenue generating industry since the advent of social media. Facebook especially has been responsible for the change in communications and sharing of ideas, which essentially are the fundamentals the magazine industry works on. 13 Oct 2011 Read more >>

As a brand you now have found yourself pulling in a virtual tug of war online for the consumer's attention. The wonderful thing about the digital development of internet sharing through social networks and email marketing means you know where your potential client is most of the time. 12 Oct 2011 Read more >>

This Christmas more and more consumers will be doing their shopping via tablet. 5 Oct 2011 Read more >>

Maintaining the relationships you have begun with your clients is just as important as getting new clients on board for your service or product. In the world of digital marketing, a brand has to operate on an entire new value system in order to attract and keep the interest of potential clients. This in a term is called 'Relationship Marketing'. 30 Sep 2011 Read more >>

How employing an email marketing strategy for a car brand can increase revenue and relationships with your client. 27 Sep 2011 Read more >>

The values of renting opt-in and profiled email data and what it can do for your brand. 21 Sep 2011 Read more >>

The benefits of CPA Marketing and how the Consumer Protection Act has improved the quality of marketing and your brand's communications. 20 Sep 2011 Read more >>

As the business calendar takes a step back and looks at its IPO for the first half of the year, so do all of us start looking at where we and those we are associated with, are all going to be by 2012. 14 Sep 2011 Read more >>

Outsourcing from the UK to South Africa proves reliable, cost-effective and quality assured. 13 Sep 2011 Read more >>

If you think about the social media networks that you use, brands that you choose to interact with and the articles you pick out to read, it kind of recalls the nostalgia of a magazine experience. Remember when your subscription used to arrive, sealed and exciting, a new addition of your favourite regular read that you couldn't wait to enjoy. 7 Sep 2011 Read more >>

It's true that the face of marketing has changed forever since the digital expansion of the internet remodelled brand/consumer relationships in the last few years. No longer is it a case of the brand in question 'shouting' out its marketing technique at the general audience. Now marketing is a very segmented and specialised field with many different and necessary sub-divisions within it that apply to the various areas. However, there are traditional traits to direct marketing that should not be ignored and simply rejuvenated and applied for affectability by injecting relevancy into your marketing strategy. 6 Sep 2011 Read more >>

MySpace is bought, Justin Timberlake takes the reins and the technology puts the soul back into the music industry. 1 Sep 2011 Read more >>

Social media as an evolutionary pallet for artistic expression. 30 Aug 2011 Read more >>

Quality, custom made, value rich. This could be you email marketing campaign. 25 Aug 2011 Read more >>

Today social media is a tool of extreme consequence and exceptional opportunity for everyone across the globe. 24 Aug 2011 Read more >>

In the Age Of Information or rather, Interaction, with digital media leaping across time and space at an uncanny speed, older technology has to pull itself along into the future. Film and production companies as well as cinemas have had to come up with some innovative advertising and marketing campaigns in order to fill seats and buy tickets. 15 Aug 2011 Read more >>

Using the currency of social media to draw an audience while email marketing keeps them satisfied. 11 Aug 2011 Read more >>

The egg of innovation that is social media is cracking open. Birthed from it is the Fountain of Youth. A digitally charged elixir that promises a way to live forever. Immortality is usually associated with vampires, gods and fairies. However, the implementation of social media into the human race has opened a door that gives the user the power to become super human and to never die. Sound far-fetched? Well look at this list below and ask yourself if any of these super traits are not embalmed in your established web of social media? 3 Aug 2011 Read more >>

Human interaction loses out to Facebook everyday. 2 Aug 2011 Read more >>

A small start-up business looking to build brand awareness and develop relationships with potential clients is the perfect candidate for email marketing. A smaller business looking for the most effective, value-for-money and strategic marketing model will find this system to be highly suited to your needs. 29 Jul 2011 Read more >>

Google, gadgets, exclusive, reclusive and addiction. 28 Jul 2011 Read more >>

Further in the discussion on human and brand nature in terms of social media - how to use social networks in a safe and healthy way as a beneficial tool and not a vice. (Click here for 'Identity crisis in you and your brand: Social Media: Part 1'. 20 Jul 2011 Read more >>

Are we losing who we are to social media? In this article I will be speaking about human and brand nature in terms of social media. How to use social networks in a safe and healthy way as a beneficial tool and not a vice. 19 Jul 2011 Read more >>

Radio has fallen by the wayside as a powerful marketing tool since digital technology revolutionised the way people interact with the once masterful medium of music and talk shows. Having lost a large percentage of their following to iPods and online streaming, radio stations who want to revolutionise their place in the media are extending their efforts to social networks. This development seems to spin both ways as bloggers embrace radio to add a terrestrial dimension to their posts and to further engage on a personal level with their listeners and readers. A great example of one such collaboration is the sale earlier this year of Thumbplay.com to Clear Channel Radio, a radio giant who will now be using the cloud-based music business as a development of their digital strategy. 12 Jul 2011 Read more >>

As a brand that aims for longevity and to keep acquiring clientele through change, it is important that you keep reevaluating the segmentation of your target market within your business to business strategy. 11 Jul 2011 Read more >>

Phew - end of the Digital Fire financial year on the 28th of February, the head hit the pillow with a resounding thump that night. If I don't see another spread sheet for a few weeks, that's okay by me. 10 Mar 2011 Read more >>

While opt-in e-mail marketing campaigns have proven their effectiveness time and time again, companies are now realising that in order to maximise online exposure, drive sales and maintain or enhance customer service, it's beneficial - if not vital - to combine e-mail communications with social media marketing. With this in mind, it's no surprise that Robertson Winery sought the expertise of Digital Fire - a Cape Town based e-mail marketing specialist and division of London's Spencer Boyd New Media Group. 27 Oct 2010 Read more >>

Digital Fire added an exciting new name to its rapidly growing client list - the Los Angeles-based Warner Bros which utilised their services for the Matt Damon/Morgan Freeman epic, Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood. 3 Mar 2010 Read more >>

Ad waffle. Smoke and mirrors. Over-promise and under-delivery. Lack of market knowledge and dare I say it laziness. I see quite a bit of it in the South African advertising and marketing place. Don't be offended if you work in the industry, I also see some quality people, great ideas and forward-thinking concepts, but in my opinion I think it's fair to say that the recession is a good thing for marketing and advertising in this country. 11 Sep 2009 Read more >>