I am a co-founder of nadimo.com, podcast host to the best ecommerce podcast, eCommerce Allstars. I have been a thought leader and futurist for some of the largest tech firms in the world, being referred to by IBM as “One of the Industry’s brightest minds”.
I am a ecommerce consultant, coach and mentor that also leads a team of internationally elite ecommerce developers focused on simply driving success for our clients.

There’s clearly some difference between how we shopped before to how we shop now. How have times and the industry have changed?

Other than the obvious items being various mobile devices etc, the most significant change is the expectations of customers. Site speeds need to be at an optimal high, while also providing the required and expected features people have come to expect. That said, people are also expecting a much quicker checkout, friction free so to speak, and customization is now becoming something that is setting sites apart from each other. These types of things cannot be handled from the aspect of implementing a templated design any longer. Also the need for omni-channel fluidity is also at the forefront, the ability to buy online and pickup or return in store has never been in such demand. Those who can capture this as an opportunity to upsell and cross-sell will reap the rewards of a seamless online and offline experience.

Which of the current ecommerce trends do you consider to be the most important?

I spoke recently about 5 common trends that can set people apart, and speak of these often on the podcast as well as highlight these at nadimo.com.
They are:
A. Open source vs Hosted eCommerce Platforms – With the rise of the publicly traded Shopify, there has been a huge shift to this platform because of its price and its ease of use. The issue is that this will not be the platform in most cases that will drive success over the long term and will not allow sites to take advantage of the other areas needed to be a true success. Don’t get me wrong, the platform works and can be a great starting point, but as with all SaaS based approaches there are limitations.

B. The Zuckerberg Effect – There has been a huge shift to ecommerce, and in some cases this has been enabled by sources like shopify. This is great for the industry, however, this has started a phenomena whereby there are a significant number of ecommerce founders without a technical background. Ecommerce at its source is a tech company, unless of course its an extension to an already existing retail presence, but either way divisional or not, this part of the business is tech based. This does not mean it needs someone of a tech savvy background as a founder, president or CEO, but they certainly need to have one available to them to navigate the landscape and optimize their operations.

C. The Checkout Headache – Never before has a one click checkout been more in demand. Places like Amazon have owned this space, until recent technologies have popped up on the scenes. Now no matter your size of operation, you too can have an expedited, friction free checkout that will make checking out even easier than standing in line at walmart or using the express checkout. This is a must, and if done right can and will set yourself ahead of the pack, and if done incorrectly, will leave your competitors pickup up those lost sales and cart abandonments. Don’t forget they have the ability to target with great detail just like you! Just the other day I clicked a FB ad to purchase and while I was in the process my wife was getting innondated with ads for the competition, I had not even placed my order yet! MAKE THE CHECKOUT SEAMLESS AND FRICTION FREE, IT NEEDS TO BE!

D. Automation & Integration – This is a little redundant in the sense, that you will be using integrations on the checkout process, but also do not forget the right balance of various integrations as well as automations so as to streamline backend infrastructure will make the entire business that much more efficient. I have a few podcasts where I speak specifically to this point, but the key here is to keep a good balance of frontend and backend integrations so that you can automate through integrating as well as increase sales and conversions through the utilization of key integrations.

E. Custom is King – Over time the emphasis on customization has become the ultimate differentiator in the world of ecommerce. If you can introduce ways that people can build their own product like Nike.com has done, making their custom shoes the top seller in their online store, you are doing nothing but building a bigger and better differentiator between you and your competition. The best way to keep people coming back is to make them feel part of something and if they created their own product and put their name on it, you are setting yourself up for success. “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language” Dale Canragie. If you can give them the ability to put it on something or feel that you care about it too, you’re ahead of the pack!

Where did the idea for Nadimo came from? Tell me more about it?

I consult and coach ecommerce entrepreneurs, founders and their teams each and every day helping them iron out kinks and grow their businesses correctly. I focus on the optimization of their online store by applying the 5 points discussed earlier, ultimately guiding them down the path where they will have the most likely chance for success. If that’s you, go to nadimo.com and book a FREE Success Session with me.

According to you which are five trends that could send your business to the top?

Whilst they are all important and each one to some level leans on the next, the ultimate goal is to reach the top, Customization. Think of it as maslow’s hierarchy of needs for ecommerce, you need the right platform and the right person beside you, behind you, in your pocket, on speed dial whatever. You need the slickest checkout process known to man. Automate and integrate towards the success of each of the needed functions and features on your site to set up success in all aspects of the business from frontend to backend, then, HIT HARD with something amazingly custom!

What eCommerce innovations are exciting you the most these days?

Post sale upselling. It may not be new or necessarily an overly exciting innovation, but it’s not something that can be applied with the same success in a physical world, but leads to excellent returns on overall average order volume.

Prepared by,
Stanislava Angelova
/Editor at DiTech Media/

The post The Future of eCommerce <br> Branden Moskwa appeared first on DiTech Media.

My passion was always to solve problems and help others, this is why I am excited about technology and I believe that can really improve our lives and make miracles happen. At the same time, I believe in the power of information and in data driven decision making. This is why I chose to study mathematics & computer science and I have worked in different software companies as a data scientist, software engineer and IoT Consultant.

What is the need and the challenge of processing, analyzing, and using Big Data in decision making?

Big Data is characterized by the 5 Vs: variety, veracity, velocity, volume, value, and these indicate all the things that could lead into a number of challenges that could pop up while dealing with it. Imagine a big volume of different types of data coming towards you with a great velocity and most of it being junk, how easy do you think that it is to process it, analyze it and use it in real time? Imagine for example numerous bank transactions and you trying to respond in real time to problems like fraud detection. In a digital world where the internet is booming and we have information hence data explosion, trying to address challenges like security, live responses, forecasting, and risk minimization is a constant race with time and lack of talent. This is why there is a huge need for data scientists globally.

What are the pros and cons of IoT?

The Internet of Things is a savvy way of combining the power of computing, data science and business needs. Automating parts of manufacturing, discovering patterns in the production line, and predicting errors before they even appear can lead to a better understanding of our business, improve performance, and decrease cost. On the other hand, setting these types of systems for a company’s digital transformation and then the maintenance of these systems can be expensive and time consuming. On top of that, we often meet overpromising and overestimating ROI (return of investment) in industry 4.0, while there are no blueprints of customized and agile solutions. IoT is a new area, IoT systems are complex and even experts cannot easily predict a system’s output before they build it and test it, so sometimes expectations differ to reality.

What are barriers and challenges to develop successful IoT projects?

For me, the key to success here is to build strong and diverse teams! The best way of solving a complex problem is to break it down into smaller pieces and deal with each piece separately. Now, imagine if a piece of this problem is called data science and it involves data collection, cleaning, storing, processing, analysis, update, and weighting. You need a number of people with different skills to deal with this part of an IoT system. So, the scale of this system becomes fast enough to build a startup around an IoT project in order to support it. A company should work on talent acquisition, systems & processes set up and related preparation before they even undertake an IoT project, otherwise they will not have the time to solve all these problems after taking a big IoT project and are under a deadline. Customers do not trust companies that do not have successful business cases to proceed on assigning a project to them, and a company does not hire employees unless they do not have projects for them.

What are the digital transformation opportunities in the industrial IoT?

It depends on a company’s vision and strategy I would say. If you want to grow or not be obsolete in a few years or be beaten by your competitors you should go digital, like today, now.  Covid19 led to a further booming of digital solutions. If you do fine and you think that this is enough and there is no risk of staying as you are, you can stay as you are. A small team of passionate engineers managed to eat alive a huge competitor a few years ago and became an industrial leader just because they had a strong core, they believed in what they did and because technology gives you opportunities like this one. I am talking about the Facebook and MySpace example.

How business can be benefitted by IoT?

If science is numbers, technology is machines and business is people. So, businesspeople can be greatly benefitted by enhancing data driven decision making, by forecasting the future and getting ready for it, by automating manual processes to invest more time in thinking and visualizing instead of building and testing. We can get inspired by different solutions and use the power of technology to fix things. People suffer, Earth suffers, animals suffer, we have now the tools and the power to do better instead of using cheap patch solutions!

In your opinion what is the next great innovation?

I think that we expect to see great things in the near future, things that we have seen in Sci-Fi movies. 3D printing of food, clothes, and products, auto driving and robots  are only a few of the things that we will see everywhere in a few years. I see an eco-friendly and human centered revolution in technology, I see people passionate to defend their values, I see entrepreneurs and volunteers ready to change the world, so as a tech person, as a visionary, as a Greek geek, as a dreamer I am looking forward to this futuristic future.

Prepared by,
Stanislava Angelova
/Editor at DiTech Media/

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Coaching is an awakening conversation with a professional that can guide you to find your best answers, in a safe and non-judgmental space.

Coaching is about human connection, presence, and new possibilities.

The coaching conversations can revolutionize your mind, your understanding of life, your beliefs system, your relations. And many people that experienced coaching said these conversations are powerful and transformative and that changed their lives for better.

I love coaching because for me was like a new birth. Coaching gave me so much meaning about my potential, about my talent, and what I can create in this world to also support people to follow their most inspiring goals or dreams and turn them into reality.

Basically speaking, a coach can help you to discover your authentic self and unleash your potential to create a better life, both personally and professionally.

The coaching process is an in-depth one, working with the conscious mind but also with the subconscious mind. A coach will explore the mental, emotional and behavioral patterns that block your way to achieve success and to be yourself.

In the book “Coaching for Performance”, the author John Whitmore states that “true performance goes beyond what is expected, it means determining the highest standards that one can have. Therefore, coaching is a tool for optimizing people’s potential and performance. “

 Coaching is an authentic conversation, through which you can experience profound changes or “insights”, you can discover new perspectives, you can get new solutions and answers to important questions for you.

Coaching is the right solution for you if you have started asking yourself “different” questions, such as “Who am I really”?, “What is the meaning of my life”?, “What can I do better”?, “How can I follow my vocation”?. If these questions have resonated with you, that means that you are ready to start the change. You are already to step into the path of personal evolution and self-discovery.

Coaching will help you to become the leader of your life and you will be able to optimize your career and personal life from all points of view.

In other words, coaching is a process of personal empowerment.

I can say that for me, coaching is a love story with myself and a passion that has also improved the quality of the people I am working with, both personally and personally.

I warmly invite you to experience the power and magic of a coaching session.

“Stop being who you were and start being who you are” Paulo Coelho

If you want to get in touch with me, please visit my LinkedIn professional page.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/liliana-paduraru/

The post The Power of Coaching <br> by Liliana Paduraru appeared first on DiTech Media.

I am a computer science engineer by background and have done a leadership course from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a blockchain strategy course from Oxford University. I have over 10+ years of IT consulting experience working with global teams. I am very passionate about inclusion, sustainability, and climate impact and am working towards fostering sustainable aquaculture practices.

I am currently heading operations at Government Blockchain Association UK.

GBA is a global non-profit organization focused on promoting blockchain technology. GBA has 120 chapters and 15K+ members worldwide.

I am also leading the ‘Sustainable and Environmental Stewardship’ working group.

Can you tell me more about agriculture in your country and how the sector is doing over there?

The UK is undoubtedly at the forefront of agri-tech, with British farmers, agri-tech companies, and research centers leading the way using technologies like data analytics, robotics, and AI to help create new solutions and herald innovations. I believe a similar amount of energy and drive is needed in the aquaculture space to embrace and encourage technological innovations that will lead to an even more prosperous and sustainable future.

Which are the most innovative agriculture practices that are changing the world in your opinion?

The agriculture industry has experienced a massive technological shift with precision agriculture powered by drones, sensors, and farm management software using AI & ML algorithms. Environmental controls, transgenic crops, smart packaging technology, and traceability of produce are some remarkably exciting developments. Blockchain is being used for supply chain traceability and resource management and driving social and financial inclusion for farmers.

What current and upcoming developments in your field are you most excited about?

I am excited about both production and post-harvest technologies, e.g., smart packaging and traceability in the supply chain. I am excited to see companies like IntelliAqua (www.intelliaqua.com) forging partnerships with industry bodies to bring positive change to the entire ecosystem. Within the aquaculture industry, I am excited about disease diagnosis and advisory technology. Every year, tonnes of produce gets wasted due to disease outbreak. Early detection or prevention advisory can help farmers take appropriate action, save a lot of money and effort, and ensure the ecological harmony.

Why do we need innovation in agriculture?

The human population is expected to grow to 8.3 billion by 2030, needing 35% more food than we produce today. We must understand ways of feeding the growing population without overwhelming the planet. The green revolution and the blue revolution have increased yields across countries using better crop/produce varieties, more fertilizers, pesticides, and machines but at tremendous environmental costs. As such, sustainably farmed food is becoming the solution to the world’s food problem.

How do you imagine the future of agriculture to look like?

True inclusion is when all people, at all times, have physical, economic, and social access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. I envision companies and organizations taking cues from the lessons learnt thus far and progressing towards more sustainable farm and post-harvest operations.

The post Why do we need innovation in agriculture? appeared first on DiTech Media.

I am happy to be a part of the team at Fireart Studio, a boutique design and software development company headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. I’m managing content at Fireart and its sub-brand, Explain Ninja, an animated video production company. We deliver innovative design and technology solutions for startups and big brands like Google, Atlassian, and Rolls Royce.

With expertise in implementing B2B & B2C marketing for businesses in the USA, Singapore, and Europe, I help brands develop customer-oriented and empathy-driven Content Marketing and Customer Experience Strategies.

I’ve been working in industries, such as Electromobility, FinTech, Consumer Electronics, eCommerce, Mobile & Web, AR Development, and Renewable Energy. My discoveries in the space are published in many tech and business media outlets, such as ReadWrite, Business2Community, Yahoo Finance, E27, and others.

How to create more content faster? Is the quantity more important than the quality in terms of social media content?

There are two ways you can speed up the content production process: using automation tools and having a good understanding of your target audience. A successful content strategy should include both of them.

The first one allows you to make it faster technically. For example, you can schedule social media posts using Buffer, create professional-looking content using graphic design tools with ready-to-go content and templates like Canvas, and collaborate on the content creation on Asana, Notion, or Trello.

Another approach implies that you must understand the interests, preferences, and goals of your audience. It helps you reduce the brainstorming time and come up with content ideas faster since you already know what resonates with your target community.

Regarding the second question: yes, the quantity and the frequency of content publishing matters. The competition requires your content to “stay fit” and be updated regularly. However, “quantity” starts losing its sense if it lacks quality. You may publish a lot of content and miss the audience’s attention anyway for a simple reason – your content doesn’t bring value to people.

What are the advantages of multi-format content?

The primary advantage is shareability. People tend to share multi-format content on social media more actively than other content types. It gives a brand a chance to hack into existing readers’ social circles and expand its influence on the web. Multi-format content helps reach a broader audience and increase brand awareness.

Why is it not enough to have a great and innovative idea for your brand to be successful?

There are a lot of great ideas but we hear only about a few of them. A great idea requires a great effort to be heard by others. If you’re a startup that is going to pitch an idea to investors or start a crowdfunding campaign, you should have a detailed implementation plan and a clear vision of your product’s future. It will help kickstart your project, convince others to support your idea, and scale it faster.

Like a seed needs water, your idea requires a marketing effort to grow and be heard by potential customers. It’s where a robust content strategy comes in handy. Compelling content empowers your brand to gather a community of likeminded people who can become your loyal customers.

How to use the power of storytelling to boost your brand?

The most effective practice is using storytelling in video advertising. Giant sports brands like Nike, Puma, and Adidas are great storytellers. You might remember their short motivational videos that attracted the public attention and turned these brands into icons. Although these commercials tell inspiring stories about people, not about a brand, they perform as great and unsalesy promotion.

Do you consider emotional marketing as highly-effective and why?

Impressions make us remember brands and influence our purchasing decisions. Many forward-thinking brands aim to create experiences that evoke many customer impressions and associations. This approach helps a company become a friend to its customers and earn their loyalty. It shapes a solid foundation for a strong brand image and a positive reputation. So, yes, I believe that emotional and impression-based marketing is highly effective.

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After the apartheid in South Africa was abolished in 1994 the new democratic government deemed the reconstruction of South African history vital to the revival of the diverse cultural groups that had been suppressed during the apartheid.  The process of rewriting the exclusionary history cultivated by the bias views of the apartheid supporters also meant that the reconstruction of anthropological education was a necessity. This task meant new curriculums for the education of South Africans; the dismantling of the biased history already in place, including the “Bushman” diorama and finally correcting the vile maltreatment of South African remains in academic institutions and museums both nationally and internationally. 

For South Africa to be able to show the world what it meant to be South African from a historical and anthropological sense, the newly democratic country had to be able to meet the international academic community on equal footing. This was a monumental task, especially when much of what the world saw as South African cultural history was tinted by the bias representations provided by colonialism, Eurocentric criticism and scientific racism. These interpretations had stripped South African remains of their humanity and depicted them as sub-human or animalistic savages. To combat this incorrect representation the South African government rewrote history, removing the false information with new curriculums that contained information about the rich and varied cultural histories of the peoples of South Africa. The goal was to instill “pride in African history and identity”. The target audience for the new programs and curriculums was “primary and secondary school students, strengthening the image of these initiatives as re-writing history from the bottom up”.

The “Bushman” diorama (figure 1) displayed in the Iziko South African Museum made by Margaret Shaw in 1959-1960 out of resin casts (created by James Drury) depicted the Khoisan of South Africa as savage hunter gathers, similar to depictions of prehistoric early humans. They were shown as being part of an obsolete world that had no chance at surviving in the “civilized” modern world. This view of the Khoisan peoples contributed to the colonial view that the peoples of South Africa were of a lesser status that those of European decent and reinforced the apartheid opinion that South African groups needed to be controlled by the Caucasian minority while being kept separate from other racial populations. To remedy this damning representation the South African government took the diorama, which had been on display “for over 40 years” and closed it in 2001. The Iziko Council debated what to do with the offensive diorama. In 2011 the council deemed the resin casts as “unethically collected human remains” the casts were removed from the diorama and replaced with wire figures. The diorama was reopened to the public in 2013 having been altered to show a more respectful and accurate representation of the Khoisan people.

The greatest change made to South African museum practices was their view and treatment of South African human remains. Instead of allowing the remains to continue on as nameless specimens that represented blanket interpretations of cultural groups the South African government strove to give the remains their humanity back. Allowing them to be see as individuals deserving of respect and their basic human rights. As individuals the remains deserved to be treated with dignity and their cultural traditions acknowledged and respected, including funeral practices. Quoting Jacob Zuma, Ciraj Rassool in  Re-storing the Skeletons of Empire: Return, Reburial and Rehumanisation in Southern Africa stated that when the remains’ human status was acknowledged it

“turned them not only into humans, but also into subjects of history. Their dead bodies, transformed from objects of race to those of subjects of history through cultural ceremony and political ritual, becoming significant to the nation”.

Rassool also quoted Zuma saying that

“no museum ‘must have a collection or material that depicts any section of the South African population as colonial objects”.

The desire to see South African remains housed in museums and educational institutions did not end at the borders of South Africa. The country joined an international effort to see all remains treated with the respect that their cultural groups demanded.

The case with Sarah Baartman was a perfect example. She was a Khoi Khoi woman who was on display at the Musee de L’homme after her death in 1816 until her return and internment in South Africa August 9th, 2002. During her life she suffered inexcusable hardships and abuse. She was taken in an attack during her wedding ceremony and she ended up working as a slave for the farmer Peter Cezar. She was then contracted by his brother Hendric Cezar to go to Europe and preform as the Hottentot Venus. Once in England she was subjected to grueling workloads and treated as an object of curiosity and sick fascination. Due to her large buttocks, she differed from the European ideal and this made her less than human in their eyes. Naturalists were fascinated by her genitalia and disregarded any sense of decorum or respect when regarding her. After she was moved to France and sold to Reaux, an animal trainer, she died at the age of twenty-six. Her body was further abused when it was given to the Museum of Natural History; a cast was made of her corpse, her reproductive organs were removed along with her brain, preserved in jars and finally her skeleton was de-fleshed and prepared for display. After close to 200 years after her death the South African government successful in gaining the return of Sarah Baartman’s remains. The French government passed a case-specific decision to release her remains for internment. She was shipped back it South African to be buried with the respect she was deprived of during her short life. The Hottentot Venus finally put to rest, not as a curiosity, not as a slave, but as a woman.

The changes to policy regarding the ownership of human remains created the opportunity for countries, like South Africa, to reclaim its people and give them back their dignity. This opportunity also created new problems for the museums and academic institutions which housed human remains, both ancient and modern. The reclaiming of remains created the worry that in returning the remains information could be lost regarding the evolution and structure of their specific lives and cultural groups. Once the remains were returned, they were expected to be subsequently interned, whether through simply burial or cremation. Requirements needed to be put in place to determine which individuals’ countries could reclaim and how countries and cultural groups could go about reclaiming their remains without hindering the research of archaeological and anthropological groups.

¹Rachel King, “Teaching Archaeological Pasts in South Africa: Historical and Contemporary Considerations of Archaeological Education,” Archaeologies: Journal of the World Archaeological Congress 8, no. 2 (September 12, 2012): p. 85, accessed December 21, 2016, doi:10.1007/s11759-012-9202-3.
²Rachel King, “Teaching Archaeological Pasts in South Africa,” p. 11.
³Rachel King, “Teaching Archaeological Pasts in South Africa,” p. 3.
4.Elizabeth Rankin, “Creating/Curating Cultural Capital: Monuments and Museums for Post-Apartheid South Africa,” Humanities 2, no. 1 (March 21, 2013): p. 80, doi:10.3390/h2010072.
5.Ciraj Rassool, “Re-storing the Skeletons of Empire: Return, Reburial and Rehumanisation in Southern Africa,” Journal of Southern African Studies 41, no. 3 (May 27, 2015): p. 12- 13, doi:10.1080/03057070.2015.1028002.
6.Ciraj Rassool, “Re-storing the Skeletons of Empire,” p. 12-17.
7.Ciraj Rassool, “Re-storing the Skeletons of Empire,” p. 12-17.
8.Ciraj Rassool, “Re-storing the Skeletons of Empire,” p. 17.
9.Ciraj Rassool, “Re-storing the Skeletons of Empire,” p. 29.
10.Ciraj Rassool, “Re-storing the Skeletons of Empire,” p. 28.
11.Chris Denton, “Sara Baartman and the Ethics of Representation,” Research in African Literatures 46, no. 2 (2015): p. 43, doi:10.2979/reseafrilite.46.2.32.
12.The Life and Times of Sarah Baartman The Hottentot Venus, dir. Zola Maseko (United States of America : First Run / Icarus Films, 1998), DVD, 5 minutes 16 seconds.
13.The Life and Times of Sarah Baartman The Hottentot Venus, dir. Zola Maseko, 10 minutes 16 seconds.
14.The Life and Times of Sarah Baartman The Hottentot Venus, dir. Zola Maseko, 29 minutes 41 seconds.
15.Chris Dunton, “Sara Baartman and the Ethics of Representation,” p. 2.
16.Chris Dunton, “Sara Baartman and the Ethics of Representation,” p. 2.
17.Chris Dunton, “Sara Baartman and the Ethics of Representation,” p. 1-2.

The post They Are Still Human: appeared first on DiTech Media.

Social Media has become an integral part of our lives. Social Media can provide you information about anything, be it news, what’s trending, any product, product reviews, competitor products, and likewise. Whether it be about finalizing a brand/product to purchase or finding the best way to use it optimally, Social Media has all the answers. If you wish to enhance your professional network, explore LinkedIn; if you wish to keep a tap on regular updates, check out Twitter; if you wish to explore the B2C world, Instagram is all set to provide you all kinds of experiences. Social Media, today, has become a ‘need’ instead of a ‘want’.

How do you think social media influences society? Do people have the right concept of who they really are in this online/offline world?

Social Media is a really important tool that is being used to influence perceptions. Causing such a significant paradigm shift in masses would have taken a lot more time & effort otherwise. But like any other technological advancements that create a significant impact on human life, Social Media comes with its own pros and cons. And while it provides a plethora of knowledge, opportunity, and skills; it also drives unnecessary competition. People hesitate to show their real selves for a multitude of reasons, for instance – their original self isn’t cool enough to get the likes, comments, or shares. People are telling manipulated, fabricated unauthentic stories that sound cool instead of real. There are usually authentic reasons behind not showing their real self as well, including online bullying, social unacceptance, and more.  

How can a content creator emotionally influence his audience?

A content creator plays a significant part in aiding the perception building among the masses. They have the power to drive their audience’s interest in a particular brand/product. Since content creators who are influencers carry the utmost trust of their audience, it becomes easier for them to be manipulative. Users, today, trust user-generated content the most when it comes to a product review, and mostly any purchases that are made are influenced by opinions of the user’s known ones and the influencers they follow on different platforms. Although influencers choose the products carefully so as to not harm their image in the long run still the products that they promote do not necessarily act as a solution, help, or bring joy to their audience, their audience just feels the ‘want/need’ to have that product.  

Do cultural values matter in order to build trust with your audience? Why?

Yes, absolutely! What you create with your audience must be a long term relationship if not life-long. If you are connecting with your user just once and leaving them out in your future campaigns or ignore their questions they are going to disconnect sooner than you can imagine. Everybody on Social Media is seeking some kind of acceptance or validation, all they want is to be heard and their presence to be acknowledged. So if you are able to provide that, you will be creating a bond with your users that is based on care, trust, and loyalty. 

Which are the best ways to humanize your brand in the age of social media and artificial intelligence?

If we talk about the marketing domain, I believe Cause Marketing and Escapism Marketing can help brands humanize in the most effective manner. The more you are connected with the actual problems that humans are facing, the better you will be able to come up with a solution for it. Promoting inclusiveness, diversity, unbiased faith, and empathy can help a brand stand out from the crowd instantly.

The post Do Cultural Values Matter in Order to Build Trust with Your Audience? appeared first on DiTech Media.

Our team is our power source. Everyone in the studio is a recognized highly-skilled expert in their own field and contributes to our common goal – delivering high-quality services that captivate the audience by turning ideas into realities.

And I am very happy I have this opportunity to share more about our activities from the last few months and to talk about digital trends that are shaping 2020 and the upcoming decade.

It has been a year that is going to go down in history with global events that showed us how technology can get us through difficult times and can help us build a resilient society. In the last months, we experienced working and studying from home and that showed us new ways of dealing with information and knowledge.

Let’s look at virtual reality.

Using a native headset and high-detail assets, this technology provides solutions for industrial enterprises, which were affected by the closing of international borders in the sense that their staff could not travel between offices, present new products and provide sufficient information.

Corporate training for new machines and engineer qualifications can be performed in this immersive environment with special tools which trace or navigate every action of the user. Using their hands to interact with the assets gives the users a vivid experience of practice and the tutor can be there with them to guide and explain in detail, even if actually they are miles apart. With such enhanced and accelerated experiential learning, corporate training can easily be completed way under budget and ahead of schedule.

Another example of additional visualisation for better sense stimulation and better engagement is augmented reality.

ImmerseFX and the Association of Student Explorers developed an augmented reality application, which shows human organs, cuts them by axis and reveals a digital microscope sample of the tissue at exact locations. Using a mobile device, the students can place a digital asset of a human organ beside them and physically walk around and explore it. This spatial representation facilitates the learning process and memorization when learning from home and not having access to a digital microscope or laboratory with samples.

Besides the education, medical and industrial sectors, immersive technologies are opening the doors to new markets and monetization opportunities helping to create value across economy and society:

E-commerce is very strongly affected where brands are now creating entire experiences around the product that lead to conversion and purchase through storytelling and interaction.

In the beauty industry instant make-up preview through augmented reality face filters is becoming a user favourite feature.

Art stakeholders and artists are discovering new platforms to showcase their work without constraints like space or risk of damage to artifacts. Cultural heritage is being recorded and shared digitally to online tourists who explore the world from a headset in their home.

Having said all this, it’s not a surprise that according to a report by Technavio published in March 2020 the extended reality market is expected to grow by USD 176.74 billion during 2020-2024.

And this doesn’t mean that machines will replace humans in the future of work. Instead this human-machine symbiotic collaboration will boost our productivity and make it easier for us to fast forward into the digital tomorrow.

We should not only step on the idea of digitalisation thinking about content. We should do our best to imagine a transformed world with new interface tools that better understand humans and provide a hands-free experience in an interconnected environment. Wearable devices are a reality right now and they will just keep going.

In conclusion, I would like to say that we are looking forward to many ambitious projects to create not only products, but also to train more people and share knowledge and expertise.

We are in a position where we can influence the future for ourselves and the generations to come. Hardware devices are becoming smaller, lighter and faster and we are starting to wear gadgets instead of holding them in our hands. This shift is going to create new interfaces, new habits and new lifestyles. Besides, many industries are begging for just a little push to complete their digital transformation. XR is just the tool to do it.

As a serial start-up entrepreneur and futurist with a passion for immersive technologies and innovation, I believe it is very important to speak out for what we stand for and sometimes amazing things can be achieved. I wish this to all the participants in the European Digital Week.

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I am a Co-Founder of Symbiotica, digital agency that provides digital marketing and web development services to clients worldwide, most notably in USA, EU and UAE. I consider myself a full-stack digital marketer with over 13 years of experience in the field. Along with my work, I am very passionate about teaching digital marketing and engaging in community service. Outside of my work, I enjoy every opportunity to travel the world and get to know new cultures.

What mindsets helped make you successful?

Someone smarter than me once said:

“if you do what you love, you won’t have to work a day in your life”.

When you don’t look at work as an obligation, but as something that makes you who you are, then the concept of stress is redefined, problems turn to challenges and ideas to solutions.

What do you think are the most common mistakes novice entrepreneurs make? How can they avoid making them?

In this line of work, you should never stop learning. Things change so fast that if you don’t follow trends and improve, you will soon be left in the dust. I continue to work intensively on my knowledge, either by participating in conferences like this, or through webinars, seminars, online courses and the likes. I also don’t shy away from accepting a project that challenges my knowledge, in order to improve it and develop some new skills.

What have you learned about leadership, entrepreneurship and mentoring others?

My Co-Founder and I have worked as freelancers in our respective fields for a long time before starting Symbiotica. As a freelancer, you can only accept those projects that you can do yourself but if you want to grow and decouple the work from your abilities, you need a structured team, clear procedures and organization. Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, although it may seem glamorous at first glance. It is a big risk and a responsibility and requires you to be able to wear more “hats” at the same time, but it is also very fulfilling. You forget all the trouble when you see the amazing team you’ve created, when you realize that people don’t leave your company because everyone is too happy with their jobs, when you realize that you haven’t fired anyone for years because you are too happy with them, or when you hear satisfied customer’s reviews. Then all the sleepless nights and all the money, time and effort invested make sense.

Why is gender balance and having more diverse workforce important, especially in senior management teams?

I am very passionate about community service. As a part of the ITGirls initiative I try to encourage more women to join the IT sector. I am also a Communications Director within an NGO called ‘Center for the Development of Human Society’. The main focus of this Center is finding innovative IT solutions for societal issues. I believe diversification and acceptance in the workplace is the key to building happy, healthy and productive teams.

If any, what challenges have you experienced as a women in business during your overall carrier?

Being a successful woman in a predominantly male industry (IT) does come with its own set of challenges, but I have to say times are changing rapidly and for the better. I’ve had a distinct pleasure to teach and mentor numerous women who became quite influential in this field and that makes me tremendously proud.

Where do you see yourself in further future?

Companies are increasingly realizing the importance of a strong digital presence and becoming more open to innovative ideas, and an increasing portion of the marketing budgets is being set aside for digital promotion and I believe this trend will continue. In situations like the Covid crisis, it is becoming crystal clear that companies need to adapt to the times and improve their online presence and it is an exciting time to be providing such services worldwide and helping companies transition, adapt and improve.

The post “If You Do What You Love, You Won’t Have to Work a Day in Your Life” appeared first on DiTech Media.

During my bachelor studies years back, I discovered my passion for marketing and was very happy that I got offered a position as a Marketing Manager at a big tourism company in Vienna, Austria after my graduation. There, I was initially mostly in charge of email marketing, but got the opportunity to take over all social media marketing activities a few months in. I was hooked immediately and started testing a lot when it came to organic and paid content on the different channels. This was almost seven years ago.

Do you think that the authenticity of a brand is important? Why?

Yes, I do think the authenticity of a brand is important – the topic has probably become even more important due to digitalization over the last few years. Consumers now have a greater say, not only on social media. Transparency and reliability are, therefore, essential for long-term success. I also believe that authenticity can reduce your marketing budget and efforts, or make more efficient use of it: if customers are convinced, they voluntarily recommend brands to others and thus acquire new customers who might otherwise have been reached only through elaborate marketing activities.

What are the best modern strategies to fuel the growth of a brand?

I think there is no such thing as a best strategy, it very much varies from brand to brand. The topic of authenticity certainly plays an important role here as well. In my experience, creativity is also becoming more and more important to fuel the growth of a brand: a particularly creative brand presence remains longer in the minds of consumers and thus in their relevant set. Of course, it is important to make sure that the vampire effect does not occur and that the target group then remembers the brand rather than just the campaign itself.

Do you consider developing communities as one of the most important aspects of marketing in the digital age?

I think it is difficult to give a general answer to this question, as it very much depends on the industry and the company goals. Developing a community can indeed contribute greatly to market success, but it must definitely make sense. I think that communities are better suited for high involvement products or other consulting-intensive, complex products and services. However, one must not ignore the fact that you are giving your community an even stronger say. Hence, their feedback must be taken seriously, otherwise it could backfire.

How can you bring a fresh perspective to your social media content in a way that will engage the audience?

In my experience it was always a good idea to listen to the audience and ask yourself questions: what formats did they mostly engage with in the past? How can we improve these well performing formats so they fit our audience’s needs even better?

Brainstorming and research always help me a lot: here, I also enjoy working together with colleagues from different departments – that you get a fresh perspective and you can avoid being blinded by your work. If you have the opportunity, user testing or customer surveys are of course also helpful in gathering new ideas and understanding the audience better.

What advice would you give to social media marketers at the beginning of their career?

Research, test and fail: Especially in the beginning it is helpful to read up on the topic. Since we all use social media in our private lives, we tend to think we already know everything about it. When looking at social media from a marketing perspective, however, things look completely different! Therefore: read blogs or listen to podcasts about social media marketing, participate in meetups and talk to people who have more experience than you. But: that does not of course mean you have to do everything the same way. When it comes to implementation, I recommend that you test a lot and then trust the data more than your personal intuition. You can of course fail as well. In this case it is important that you learn from your mistakes, and do not let yourself be intimidated by them.

LinkedIn | Stylight

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