Marketing Eye Blog Articles

It's been a mammoth month in so many ways for the business. End of financial year in Australia is always draining. As a marketer, there is no fun in fulfilling your obligations as a business owner for the taxation department.
Published in Marketing
The billable hours challenge for professional services firms
Jul 21, 2015 Written by Mellissah Smith Unlike many other professional services firms, I cared less about how much billable hours my employees were doing until the fatal day that it was brought to my attention by my internal accountant that some were "performing" not as good as others and the gap was quite significant.
It is harder to work in a professional services firm than in corporate. Knowing that you have to do a certain number of billable hours can be a lot of pressure for employees, until they actually stop thinking about it.
It is harder to work in a professional services firm than in corporate. Knowing that you have to do a certain number of billable hours can be a lot of pressure for employees, until they actually stop thinking about it.
Published in Management

There are so many reasons why marketing campaigns fail (even successful ones) , but don't let not following up be one of them.
Published in Marketing

Everyone has been there. You know, when you look in the mirror and wonder to yourself 'why you haven't achieved what you set out to achieve' and then give yourself an 'upper cut'. For those who don't know what that means, it's very Australian!
Everyone controls their own destiny and deep down, every person, even the one's that blame others for their 'lot in life', know that if you are not achieving something, then it's no-one's fault but your own.
They are harsh words. You may say that you wanted to be rich, but were never given the opportunity but we have heard lots of stories of people growing up dirt poor who become squillionaires or elite sportspeople - so that alone is no excuse.
We all want something. Many of use strive to achieve it and put the right actions in place to make it happen. When failure crosses our path, we get back up and dust ourselves off, then try again, perhaps in a different way.
Everyone controls their own destiny and deep down, every person, even the one's that blame others for their 'lot in life', know that if you are not achieving something, then it's no-one's fault but your own.
They are harsh words. You may say that you wanted to be rich, but were never given the opportunity but we have heard lots of stories of people growing up dirt poor who become squillionaires or elite sportspeople - so that alone is no excuse.
We all want something. Many of use strive to achieve it and put the right actions in place to make it happen. When failure crosses our path, we get back up and dust ourselves off, then try again, perhaps in a different way.
Published in Mellissah Smith

Recently in Melbourne I did a speech in front of a group of hugely inspiring business women on how I built Marketing Eye to be in the position we are in today.
In writing that speech, I realized something very important. Our success didn't really have much to do with what we were selling, as ultimately in that market, we have a lot of competitors.
What made the business so successful, and ensured that our phones ring non-stop with inquiries is social media.
In writing that speech, I realized something very important. Our success didn't really have much to do with what we were selling, as ultimately in that market, we have a lot of competitors.
What made the business so successful, and ensured that our phones ring non-stop with inquiries is social media.
Published in Marketing
8 key tips to help you become a more successful marketing manager
Jul 14, 2015 Written by Mellissah Smith As a marketing consultancy firm, we have experienced a variety of different marketing managers throughout our offices globally; the obsessive compulsive, the sales-orientated, the technology geek, the fly by the seat of their pants kind, and the one's that really only know one or two things and have to wing it the rest of the way.
Marketing managers today have no excuse. Everything you need to know is online and available just by surfing the net. If you want to know how to write a strategy, it's there. If you want to know how to write a press release, it's there. If you need to know how to put together a social media calendar, it's there.
Marketing managers today have no excuse. Everything you need to know is online and available just by surfing the net. If you want to know how to write a strategy, it's there. If you want to know how to write a press release, it's there. If you need to know how to put together a social media calendar, it's there.
Published in Marketing

One of the most important people in any office is arguably the sales manager. Often when you are a smaller business, the entrepreneur or CEO doubles as a sales manager, and this can get a company so far, but not all the way.
Published in Marketing

Over the past 16 years, I have worked with more than 300 companies, and over that time there have been a number of things that I have learned simply by listening and observing.
Published in Small Business Marketing

Earlier this week a woman whom I know name called another woman that she doesn't really know a "gold digger" to myself. I was mortified. Not only was she completely wrong, and she knew it, she was acting out against another woman due to her own personal insecurities and trying to influence another. On top of this, the person she name called is a highly successful business woman who is 100 percent self made and never taken a penny from any male. She lives a highly luxurious life on her own dime and everyone knows it.
Published in Mellissah Smith

In two weeks, I am travelling to Europe for 14 days of work and a little pleasure. I will be writing stories for Marketing Eye, speaking with potential alliance partners and clients. I will also be interviewing people for speaking opportunities at a conference.
Published in Management

I am in a really good space at the moment. Life is going swimmingly well. I am thoroughly enjoying the challenges at work. My social life is busy and fun. I have surrounded myself with good people and there is a lot going on to keep me... interested.
While I can't sit still when it comes to making my life as diverse as possible, I certainly remain focused on the end goal.
While I can't sit still when it comes to making my life as diverse as possible, I certainly remain focused on the end goal.
Published in Management

Being the middle man is a dangerous position that we all have been in, and you would think that we would learn our lesson but many, like myself, find ourselves prey to being caught in the middle time and time again.
Published in Mellissah Smith

Reality check: success is not always everything you think it will be
Jul 01, 2015 Written by Mellissah Smith Somehow we got through the end of financial year in Australia. There's a lot to be done to make sure that everything is in order; every box ticked, every invoice accounted for.
My team made that deadline and for that I am very thankful. It didnt involve late nights, just a lot to be considered. My headspace over the past 2 weeks feels like there is so much in there, that it is impossible to take in any more.
I am in strategy phase. What's next? Where to from here? Who is doing what? What does the next 5 years look like? What does the next 10 years look like?
Then of course, what about me? What is going to make my life more fulfilling in the next 5 years? Next 10 years?
It was enough to make me burst into tears.
My team made that deadline and for that I am very thankful. It didnt involve late nights, just a lot to be considered. My headspace over the past 2 weeks feels like there is so much in there, that it is impossible to take in any more.
I am in strategy phase. What's next? Where to from here? Who is doing what? What does the next 5 years look like? What does the next 10 years look like?
Then of course, what about me? What is going to make my life more fulfilling in the next 5 years? Next 10 years?
It was enough to make me burst into tears.
Published in Mellissah Smith

From automation to inside sales, remarketing and branding it’s all here
Jun 30, 2015 Written by Marketing Eye I have been putting magazines together since the Czech Republic applied for membership to the EU. That was 1996 and back then Tupac was still alive, Trainspotting was released into cinemas and the French halted nuclear testing in the Pacific.
Magazine production has been my passion for almost 20 years, and whilst I am making myself feel old writing this blog, there has remained a sense of achievement with each and every issue of the thousands I have helped produce, including the latest issue of Marketing Eye.
Magazine production has been my passion for almost 20 years, and whilst I am making myself feel old writing this blog, there has remained a sense of achievement with each and every issue of the thousands I have helped produce, including the latest issue of Marketing Eye.
Published in Marketing

It was a small project and even though I knew the result before it started i was proud at what the team accomplished. It had something to do with our company so it was experimental in every sense of the word. But I knew deep down it would fail, and I knew why.
Normally, I would be the first to say "that won't work". However, this wasn't the time. It was a small project and it wouldn't harm anyone by being a failure. Instead, it would be a lesson learned and I was willing to pay the price.
Normally, I would be the first to say "that won't work". However, this wasn't the time. It was a small project and it wouldn't harm anyone by being a failure. Instead, it would be a lesson learned and I was willing to pay the price.
Published in Management