Old school marketers are dead. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that.

I've never thought much about getting married... until I met the owner of Elite Pour La Vie in Atlanta. She shared her vision with me on why she was building Atlanta's most exclusive wedding and evening gown dress boutique. 

I didn't quite understand what could be so exciting about a wedding dress shop, other than the fact that she is a person with exquisite taste and style, who simply knows what is "in" and what is not. 

But now I do. She is bringing to a city of more than 6 million people, designers that brides-to-be and women wanting to make a statement or just look elegant at an black tie event or prom. 

It's what you don't have or perhaps have not yet experienced that makes you want to form a bond with a retail brand that is out of your core brand associations. Most consumers are now looking for something new. Something exciting. Something that takes them to a place that reminds them that they are who they want to be - in that moment.

But that's not new.

As a small business owner myself, I am always looking for ways to improve what we do. It's a constant struggle to not only be ahead of the times when it comes to professional services delivery, but also to pioneer the future.

Think differently. You read it everywhere and its become such a buzz word, many entrepreneurs are starting to think that it's not as powerful as it once was when we weren't using the word so liberally.

Written by Joyce Shin 

Top brands online have a number of things in common; they post regularly, they are on-brand and they sell the sizzle whether it's using women that are beautiful (and men for that matter), or using the best lighting for each and every product shot.

Anonymity online no matter how much you think that you have created an anonymous account, is no longer the case. With the changes in Australian law and the brilliance of a number of technology experts, finding the source of an anonymous comment on a website is now the norm.

Over a year back I received a call from a tech guy who was out to turn the tables on people who write slander on employers as anonymous people on influential websites. He not only told me what he could do, but actively showed me how you can find out who wrote what on various websites and then trace their whereabouts. It's quite fascinating really and something that at long last brings to the table something all future employers want to know.

If truth be told, there is no such thing as a 'best' blog or website, because it all depends on the visitor. If the website doesn't appeal to the person visiting the site, then it is useless. 

It's been over 10 years since Marketing Eye opened its doors and I have to say that I am completely and utterly in love with the business right now.

What keeps you in the game is the ability to constantly change and perhaps, rev it up a bit.

In the past 3 years, we have been focused on change, innovation and revving it up like no tomorrow. Be careful what you wish for because we have also had to put the brakes on a few times and that has been very interesting.

Out of sight, out of mind — it’s an old saying, but it’s especially true about customer relations. We have all been given something with a logo on it, and we often use them every day. But how do you know that what you are doing with your marketing placement is working? How do you continue to ensure that your brand is at the forefront of a customer’s mind, and how do you stand out from the competition? Here we give you 10 good reasons why we believe that every marketing strategy can benefit from including promotional products as part of the overall campaign.

If you have read this blog for a while, you may have realised that I am a country girl. I grew up in rural North Queensland in a small township called Charters Towers, just over an hour west of Townsville. It seems like a million years ago now, as I have been living in big cities for the past 20 years or so. I currently reside mostly in Melbourne and from there I have built a multi million dollar international business. What I have realised about business is that the  more mature my business becomes, the more flexible I am with where I work from. It certainly has got me thinking about where in the world people can build successful businesses from and what are the hurdles that they must overcome if they are not located in a major city.

I've always been aware that I have all the things in life that are necessary to become successful; mentors, learning and development, financial stability, and a community... and the right mindset. But it wasn't always that way, and the first thing that you need to know about being successful is that you have to have the right mindset and belief that anything is possible. It takes so many parts to be successful, but I guess for most of us, it just starts with a dream.