Bryan Smith

CANADIAN MARKETERS' AI USAGE: 74% of Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) members use generative AI tools for work at least weekly. This is ahead of the 62% average uptake amoung Canadian knowledge workers, which includes academics, physicians, engineers and scientists. We completed the Generative AI Readiness Survey in partnership with CMA member twenty44 and will be sharing more of the findings at our CMAai event today (April 10) and also in our CMA Connect podcast episode with Steve Mast, which is released tomorrow (April 11). You can also learn more in Strategy Online article. #CanadianMarketers #GenAI #marketing #CMAConnect

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Most agencies don’t fail because of lack of talent. They struggle because they’re caught in the generalist trap trying to be everything to everyone. In this episode of the Conquer Local Podcast with Jeff Tomlin, Co-Founder and CMO at Vendasta Technologies Inc., I share how to flip that script by building a deep specialization flywheel that compounds: Identify your most profitable verticals hiding in your client list ➡️ Escape context switching & bottlenecks with real systems ➡️ Win trust faster and de-founder your sales process ➡️ Charge more, deliver better, and scale sustainably ➡️ Why just 1% of the right market can equal an 8-figure agency 🎙️ Watch here: https://lnkd.in/eqkTTca5 If you’re tired of chasing every opportunity and ready to stand out as the go-to choice in your market, this episode is for you.

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Strong B2B creative isn’t about being clever for the sake of it. It’s about clarity, relevance, and solving real business problems with smart, compelling ideas. In this Canadian Marketing Association B2B Council article I teamed up with Angela F., Santo Ligotti, CM, MBA, MLIS, and Tristan Retelsdorf to unpack what separates standout creative from the rest, and why it’s more essential than ever in today’s landscape. We focused on three key themes: - From brief to breakthrough: Better inputs lead to more strategic creative - Three traits of winning B2B content: Purposeful, human, and bold - ABM meets performance: Personalization that drives real business impact Grateful to work alongside such sharp and thoughtful marketers. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/g7siwZwg

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Many SEO teams are still optimizing for 2019. Marketing leaders need to retool for 2025 - now. The landscape has already shifted. Chris Donnelly's analysis shows this perfectly: - Organic Search isn’t just Google anymore. AI engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) are shaping discovery. If you’re not cited, you’re invisible. - Volume only no longer wins. Authority, structured content, lived expertise, and clean interlinking drive results. - Clicks aren’t the finish line. Discovery is continuous, across AEO, GEO, and every model that follows. This isn’t a tactical shift — it’s an operating model shift. Growth teams need to: → Treat every piece of content like a decision shortcut, not a keyword play. → Publish structured answers (40–60 words, schema, entity-based facts) built for AI citation. → Invest in durable authority sources — podcasts, PR, real partnerships - not backlink farms. The old playbook: Be findable. The new playbook: Be citable. That's how organic will turn into growth. * * * 📈 I talk about the mechanics of growth, data, and execution. Follow me, David Manela, for more.

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You Ask, I Answer: "We’re a Calgary-based B2B barter platform representing 500+ businesses. What are the most effective or top 3 SEO tips you can share to increase search ranking/visibility?" Shout out to Nelson Liem - Alberta Barter Exchange for the thoughtful conversation starter! Let's get into it... 1. Nail down those keywords: Make sure you're focused on keywords that your audience is actually searching (e.g., “B2B barter platform Calgary” vs. just “barter platform”). Use these across your website copy, meta titles, socials and blog content. 2. Optimize for local SEO: Make sure your Google Business Profile is fully built out. Get listed in local directories, add location-based keywords, and encourage client reviews - these make a big difference in local rankings. 3. Create content that solves a problem: Write helpful, keyword-rich content that answers questions your target businesses are asking. Bonus: repurpose this across your socials! Google just announced in June (or July I can't remember lol) that your Instagram content will start indexing on Google. Now, more than ever, it's important to hire a social media manager ;) - let me know if you're in the market for one! Want to dive deeper or have a Digital Marketing question specific to your business/industry? Drop a prompt in the comments! #DigitalMarketingExpert #SEOTips #CalgaryBusiness

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Customers don’t wake up excited to buy... something. I was in a webinar with the Calgary Marketing Association, and Chantelle Little from Tiller Digital nailed it. She talked about #BuyingTriggers "People don’t search because of your positioning. They search because something happened." - Chantelle - Leads stalled. - A competitor showed up. - A hard question got asked. That’s the buying trigger. Brand advantage comes from showing up at that moment, in language that sounds human, not like marketing.

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I’ve lost count of how many “digital marketing agencies” have popped up lately. Everyone’s suddenly “data-driven,” “ROI-focused,” and “creatively obsessed.” (Translation: they ran one Meta ad that got 12 likes and now they’re an agency. I'm sure most people would say the same about me) 🙃 But if you’ve ever been a client (cause i have) you know the struggle is real. Half the agencies have an attitude problem and strict SOPs, the other half have a know-it-all complex — and somewhere in between, your actual business goals get lost in a Trello board. Here’s what most people forget: Marketing isn’t about ticking deliverables or pushing pixels — it’s about understanding your pain points and treating your success like it’s our own. You don’t need an agency that tells you you’re “doing everything wrong.” You need a partner who listens, collaborates, experiments — and still has the guts to tell you what actually would work. Even if it seems like a crazy idea. That’s the energy I believe in. And that’s exactly what we’re building (and breathing) at https://webnation.digital/ — where we don’t just run campaigns, we care about outcomes. Because in a city full of “experts,” I’d rather be the one who actually gives a damn. 😇 #DigitalMarketing #Webnation #DubaiMarketing #AgencyLife #BrandBuilding #ClientRelationships

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Your domain isn’t just a URL. It’s a signal. A Canadian tech company we spoke with was struggling to grow in the U.S. The culprit? Their .ca domain. Their brand and messaging were solid. However, Google kept prioritizing them in Canada, not the U.S. Key insight: Search engines treat regional domains like local storefronts. This is great for owning your home market, but it can be a barrier if you’re aiming to scale globally. If international growth is part of your roadmap, your domain strategy can quietly limit you until it’s too late. This is something to solve before you hit the ceiling. #SEO #DigitalStrategy #B2BGrowth

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Stop Asking for Data. Start Inspiring It. Consumers don't wake up thinking: “I can’t wait to hand over my personal data today.” Marketers must create inspiring and highly desirable moments to motivate this value exchange. First-party data is the lifeblood of modern marketing. 🔹 Companies that leverage it see up to 2.9x revenue lift and 1.5x increase in customer lifetime value (Boston Consulting Group). 🔹 By 2026, 75% of marketers say first-party data will be their primary growth lever (Gartner). So the question is: how do you get consumers to want to share? That’s where gamification flips the script. It turns a data ask into an experience people choose to join. Here’s how we’ve seen it work at Southern Made: ✨ Botto Lotto Sweepstakes We turned a traditional sweepstakes into a lotto-style game. Excitement drove massive participation and a flood of high-quality opt-ins. ✨ T-Mobile Formula One (Emerging Tech) Immersive tech brought fans closer to the F1 action. Engagement soared — and every interaction delivered strategic consumer insights. ✨ Incredibles Quiz (Event Activation) Fans tested their superhero knowledge at a live event. The quiz made sharing info fun, and generated thousands of new, high-value data points. Why it works: ✅ Friction becomes fun ✅ Rewards motivate repeat action ✅ Data + delight = loyalty Gamification doesn’t just collect data. It creates experiences that fuel growth. In 2025, showing up with a plain web form is like playing Fortnite with only a pickaxe. #Gamification #DigitalEngagement #FirstPartyData #BrandExperience #ConsumerActivation #ExperientialMarketing #MarketingStrategy #EmergingTech #DataDrivenMarketing #SouthernMade

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