Knowing your audience is key to making your business stand out in today's fast-paced digital world. One of the best ways to understand your customers is by creating audience personas. 

I wrote an article years ago on the basics of audience personas. With AI large language models taking off, it makes sense to show how AI can help make the process a lot faster.

Audience personas are simple, fictional profiles representing different segments of your audience. By creating audience personas, you will get a better picture of your target customers. They will help you design better products, create more targeted marketing campaigns, and ultimately build stronger connections with your customers. 

Over 50% of Canadians now use voice commands on their smartphones or smart speakers to get information fast. Voice search is reshaping the way consumers find local businesses every day. In this article, I’ll explain what voice search optimization (VSO) is. Why it matters to small business owners in Ontario and the rest of Canada, and provide practical steps you can take to integrate this strategy into your larger SEO and Content Strategy to improve your website to get ahead.

Social media is where conversations are happening. Nearly 65% of the global population, about 5.22 billion people, spend an average of 143 minutes a day on social media platforms talking about everything and anything. 

It is safe to say that we are spending a lot of our time having conversations on social media.

Another crazy fact is that 71% of marketers now use insights from these digital discussions to shape their digital marketing strategies. These numbers show just how deeply social media is woven into our daily lives.

Social listening is a way to tune into these conversations. It goes beyond simply tracking mentions. It’s about understanding why people talk about certain topics, products, or trends, and how they feel about them. 

Have you ever wondered, “Why do those ads show up after I leave a website?” It might seem a bit creepy at first, but somewhere a smart digital marketer is using a strategy called Facebook ad retargeting. 

So you are online trying to buy some new shoes and you get an Instagram DM notification and get distracted? A few days later, you are minding your business scrolling through Instagram or Facebook and you start seeing ads for those exact sneakers on Facebook. That’s retargeting.

The purpose of this post is to walk you through creating a compelling digital marketing portfolio for students that will help you stand out from the competition. View your portfolio as a visual resume that shows your skills with actual examples and projects.

Whether you’re aiming for an internship, freelance gigs, or an entry-level job in digital marketing, this guide will help you organize your best work and present it in a way that resonates with hiring managers and potential clients.

Why is this so important? In today’s competitive job market, employers are not just looking for a list of qualifications, they want to see your creativity, problem-solving skills, and the tangible results of your efforts.

A well-crafted portfolio does just that. It allows you to share your experiences, from school projects to real internships, and showcase your personal style in solving digital marketing problems.

Are you trying to become a content marketer? Let’s cut to the chase: If you’re entering the workforce in the next five years, your university degree is just the starting line. The real game-changer? Becoming a knowledge sponge in a world where AI tools evolve faster than TikTok trends.  

Picture this: By 2025, 30% of enterprise content will be AI-generated (Gartner), and marketers using AI tools report 3x faster content production (HubSpot). The good news is that I don’t think AI will replace you. However, if you aren’t willing you embrace AI, you will be in trouble. A marketer who masters AI will replace those who don’t. Let’s unpack how you’ll stay ahead.

Let’s face it, digital marketing isn’t getting any simpler. Managing your website, engaging on social media, creating content, analyzing data, and running ads, digital marketing can be overwhelming. And people tell us that marketing is easy.

That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) swoops in to save the day. Designers create AI tools to help marketers work smarter, not harder. They streamline processes, improve results, and give you more time to focus on overarching strategic goals. If you don't use AI tools today, you will fall behind.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through some of the best AI tools for digital marketers. I’ll break down what each tool does, why it’s useful, and how you can use it in your day-to-day work. By the end, you’ll have a list of game-changing tools to help you up your content creation and digital marketing game.

Introduction

It's important to understand your customers and what they need, but it's also important to make sure that you're providing them with the best possible experience. One way to prove that you're doing a great job is by having positive customer testimonials. These are often written by customers who've had good experiences with your company or service. They can be used in marketing materials and serve as evidence of how awesome your business is. Here are some tips on how to get these valuable pieces of content:

Identify audience personas

Personas are fictional characters that represent your target audience, and can help you define your product or service, marketing message and more. They're also a great way to get inside the mind of your potential customers.

Identifying personas is one of the most important steps when starting any content marketing campaign. In this post, I'll show you how to create personas based on your existing customers' behavior patterns by using data from email marketing campaigns and surveys.

The digital marketing funnel is the heart of any successful marketing campaign.

Digital marketing is about using online channels to promote your business and connect with your audience. It helps you reach new customers and keep your current ones engaged. With so many options available, from content marketing, SEO, paid ads, social media, mobile marketing, and email marketing; a clear plan is essential.

A solid digital marketing strategy saves time, cuts costs, and focuses your efforts where they count.

In this guide, you'll learn:

• What digital marketing is and why it matters.

• How to research your market and understand your audience.

• How to set clear objectives and track your progress.

• How to create a detailed digital marketing plan that works.

• Real-world examples and tips for overcoming common challenges.