Words of Wisdom from TheCamel

An Intimate Moment

Shane Hodge • Apr 07, 2021

I remember standing next to my dad, looking way above the countertop and seeing this distinguished looking man, perfect hair with a sprinkle of grey, freshly starched white coat and even a tie. He had that movie star look, I tell you, and 55 years ago it was true, could have been a Charlton Heston type (Ben Hur, Ten Commandments).

His name was Mr. Keyte and he wasn't an actor, he was our local pharmacist. He called my dad Lindsay and my dad called him Mr. Keyte. Back in the day, Mr. Keyte was like that, as was Dr. Spangaro (our local doctor) and Mr. Humpries, the local newsagent, and Mrs. Barnes, who owned the local milk bar and created the most awesome milkshakes for 5 cents.

All had wonderful hair and all wore starched white coats and all called you by name when you went to the pharmacy, the doctors, the newsagent, the milk bar, the dress shop, hairdresser or barbers, it was local, and it was intimate.

Fast forward to 2020 and wow what a difference, t-shirt and converse with no starch, hair all over the shop, tattoos and nose rings maybe, no first name potentially, you're just a number. Chains stores, and 7/11, and a milkshake? Well, the only intimate part of that is when you screw off the top of the plastic container. Yep, it's about as intimate. Well, I could drop lots of examples but this is a family blog so I will behave.

But then, (thunder clap, organ music in the background) something happened (more thunder claps with choirs singing ahhhhhhhh music) yes early 2020 Covid hit and things changed. No more visiting the 7/11 for that plastic moment, no more swiping the credit card at the mall as you purchased the latest and greatest Nike shoes from the t-shirt and denim body piercing right to life behind the register. Yep, all that joy gone in the blink of an eye, and then it was just you, your credit card, online and Uber Eats!

A few months past, we all got used to being stuck inside, we became addicted to Netflix. After getting sick of ordering online, we dragged the pots and pans out of storage and dusted off the cookbooks and started to (more choirs singing) cook for ourselves and the family and another strange phenomenon occurred, we started to communicate with each other across the dining table and not by text.

Yes, folks can you see the trend starting to form? Can you see the build up to what this blog is all about? Well hold on to your hats there is a mighty moment coming.

Time went by and the gates were slightly open and we could venture outside, travel down the street and at last do what we all need to do, SHOP. But this Covid moment has changed us. We are no longer looking for the ultimate in Mega Malls. The thought of brushing bodies with other humans, standing in lines dreading the sound of a sneeze or a cough has changed us. Yes folks Covid has taken us back in time and we are now searching for something we all thought was lost.

We want to shop local again. It's safer. we need to talk to people again as we miss it, we need to have an intimate moment again. (Orchestra and choir rise to deafening Hallelujah moment)

The times have changed, even those that used to jump on the big bird with passport and luggage on wheels for the international experience are now looking local and what sites and sounds they can feel. Local tourism, local shopping, is seeing an interest that they thought was lost. Covid? Has changed us.

That intimate moment has returned, but are you ready for it? Is your business ready for it, is your website, your social media ready for it?

You may have given up in early 2020, after years of trying hard you may have thought those days are gone, nobody cares about the little guys and gals anymore. You may have posted on Facebook Business every month or so, you may have had a yearly anniversary update of a picture or two on your website. Well folks it's time to join the revolution.

Get local with your website, with your social media. Start posting new and exciting stories and pictures about what's going on in your local business. Now is the time to start treating that website like a shopfront that local people walk past everyday, stop to see what's in the window, wave at you or pop in for a chat.

Now is the time, now it's local. And now? It's time to get intimate.

Enjoy the moment as it will be around for a while.

Hugs to all.

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Unleashing the Marketing Magic:

By Shane Hodge • 22 Apr, 2024

How Ai Can Add a Touch of Humor to Help Small Digital Agencies Stand Out.

The Secret Sauce of Success: An Algorithm With A Dash Of Humor

By Shane Hodge • 15 Mar, 2024

In today's competitive business landscape, capturing customers' attention is crucial for success. With the rise of digital marketing and the ever-increasing noise in the marketplace, businesses need to find innovative ways to stand out. One effective approach is to develop an algorithm that can help businesses captivate their target audience. In this blog, we will explore the key steps to creating an algorithm that can capture customers' attention and drive business growth. 1. Define Your Target Audience: The first step in creating an attention-capturing algorithm is to clearly define your target audience. Understand their demographics, preferences, and pain points. Conduct market research, analyze customer data, and gather insights to develop a comprehensive understanding of your ideal customers. This will serve as the foundation for building an algorithm that resonates with your audience. 2. Identify Key Engagement Factors: To capture customers' attention, it's essential to identify the key factors that engage them. These factors can vary depending on your industry and target audience. Consider elements such as personalized content, compelling visuals, emotional storytelling, interactive experiences, and social proof. By understanding what engages your audience, you can tailor your algorithm to incorporate these elements effectively. 3. Leverage Data and Analytics: Data and analytics play a vital role in creating an attention-capturing algorithm. Utilize tools and technologies to collect and analyze customer data, website analytics, social media metrics, and other relevant information. This data-driven approach will help you identify patterns, trends, and customer behavior, enabling you to optimize your algorithm for maximum impact. 4. Develop Personalization Strategies: Personalization is key to capturing customers' attention in today's digital age. Leverage your algorithm to deliver personalized experiences to your target audience. This can include personalized product recommendations, tailored marketing messages, customized landing pages, and dynamic content. By making customers feel seen and understood, you can significantly enhance their engagement and loyalty. 5. Implement A/B Testing: A/B testing is a powerful technique to optimize your algorithm's effectiveness. Create multiple versions of your algorithm and test them against each other to determine which one performs better. Experiment with different variables such as headlines, visuals, calls-to-action, and user interfaces. Continuously analyze the results and refine your algorithm based on the insights gained from A/B testing. 6. Embrace Automation: Automation can streamline your algorithm's implementation and execution. Leverage marketing automation tools to deliver personalized messages, automate customer interactions, and optimize content delivery. By automating repetitive tasks, you can focus on creating compelling content and refining your algorithm to capture customers' attention more effectively. 7. Monitor and Adapt: Creating an attention-capturing algorithm is an ongoing process. Continuously monitor its performance and adapt as needed. Stay updated with the latest industry trends, customer preferences, and technological advancements. Regularly analyze customer feedback, engagement metrics, and conversion rates to identify areas for improvement. By staying agile and responsive, you can ensure that your algorithm remains effective in capturing customers' attention. Conclusion: In a crowded marketplace, capturing customers' attention is a challenge that businesses must overcome to thrive. By creating an algorithm that is tailored to your target audience, leverages data and analytics, embraces personalization, and incorporates automation, you can significantly enhance your ability to captivate customers. Remember to continuously monitor and adapt your algorithm to stay ahead of the competition and deliver exceptional experiences that resonate with your audience. With a well-crafted attention-capturing algorithm, your business can drive growth, build customer loyalty, and achieve long-term success. Love and Hugs from TheCamel!

We Gotta Change the Song in 2024

By Shane Hodge • 16 Jan, 2024

Happy New Year, fireworks, champagne corks popping, people hugging, joy, smiles all round wow for a few minutes before midnight and a few minutes after it's a pretty special moment must admit. If you have had a miserable year, it's a feeling of, “ Glad that one's gone, let's make this one huge ” and if it's been a great year? Well it's a smile and a grin thinking of another year of making hay whilst the sun still shines. Bad habits are banished, promises made ah yes folks “ auld lang syne ” might be a good song to sing but then sorry to spoil the mood LOL, we get a few days in and boom reality sets in. Those habits you promised to throw away, the weight you said you would lose, the exercise you would begin just to name a few of those before and after midnight moments, well they didn't happen, but hello its early days right, there is still hope. Yes, young Jedi’s It's early days yet, so good or bad business, deals won or lost still too soon to call, so breathe easy. But let me remind you all of a very important point at this early stage of the new year, a time when 2024 is a mere toddler still dressed in nappies and yet to be toilet trained. Take yourself back just before the stroke of midnight before all that fun and frivolity and ask yourself a question, how many times did you hear the statement, “ Can you believe how fast this year went ” I lost count, and If I threw in the amount of times I asked myself the same question? It was a LOT. So, not to be the Patron Saint of Disappointment, but even though the year has been the same in length of time since Adam fell for the apple trick, its traveling faster each time you look at Eves Watch (apple joke lol) If things don't get on the right track from the moment your out of the starting blocks of 2024, if you don't have a plan of action, set some goals, a rich relative or a good lawyer to bail you out, quicker than you can say auld lang syne? You will humming the words to Liquor Store Blues, “ One Shot for my pain, one shot for my sorrow ” Thank you Bruno Mars. So my first bit of good old shared wisdom for 2024? “ People Don't Plan to Fail, They Fail to Plan ” Love that quote, have you ever wondered who wrote it? Well folks thanks to good old Wikipedia. It was written by John James Beckley who was an American political campaign manager and the first Librarian of the United States Congress, from 1802 to 1807. Good old John was a pretty smart bloke and his quote is a goodie, so in 2024 it's a good thing to start changing your theme song, and rip into some new motivating, inspiring, toe tapping lyrics to lift your game and winning percentage. To help you on your way and being the generous man I am, let me share with you a few points you should consider. So grab your trusty pen and paper if your Old school, or iPad if you're not, and follow me down the yellow brick road to fame and fortune. First make a plan to rise and shine early each day, set that alarm to ringy dingy at 5am and roll your tired and weary bones out and scream lezzzzzzzzgoooo. But don't go straight to work, plan to use this early opener for some “ you” time, spend an hour on exercise, walking, reading the bible, listening to some new motivational stuff like speeches from me LOL. Use the time to grow, spiritually, mentally, use the time to settle its YOU time and you need it. Now, from this moment the normal thing is to encourage you to set goals for your business, sales goals, performance goals, human goals and yes 1000% you need to do that, but I class it as you know that you don't need me to advise yet again one more time. The song I’m encouraging you to sing, the tune to hum in 2024 is all about you, your family as I have learnt one thing that if I'm right and second if my family is right, my business is right. So, start the day early and well, add in some notes to the song for dinner with family and no phones, sing with the wife or husband, harmonize with the kids over the playground not with the TV, make sure that every day there is a plan, a goal to live life and love with those close to you (Just like the carpenters song) You do that? And I guarantee that by the end of 2024 the song you will sing? “ The Time of My Life ” and Dirty Dancing was a great Movie and your life can be the best it's ever been. Go Get 'em. Love and Hugs from TheCamel!