Matt Davidson is the founder of Startup Marketing, a small marketing company providing affordable marketing help for growing businesses, without the costs and tie-ins of a large marketing agency. They specialise in helping businesses establish and grow a strong web presence cost-effectively. Follow Matt on Twitter @Startup_Matt
MATT'S FAVOURITE SITES
Smiirl - In a world where the lines between online and offline are becoming increasingly blurred, the Fliike is a brilliant little device that brings social media to the high street. More than just a novelty, it could help build a connection between retailers and potential customers, and its simplicity and stylish design are reflected in the website very nicely.
propertyflock - This site hasn’t actually fully launched yet, but it is one I am really excited about. People buy from people, and the property industry has perhaps been slow to recognise how social media can facilitate this online. There is more to buying or renting a house than simple listings and images, so propertyflock allows estate agents and users to utilise social media to interact and paint a much more engaging picture of a property or a neighbourhood.
TFL - I lived in London for seven years and must have used the Transport For London website every week, but the new beta site looks like it is going to be a huge leap forward. It is clean, modern and more visually engaging to showcase the transport system that the city runs on, but most importantly it is more focused allowing users to plan a journey through the city without getting lost on their journey through the website.
Sainsbury’s Little Ones - I became a first-time father late last year, and as babies don’t come with instruction manuals, the internet quickly became an invaluable resource. Sainsbury’s Little Ones Club is a brilliant example of content marketing, and by giving away helpful, interesting or entertaining content away for free, you can establish your brand as a truly trusted resource, and improve your search engine rankings in the process.
Pitchfork - When I’m not being an online marketing geek, I indulge my inner music geek volunteering as Director of Music for a small arts festival. The depth and quality of content on Pitchfork is so mind-blowing that I could get lost in it for hours, but the slick design and logical site structure mean you never actually do get lost.
Twitter - I hate to go for something so mainstream, but Twitter really has become my main news source. It is a perfect cross-section of society with its fair share of idiots and geniuses, but as long as you exercise a bit of common sense and apply your own information filter, you can get your news from people whose opinions you value. I once read that Twitter makes you love people you’ve never met and Facebook makes you hate people you know, and I often think it is true.
And finally my favourite app is Touchnote - Everybody loves to receive greeting cards and postcards, but I have to admit to a) being really bad at remembering to send them, and b) hating the process of choosing the right one in card shops. Touchnote has been the answer that lets me send something truly personal at short notice pretty cheaply, and it is about as user friendly an app as I have ever used.
18 September 2013
