It’s arguably one of the world’s best conference and festival for new ideas, emerging technologies and creative content of the new industrial revolution.

South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences & Festivals attracts some of the best speakers, the biggest global brands and thought leaders from the digital world. And it has a reputation as being THE place for global networking.

Unfortunately for me, I’ve never had the chance to attend – maybe next year.

But at least I have Youtube.

Send your mind back to the launch of the iPhone. Although you may not recall the first App you downloaded – what you will remember is the ease of use or the purchase experience. It’s an experience that has led to the Apple’s Apps Store selling more than $200 million worth of apps every month and unleashing the new app economy.

For those of you still relying on fax machines or hiding behind the Berlin Wall of firewalls – Apps are small software applications designed to be used on Smartphones such as the Apple iPhone, the Blackberry or other mobile devices such as the Apple iPod. And now, the Apple iPad.

If you look past the games, juvenile beer drinking apps or childish farting programs (my 10 year old son loves this App) is a world of nifty little programs that are creating fortunes for entrepreneurs and changing the way we do and can do business.

The success of the Apple’s Apps Store has basically kick-started what is now called the Apps Economy with nearly every producer of smart technologies trying to copy Apple’s business model. This includes some the biggest companies in the world like Google, Nokia and Microsoft.

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The question I get asked by fellow marketers more than any other is: what is inbound marketing? Simply, it’s completely the opposite to the long-established method of broadcast advertising.

Inbound marketing is focused on the idea of being found by people who are looking for you, your product or your service. It mainly consists of intelligent web design, search engine optimisation, social media and conversion strategies with the aim of drawing motivated people to you.

Whereas broadcast advertising is typically focused on trying to influence your buying behaviour and habits by means of commercials on television and radio, printed advertisements in newspapers and magazines and printed directories such as Yellow Pages.

So, rather than forcing yourself onto the poor unsuspecting masses, inbound marketing allows potential customers to find you when THEY are ready. Any time, any place. It delivers motivated, qualified consumers to your door (website) 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

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Every week, I read and watch lots of business and marketing articles and videos. Most are just good opinions pieces, but every few weeks there is a real corker that I want to share with people.

And this video by Gary Vaynerchuck is a corker. So please enjoy:)

Here’s a blatant promotion on my blog. If you are marketer or CEO who’s organization is struggling to come to terms with the digital revolution. Then, you ought to be interested in our latest news from Sticky Advertising. We’ve dropped the ‘Advertising.’

And, we’ve finally taken the plunge and repositioned the agency as digital with a focus on advanced digital strategies.

Why?  So we can take advantage of a growing need to manage the transition from a mainly offline business and marketing model to a growing digital and social business model. It also means higher profit margins and lower costs compared to advertising’s traditional cash cow of buying media which is now basically a commodity being sold by every Tom, Dick and Mary.

The process of change has been exciting, but at times scary especially for our principal, Craig (Media Hunter) Wilson – it’s his money we are playing with. However, Sticky has quickly scored some big goals by signing up a number of large national accounts. There is talk now of going International.

If you are interested you might want to see our new revamped Sticky and GetSticky sites…