Marketingmag.com.au chats to Alex Wilson – marketing manager at Wiliam. If you
would
like to see a certain
marketer profiled, please email your suggestion to Kate Kendall, online
editor, on [email protected].

What do you do?

Marketing manager at Wiliam – a tier-one player in the
web design and development space. I head up the online marketing department and
look to find ways for clients to maximise their ROI on their website.

I also founded SavingsGuide.com.au, a
successful website targeting the niche market of saving money and personal
finance management.

What was your first job?

My first legitimate job was working at ToysRUs throughout high school, I was in charge of ‘animal alley’ specialising in the placement of soft toys.

First professional job was as a contractor for numerous companies in the ebusiness space, ranging from HSBC International to an SEO company in Australia.

What did you study?

After finishing school I studied a Bachelor of Communications, specialising in Information Management at UTS. Some confuse this with IT, but it is more so the study of how to provide information services to others and manage the needs and dissemination of information within corporate environments.

Now I am once again back at university, working towards a Masters of Business Marketing at UTS part time.

Describe a typical day?

6am: Get up and get moving. I tend to pretty much jump in the shower and turn some music on. Music gets me motivated in the morning.

7am: Leave for work either by train or car. I use this time to check emails, gather my thoughts and list five things I must get done for the day (I am big on lists).

8am: Arrive at Wiliam. Email sorting for an hour and following up on internal initiatives and my list.

9am-12pm: Business as usual, working with clients on their online marketing strategy. This can range from social media, SEO, SEM, viral marketing, display advertising and other forms of online marketing.

12-1pm: Grab some lunch, sit at my desk and catch up on the news. I also use this time to manage SavingsGuide.com.au – ranging from writing new content, approving comments, PR and media replies and actively pursuing coverage within the press.

1-6pm: Back to work, following up on strategy proposals, working with the search team here at Wiliam and attending meetings with potential clients to explain our strategy process.

6pm-12am: I am a night owl. I work hard on my own projects, night after night and find myself full of adrenalin and unable to sleep with excitement.

What is on the agenda for the next year?

The coming year holds a number of agenda items for both Wiliam and SavingsGuide.com.au.

At Wiliam, we have been making category-leading websites for over 10 years that are both commercially successful and heavily marketing oriented. I will be looking at formalising our market position to show people that we are much more than web development firm – we are also a fully capable online marketing agency.

On the Savings Guide front, I am expanding further into Asia pacific with a heavy focus on expatriate countries like Singapore and Malaysia. New Zealand is also a very prominent focus. Savings Guide offers a rather unique market position, it allows for blogging and discussion around any topics pertaining to personal finance, meaning the list is endless.

What brand do you love the most? Dislike the most? Why?

This is quite a broad question. I like the idea of personal branding on the internet these days, so would have to say a person I respect and admire for creating such a strong brand is Jeremy Schoemaker, aka ShoeMoney. He is an internet marketing genius – the techniques you and I have only recently started using, he has been doing for years.

What do you believe has been the most significant moment in the history of marketing?

The introduction of ecommerce – though it dates back to 1970, it has really come into its own in the past five years. I marvel at the idea of businesses turning over seven to eight figures with simple ecommerce solutions.

Where can people find you?

• Wiliam: www.wiliam.com.au
• Savings Guide: www.savingsguide.com.au
• Personal Blog: www.ajwilson.com.au
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/aj_wilson