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 Ireland (and Dublin in particular) is a fantastic place to be in digital. Sure, look who’s here – Google, Facebook, Zynga, LinkedIn, etc, etc, etc. All the big guys are here (nearly!). And lot’s of little guys too – DublinWebSummit, Tapadoo, Vlearning,
So, Dublin is definitely a good place to start your digital business. And there is plenty of help for budding entrepreneurs (much of it Enterprise Ireland assisted) through various accellerator and incubation programmes. There is the Hothouse, M50, CreateIreland and Endeavour to name but a few.
One such program that’s getting a lot of airplay of the NDRC (National Digital Research Centre) Launchpad accelerator programme, which is “focused on supporting the next generation of digital entrepreneurs to accelerate good ideas to sound start-ups”.
The programme is designed for digital start-ups and 15 will be selected for the investment stage (which starts in mid-February).
70 start-ups, both national and international, recently applied for one of the small number of places.
NDRC provides up to €20,000 per project in micro-seed investment to support the founders during the programme.
In 2011, NDRC Launchpad was identified in the top six best accelerators in Europe. NDRC has supported 30 start-ups through its Launchpad programme since 2009.
With this number of applications for the 15 places, there is clear evidence that Dublin is the place to be and accelerator programmes are the thing to be in!
Roll on new digital ventures.
 Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects seeking funding in order to realise their goals, have just released a review of 2011, and given the current economic worldwide situation, it makes for encouraging reading for those seeking a less traditional method to get their own start-up established.
Kickstarter operates by giving start-up projects the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a huge community by way of a page on the site, and if people like the sound of the idea, they can make a pledge to the project. Each project has a target amount of donations to reach in order to become fully funded, and if this target is not met, then no money is exchanged.
Some of the most interesting stats released by the site are that Kickstarter saw a total of $99,344,382 pledged in 2011, which is a huge increase on the 2010 figure of $27,638,318. Last year the site, which was launched in 2009, had 30,590,342 visitors and saw the launch of 27, 086 projects. Inevitably, not all of the start-ups that got their big break on the site succeeded, the project success rate was 46 per cent, up 3 per cent on 2010.
Kickstarter identifies thirteen main categories into which projects fall under, such as Publishing, Fashion, and Food, and the sectors that received the most pledges last year were Film and Music, with $32 million and $19 million pledged respectively to projects under those categories. The fastest launch was that of the iphone dock project Elevation Dock, which gathered $165, 910 within its first 24 hours.
The type of projects that launched on the site were completely varied, from civic orientated projects such as a derelict site converted into a student farm and turning a remote island into an artists residency , to manufactured items such as a titanium bicycle lock and a device that turns an iPod nano into a watch. Further examples of just how varied and quirky the projects can be include an RPG comedy for Xbox 360 and a pop up restaurant that changes every month ,
Video played a big part in the project’s pitches, with 80 per cent of projects utilising video in their pitch, which is indicative of how effective a tool video is becoming in online business. Some of the best project videos as selected by Kickstarter can be viewed here. The site currently is only really viable for those in the US, but Kickstarter say that they are currently working on opening up to more countries, and this an exciting indicator of how aspiring start-ups can achieve funding using the traditional method of a pitch, but in a whole new online, interactive, social way.
 No matter what part of the world you live in, there is one ingredient which has demonstrated itself, over and over again, to be the basis for economic and social growth. That ingredient is education.
Education is the silver bullet, whether we are referring to its impact on GDP, on a society or an economy, on a city or a town, a family or an individual. Education is the single common factor around the world that differentiates between success and failure, between poverty and wealth. Recent reports (from the Expert Group on Future skills Needs (EGFSN), available at http://www.skillsireland.ie/) clearly demonstrate once again that you are more likely to be long term unemployed if you have less education. Looking at this from the reverse angle, you are less likely to be unemployed if you have a higher level of (the right) education.
The Digital Marketing Institute is calling for an Education Revolution. We are calling for the correct investment, joined up thinking and a new, radical approach to education. Let’s see if we can create the correct infrastructure and environment to upskill the population (with the right skills) therefore helping to stem emigration and really get the country moving once again.
The Digital Marketing Institute has a clear career and qualifications roadmap that allows people to progress from short certification right through to masters’ level qualifications. This education focuses on the skills and expertise that businesses are actually looking for. As we have mentioned before, there is a real global skills shortage in the digital marketing sector - we are addressing this shortage by delivering employable, skilled and qualified professionals into the marketplace.
To achieve this, we are offering our programs via a number of options, including online and in the classroom, full time and part time, allowing people to educate themselves in a way that suits their work and family lifestyle.
Check out our courses and your career path at DigitalMarketingInstitute.ie
 Here’s a question – which is more important – Education or an associated Certificate/Award? A significant trend is emerging in the online space – education is being separated from the certification.
Take for instance, the announcement by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) that they are to give away their courses for FREE, through the newly created “M.I.T.x” interactive online learning platform. However, the award will not be a regular M.I.T. degree, but rather a credential bearing the name of a new not-for-profit body to be created within M.I.T; revenues from the credentialing, officials said, would go to support the M.I.T.x platform.
M.I.T. pioneered online learning 10 years ago by posting course materials online from almost all its classes. Its free OpenCourseWare now includes nearly 2,100 courses and has been used by more than 100 million people.
But M.I.T. is not alone. There is an increasing number of other excellent FREE online education resources, examples being BBC, Khan Academy, Academic Earth, and LearningSpace to name just a few.
However, as pointed out above, what these online colleges offer is an education, not an award.
So, what does this availability of free education mean? Will it make universities redundant? Will people continue to pay to go to the classroom? Will we in the Digital Marketing Institute have to offer our courses for free?
To answer this, consider this question – let’s assume that you are being interviewed for a new job (or perhaps you are the interviewer!). Would you prefer to have the education alone or the education AND the certification (which is effectively proof of your education)?
I think that there is a market for both. What do you think?
Want to comment? Have your say below.
 Google Alerts is a free tool that you can use - whatever your business - to monitor your brand, industry terms, competitors, products and services. What is Google Alerts?
Google Alerts is a Google product (they have lts of products beyond Search!) that allows you to very simply and easily monitor and track chosen keywords that are mentioned on the internet. When, say, your brand, is mentioned on a site, Google will email you a notification that the terms is being used.
For example, Google Alerts notifies me when the term "digital marketing diploma" is mentioned on the internet. It is also possible to combine terms - so we can also monitor terms like "digital marketing" along with "certification", for example.
It is a great way to stay on top of news related to your industry and brand.
Google Alerts are useful if you do not have the time (or the resources) to set up complex monitoring systems. It is a great entry level monitoring tool. And it is free!
Once you set up Google Alerts and stat using it, you can always go back and update the terms, filtering and focusing as you go. You can also configure the system to only search in specific site types (social media, blogs, news feeds etc). The other nice thing that you can do is decide how often you receive your alerts (daily, weekly, etc), so your inbox does not get clogged up with yet more emails!
Get Started
1. Choose Your Keyword Terms
2. Go to Google.com/alerts
3. Set up your Google Alerts
4. Monitor
5. Tweak and monitor some more.
 The very pointed message that we in the Digital Marketing Institute are receiving from our Advisory Council (including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, etc) is that, in every single market, there is a very recognisable skills gap.
Wherever you live, there are simply not enough digital marketing professionals to meet the demand. A talent gap has developed between the skills that advertising and marketing jobs require and the number of people who possess those skills. This challenge is one that is affecting all sectors.
The talent pool is simply not large enough and those with the skills are in high demand. The good news (for the job seekers) is those with the required skills are commanding salaries of €80,000 and more.
There are jobs a-begging.
Digital marketing budgets and spending are growing at a rate of at least 20% per annum. The digital sector is treating the recession with contempt! To keep up with demand, the country needs intelligent, skilled professionals – lots of them, as fast as possible!
And the great thing about this sector is that it is exportable. Irish agencies – including Cybercom, RingJohn, Digital Marketing Institute and Adforce to name a few – are blazing an international digital trail.
Ireland has a flourishing digital marketing sector. One of the things that we need in this country is for the “establishment” (including the government and the universities) to recognise the opportunity and not be fearful of it!
Maybe Santa will come in on a fast broadband sleigh and bring good educational tidings with him!
Ho, ho, ho!
Anthony
Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing Starting January 2012
 We are delighted to announce that there has been 100% employment rate from the last Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing run in Dublin, Ireland.
Visit Postgraduate Diploma web site for more details.
The ever-increasing demand for digital marketing continues tirelessly! Running in parallel with this demand (which outstrips supply throughout the globe) is the requirement for associated education in an effort to help traditional marketers to understand this new paradigm.
Digital Marketing Institute is one of the few businesses in Ireland helping to meet this demand and seem to be hitting the mark with full employment for students.
Digital Marketing Institute is accepting the next intake of students for their Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing. This is the only such postgraduate qualification that is fully accredited in Ireland. It is certified by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) under the European Qualifications Framework. It therefore provides students with a recognisable, transferable, international qualification.
The course is taken over 8 months. The contact hours comprise 48 lectures, 4 workshop/tutorials, taken over 2 Semesters. All of the lectures are very interactive and packed with case studies and workshops throughout. Lectures are delivered by practising experts from the digital marketing industry who are currently planning and implementing winning digital marketing campaigns on behalf of their clients.
As stated, to date, there has been 100% employment success from this course, with previous students securing senior roles within the digital marketing sector.
Some of the organisations that past students now work with include Google, Facebook, ESB, Lisney, Westin Hotels, Ladbrokes, Barclays Bank, Jameson Whiskey and Microsoft.
Previous Students Testimonials:
“This training has allowed me to refocus my career within my organisation and brought a wider range of skills to my role”. – Brand Manager, Jameson
"The postgraduate diploma in digital marketing has been both engaging and enjoyable and helped me secure a new job specialising in online marketing". - Online Brand Executive
"I will continue to recommend you,without hesitation as you run excellent courses and have an excellent calibre of tutors."
Visit Postgraduate Diploma web site for more details.
Further details and information is available at www.DigitalMarketingInstitute.ie
Please contact Anthony Quigley, CEO of Digital Marketing Institute on +353 1 271 1888 for more details.
Short Job Description
The role of the Training Administrator Intern is to help to coordinate and manage the delivery of our training programmes and to ensure that they are delivered to a high quality standard.
Longer Job Description
The role of the Training Administrator Intern is to assist the training administration team to coordinate and manage the delivery of our training programmes and to ensure that they are delivered to a high quality standard.
- Assisting with managing and organising the delivery of a range of training programmes
- Assisting with Student Registration and Payment
- Assisting with Lecturer Scheduling
- Assisting with Venue Management
- Assisting with Assignment Management
- Assisting with Certification Management
Skills Required
- Good organisational skills and ability to meet deadlines
- Strong attention to detail
- Fast and Efficient
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work on own initiative and unsupervised
- Some Administrative Experience
- Expert user of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Knowledge of basic HTML very desirable
- Well presented and professional with a flexible approach to work
The internship is to be at least 6 months long.
This is a paid position. Free digital marketing training included.
To apply please send your CV to info@digitalmarketinginstitute.ie.
 Don’t get me wrong, we in the Digital Marketing Institute are great fans of classroom-based education. However, as our students come to our courses in both UK and Ireland from all around the world, from Kenya to Brazil and Chicago to Switzerland, we thought it only fair to offer our courses online. So, now you can take a range of our courses while sitting in downtown Roscommon and Rio, Borris and Basel.
Of course, the reasons people choose an on online version over the classroom are as varied as the people themselves. Certainly, online training used to be synonymous with boring “slideware with a voiceover” – a series of slides being presented as a “course”. Fortunately, times (and technologies) have moved on. These days, online courses comprise video, slides, documents, social interaction, mobility and all delivered through a cloud based platform. Our courses are using as many of these modern updates as possible.
So, is online training for you? Apart from the fact that you may be far away from the classroom-based offering, here are some of the areas that you might consider if you are considering taking an online course:
Moving Away from Isolation towards Collaboration
Modern learning is more like a social experience, where your classmates are also contributing, along with the various lecturers and facilitators. Well developed online courses will have a “participation” module in which students can interact with each other through email, IM, chat and forums. What this means is that the online students do not feel that they are studying in isolation but are part of a larger, virtual collaborative group all working towards a common goal.
Credibility of Online Courses and Institutes
One of the big issues for prospective students and governments alike is the regulation of online schools and colleges. While some of the traditional colleges and universities are now offering online versions of their courses. However, how to regulate? One of the best ways for students to make their decision is to go with the accredited colleges. While we in the Digital Marketing Institute are the first to point out that accreditation in the digital marketing area makes less sense that in other areas (due to the fact that the “accrediting bodies” are usually government bodies and therefore move decidedly slower than the digital marketing industry), we would still recommend that you have a look “under the bonnet”. Have a look at the accreditation and make sure that you are comfortable with the claims. If, for example, your chosen course is a Postgraduate course, then make sure that your accreditation is internationally recognised and therefore transferable. So, make sure to investigate the accreditation status of the school you are interested in. Another place you could look to is the Faculty – check out your lecturer (use LinkedIn to find out about their credibility). If a college does not display the lecturer’s name, are they hiding something?
Niche Colleges
You can study just about anything you could imagine through online learning – just have a look at based Alison, for example, to see what is available for free! What this means is that the traditional colleges – which are, by their nature – generalist, are falling behind in terms of expertise. In the digital marketing sector, for example, it is simply not feasible for these generalist colleges to constantly update themselves in the newer, developing technologies. Areas such as engineering and maths do not change at the lightning speeds that are apparent in the digital sector. So, perhaps niche colleges might just be the ticket!
Online courses and degree programs are now widely accepted as the delivery and learning technologies keep improving.
Digital Marketing Institute offers an education and career path for digital marketing professionals.
Searching on Google has become an integral part of life, no matter what profession you encompass. A recent study at Illinois Wesleyan University found that fewer than 25% of students could perform a “reasonably well-executed search.”Researchers went on to say that “he majority of students — of all levels — exhibited significant difficulties that ranged across nearly every aspect of the search process.”
That search process also included determining when to rely on Google and when to use databases, but on a fundamental level, it appears that many people just don’t understand how to best find the information they seek using Google.
The following infographic form HackCollege offers a helpful primer for how to best structure searches using advanced operators to more quickly and accurately drill down to the information you want. This is by no means an exhaustive list of search operators and advanced techniques, but it’s a good start that will help set you on the path to becoming a Google master.
Created by: HackCollege
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