Robin Gurney, Altex Marketing OÜ, talks about the Tallinn blogfests 2009-2010 and the future

Summing up after the event, founder and organiser of the Tallinn blogfests, Robin Gurney meditates on the changing role of the fest and what the future may hold. Robin can be contacted via www.altex.ee

Robin Gurney, Altex Marketing OÜ, talks about marketing via social media

Robin Gurney is the brains behind the Tallinn Blogfest. His company, Altex Marketing, lays claim to being the first internet marketing agency established in Estonia. Speaking to conference delegates, Robin pointed out that social media are not very effective at direct selling – that clients expecting to ship more widgets as a result of, say, twittering their latest discounts and deals are likely to be disappointed. His argument is that social media can help sales, but mostly indirectly. They do it by adding value for the customer when buying their widgets from you, compared with your competition. Sellers do this by accepting feedback in a public forum, entering into a dialogue which empowers the customer while providing valuable data that allows the business to improve the product or service. Robin also says businesses can use social media for things like recruiting staff and finding suppliers. He gives an example of this. Robin can be contacted via www.altex.ee