Meet Team Air Social – Max Hughes-Williams
Meet the experts behind the Air Social brand. First up, Max Hughes-Williams, our Senior Digital Manager, who is always one step ahead when it comes to digital advertising for our clients.
How would you describe your job to a 5-year-old?
I use the computer to try and make people buy things
What’s the coolest thing you’re working on right now?
I recently ran a campaign for West Sussex County Council which used a multi-channel approach and included Spotify ads for the first time. They were so successful I’m now looking at how I can run them out for other clients. There is a lot of potential in ad networks on platforms like Spotify so it’s exciting to be testing out new opportunities for clients.
What key issues are your clients facing and how are you addressing them?
They vary from client to client but one common thread is helping clients understand the customer journey and the importance of set-up time. If we don’t get the accounts set up correctly at the beginning, especially the conversion tracking, it can lead to a lot of problems further down the line. I spend a lot of time keeping up to date with resources provided by Google and Facebook about the future of conversion tracking and building audiences and how best to utilise the tools available to make a real difference to the client’s bottom line.
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t be afraid to say ‘I don’t know’, digital marketing is so complex it is impossible for anyone to know everything. Always follow up by researching though because the likelihood is you will find an answer. Sure, some topics may make my brain hurt but there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of finding a solution to a problem that has been driving me mad.
What top tip would you give someone in a similar digital marketing role to yours?
One of my biggest bugbears with Google ads is the way they auto-apply their recommendations and I’m always a little paranoid Google will apply a recommendation that ruins a client’s account. Google have now launched a control centre, which allows me to monitor all my clients’ accounts and make sure auto apply recommendations never happen. I’d encourage anyone running Google ads to check it and make sure they turn off this feature.
What motivates you the most in your role?
Problems/challenges/puzzles, whatever you want to call them, I’m a sucker for a good challenge. I love games of all kinds and I often see marketing as a game where I need to maximise results and minimise costs. I get a kick out of taking on a problem and finding a solution. Even better if I can learn something new while finding a solution.
Where do you go for inspiration?
I’m not going to give away all my secrets but I do regularly check out a number of forums and groups where fellow marketeers post their issues and share knowledge. I would recommend everyone sign up to the newsletter from TLDR Marketing – it’s great for a quick daily skim of new marketing news and helps give me a jumping off point for further research. And, incidentally TLDR is one of my favourite internet acronyms, it stands for Too Long Didn’t Read.
