DYLAN KOHLSTÄDT BLOG

LOCKDOWN LIVE: EPISODE 1 I recently did a series of live videos on our Digital Marketers Unite Facebook group during lockdown level one, one of which was specifically about campaigns and integrated digital marketing, which proved to be quite popular, and so we have transcribed it for you below. PS: Do feel free to join our Facebook group, as…

Do you remember the names of all your staff? Do you even recognise them as you walk past them in the corridors? When last did you have a 1:1 with each staff member? Do they know anything about you? Do they know what you do every day? How hard you work to grow your business,…

Most people have a great idea that they think will turn them into the Steve Jobs or Bill Gates of South Africa, they just haven’t had time or the opportunity to put it into practice yet. What does it take to make a good idea into a great business? South African’s are amazingly creative. Nearly…

  BRANDS DON’T HAVE VALUES. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pull the rug out from under you so quickly, but it needed to be said. Before you close this article thinking “that’s absolute rubbish”, just wait a moment. Dust yourself off. Sit back down, have some coffee. Ready? Brands do not have values –…

Instagram Stories has become an integral part of the Instagram experience. Inspired by Snapchat, ‘Stories’ is used by over 250 million people every day. Instagram announced that from 31st August you can view stories from your desktop. How to view Instagram Stories from your desktop You can view Instagram stories the same way you would on…

When we wake up in the morning, it is commonplace to reach for your phone and start trawling social media to “wake up”. When you get home at night, you probably switch on the TV and pick up your phone or tablet and, at the same time, start watching a couple of videos; one on…

WhatsApp is going to kill Vodacom and cellular service providers, you know that, right? Why pay for phone calls when you can call over Wi-Fi or use ever-cheapening data? Except there’s still nothing more annoying that receiving a WhatsApp phone call. When I see an incoming WhatsApp call, I am immediately annoyed. So, there are…

So you have a burning desire to become an entrepreneur and run your own show, but not to give up the comforts of slavery, right? That cushy salary, being told what to do every minute of your day, all the comforts of your cubicle or open plan office, politics that makes Survivor look like a…

If your staff are your brand, then what message does your brand reflect? The way you conduct business and the way your staff treat your customers is the essence of your brand. At the end of the day, your staff are at the forefront of your business as they are the ones who interact with your…

South Africa is no stranger to streams of tourists that hit its shores all year round. The South African tourism industry has its hands full with holidaymakers, honeymooners and business honchos itching to enjoy the splendour our country has to offer. The Rand-[insert any other major currency here] exchange has made the Rainbow Nation a…

Everybody wants the perfect product. Your new product- whether it’s a website or a widget- is going to take the world by storm. It’s the new Facebook! It’s the silver bullet that will solve all your problems, grow the bottom line, cement your promotion and save the company. Or at least that’s what you thought!…

Are you the kind of business owner or boss that is always involved in what everybody else is doing? Telling the graphic designer how to do their job, trying to teach your web designer how to write code, or explaining to your marketing team how best to market your brand. You may be sabotaging your own livelihood. Unless you are…

HOW TO NOT FAIL AT STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND LIVE OUT YOUR DREAM It seems to me that everyone and their dog wants to be an entrepreneur these days. Perhaps it’s that I live in Cape Town and that the Government of the Western Cape and other corporates here are really doing their best to encourage entrepreneurial thinking, which is…

In a crowded market-place you are going to have to stand up and get noticed or be invisible and forgotten. Branding might seem like just another marketing term to you, but it might just be the difference between feast or famine for your business. A few decades ago someone called Valentino Liberace started playing piano…

So you wanna be an entrepreneur do you? You don’t like bosses or you’re newly retired but too clever to just sit at home waiting for your kids to visit, or you need the extra cash. The only problem is you have no idea which business to pursue. More and more retired folk are leaving retirement…

THE PINNACLE OF SUCCESS FOR A TECH STARTUP HAS LONG BEEN TO ‘MAKE IT IN SILICON VALLEY’, BUT IS THAT REALLY THE BE-ALL-AND-END-ALL IT’S MADE OUT TO BE? Silicon Valley is, with due cause, the global centre for innovation. Its world renowned startup-centred ecosystem is the envy of nations, and the model is continually being replicated in…

THE PARADOX OF GENEROSITY: HOW GIVING IT AWAY FOR FREE CAN LEAD TO SUCCESS Being Generous in Business We’ve all heard people say things like ‘I can’t tell you my business idea, in case you steal it’, or ‘I can’t give you access to that information, it’s proprietary’, or ‘You have to pay to use this service.’…

Many entrepreneurs suffer from ‘Entrepreneur’s Disease’ or ‘Founder’s Disease’, the inability to let go any aspect of your business, for fear of losing control. The disease manifests itself uniquely in each individual; some might display more of one characteristic and less of another. The problem is nearly always fatal. It may take one year; it…

As an entrepreneur you’re always learning. Not all lessons are created equal – most are good to learn, but not all of them are fun to learn. Last year I worked hard, but not smart. Although I was constantly busy and inundated with emails, calls and appointments, I just could not seem to scratch anything off…