🟡 Digital Marketing, Done Better! Smart50 List 2023 🚀 Father 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Skater 🛹 CEO || Knows Nothing About Football ⚽️ 🏉 || Knows how to accelerate your sales.

For over three decades, I've helped visionary businesses harness emerging technologies to create extraordinary growth. 

From the dawn of mobile phones to today's AI revolution, I've consistently turned technological disruption into competitive advantage for my clients.

My journey began in 1987 with the first wave of mobile technology. 

The Car Phone.

Since then, I've successfully navigated every major digital transformation - from the internet's emergence in 1996 (launching the World's first coin operated Internet Kiosk) to digital marketing's evolution in 2010, & now the AI revolution. 

Each wave has deepened my expertise in spotting opportunities others miss.

Today, I lead Sydney Digital Marketing Agency, established in 2014 and recognized among Australia's smartest businesses on the 2023 Smart50 list. 

We partner with medium & enterprise businesses to reduce their cost of customer acquisition and transform their marketing results through data-driven strategies that consistently deliver measurable ROI.

What sets me apart isn't just the depth of my experience - it's my ability to see around corners and guide businesses toward future opportunities while delivering results today.

📍 Partner Benefits:

→ Strategic Innovation: You gain access to cutting-edge marketing strategies tested across diverse industries. Our early adoption of AI & automation tools means you're always ahead of competitors.

→ Proven ROI Framework: Our proprietary approach combines data analytics with creative strategy, consistently delivering 3-5x return on marketing investment for our clients.

→ Risk Reduction: Leverage our 35+ years of experience navigating digital transformations. We've already learned the costly lessons so you don't have to.

→ Holistic Growth Focus: Unlike agencies that chase trending tactics, we build comprehensive strategies that align with your business goals, market position, & growth targets.

→ Future-Proofed Solutions: In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, we ensure your marketing infrastructure is built to adapt and scale, protecting your investment long-term.

The 3 things to know about me - outside of my professional bio 👇

1️⃣ I’ve been digital since dial up - 1996 ☎️

2️⃣ My son+daughter were born 18 yrs apart 🥰

3️⃣ At least once a year I take a 4 day silent retreat to disconnect from the crazy. 📵 🤐

Simon Gould ✪ CEO ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency ✪

Every week, a new AI feature launches.

ChatGPT. Gemini. Claude. Grok.

And marketing leaders are paralysed.

"Which one do I use?"

"Am I falling behind?"

Here's the truth from 30 years in sales and marketing:

Your customers don't want a drill. 

They want a hole in the wall.

They don't care about your tech stack.

They care about solving their problem.

That's it.

We helped Clean Health achieve a consistent 6:1 ROAS - not with fancy AI tools, but by understanding buyer psychology.

🏆 In 2026, the businesses that win won't have the most tools.

They'll have the most clarity.

Clarity on:
→ Who they serve
→ What problems they solve
→ What actually drives revenue

If you're a Founder, CEO, or CMO of a $7M-$100M service business in Australia and you're drowning in martech and Ai noise, let's talk.

Book an appointment on the link above this post.

Let's have my team help map your 2026 growth strategy around what actually works - not what's just shiny.

In a world of AI chaos, clarity is your competitive advantage.

Helpful? 


♻️ Save, Share Or Comment for Free Karma - Not A Free Download 🤓

Simon Gould ✪ Founder ✪ Chief Thinker ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency

🏆Smart50 Lister. Founder. Father. Creator. Knows nothing about football ⚽️ 🏉 But knows your business is paying too much to acquire new clients. We fix that. So you can grow revenue, faster. ♻️ (B2B & B2C experts)

"Never go for an interview. Always go for a conversation." 🎯

Just dropped Part 2 of my podcast conversation "Before We Get Started" with Matty Greene, diving deep into the commercial side of his transformational four-pillar approach.

One insight that stood out : 

Most of us drift through life like "a feather in the breeze" 

I went to this school because it was close, 
Got a degree because mum and dad suggested it, 
Took a job because someone knew someone
Got a promotion because we were there...

Then we wake up at 45 or 55 wondering: "How did I get here?"

Matty shared a powerful reframe: Instead of trying to sell yourself into boxes you don't understand, show up authentically. 

Ask great questions. Be genuinely curious about co-creating something together.

The person across the table is probably just as scared as you are.

Key takeaway: Spend time understanding your ikigai - what you love, what you're good at, where you can create value, and how to make it sustainable. 

Most people invest more strategic thinking into their business than into themselves.

Without telling me where you live, who you work for, or what school you went to - who are you?

That question still gives me chills.

Thanks Matthew Greene for another profound conversation. 

Part 3 coming soon where we'll dive into the somatic practices that literally change how you show up in the world.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Apple and Spotify links below.

What's one decision you made this year that was truly intentional vs just going with the flow? 👇
#Leadership #Authenticity #PersonalDevelopment #PodcastLife

Let’s be real: there’s nothing more frustrating than doing the hard yards to build a great business… 

and then watching your website absolutely refuse to pull its weight.​

You’re not trying to “go viral”. 

You just want more of the right people booking calls, asking for proposals and becoming long-term clients.

Instead, you’re dealing with:

↘ A site that feels fragile every time someone updates it
↘ Enquiries that go nowhere, or worse – crickets
↘ A nagging feeling that you’re bleeding opportunities to competitors who haven’t worked half as hard as you
↘ A website that actually damages your reputation

This is exactly why we design websites the way we do:

 ↗ Built to be found by the right buyers on Google and the new wave of answer engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and co)
↗ Built to turn curious visitors into confident, ready-to-talk prospects
↗ Built to make your brand look and feel as sharp as the work you actually deliver

If you’re a founder or business owner and you’re tired of your website being the weak link in your growth plan, now is the time to fix it.

Not “someday in 2026”.​

Book a quick website consult with me today, and let’s see what it would take for your site to finally become one of your best-performing sales assets.

---------

♻️ I’m Simon Gould, Founder of Sydney Digital Marketing Agency.​

Since 2014, my team and I have been the trusted growth partner for brands and businesses that need marketing to actually drive revenue, not just vanity metrics. 

We design everything from logos and landing pages to award‑winning, sales-focused websites, social media campaigns and SEO that all plug seamlessly into your CRM, so you can see exactly what’s working and what’s not.​

If you’re planning to scale in 2026 and you want a marketing engine that consistently brings in better leads and clearer ROI, let’s talk. 

Book a quick call with me today using the link above and we’ll map out the smartest way to hit your growth goals next year.

#website #geo #seo #marketing

AI overwhelm is real. 

But you don't need another tool.

This week's newsletter cuts through the noise:

→ Why AI assistants have changed how customers buy
→ The 3 search ecosystems you must exist in
→ What actually drives revenue in 2026 (hint: it's not more tech)

If you've felt exhausted by the constant AI updates, this one's for you.

Read it below 👇

Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

View newsletter: The Growth Marketing + AI Edge

If you’ve felt even a little overwhelmed by AI this year, let me reassure you: It’s not you. It’s the industry. Every week there’s a new model, new fe

Open article: The AI Overwhelm Is Real, But Here’s What Actually Matters For Brands In 2026 🫵🏻 by Simon Gould ✪ Founder ✪ Chief Thinker ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency • 4 min read

The AI Overwhelm Is Real, But Here’s What Actually Matters For Brands In 2026 🫵🏻

Why is no one talking about this ??

In the last few days, ChatGPT quietly released Group Chats.

A truly groundbreaking new feature that lets up to 20 people collaborate together, with AI actively participating in the conversation. 

I don't know about you - but using chatGPT is quite the solo experience yes? 

When I read this last night I thought what about some of the other widely used collaboration platforms. How would it affect them ? (More to come on this in our newsletter later this week) 

But this isn’t just a Slack or Monday.com alternative - it’s OpenAI moving ChatGPT from solo assistant to shared workspace, where AI helps teams brainstorm, plan, summarise, and decide together.

🧐 What’s special? 

↳Spin up a chat, invite the team, and have AI summarise threads, expand ideas, or organise notes - all in real time.

↳ Upload docs, images, files for instant group analysis. AI can even make lists, compare options, and structure deliverables.

↳ Set custom instructions (like “reply in bullet points”) and fine-tune privacy, with group chats siloed from personal use.

For SMEs and remote teams, this could be a game-changer:

↳ Accelerate brainstorming and decision-making - early tests show up to 30% less time spent in meetings.

↳ Democratise AI access (even free plan users get this!) without expensive IT.

↳ Lower onboarding and knowledge transfer cost with real-time, AI-organised notes for new hires.

❗️Yes, there are trade-offs. 

AI contributions may (will) need moderation, privacy risks exist for sensitive data, and groups are capped at 20 people (no integrations - yet). 

But OpenAI’s rollout signals a big shift in how we collaborate - with AI truly “at the table,” not just observing from the sidelines.

If your team’s not trying this, you’re missing out on a glimpse of the future of work!

Thoughts ? 

Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

#chatgpt #openai #aitips

Spiderman meme sydney digital marketing agency style

🗣️ We’re getting ready for growth in 2026 and would love to speak to any senior account managers looking for a new role next year. 


☎️ This doesn’t come up very often so be quick to apply. 

And If you know of anyone please feel free to share ♻️ 🙏

Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️ Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

View company: Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

Senior Account Manager Required!

Ready to take your next big career leap in 2026?

Join one of Australia's most trusted digital marketing agencies and lead transformational campaigns from our stunning beachside office in Kingscliff, NSW.

What You'll Bring:
·     5+ years in marketing + 3+ years account management experience
·     Digital expert in paid social, paid search, GA4 and HubSpot
·     Creative storyteller meets data-driven optimiser
·     Exceptional project manager with strategic vision

What You'll Get:
✓ Work with established businesses across diverse industries
✓ Strategic influence from day one
✓ Genuine work-life balance (no late nights!)
✓ Growth trajectory in a scaling agency

Ready to transform your career?

Don’t wait until next year to find your dream role. Apply now!

https://lnkd.in/gjWkHqB9

Applications close Friday, Dec 19th.

2026 is going to bring more noise, more AI, and more competition for the same customers…

but the fundamentals for service businesses haven’t changed: 

you still need to be seen, trusted, and chosen.

If you want to grow revenue next year, your marketing needs to do three things consistently: 

•build brand awareness, 
•deepen trust with the right buyers
•generate a steady flow of qualified leads your team can actually close.

Here’s how I’m helping founders and C-suite leaders lock those three in for 2026:

1.	Map your pipeline to real revenue  
In 2026, I’ll help you get clear on where money is leaking in your funnel, then rebuild your digital journey so more of the right prospects move from click, to conversation, to client.

2.	Turn your marketing into a predictable lead engine  
Using SDM’s ABC methodology (Audience, Brand, Competition), I’ll help you attract higher-intent leads, lift conversion rates, and give your board confidence that every marketing dollar is working harder.

3.	Install tracking and automation your sales team actually uses  
By tightening up analytics, CRM and marketing automation, you’ll see exactly which channels drive profitable deals - and scale the ones that deliver the fastest revenue growth.

DM me before the holidays if this sounds like a conversation you need to have for 2026.

#aisearch #marketing #digitalmarketing

Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

Simon Gould ✪ Founder ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency

li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #ai, #seo, #socialmedia, #digitalmarketing, and #sydneydigitalmarketing

Susanne Rauer ✪ Executive Coaching Sydney ✪ has been my business coach and our team coach at Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue for over 6 years.

Susanne knows me, my team and our dynamics inside out and has been pivotal in supporting us through the good times and the more challenging ones.

We dive into some of those times in a series of short video podcast chats - here’s the part 4.

I can’t thank you enough Susanne for your support and insights that have helped me get clarity and a better understanding of our team dynamics. And thanks for having me on the Pod 🙏

And anyone thinking about executive leadership coaching for 2026 - I cannot recommend GAIA Coaching - Executive Coaching Sydney highly enough 🙌

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 ✪ 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 ✪ We provide personalised, boutique coaching experiences for seasoned executives, high-achievers & small business owners

Susanne Rauer ✪ Executive Coaching Sydney ✪

View Susanne Rauer ✪ Executive Coaching Sydney ✪’s profile

When was the last time you truly stopped? 
Not to plan the next step, but simply to breathe.

In this final episode of Continuous Reinvention: Leading Beyond the Numbers, I sit down with Simon to explore what it really means to lead beyond performance and metrics.

When asked what advice he would give to leaders who feel out of sync, Simon didn’t mention strategy or targets. 
He spoke about something far simpler, and far more powerful, breath.

Pausing. 
Breathing. 
Returning to the present moment.

These are not signs of slowing down; they are acts of leadership. 
They reset stress, quiet the noise, and make space for clarity.

Leadership isn’t just about what you deliver. 
It’s about how you show up. 

And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is stop, breathe, and begin again.

Listen to the last part of our episode: Part 4/4 (7:41) https://lnkd.in/eixwhKPZ

I hope you enjoyed this our Conscious Leadership Podcast, which is created by Australian business owners, for Australian business owners.

Feel free to explore our Conscious Leadership program: 

#MindfulLeadership #LeadershipMindset #GrowthMindset #ExecutiveLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching
#ConsciousLeadership #SydneyExecutiveLeadership #SydneyExecutiveCoaching

Open video: Part 4 Continuous Reinvention: Realign. Recommit. Re-energise. on youtu.be

Part 4 Continuous Reinvention: Realign. Recommit. Re-energise.

I love this point from Irene Cassiotis  about the holiday period being a time for reflection. 

It's not just a mindset shift, data confirms it's a strategic B2B window:


• 🔥 Cost Advantage: Due to competitor withdrawal, many B2B advertisers see their digital CPC/CPA costs drop by 20% to 30% in December/January. 

Your budget buys more visibility!


• 🗣️ Reduced Noise: Key decision-makers aren't "unplugged." LinkedIn engagement drops by less than 1.15% in Australia during the holidays, but their inboxes and ad feeds are significantly less crowded. 

Your content stands out.


• 🧠 Strategic Headspace: B2B buyers complete 67% of their research digitally before engaging a vendor. The quiet summer break is when they finalise vendor shortlists and conduct deep-dive research for their 2026 strategy.

💎 Brand Strategy Partner 🔵 Director & Connector 🔵 Impact & Purpose-led 🔵 Actively seeking to partner with philanthropic and B2B businesses

Holiday period misconception - time to double down?

Over the years I've heard many clients and business owners considering holiday breaks a break for their clients too. 

For some industries it can be a great time to RAMP UP your sales, branding and marketing (or test that it's a good season to do so). 

Since the majority are not running ads or focussing on campaigning:

Your market is less distracted and may be more open to considering new services while taking a break from the day to day. 

What does your market reflect on during breaks? 

If you are in CONSULTING, OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT, COACHING, MARKETING, FINANCE 
Or your service addresses internal topics which may be set aside because of BAU thinking...

Your market is likely in REFLECTION mode and may be ready for you! 

Consider campaigns at strategically placed times this holiday season and see if it's a golden time for you!

Thanks for the look behind the scenes at SDM Hannah Booth  🙌

It’s been a while since we last posted, so here's what's been keeping our team busy lately! 👀

The past couple of months saw us overseas attending global conferences, launching multiple new award-winning websites, and of course, celebrating plenty of client wins - all the motivation we need for December.

Feeling inspired by the amazing team around us, we can’t wait to see what the rest of 2025 has in store.

Here's to finishing the year strong 🙌

Behind the minds at Sydney Digital Marketing

I help busy entrepreneurs scale faster through virtual assistant support, without burn out or the high cost of hiring employees

I’ve always believed business should feel human.

When I started Virtual Elves back in 2009, I wasn’t trying to build an empire. I was a mum with two small children, working in corporate, and craving a different way of doing business — one built on trust, care, and genuine relationships.

That belief became the foundation of Virtual Elves: an Australian-managed outsourcing agency connecting skilled Filipino virtual assistants with growing Australian businesses.

Over fifteen years on, that same belief still drives everything we do.

Today, I lead a calm, capable team that helps business owners reclaim time, reduce overwhelm, and scale sustainably — through long-term, ethical partnerships that actually work. We don’t just fill roles. We build relationships that last years, not months.

In an industry often focused on transactions, I’ve made it my mission to prove that outsourcing can (and should) be done differently.

Through transparent processes, ISO-certified systems, and a people-first approach, Virtual Elves has become a trusted partner to hundreds of business owners who value quality, consistency, and care. Many of our clients have grown alongside their VAs — building businesses and lives that feel more spacious, balanced, and intentional.

I’m deeply passionate about helping founders find calm in their chaos. About showing that leadership doesn’t have to mean burnout, and that delegation — when done right — is an act of growth, not loss of control.

As a speaker, mentor, and strategist, I share what I’ve learned about building sustainable systems, leading with empathy, and growing teams that genuinely thrive — both in Australia and the Philippines.

Because when people feel supported, they do their best work.

And when businesses are built on trust, they last.

What I stand for:

• Ethical, people-centred outsourcing

• Long-term partnerships built on trust

• Calm, capable growth — without burnout

• Leadership that puts humans first

If you’re ready to grow your business with more ease and less chaos, I’d love to connect.

Founder | Virtual Elves
Speaker | Mentor | Thought Leader in Ethical Outsourcing
www.virtualelves.com.au

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