Mark joined IT Interactive Services as Director of Operations in July 2002. Prior to joining ITIS, Mark managed the Operational Budget and Accounting Office for the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Washington DC (1997-2002). In 2004, Mark became Director of Affiliate Relations and Marketing, and in 2006 was appointed VP of Strategic Relations.
Q. Can you give the thumbnail sketch of GenieKnows, the company - who are
you?
A. GenieKnows Inc. (formerly IT Interactive Services Inc.) is the brainchild of Barbara & John Manning, local Halifax based entrepreneurs, and is split into 3 parts: GenieKnows.com, a web site where users can connect with locals, share opinions and discover their city. GenieKnowsMedia.com, an online display advertising & pay-per-click (PPC) search marketing agency, and GK Content: A series of websites offering lifestyle & entertainment content; GKmen.com, GKbusiness.com, GKhealth.com, GKlife.com & GKwomen.com.
Q. What's your core offering and how to does it work?
A.
The GenieKnows.com site offers users the ability to review and follow businesses, follow like minded locals and discover the city around them. We are adding additional functionality that will tie into Twitter and Facebook, allowing users to share information quickly across various social media websites. It also offers local business owners the ability to promote their products services through a premium listing business service.
GenieKnowsMedia.com works with agencies, direct advertisers and other ad-networks to deliver users into the online advertising campaigns of e-marketers via PPC search marketing and ad display buys. GK Content is our newest division, providing fun, entertaining and insightful content across various topics (sports, health, electronics, fashion, sex and relationships and business, to name a few. These sites are linked into our strategy of targeting specific online user demographics via display and search marketing campaigns, alongside great content.
Q. Who are your partners?
A. GenieKnows.com local search partners with local ad-portals in the States such as CitySearch.com and SuperPages.com. We are now empowering local business owners across Canada and the USA directly, offering them the ability to target a local audience using the premium listings business service.
GenieKnowsMedia.com partners with several search marketing companies such as; Yahoo Search Marketing and Ask.com. On display advertising we work with several name brand networks and agencies such as Fox and Burst Media.
GK Content websites partner with similar ad-partners and also publishes content from various content partnerships and writers.
Q. How does Genie help small businesses?
A.
GenieKnows.com's Well the Genie knows your city. She provides users with the business information that they are searching for. The site itself attracts 200,000 unique visitors searching for all manner of local products and services. Local business owners are able to position their business listings in front of these local users as they are searching and browsing the website. Essentially, she (the Genie) helps to connect users with local businesses
5. How can Genie help big businesses?
Big businesses that familiar with online marketing strategies can use the GenieKnowsmedia.com platform to access online users via display and search ad solutions. The reach of GenieKnowsMedia is vast as we work with larger ad-networks and publishing platforms.
Q. What changes in Internet marketing are affecting your business now?
A. The effects of the global recession cannot be ignored - this has manifested itself into tighter budgets and a more in depth analysis of online campaigns. We have the ability to work within these budgets and tailor online campaigns to clients needs and provide value. We are mindful of user migration over to the mobile device (Blackberry and Iphone usage) and are planning to take advantage of that with our local search and community plans.
We are seeing display advertising coming back in a big way and are positioned to provide a solution to advertisers that are keen to jump into this medium
Q. You go to a lot of conferences, which ones are your favourites?
I'd have to say that A. AIM conference has definitely ‘raised the bar' here locally I the Canadian Maritimes and the conference at Dalhousie last year was an excellent event. We do travel into other conferences such as SES Toronto, AdTech New York & San Francisco - which are much larger shows where the bigger agency and partnership meetings take place.
Mark Harper
VP Marketing & Content
GenieKnows Inc.
e: mharper@genieknows.com
t: +1-902-431-4847 ext.111
f: +1-902-431-4848
m: +1-902-448-3000
twitter.com/markharper
