Sandeep Kushwaha

  2026 is shaping up to be the first year where more campaigns won’t fix anything. AI is changing execution speed, privacy rules are tightening, channels are fragmenting, and leadership wants growth without the cost explosions of the past few years. So the real question isn’t what to do. It’s how to build a marketing plan that doesn’t fall apart every time technology shifts or budgets tighten. This is where a proper digital marketing strategy becomes less about channels and more about structure. Especially for the people who carry the responsibility: CMOs, marketing directors, heads of growth, founders, and the specialists who translate strategy into action. It also ties closely to the topic of digital marketing strategy: how to structure a plan? A core question teams struggle to answer consistently.  Below is a 2026-ready structure based on how high-performing teams are planning now. Start With “Business Tension,, Not Marketing Goals Most teams begin planning by choosing KPI...

If you look closely at how companies grow online, the real turning point isn’t a flashy campaign or a viral moment. It’s usually something quieter, something most people don’t notice at first. A competitor publishes a stronger comparison guide. Their product page starts answering buyer questions slightly better. Your own page slips from position three to position six without ringing any alarms. Then, a quarter later, the numbers start telling a story nobody wants to read. That slow decline is when founders and revenue leaders realise something important: Online visibility is a part of the business’s revenue protection system. That’s why having a strong SEO strategy matters, especially now when behaviour, search patterns, and decision journeys are shifting faster than ever. A breakdown of why SEO has become such a critical growth pillar for companies aiming for long-term, low-CAC visibility: 1. SEO Builds an Asset, Not an Expense Line Paid ads disappear the second your budget pauses. SE...

Hiring a digital marketing agency can feel like a leap in the dark. The promises are enticing: more traffic, higher conversions, and stronger brand presence. But the stakes are real. Executives worry about ROI; CMOs fret over integration with their teams. While scaling, business owners want proof that every dollar spent will move the needle. Choosing the wrong partner can cost time, money, and credibility. The key is to go beyond pitches and look at fit, expertise, and long-term adaptability. 1. Evaluate Expertise and Specialisation Not all agencies are built the same. Some claim to do everything from social media campaigns to full-blown SEO audits. But generalists can dilute your results. Look for agencies that demonstrate deep expertise in areas your business truly needs. For instance, an SEO agency should provide concrete case studies of e-commerce or B2B SEO success. If social media is critical for your growth, consider a dedicated social media marketing agency with a track recor...

  The internet’s being interpreted by algorithms that think more like us than ever before. A few years ago, it was all about keywords and backlinks, but today, it’s about how useful your content sounds to AI. Weird, right?  As part of our mass media research project, we decided to understand how brands are keeping up with this shift. So, we reached out to the SEO agency team at Verve Media, which is also a digital marketing agency. They’ve been experimenting with AI search results, SEO AI optimisation, and everything in between. Here’s how the conversation went with the SEO expert:  First, how AI search even works Earlier, SEO meant competing for a spot among the “10 blue links”. But now, AI SEO optimisation tools like Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT search have shifted their focus. They are more focused on answering queries about content. Ranking now depends on understanding how AI interprets content and intent.  These systems collect insights from across the web...