Next up in our series of interviews is the founder of Quirk eMarketing, Rob Stokes. Rob’s energy and steady stream of ideas has been instrumental to the growth of getclosure! over the past year and we’ve really enjoyed working with the Quirk team.
How did Quirk start? How did you come up with the name?
I started Quirk because I am an entrepreneur with a love for technology and a love for marketing… Quirk just seemed the natural business to start. I don’t tell many people this, but I actually named Quirk after my lovely little cat. Over the years I have realised the critical importance in how one names a business, back then I named us on a whim… thankfully people seem to like it 
What does Quirk do?
We are a full service online marketing agency. This means that we market brands through the digital medium doing everything from building and managing websites, through to driving traffic to these sites using tactics such as search engine optimisation, paid search, viral marketing, social media and email marketing.
How long have you been working with getclosure! and what role do you play?
We’ve been working with getclosure! for about a year. Quirk is their online agency, but personally my role seems to be as an ideas guy and as Ian’s sounding board 
Why did you choose to work with getclosure!?
Well, I think they chose us. BUT I can tell you why we are excited about working with getclosure! We think they are a big part of the changing face of how customer service is managed online. I love their honest and genuine desire to create a world where customers are happier and not just a world where people can whinge.
What are the 3 things that you enjoy most about getclosure!?
Cool idea, cool team, great service.
What has been the highlight of your working life so far?
Definitely the publishing of our textbook, eMarketing: The essential guide to online marketing. What excites me about this book is not necessarily the content itself, but the fact that it’s published under a Creative Commons license making it freely available to all. Education is such a vital force for improving society and we are really passionate about it at Quirk. To be able to contribute as we have is a great privilege.
What do you do when you are not working?
I don’t understand the question
Just kidding, I enjoy fishing, particularly fly-fishing. But otherwise I won’t deny enjoying a quiet vegetation session on the couch whilst watching Test cricket.
What do you enjoy most about eMarketing?
Two things: measurability and innovation. Measurability is what sets eMarketing apart from traditional marketing. The innovation which is constantly happening in eMarketing is what keeps me interested and excited.
What are the common misconceptions about online marketing?
That its all about banners or email spam. These are two of the least effective and intrusive online marketing tactics and whilst I hate the ethics of spam, banners simply bore me as a creative marketer who thinks there are far more effective was of getting your message to market. Interrupting people to grab their attention is so 1990’s…
What 3 tips would you give to people who are interested in entering the world of online marketing?
- Make use of RSS to gain knowledge: RSS makes it so easy to deliver a regular stream of fantastic information into your brain. Use it.
- Experiment and test: The measurability of online marketing is incredible and much like traditional direct marketing, we should be taking every opportunity to constantly test our campaigns and improve them.
- Focus on conversion. Too many marketers are focused on driving more traffic when they are in fact wasting much of the traffic they already get. Instead I would strongly advise people to make sure their websites and campaigns are converting as efficiently as possible BEFORE they think about driving more expensive traffic.
