How Online Marketing Gurus is scaling with AI & transparency

When Andrew Raso co-founded his digital marketing business, Online Marketing Gurus (OMG), more than a decade ago, he knew he had to do something different.

“Digital marketing is hyper-saturated, we have so much competition, so breaking through was always going to be very tough,” says Raso, who established OMG with business partner Mez Homayunfard.

The industry, the pair noticed, was being let down by a lack of transparency and data, while digital agencies were acting as one-stop shops for a confusing array of client services.

“I knew I needed to research how to do good work first and foremost — and then be 100% transparent with the client,” says Raso.

In its early years, OMG focused solely on search engine optimisation (SEO), offering data-led marketing in the form of generative AI optimisation, pay-per-click campaigns, social media advertising and website design and development.

OMG is now an award-winning, $15 million global agency with 220-plus employees in Australia, the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UAE, plus an enviable client roster.

Leveraging AI analytics

One of the key drivers of OMG’s success is its ability to leverage AI while remaining open and collaborative with customers. The company has developed a proprietary platform, Gurulytics, to give clients real-time visibility over ad performance and customer trends via a central dashboard.

“When the client logs in, they can see who their account manager is, how much communication they’ve had. They can see their rankings, results and traffic from different channels,” says Raso.

“When the client logs in [to Gurulytics], they can see who their account manager is, how much communication they’ve had. They can see their rankings, results and traffic from different channels.”
— Andrew Raso, Co-founder, Online Marketing Gurus

The platform required a heavy outlay of capital and staff up-skilling, and Raso has recently hired his first in-house developer. Initially, he used an outsource partner, which meant if they made a mistake or moved servers, he had to rebuild the whole platform.

“You’ve got to find people you can trust to build tech, because if you get that wrong, it’s a very expensive exercise,” says Raso.

It’s a lesson that’s echoed in Raso’s early missteps, when he attempted to take OMG global.

“Expanding globally is never as easy as it seems,” he says. “People think you just need to do some marketing overseas and then you’ll get sales and business — it's anything but.”

What made a difference overseas was getting his feet on the ground and hiring locally.

“You need to be on the ground,” says Raso. “You need to be meeting people face to face. You need to be building relationships. That’s fundamentally extremely important.”

Fragmented media

Over the past 13 years, Raso has noticed a change in his clients. “We’re finding customers are already coming in very educated,” he says. “So, the way we service is much more of a consulting approach than it used to be.”

“We’re finding customers are already coming in very educated. So, the way we service is much more of a consulting approach than it used to be.”
— Andrew Raso, Co-founder, Online Marketing Gurus

The way businesses reach new clients has also changed significantly, so OMG’s customers are increasingly looking for support with how they can tap into new channels effectively.

“If 10, 15 or 20 years ago you put an ad in the newspaper, then you would probably pick up business from that alone,” he says. “Now, you need to have your YouTube account. You need to put up educational content. Every business owner is having to become an influencer. You need to be creating reels and content, and doing a plethora of different marketing services.”

The era of the central marketplace is over, as each demographic searches and shops differently, says Raso.

“As a business, you need to be hitting every different type of search and advertising that exists, to make sure the customer trusts you beforehand.”

This omnichannel, authority-building approach can be expensive, says Raso, but it also comes with opportunities.

“Now, you can market globally and get a global audience — and you can make a lot more money a lot quicker than you ever could before.” 

“Now, you can market globally and get a global audience — and you can make a lot more money a lot quicker than you ever could before.”
— Andrew Raso, Co-founder, Online Marketing Gurus

“You can see that a lot of these young business owners are just going gangbusters so quickly because they’re reaching global audiences and people love them,” he says.” That did not exist 10 years ago.”

More change, bigger goals

Working in an industry where change is constant, Raso says OMG needs to move quickly to adapt to consumer behaviour and new technologies.

“We need to change all the time. Just 12 months ago, I don’t even think I was using ChatGPT, but now, if you’re not using it, you’re in the minority. No-one thought AI was going to blow up as big as it did.”

As a result of the sheer velocity of change, Raso says it’s impossible to predict what is around the corner for SMEs.

“It’s hard for me to say what it’s going to be like in three months. It might be different in four weeks. But if we can adapt to it as quickly as possible, that’s the most important thing.”

“It’s hard for me to say what it’s going to be like in three months. It might be different in four weeks. But if we can adapt to it as quickly as possible, that’s the most important thing.”
— Andrew Raso, Co-founder, Online Marketing Gurus

As for a work-life balance, Raso doesn’t think that’s possible as a business owner of a growing global agency. Nor is it something he yearns for. “I get my purpose from work, that’s how I am,” he says.

“Every business owner I’ve ever met who is doing well, we’re all the same. If we climb a mountain, we just have another big mountain to climb. Fundamentally, we’re a bit crazy, we’re a bit warped, but in saying that, I think we love it as well.”