An interview with Elisha Elbaz, the CEO of DigitalFuture

Elisha Elbaz joins Israel’s new breed of successful entrepreneurs who are meeting the challenges of technological, digital and marketing advancements in innovative ways.

At 34, Elisha Elbaz, the CEO at DigitalFuture, has been starting up business ventures for many years now. We caught up with the Instagram influencer and businessman recently in order to gain some insights on his business and interesting personal life.

DigitalFuture is a global media agency, and we would like your insider view on the problems that mobile media apps face, and how these can be solved?

The increase in mobile traffic is resulting in media buyers looking for ways to exploit the opportunities. We have a unique position as we work with the top buyers and sellers of mobile media. It is important that we understand their issues and offer them solutions. One of the main issues is a misuse of valuable traffic, dueto lack of efficiency in campaign management. In a report that we have conducted internally, we have found that traffic to our campaigns ismonetised up to 50% better than other advertisers. This could actually be a good case study to advertise in the future. We have gained a reputation by ensuring that many issues like validity of inventory, transparency and delayed payments are almost completely avoided.

Mobile performance is also important, and companies need quality feedback and control of traffic performance in real time.

Boosting app downloads is a huge challenge. Once this issue is tackled reviews are helpful because this helps lead to an increased social proof which result in a higher install rate. We sit at the intersection of app store optimization (ASO), app SEO, pay-per-click and mobile performance marketing. How much more exciting can it get in a mobile-first world?

What would you say are the key priorities for publishers and advertisers in 2020?

Media buying evolved rapidly. Targeting mobile users correctly and offering them the best user-experience seems the best place to start. This means that they should see more relevant ads, thereby reducing the common problem of “banner blindness”. The key priorities are to keep driving app revenue and to increase the numbers of app installs.

How do you compare your success in business with that of an Instagram influencer who has over 100,000 followers?

Success on Instagram works on the same principles as growing a business. Both need a combination of elements, including hard work in order to grow the brand. It is essential to connect with customers or audiences through quality content that is presented to them through various promotion methods. The ultimate goal is to establish long-lasting relationships with the relevant community. Lastly, no matter how good you or your product is, you have to market it efficiently. The same applies to grow on Instagram and any other social media platform.

What advice do you give young entrepreneurs who approach you?

Mentors can be a great inspiration for young entrepreneurs and can help them to move in the right direction. They will motivate them in all matters and help them put their energy, money and time into perspective while also creating a sense of accountability. However, if this is not a possibility, I advise them to set out task orientated goals that are to be adhered to within the time-frame set.

And if they fail?

Failure is part of growing stronger. I have also faced failures in the past and know that the key to getting over it is to accept it as such and taking responsibility for it. When starting any business venture, it’s important to be aware of the risks. However, it’s impossible to always be prepared, so my opinion is to just focus on the issues that really matter and to face each one as it arises.

What is driving the growth of the tech scene in Israel?

Israel is currently attracting more venture capital per person than ever before. That is why it is often referred to as “Startup Nation”. There are many reasons for this, with the most obvious been government support, exposure to advanced technologies, and its talent. Well, our agency has a unique story: what drives our growth, is the fact that we’re driving growth affordably for other businesses – helping them get the highest number of app installs quickly and affordably to skyrocket their performance.

Besides keeping up with tech advancements, we notice from your Instagram account that you also keep up with fashion industry trends. What else do you enjoy?

Yes, I do like keeping up with fashion trends and I do enjoy shopping and trying new looks. I also enjoy spending time with my family, exercising, catching up on professional advancements and breakdancing. Back to fashion again, I would say that eventually, I always tend towards the more classic look.

Breakdancing? That’s interesting.

Haha. Yes, I enjoy listening to hip hop music so breakdancing is an extension of that. I’ve been an amateur breakdancer since I was in high school. Since joining the army and starting businesses I reduced the amount of attention towards breakdancing, but always kept the fire inside burning. I experiment with different kinds of hip-hop dance genres; my followers get to see these via Instagram stories.

What tech magazines and newspapers do you subscribe to?

As I grew older, I’ve struggled to consume traditional books, magazines or newspapers. I find that the best way to keep up to date in my industry and with my limited time is with podcasts and short-form videos.

What are your most imminent goals for DigitalFuture?

The same as those that I had when I founded the company in 2016. We plan to continue to provide great value for our employees, providers and customers. Our core goal remains the same: respect, patience, review and improve!

I also cannot wait to announce an exciting new product that will change the way companies manage their performance marketing campaigns, but I will leave that for another time…