Finding your market

Finding your market

There are any number of marketing strategies and finding the ones that work best for your particular business is a challenge.  Most marketing activities need to be tested for a while – months usually – to find out how well they’re working, or if they’re working at...
When is an award not an award?

When is an award not an award?

It’s always good to receive an award.  When you’ve worked long hours and kept going, seeing your efforts acknowledged brings a welcome glow – and is a great motivator for your team.  But some awards aren’t really awards. Most local awards are free to enter, but some...
Taking the work out of customer relationships

Taking the work out of customer relationships

When it comes to relationships it takes effort.  You can’t have a relationship with an organisation, it’s always with someone within it.  You want to talk to a human being. However, now technology has taken over the planet, things are moving faster and faster and...
Is email marketing still OK?

Is email marketing still OK?

Now the GDPR panic has passed many companies are wondering if email marketing is still OK.  The answer is that, providing your list has opted in, yes. So, if you’re going to run an email marketing campaign what will keep people away from that unsubscribe link? Time to...
Keeping up with the Zuckerbergs

Keeping up with the Zuckerbergs

Using Facebook as a business tool becomes more challenging every day.  It’s getting like Google – the algorithms and filters change almost daily. Even my Facebook expert sighs in exasperation sometimes.  “Every time I go on Facebook, something has changed.  If I miss...
Working to rule

Working to rule

If you own your own business you almost certainly are doing something you love (and, if you’re not, maybe it’s time to sell the business and do something else). The challenge for most business owners is that they end up working long hours and the business pushes the...
What do your clients want to know?

What do your clients want to know?

Getting into the press may be an excellent way to raise your company’s profile, but finding good stories for regular press releases is tough – and there is never any guarantee of getting published. However, putting a good article full of information that your ideal...
Less is more

Less is more

When you start to create marketing material the temptation to fill the available space is strong.  You often feel that you need to ensure the reader has ALL the information they could possibly need to make a buying decision. But, when the tables are turned, do you...
LinkedIn – corporate or personal?

LinkedIn – corporate or personal?

LinkedIn is considered to be a business network, rather than a more personal network (like Facebook), so does that mean that your focus should be on your personal profile or your company? Networking is about people.  You meet, you get to know each other and when you...
Who’s it for?

Who’s it for?

When you put pen to paper (or more likely, fingers to keyboard) to write the copy for your website what’s going on in your head? If you’re writing for your own company you’re probably focused on presenting your professionalism, skills and knowledge to impress the...