A social media saga

A social media saga

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me – a Tweet saying ‘will you marry me?’ That was a bit of a shock, but on Twitter? Really? On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me – a LinkedIn update telling me he’s still waiting for an answer. He’s...
Customer service on autopilot

Customer service on autopilot

When someone buys something from you, you want to make them feel cared for – but if you’re selling high volume it gets harder and harder to keep up with staying in touch. That’s where autoresponders can be really useful. They put your communication on autopilot and...
Not another email …

Not another email …

If you’ve ever got on one of ‘those’ marketers lists you know that you can count on at least one email daily – sometimes more than one. They’re all trying to give you useful information, but it’s like a deluge. Too much information just switches your brain into...
Flexible Facebook

Flexible Facebook

If you’re running a business having a Facebook Page is de rigeur! There are some people who will tell you that, if you’re selling to other businesses, you’re better off on LinkedIn – and there is some sense in that. But don’t overlook the value of Facebook. These are...
Getting investment

Getting investment

Before I begin, let me say, I’m not a financial expert and this won’t give you advice on the right investment sources for your business. However, I have worked with many people who have been putting together business plans with a view to getting either a bank loan or...
Spiked!

Spiked!

In the newspaper business when an article gets ‘spiked’ it means it’s been dumped.  In the old-style newspaper office a metal spike mounted on a wooden block was on every editor’s desk.  Articles that didn’t make the grade were spiked – and then the office junior...
Are you throwing your money in the bin?

Are you throwing your money in the bin?

I go to lots of networking events and I collect lots of business cards – these are useful as it provides a means of getting in touch with people who may become suppliers.  I also get lots of leaflets about services, forthcoming events and promotions – most of these...
LinkedIn: personal profile or company page?

LinkedIn: personal profile or company page?

So many people ask me if they should have a LinkedIn company page – and those that do complain that they find it difficult to build followers on their company profile.  That’s because most people search for YOU, not your company. Even if they do search for your...
Make an impact with your website

Make an impact with your website

The look and feel of websites has changed over the years.  Gone are the days of long copy for the search engines and pages that look like articles.  Today’s websites are colourful, video-rich with short, punchy copy and informative blogs. As a writer and someone who...
Delete, delete, delete

Delete, delete, delete

That’s what most people do when faced with a full inbox populated by random newsletters. Most people’s experience of marketing email and newsletters is that the majority are sycophantic or just plain boring. If your strategy for growing your marketing list is to ask...