2/1/2016
Marketers have a canny knack of making things unnecessarily complicated. I'm hopefully about to undo all of that for many and dispel a number of myths about the differences between B2B marketing and B2C marketing.
read more3/10/2016
With “content marketing” becoming a well-used phrase these days, it’s clear to see that it has a key place in marketing generally; whether for timber or tableware. So let’s take a quick look at what it is, how it fits amongst the marketing mix and how best to optimise your efforts.
read more4/6/2016
There are always times when you need more marketing resource in your business, however large or small you are. Whilst employing additional skill is one option and approaching a marketing agency is another. Be aware of the many benefits of choosing an outsourced marketing service - it might be better than you think.
read more6/7/2016
Whatever sized business you run, marketing should form a core part of it. You might even be doing this without realising. And it is a myth that there is a difference between large and small business marketing. This post offers some useful thoughts around the subject to get you firmly in the right frame of mind.
read more8/24/2016
You can read all the how-to guides you like. You can speak to all the “experts” that you can find. Nothing will beat a common-sense approach to your email marketing if you want it to make a difference. This article discusses some of the reasons that prompt your recipients to unsubscribe and provides practical thought on how to avoid it happening.
read more9/23/2016
When a visit from the BT man and inevitable internet and phone silence whilst a fault is fixed, prompts me to consider how marketing actually survived and indeed prospered, back in 1996. Was it really so different then? I can actually remember!
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11/11/2016
If you're a smaller business that is deliberating over the future direction of your marketing - perhaps delaying doing something about it - this post might just be for you. You know there has to be a way forward and the key is in finding the right way forward for your particular business needs.
read more11/23/2016
It's just a logo, right? Wrong! Your logo is a fundamental part of your company’s identity and character, whatever size business you are. Get it right and it can help to communicate some very strong messages about your company, without the recipient consciously knowing. This post explains more...
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12/1/2016
It's an interesting question. We are all human after all and will not inevitably like every product or service that we come across in life. So, what happens when you find yourself asked to market something you don't like? Is it possible? Well yes, it is, and I can explain why.
read more2/16/2017
When, like me, you have carried out freelance marketing for long enough, you’ll come to realise that there are two types of client – more actually, but two that I’m going to highlight in this post. The first type sees marketing as something that someone “does”, whilst the second type understands that marketing cannot be achieved in isolation and needs to be fully integrated into all aspects of the business – whatever its size.
read more3/9/2017
I’ve already written a post considering the many aspects of your logo and how it can help to present the right character for your business. But for fun, I just wanted to delve into colour a little more as it is clear that each shade and tone can say something particular – a useful cue before a prospective customer has even picked up the phone!
read more5/23/2017
You might have heard people say marketing is “all about content” these days. Whilst not particularly correct, content is certainly important. In fact, every business, small and large, can benefit from generating it – even when you feel you have nothing to say. You'll find some thoughts in this post to help you change that.
read more6/6/2017
We all tend to live life in the fast lane these days and many tasks can constantly be put to the back of the queue. But when that list is a little shorter (and we do all get days or even hours like this from time to time), here’s some thoughts on a few constructive things to do where your marketing is concerned.
read more7/10/2017
We all know companies that cannot see beyond the cost of marketing. Frustrating! There are many aspects of running a business that demand a cost and yet where marketing is concerned, the value or return on that investment that be huge if the work is carefully targeted and the budget not wasted. Read more thoughts about this important issue.
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8/23/2017
I recently filled many large pans with water, having received a message about limited water supply for the next six hours due to a fault in the supply. Smiling to myself, I remembered that the logic really does work – when it’s running out, you are much more inclined to think that you need it! And the same logic is often used very successfully in marketing, across a variety of industries.
read more2/9/2018
We all want to talk, and marketers are certainly no exception. Communicating key messages is a fundamental part of any marketing department. But are you sure that those messages are being understood as you intended? Here’s some points to consider.
read more3/9/2018
It’s really useful to take time and stand back from it all once in a while and ask yourself if your business is actually making the right impression amongst your target audience. Here’s a few helpful points to ponder.
read more6/18/2018
Would you invest in a piece of equipment and never work out how to use it? I doubt it. The same can be said for your website. Simply having one is no guarantee that the phone will ring and your inbox will fill up with enquiries. The thorny subject of website optimisation can be complex, whilst the goal posts continually change. But amongst it all, there’s some sound and practical advice that you can harness to make your website more appealing to Google. Here’s my take on a few of these issues.
read more7/4/2018
Remember the 24th and 25th May? We grimaced as our inboxes groaned beyond belief. Privacy policy updates and eleventh-hour requests for consent ahead of GDPR kicking in. Has the EU just killed off email marketing? Not likely – and nor should you. Here’s why.
read more8/7/2018
I’ve seen it many times. Whilst it started well, your key message can all-too-often become rather muddled as your business expands. The result? Confused employees and customers, which affects the performance of your business. Read how to recognise and address this issue, ensuring that everyone knows exactly what your business does.
read more8/30/2018
If you’ve gone through the lengthy process of launching a new website, you’ll know the elation (and relief) that comes when it goes live! But that’s just the start of it. There are many ways that your website can, and should, work harder for you. Here’s a list of points to focus on after you’ve celebrated your launch.
read more11/7/2018
You’ll have customers. You might have them logged in a CRM system. Name, address, email, customer type, products purchased. But do you know them? In this post, I’ll explain how you can get to know your valuable customers better. And why this will help you grow your business.
read more12/5/2018
The end of the year is in sight. And your marketing budget for 2018 might be on its last legs. There are plenty of low-cost marketing actions you can take. Are you capitalising on these 14 simple ideas? Some might be obvious; others, not so.
read more2/20/2019
Does talking price make you uncomfortable? Do you fear they’ll think your prices are too high and not do business with you? Stop creating a hurdle to jump over. Here’s some sound advice to help you handle the communication of your prices better.
read more6/7/2019
It’s a question that often gets asked. And if you want the short answer, there’s not a definitive one. I’m not going to get techie here, but I am going to consider different email formats in terms of marketing effectiveness for your business. And that might help you.
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