Jan 29
0

Media Tim’s Social Media training – Module 1

By | Social Media, Training, Uncategorized | No Comments

I attended Media Tim’s Social Media training on Tuesday 20th January, and I have to say what a pleasure it was to attend.

The course was relaxed and yet really informative. Like most marketers I know the benefits of Social Media for businesses, but for my own business the biggest problem I have is planning what to say and when to say. The first module that Tim takes you through makes you focus upon your customer, how they think and the problems that they have that you can help them address.

Once you have managed to get your head around this, he then helps you to understand the best way to write your content on your blog and which social media platforms are best to use ensuring you use the right tone for each platform!

I’m really looking forward to attending his next module on LinkedIn next Tuesday (3rd February) at Maximo Learn in Bedford. Although  I still need to do my homework!!! I will report back on the next weeks module!

Don’t forget if you want to attend the training with me, click on the links!

For more information on Tim’s course check out the below links:

https://plus.google.com/109186133077205496771/posts/LukS41jw2gH

Book on the course: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/tim-brown-6667086187

Jan 15
1
Social Media Day-1-Module-1

Social Media Training

By | Food for thought, Social Media, Training | No Comments

I’m really looking forward to attending Media Tim’s Social Media training at Maximo Learn (www.maximolearn.com) on next Tuesday – the 20th of January in Bedford.

Like everyone I try to keep on top with my social media, sending out tweets on news and promoting the business and trying to start those all-important conversations with clients and suppliers. The one thing I’m looking forward to the most is getting a Social Media strategy in place and a plan of what I’m going to send out and when. I’m hoping that it should keep me focused and target those clients and industries that I would love to work with.

Tim looks at all social media platforms, Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and how all of these together can help you promote your business. If you are interested in putting together a social media plan for 2015 for your business, why not check out Tim’s courses. They run in Wellingborough and Northampton as well.

For more information on Tim’s course check out the below links:

https://plus.google.com/109186133077205496771/posts/LukS41jw2gH

Book on the course: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/tim-brown-6667086187

I will post next week and let you know how I get on. – Laura

Oct 21
0

Marketing plans for 2015!

By | Marketing Planning | No Comments

It’s a scary time of year, when you start planning 2015, looking at how you want things to pan out of the business. So I thought we would start looking at the predicted marketing trends for 2015 and which strategies should be implemented into your marketing plans for 2015.

We all know that digital marketing is on the increase; however, a recent report by Accenture based on a survey of more than 580 senior marketers globally, found that more than a third believe that digital will account for 75% of their marketing budgets by 2019, while 35% say mobile will account for more than 50%!

Lets have a look at the insight into the digital trend and see what lessons we can learn…

Lesson 1 – Relax the brand controls

The consumption of digital media is on the increase and with this is the amount of content created by customers who love what brands have to offer, and sometimes negative feedback will be included. Embracing this the collaboration with customers can also increase co-creation of new products.

Lesson 2 – Humanise the brand

We talked about this is last months edition of Marketing Magic and according to research by Lippincott “Brands that behave like humans find more favour with customers”. Consumers now buy a lifestyle, and through making your brand more human you are becoming more transparent and moving away from customer cynicism.

Lesson 3 – Maximise converged content

It is believed that content marketing will be taken to the next level promoting it through paid-for social media strategy. Social Media won’t be the only determining factor in this evolution; mobile, smart TV’s and understanding coding will also play a part.

Lesson 4 – Get ahead of technology

With the introduction of Google Glass, Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smart watch and the new Apple iWatch that is coming out in 2015 – media consumption are changing rapidly. The level of consumer uptake or marketing applications is currently not clear, but what is clear is that you can’t be behind the times in your innovations or strategies to reach your customers.

Lesson 5 – Take more risks

Without risk there is no gain! Being versatile and reactive to any brand can be scary but sometimes it’s the big decisions that pay off. Don’t be afraid to look at what is news topical or current and put an opinion out there as long as you can react and rectify any negativity it is one way to raise awareness of your brand.

 Brands becoming more reactive can capitalise on 58 million consumer tweets a day, according to Social Media Examiner.

Lesson 6 – Stay ahead of gen Z

Keeping ahead of the next generation is never easy especially now when they are less patient and more difficult to impress. Therefore reaching them requires excellent content on the right media and the right time.

Twitter has changed the way media is consumed, from breaking news to viral content; the tech savvy younger generation no longer see the need for email, all they need is text and social media according to Marketing Week’s Secret Marketer.

Lesson 7 – Merge data with creativity

At its best data and creativity combine and result in the best program possible. Data has been captured for years; marketers saw the introduction of Tesco Club Card combine creative personalised marketing with data. With advancements in technology you can now monitor who is visiting your website which content they are interested in and how long they were there. Thus giving sales teams and marketers the data required personalised marketing and sales messages to convert into a sale.

 

Sep 17
0

How to write a Marketing Strategy

By | Branding, Food for thought, Marketing Strategy | No Comments

Align your marketing strategy with your business strategy

Traditionally business and marketing strategies were seen as separate documents with some common features such as business goals and values. The business plan was organised around what products and services a company could offer its customers.

The strategic question that should drive business today is “What else can we do for our customers?” not “what else can we offer or make?” This shift at the centre of gravity demands a rethink of all strategy pillars within the business and especially how marketing plays a role.

Who are your customers? What are their needs and desires? Companies where everyone has a clear understanding of their customers always perform better and act in a more joined up way. It’s vital that marketing personal look at other departments and try to see how they can complement them.

Whether you are a sole trader, medium sized business or a larger organisation, it’s important that marketing is seen as an integral part of the team. If you are thinking strategic, you need to ensure that you have marketing represented in the meeting or the thought process.

So why is cross company like a rugby scrum? Unless you all push in the same direction to deliver what your customer wants, you will never win against your competition!

Here are some Dos and Don’ts to think about along the way:

  • Do identify the vocabulary used by different departments and ensure you are speaking the appropriate language.
  • Do work closely with the sales department – marketing is a service provision to the business it needs to help sales! Get them involved from the start and work as a team; and remember they are at the front line – they can get you vital market knowledge!
  • Do have ROI that you report back to the business so marketing is seen as an investment not as a expense.
  • Do be straight talking – don’t fall in the trap of being fluffy
  • Don’t forget – You can’t have a strong brand if you don’t have a strong business!
Jul 18
0

Social media for businesses

By | Social Media | No Comments

Social Media is vital for all businesses

Social Media Networking has become vital to everyday business. Ignoring social media is like ignoring your customers. A common misconception regarding social media networking is that it’s about marketing on social media platforms, it is so much more than that and if executed correctly can be one of the most powerful tools in marketing.

“Content marketing is a commitment, not a campaign.”

Jon Buscall, Award-Winning Podcaster and Head of Stockholm-based digital agency specializing in content creation, online marketing & communications

Social media and digital marketing work hand in hand, and its important to understand that social media networking is a marathon and not a sprint. Creating something interesting and publishing it on the Internet will earn you the attention you are after.

One of the most important things to remember with social media networking is that it is interactive. It’s not just about updating your social media on your planned schedule but also answering questions, holding conversations and thanking people for following or retweeting. Social media networking is a constant stream of two-way communication between you and the rest of the social media networking community.

Here at Jigsaw, we understand that these things take time; and time is something that our clients do not have much of. That’s why we offer three different social media networking packages so that you can get exactly the right amount of support you need from getting you going, through to building your social media networking reputation. Whatever the reasons you need support with your social media networking, our cost effective, pay monthly packages will take away your headaches and make sure you gain the reputation that you deserve.

We will work with you to ensure that the right social media networking sites are used for your business; we will create banners and profile graphics that reflect your business, branding and messages that you want to get across.
The content management we offer isn’t about posting information 50 times a day, but it’s about content that will work for you, that has a purpose and people want to read and engage with it. The content is all about the sharing and interacting with your customers and this is how social media networking can take your online presence to the next level.

As part of our standard package we will constantly review your social media networking that we carry out for you. Reports will be carried out on a weekly basis so we can be as effective as we can be; revisions are put in place but only with our clients sign offs.

Jun 06
0

How important is a website in your marketing strategy?

By | Marketing Strategy, Websites | No Comments

Yes it really is!!!

In this age of web connectivity, an active online presence is as paramount to the success of your company and the management of your brand as any offline marketing campaign.

Not only that, but not having a website will simply hinder the growth of your business. Whether you operate in a B2B environment or sell consumer goods or service, the buying process often starts online, with a search for information followed by a purchase, and companies who don’t have an online presence are running the risk of being passed over.

An opportunity for low-cost customer and stakeholder engagement; exposure to a wider audience; a source of information: a business website will give you a platform from which to reach the world. Flexible, it can be changed promptly to reflect your latest products, services, and special offers, and in conjunction with an integrated online marketing strategy, will compound and complement traditional marketing methods.

We offer high-quality, bespoke yet affordable business websites tailored specifically to your needs and your budget.

With more than half of web searches being conducted from mobile devices, the need for companies to have a dedicated mobile business website is more relevant than ever, and we take pride in designing websites which will allow your customers to complete their transaction easily wherever they are.

May 04
0

PR is for life not just for Christmas

By | Marketing Strategy, Public Relations | No Comments

“Everything you do or say is public relations.” – Unknown

Reputation is what Public Relations is all about. It’s the result of what you do, what you say, and what others say about you. PR is used to gain trust from your employees, customers, investors and the public. As we all know reputations take a long time to build up and can be damaged in a flash! With the Public Relations landscape changing with the constant developments in digital marketing, its important to always have PR as part of your marketing plans. PR is for the life of your business not just for Christmas!

Public Relations can be used in various forms such as online viral campaigns, sponsorship and media relations. We understand that like social media; PR isn’t always about short terms fixes, it can be longer-term strategies such as brand building and working with communities. Public Relations can play an essential role to any business from creating high value products or services and protecting business in times of crisis.

We have the knowledge and understanding to help businesses benefit from public relations. We can help your business use Public Relations appropriately to gain trust and respect from your employees, local community, investors and more importantly your customers!.

We will work with you to produce PR programme that works alongside your other marketing communication plans. We will produce a PR plan that will maximize the coverage for your company on an ongoing basis. We will also ensure that your PR programme is fully integrated into digital marketing and social media as well as other conventional PR methods.

 

Mar 29
0

Exhibition strategy!?!

By | Exhibitions, Marketing Strategy | No Comments

Time to schedule your event!

An exhibition is an ideal way of promoting your business, new product or service and of course generating those all-important sales leads.

Before you sign on the dotted line, there are two steps you need to take. The first is setting measurable objectives, write down exactly what you want to achieve by attending the exhibition. This will not only give you a measurement of the success of the exhibition, but it also gives your staff working at the show a target to reach.

The next step is key; making sure you attend the right exhibition for you!!!

It’s easy to sign up for an exhibition because your competitors are there but make sure you investigate the opportunity on offer; are the organiser’s promoting the exhibition and if so ask to see their marketing plan! How many people attend and from which organisations/industries? These questions will help you identify if the exhibition is going to attract your potential customers.

Once you know where you are exhibiting, why your exhibiting and what you want to achieve, make sure that the stand is designed to meet these objectives. You should know what the key marketing message is that you are trying to get across so make sure your stand tells that story. A good stand design will help deliver your exhibition objectives.

Make sure you do not fall into the “one size fit’s all” category – a generic poster or pop up will not inspire people to come and talk to you. Be specific – make your offering relevant to the visitors at this particular exhibition. Don’t forget – the exhibition is your shop window! Make sure you don’t look like your penny pinching –what does that say about how you handle your customers?

Train, Train, Train – Eighty per cent of the success of your stand is down to your staff so train them before attending the exhibition. Make sure they are all in appropriate clothing – branded preferably as it shows you mean business!

Feb 11
0

Direct Mail Vs Email Marketing

By | Direct Marketing, Email Marketing | No Comments

I recently read an article on the popularity of online advertising and email communications and how print was dead.

OK we all know that online is a cheaper way for businesses to promote themselves and you can reach a wide range of customers hitting them directly in their email boxes but with the amount of email people receive now is it more effective than print?

I was having this debate with my good friend Michelle Eade about two weeks ago – she asked me to write an article for her new monthly newsletter that she is sending out to her customers. I naturally presumed that she was looking at doing it through email, and she announced it was a print newsletter!!!

Admittedly it took me aback at first, but then I thought about it – when I was still in my corporate life I used to receive a paper newsletter once every two months and I would always stop and read it, if not straight away – I would always read it. I used to always receive email newsletter as well and they just got lost in the noise of all the other people asking for things from me. I would read them if I noticed them – but 9 times out of 10 I would delete them – sorry everyone the truth is out there!!!

I’m not saying that I think print is better than email, it just means that you can’t ignore print.
As my last blog post on Memory Palaces alluded too, keeping the marketing mix alive with different aspects of marketing will only strengthen your ROI in the long run. This applies to both the B2B and B2C markets if you sell tangible products or services. A nice little stat for you – 65% of consumers still place a lot of interest in direct mail whether that be postcards, newsletters or letters whilst only 36% of businesses think that consumer value printed materials. (research by cardsmadeeasy October 2013).

This leads me nicely on to tell you about the latest marketing from Jigsaw. I too will start sending out monthly marketing email newsletters in conjunction with a paper newsletter. The email newsletter will be kept nice and brief with helpful hints and tip so when people do open it there are not faced with lots of daunting text.

The paper newsletter will have longer and different articles included so for people like me who think I have 5 minutes to have a sip of tea – then they can pick up my newsletter and take a break!!

If your interested in receiving my monthly newsletters, please email info@jigsawcommuications.co.uk and I will add you to my list!

Oh and please don’t forget to share my blog with your friends and family, or share through the various social media links. I would love to hear your thoughts on my post, what are your thoughts email marketing over direct mail? Do you think integrated marketing still has a place in this digital marketing age we are in?

I look forward to receiving your comments.