Social Networking is the term given to a variety of new techniques for communication with clients, customers, prospects and other interested parties. As with other marketing techniques it needs careful planning to ensure that the right message gets through to the right (target) audience. Whilst using social networking and media can be a blunt, scatter gun approach, with careful planning and dedicated application it can, like a rifle, be accurate, well targeted and can be useful in developing relationships with the target audience. What it is. Social networking is the name given to a variety of tools that can be used to develop relationships with customers. Of particular importance is the fact that the use of these tools will help to drive traffic to a website or blog and ultimately help search engine optimisation of the website. For businesses these tools can be used for reputation management, test marketing and feedback from customers on existing or proposed new products. It can … [Read more...]
10 First Aid Marketing Tips
One of the first items that is cut in an economic downturn is the marketing budget. Often it is perceived as expensive and it is not always easy to see that there is some benefit from the cost expended. And this might be true if you focus on the wrong things. Many would argue that the time to increase or at least maintain marketing activity is during a downturn when many of your competitors are reducing their campaigns. Here are a few first aid tips to keep your lead generation and brand image marketing going while not spending a fortune: Messages/Targetting Understand clearly who your customers are. Write a specification for your ideal customer. What they are business or consumer or both; what size they are; what do they do; why do they buy from you; what do they buy from you. Once you have a clear idea ensure that all the rest of your activity addresses this ‘ideal customer’ wherever possible. Review all marketing messages. Ensure that they speak to the range of customers you … [Read more...]
Small Businesses Need to Step up Online Presence
In the 21st century, a good online presence is almost essential for a business to succeed. So, is there a way to enhance your online profile without parting with much-needed cash? The answer is yes, but businesses need to be innovative to attract traffic. Successful small businesses quickly learn about their customers and adapt their marketing activities to fit. As you'd expect, many startups have no choice but to rely on low cost and creative means such as word-of-mouth and social media due to a limited budget which more often than not rules out traditional advertising. Social Media The emergence of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been hugely beneficial for small businesses, allowing them to connect directly with their users and amplify the “online word-of-mouth” that is usually associated with satisfied customers endorsing you offline. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) In additional to using social media platforms, good SEO can be a very effective way to … [Read more...]
