<p>I recently gave a presentation on content marketing to a team of B2B marketeers which thankfully had people nodding appreciatively and in broad agreement about the benefits such a strategy can bring: earn trust, build your reputation and people are more likely to do business with you. I made the (hardly insightful) observation that there were product managers and specialists within the organisation who are experts in their field and have built up years of experience. They can offer valuable insight and help on the issues that really affect their customers and prospects. Talk with them, not at them. Yep, everyone looked around the room and nodded sagely again.</p> <p>Just one question. Who’s going to ‘produce’ this content?<p> <p>It’s a very good question.</p> <p>Just because you know more than there is to know about Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (it’s a method of respiratory ventilation!) doesn’t mean you can write about it in a compelling and interesting way. Believe me, I know.</p> <p>But that’s what copywriters are for right?</p> <p>But it’s not traditional copy is it? Just about anyone can create and write a blog - and anyone can put paint on canvas, but it doesn’t make them Picasso! Should such marketing professionals extend their skill set to include things like writing good articles for blogs? It’s clearly not the same as writing traditional ‘push’ style product information sheets. Is there a job in the marketing department for a specialist blog-writing, content creating social engagement evangelist?</p> <p>How do those who learned their trade 20 years ago learn the language of engagement in an age of the ’social web’? Somebody told me the other day that they ‘couldn’t do informal’! I said it’s easy, you know when you get talking with that person at a trade fair or conference during the coffee break? That’s a good start.</p> <p>OK, I’m simplifying things, but the point is that for many organisations the exciting possibilities of this new age of digital and social marketing require a rethink in strategy, tactics and resources. One that involves ensuring the right people with the requisite skills are in place so that the strategy is carried out successfully.</p> 2010-02-18T23:58:44Z 12 whos-creating-the-content 2010-02-18T23:58:44Z <p>I was at a social function recently and got talking about business, like you do (I didn’t start the conversation, honest!). It seems everyone has an idea for a micro-startup business these days. Hey, it’s that long tail, there’s always a niche or super-niche to get into right? Anyway, the person I was talking to had just started a business venture, and it sounded quite interesting with a very clear value proposition. I was keen to see what marketing tactics they had employed or what the plan was. Turned out there wasn’t really a (marketing) plan, and the tactics were solely based on lead generation through existing contacts and word of mouth. Now we all know that is very important when you first start out of course, but the plan after that was, well, a bit vague. What was even more surprising was the branding. That is to say there wasn’t any to speak of. No business cards, letterheads, not even a logo. Moreover the web site had no trace of this person as a sentient human at all! What a waste. This individual was interesting, enthusiastic and smart but absolutely none of that was coming across in their online presence.</p> <h3>People are people</h3> <p>Humans are social beings. So it stands to reason that ‘likeability’ is an important factor when interacting with other people – and that includes business. You’re far more likely to want to do business with someone you like aren’t you? Clearly if you can get talking with your prospects or even better, get some face-to-face time with them, then you can really engage in the best possible way. However if your prospect has arrived on your web site then it wouldn’t do any harm to let some of your dazzling personality shine through would it?</p> <h3>So how do I get personal then?</h3> <p>Might seem simple but actually say something interesting on your ‘About us’ page. Yes, it can be personal, remember, people are people too. If you’re using Twitter then consider a link, or point people towards your own blog. Let prospects know that there’s more to you, that you can be <em>trusted</em>. Like-minded individuals are more likely to consider you as someone they might want to do business with. Of course caution is required, so be smart about it – it might not be advisable to point people to a Facebook page with embarrassing images of you all over it!</p> <h3>Advantage you</h3> <p>Remember, the bigger fish can’t do this so effectively, which gives you a certain advantage when trying this kind of social marketing. So give it a try and get personal!</p> </div> 2010-01-12T21:41:44Z 11 get-personal 2010-01-12T21:41:44Z <p>Like a lot of people I couldn’t really see where Twitter would fit into my world when I first looked at it 18 months ago. A glorified status update? Nah, I’m good thanks. Well something changed and <a title="My Twitter Feed" href="http://www.twitter.com/mozbloke" target="_blank">now I’m a big advocate,</a> learning all the time, trying not to fall into any stereotypical user-group (but since you ask I am striving gainfully to become a ‘Trusted Guru’ one day!) and using it to spread and share with due care and attention.</p> <p>Anyway, what surprised me most – and it was quite unexpected – was how the 140 character thing really sharpened up my writing skills. I abide by a few rules you see – never use a ‘2′ for ‘to’ or anything similarly truncated and awful. Use proper English words please! The micro-blog post will force you to be succinct – and if you have anything worthwhile or interesting to say it can be a challenge to say it in or under 140 characters, especially with a hyperlink in there. Henry Winter, the Daily Telegraph’s football writer <a title="Henry Winter on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/henrywinter" target="_blank">is a masterful Tweete</a>r (and a pretty good writer to boot!). Like miniature articles, Winter’s Tweets often have a beginning, middle and end, with a very clear point being made. Perfect copywriting really.</p> <p>So if you want to improve your copywriting skills you could do a lot worse than consider Twitter as a useful tool of the craft. Try getting your marketing message across in 140 characters. Kill the waffle and meta-discourse and cut to the chase!</p> 2010-01-12T21:39:17Z 10 twitter-can-make-you-a-better-writer 2010-01-12T21:39:17Z <p>I’m a fan of Dyson products. We’ve got an Airblade at work: it solves a problem, looks good and uses less energy. The new ‘bladeless’ fan or ‘Air Multiplier’ looks very interesting too. The web site is quite good, clean and well-designed, but <a href="http://www.dyson.co.uk/fans" target="_blank">this landing page is great</a>. Big images, clear graphics and a well-communicated message with an explicit (but not in-your-face) call to action. All things <a href="http://www.intersurgical.com/ecorange" target="_blank">we’ve tried to do with this page</a>.</p> 2010-01-12T21:38:07Z 9 perfect-landing-page 2010-01-12T21:38:07Z <p>With Christmas approaching fast (doesn’t it get faster every year?) many SMEs are bracing themselves for a bumpy ride. Although there seems to be green shoots of recovery under those damp autumn leaves some analysts are predicting that this festive period may be worse than last year. So what are SMEs doing – slashing prices and focussing on getting customers at any cost? Not exactly, <a title="Small Business web site" href="http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/channels/sales-and-marketing/news/1087837/customer-service-key-to-christmas.thtml" target="_blank">according to this report</a> on www.smallbusiness.co.uk. Customer service is high on the agenda, and by offering extra value in this area they can ensure that new customers will come back time and time again.</p> <p>In the B2B world we’re involved in cultivating long-term business relationships, so it’s as important to look after those customers you already have. They already exist, you don’t have to win them over – they are advocates who have chosen you above all others, so they deserve to be looked after if you want them to remain loyal. Go back to those customers at certain times of the year and make sure they know you can answer their questions and solve their problems. Remind them of why you are the best, and offer them something different. Reward them for their business. Customer service really matters, and when times are tough it’s even more vital in helping you to differentiate&nbsp;your business and ensure you stand out from the crowd.</p> 2010-01-12T21:37:05Z 8 customer-service-comes-first-this-christmas 2010-01-12T21:37:05Z <p>Every week someone makes a headline-grabbing proclamation about the future of email marketing. So much so that you’d be forgiven for thinking sending marketing communications by electronic mail was on its last legs. Not quite. Clearly there’s been a move away from the mass-mailing ‘blunderpuss’ style approach of the early days. That’s going to get you (at the very least) a reputation as a spammer as quick as you like. Personalised highly-targetted email messages can still be very successful.</p> <p>A campaign for a B2B client we ran recently proved to be the most successful we’ve ever run. The message was simple and answered a very specific question which was a highlighted issue within this target audience. Virtually no graphics and two short paragraphs of copy, with a clear call to action offering a simple solution to a known problem. Response rates were excellent and proved that it’s not just about the creative, but about timing, content and providing customers with something relevant and appealing.</p> 2010-01-12T21:35:31Z 7 e-mail-marketing-is-dead-again 2010-01-12T21:35:31Z <p>Everyone has a morning routine. When mind and soul are still a little bit dormant all we want is repetitive and simple tasks, nothing too taxing on the brain. After helping to get a four-year old ready for nursery I can concentrate on getting myself in ‘work-mode’. At the moment my routine is this: I drink two Nespresso cappuccinos, eat some toast and then I’m off on a short cycle journey through leafy Berkshire to the office. Now my brain is wired up and ready to go, and the body is pumping away too; caffeine and adrenaline make a great ‘brain fuel’ combination! Not surprising then that most of my good ideas are formed during this period.</p> <p>Now I’m not advocating that everyone drinks caffeine and gets on their bikes (hey, it works for me!), but it got me thinking how important it is to take yourself out of your traditional work environment if you want to solve a problem or think of some new marketing or design idea. Inspiration is all around us. At lunch time I try to get out too – and that could mean just listening to a podcast whilst walking around the block, or walking up to the supermarket where there’s plenty of visual stimulation on tap for free. If you work in an open-plan office environment just try moving to a different room for a while – and take some paper and a pencil with you! Simply changing your environment can help to light a spark that is the beginning of a thought process ending in your next big idea.</p> 2010-01-12T21:32:51Z 6 inspire-to-change-your-environment 2010-01-12T21:32:51Z <p>I try to remind myself of this simple mantra and make it the basis for all our marketing communications. It goes something like this:</p> <h3>1. Did it work?</h3> <h3>2. Why did or didn’t it work?</h3> <h3>3. How can we make it work (or improve it) next time?</h3> <p>Simple but effective. You’d be surprised how many people simply do the same thing over and over again without huge success. Sometimes people say ‘It’s the way we’ve always done it’. Oh dear. No wonder the results are poor. If it’s not compelling or relevant or remarkable it doesn’t matter how many times you do it, it ain’t gonna work too well. If an email campaign didn’t get the results you set out to achieve you need to found out why. Why does that landing page have a high bounce rate? Analyse and find out. If you don’t you’re going to enter a groundhog day scenario: same results over and over again. There are plenty of tools to help you analyse your campaigns, use them and make sure you know why things worked – or why they didn’t. If you don’t, as Bill Murray said, it’s going to be a VERY long day.</p> 2010-01-12T21:30:36Z 5 three-steps-to-effective-campaigns 2010-01-12T21:30:36Z <p>Your web site has an objective, right? Of course it does. And furthermore it’ll have a clear goal that you can measure. If you are selling products or services online then that’s easy to define – you need to convert those visitors into sales. Maybe your web site is for lead generation? OK, you have a contact form, you want visitors to fill in that form. Goal! Or subscribe to your email newsletter? You need to make sure your web pages lead people to that goal with a clearly communicated and defined call to action. That’s where design, layout, content and usability all meet. If they are all in harmony there’s a good chance &nbsp;you’ll convert those visitors into sales, leads or sign-ups.</p> <h3>Remove the guesswork – know what works</h3><p> If you’re a small business just starting out you can’t afford to leave it to guesswork. You need to know what works best. Testing is an important part of optimising your site to achieve those business goals. Fortunately Google offers a free tool called <a title="Website Optimiser from Google" href="https://www.google.com/analytics/siteopt/exptlist?account=2129774&amp;hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>Website Optimiser</strong></a> that allows you to set up simple A/B and ‘multivariate’ testing experiments.</p> <h3>A/B testing</h3><p> Test two or more versions of your page, with different graphics, content and layout. Visitors will land randomly at one of the pages then you can analyse the results to see what works best to maximise your goal conversions.</p> <h3>Multivariate</h3><p> Many different combinations of layout, graphics and content can be tried within different pages. Essentially your visitors are voting with their clicks for what they prefer.</p> <h3>Testing, testing</h3><p> Used in conjunction with <strong><a title="Google Analytics" href="http://www.google.com/analytics" target="_blank">Google Analytics</a></strong> it’s an invaluable tool to gain insight into what is working on your site. Your money goes into your online marketing so you need to know what’s working and what isn’t. Testing is important in understanding what your customers are responding to and what is the most effective way you can ensure that you achieve those goals.</p> 2010-01-06T23:04:42Z 4 test-your-site 2010-01-06T23:04:42Z <h3>Beat the time stealers!</h3><p> At time when competition is fierce and small businesses are finding it ever harder to differentiate themselves, effective time management is a vital component in any successful business strategy. There are constant demands on us and we need to be able to use our valuable time wisely and to maximum effect. Here’s a few simple tips to help you as you go about your everyday business – and some ideas on how to avoid those ‘time stealers’!</p> <h3>Prioritise</h3> <p>Ever asked yourself ‘How important is this to the business?’. Prioritising is hugely important so that not only can we do the thing right, but we do the right thing. Small-scale tasks with low impact on the business can often simply be done in what I call ‘dead time’, and of course small-scale tasks with a high impact on the business should be done as soon as possible. Large-scale tasks with a significant impact on the business require careful planning, and large-scale tasks with a low impact? It’s worth asking if they actually need to be done at all!</p> <h3>Tidy your space</h3> <p>How frustrating is it when you can’t find something? It can eat up precious minutes in your day, and those minutes add up. Wherever you keep your business items, documents and tools make sure you have a clearly defined system that works for you. This means good housekeeping in your work space, both online and offline.</p> <h3>To-do lists</h3> <p>Simply put, lists work. Maybe it’s on a piece of paper, maybe it’s using your calendar or email application of choice. This allows you to see clearly what you need to focus on in one defined place.</p> <h3>Set the agenda</h3> <p>Meetings that overrun or have no set objective can be a big time stealer, so it’s important to have a clear agenda before you start. A meeting should always begin with a setting of the scene. Explain the goal of the meeting and what will happen. When concluding a meeting it’s crucial you explain what should happen next so that individuals understand what’s expected of them once they leave the meeting. And, of course, be punctual – not only is it courteous but do the maths, if you have six people in a meeting and this overruns by 10 minutes that adds up to an hour of time potentially lost!</p> <h3>Email etiquette</h3> <p>Many businesses now use email as the hub of all their communications, both internally and externally. Poor use of email can be a problem. Be concise, keep it relevant and avoid copying everybody in unless you really have to. Email applications like Outlook allow you to filter emails by subject, sender, cc, date and so on – this can be a really useful tool to ensure you don’t spend valuable time reading and answering emails that aren’t particularly important.</p> <h3>Procrastination? I’ll put it off thanks</h3> <p><span class="quote">“It is the job that is never started that takes longest to finish”</span> - JRR Tolkien. Enough said.</p> <h3>Do what works best for you</h3> <p>Above all you need to find a system that works best for you, and sometimes this is simply a matter of trial and error. Hopefully this will give you a few ideas on how you can begin to manage your time rather than letting your time manage you.</p> 2010-01-06T23:00:01Z 3 time-management 2010-01-12T21:25:19Z