Your social media strategy

By Nigel Temple3 Comments
It is important to have a social media strategy. Otherwise, the whole thing becomes random, unpredictable and pointless. Begin with objectives Decide what your social media objectives are. To raise brand awareness? To generate more traffic to your website? To build your email marketing opt-in list? To get sales enquiries? To generate sales? Choose your platforms Then choose the social media platforms you are going to use regularly. For example: Twitter www.twitter.com/marketingcmpass Because it is quick to use and can generate virtual conversations with customers (which can turn into telephone or face to face conversations). Several of my clients have told me recently that 'Twitter is good for B2B (Business to Business) marketing." You will get more Twitter followers if you follow more people, on a regular basis. Post at least 6 Tweets and day and respond to questions and mentions quickly. Keep a close watch on @Connect ...which you will see towards the top of the Twitter screen. Scroll down for some more Twitter tips.. Facebook http://www.facebook.com/The-Marketing-Compass Particularly...
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How to use social media to engage with customers

By Nigel Temple1 Comment
Social media is, to a large extent, a global conversation. If you only use it to broadcast your marketing message, you are not using it correctly. After all, it is not an advertising medium, is it? Have you noticed what happens to people who continually shout about their products / services within the likes of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn? What do you think of people who do this? Within a normal conversation, you would listen, ask questions and respond to people, wouldn't you? I suggest that you do exactly the same within the social media communities you belong to. Be quick to react I know that you are busy. However, it only takes a moment to check @Connect within Twiiter, to see who is talking about you, asking you a question, etc. There are also numerous tools available to help you to manage multiple social media converations, inluding http://hootsuite.com (the "Social media dashboard") and http://marketmesuite.com ("Your social inbox"). Be useful Or, to put it another way,...
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The benefits of business blogging

By Nigel Temple4 Comments
Regular blogging brings numerous benefits. To begin with, the act of writing puts your ideas in order. Whatever your reason for blogging, you will find that writing a few hundred words in a coherent fashion makes you think. Which is no bad thing, in a busy world. Blogging may lead to a book Many novelists began by blogging. As their ideas take shape within their daily blog, an idea for a book may be born. A book is a great promotional device for a business. The challenge for many of us is getting started, as writing 20,000+ words for a book is daunting. The largest project can be broken down into small tasks. Writing a couple of hundred words is easy. It's surprising how those words can quickly add up. The SEO benefits of blogging For independent professionals, business owners and marketers, a blog can attract the search engines. I am often asked, during my internet marketing seminars, if it is OK to have...
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Marketing systems and processes – the key to success

By Nigel TempleNo Comments
Do you cast your marketing messages into the void and wait for an echo? Are you constantly looking for new business and ignoring dormant customers? Do you have a written marketing plan, including a promotional mix schedule for the year ahead? Do you keep all of your contacts in one place? Do you have a system for following up every sales lead and opportunity? It's easy to go networking, attract a few followers on the social networks, send out the occasional newsletter and respond to random referrals. We can all keep busy throughout the day. Frenetic activity can become reassuringly addictive. It takes discipline to follow procedures and systems. To a large extent, this approach is dull and boring. But it works. Time and time again I meet brilliant people who are following their own star. They are multi-talented, original thinkers. They are also as poor as a church mouse. They don't like to be constrained by boring systems. They don't believe in sales or marketing processes. I also...
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Press release ideas

By Nigel TempleNo Comments
Is your business appearing regularly in the media? If not, we recommend that you start to send out press releases every month. Here are a few press release ideas & topics, to get you started: * Surveys (the media loves them!) * New product and new service announcements * Product / service upgrades * Unusual product applications / uses * Customer wins (either a big win, or a cluster of wins) * Trends and forecasts (crystal ball gazing is a media favourite) * Staff news (joiners, leavers, interesting things they have done) * Events, including seminars, exhibitions etc * Public speaking engagements * Awards and certifications * Anniversaries * Tie-in with current news event * Commenting on media coverage * Launch of white paper / positioning statement * Significant milestone (XXX customers etc) * Financial results * Marketing innovation, i.e. customer segment focused website * Launch of customer education programme * Restructuring a part of your business * Joint ventures, strategic partnership, alliances etc * Charity tie-in * Changes in pricing (especially reductions) * Launch of a customer group / user group By all...
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How to get more referrals

By Nigel Temple1 Comment
Everyone loves referrals, don't they? Many enterprises seem to rely on them, as their primary source of new business. The key question is, do you ask for referrals at every opportunity? How do you go about asking? Is your 'referral request' consistent, or do you say whatever comes to mind? Why not take a moment now and write down your 'referral request'. Do you have a referral marketing system? Do you offer incentives for people who refer business to you? What, exactly, do you offer them? Cash? Discount vouchers? Cinema tickets? Something else? How do you measure your results? Where do you keep records of the referrals you have received? Is this part of your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system? Here is a referral marketing checklist: 1. Ask for referrals at every opportunity 2. Make referral marketing part of the 'way we do things around here' 3. Provide an incentive for referrals 4. Have a clear message (and write this down) 5. Track and measure the referrals you receive Do...
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Description tags explained

By Nigel TempleNo Comments
A description tag is part of the meta data of your website. In a well organised site, description tag text appears underneath the title listing within an organic search results page. In other words - when your site appears in Google, a brief paragraph of text (which you or your SEO agency created) appears within your listing. The description tag should be relevant to the page content. It should also be easy to read and contain a call to action. These tags can be up to 170 characters in length. We are often asked how to change these tags. If you have access to your own CMS (Content Management System), you should be able to log in and make the changes yourself. Tip 1. Have separate description tags for each of your website pages. Tip 2. Include your telephone number within your description tag - as this may generate some sales enquiries! By the way, our web development arm Totosites provides a CMS...
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How to get more response and sales leads using the AIDCA copywriting model

By Nigel Temple4 Comments
Here is a marketing tip, which you can use online and in published materials. The AIDCA copywriting model is an effective way of generating more response. I have used this technique for 25 years and I have generated response rates of up to 38%. AIDCA represents the process that the buyer goes through, on their journey from being aware of a marketing proposition, until they make a buying decision. 1. Headline or opening line: Attention 2. Product description: Interest 3. The offer / proposition: Desire 4. Guarantee / reassurance: Conviction 5. Call to action: Action Did you know that in advertising, nearly six times as many people read the headline as the body copy of an advertisement? An effective headline should telegraph your message into the reader' mind. It will entice them to read the rest of your copy. In his book 'Confessions of an Advertising Man', advertising guru David Ogilvy said: "The headline is the most important element...it is the telegram which decides whether...
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Marketing is like playing chess

By Nigel TempleNo Comments
When you receive a new sales enquiry or make a sale to a new customer, the chances are that they didn't hear about you from one source. Typically, it goes something like this: A) Someone arrives on your website. B) They join your newsletter list. C) They receive your newsletters and open a few of them. D) Months go by, during which they follow you on Twitter and read one or two or your blog posts. E) They revisit your website to see what you are up to. F) Finally, they have a requirement that you can help with and they send you an email or make a purchase via your website. Exhausting, isn't it? Many people simply give up, because 'my marketing isn't working'. During my marketing seminars, I am often asked which promotional techniques are the most effective. Bearing in mind that I only work with independent professionals and small business owners (who don't have marketing budgets), my initial...
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The praise sandwich

By Nigel TempleNo Comments
Here's a short story about the praise sandwich, which can help motivate your team... Karen Kimberley has been a member of our community for several years. Her marketing strapline is: 'Changing people inside' - which I have always liked. Karen helps large companies with communications workshops, confidence training and coaching. Karen has shared many helpful ideas with me. One of my favourites is The Praise Sandwich. Here is a Tweet which I have just sent out to my 11K+ Followers: When giving feedback, use "The Praise Sandwich": Praise - Constructive Criticism - Praise. @kkimberley karenkimberley.co.uk All too often, we hurt each others' feelings by being too direct. The client offends the supplier. The manager succeeds in making the staff member clam up and stop asking questions. The boss wonders why nobody comes up with creative ideas. IMHO The Praise Sandwich should be taught in Primary schools. It should be displayed in large lettering on giant posters in offices. It should be etched into watch straps,...
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