The Business Bulletin Issue #2 - Focus On Sales & Marketing

The

Business Bulletin By business owners, for business owners

NO ADVERTORIALS

ENGAGING CONTENT

Focus on Sales and Marketing Spotlight on Christina Robinson PLUS Do you want to create an AMAZING brand?

What is Public Relations….?

5 tips to get your business back on track Know your target market

Sponsored by

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Issue #2

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The Business Bulletin

A magazine that works for everyone Paul Green Founder & Chief Editor

Really pleased that the launch edition of The Business Bulletin was so well received. Hopefully you will enjoy this edition which focuses on sales and marketing. Published every four weeks, it will cycle through the following themes: ■ Finance ■ Sales & Marketing ■ Operations & Resources ■ Strategy & Personal Development It will bring together a collection of articles aimed at any small business owner who doesn’t have all the answers and is open to some thoughts and advice from some of the leading experts in their fields. So what makes this different to any other publication? I’m glad you asked!

For the reader – no more advertorials. All the featured articles have been chosen for their valuable content, not because the author has paid to be published or taken out an advert to get their slot! For the contributor – you can submit articles for inclusion without having to pay for the privilege or having to advertise. If your article is deemed suitable based on its merits – that it is relevant, good and engaging content and not

All the articles featured in this magazine have been chosen because of their valuable content

promotional of your business, then it will be published.

For the advertiser – if a publication is more engaging due to the content, then it is more likely your adverts with be noticed.

The number of full-page and half-page ads is limited for each edition and there will be a limit on the number of advertisers from a given industry sector. This means your advertisement is more likely to stand out from the crowd and not be lost in a sea of competitors.

Your feedback and thoughts on this magazine are welcome –

Join in!

let us know your experience.

Contact us to contribute an article or Thanks,

place an advert for future editions contribute@business-bulletin.co.uk

Design & Layout: Pixooma Ltd. Proof-reading: James Tarry © Copyright 2020 The Business Bulletin. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the editor or the author of the article.

Disclaimer – no responsibility can be accepted for any actions that you take as a result of the content provided in this magazine. There is no guarantee that implementing any of the advice contained in the articles will definitely ensure your business success or have a positive impact. They are presented as information based on the experience of the authors working with many different types of businesses in their field of expertise and are provided as a choice for you to consider if they will be useful for your business.

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 3

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The Business Bulletin

Contents

The

Business Bulletin By business owners, for business owners

NO ADVERTORIALS

ENGAGING CONTENT

PRACTICAL ADVICE

Issue #2

Focus on Sales and Marketing

This edition focuses on sales and marketing

Spotlight on Christina Robinson PLUS

and brings together a wide range of topics

Do you want to create an AMAZING brand?

What is Public Relations….?

5 tips to get your business back on track

with a selection of quality articles from

Know your target market

Sponsored by

leading experts in their field.

How do I make the most out of social 6 media for my business?

Christina Robinson

6 questions to ask before you write a blog Susan Hammond

26

Writing your own website copy – preparation is all Stephen Church

How writing a business book gives you a priceless marketing tool Suzan St Maur

28

Business networking: Love it or hate it?

Jacky Sherman

9

12

Spotlight on…

Christina Robinson

SEO: Why it’s not a one-off exercise Paul Drake

14

How social media stress can ruin your online presence Samantha Cameron Google Ads – worth it?

Damien O’Dwyer

32

36

17

5 tips to get your business back on track Julie Futcher

38

20

Why isn’t my marketing working?

Andy Sarson

40

Do you want to create an AMAZING brand?

Trudie Avery

22

Know your target market John Milner Ask the experts

44

What is Public Relations….?

Eleanor Lester

24

SME Survey

46

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 5

The Business Bulletin

How do I make the most out of social media for my business?

As a business owner, you’ll have all sorts of questions about how you can leverage social media. How can you get the most out of it? Where should you hang out? How long should you be spending? What good looks like?

The questions are endless!

As a social media marketing

equal – so don’t anticipate putting

professional I’m constantly fielding

an equal amount of effort into each

these questions. So, I felt it might be

social media platform.

of value to collate the questions and answers that are most relevant to small business owners and offer them up here for you! Here goes!…

What’s the point of social?

What am I really going to get out of it?

Where should I have a presence online?

If you are posting away on social

The social media landscape is

For each social media platform you are

changing all the time. Something new appears, and the kids jump to the new shiny social media platform soon to be followed by the marketers and responsible adults. As a business owner, you need to be transfixed on your ideal client. Where are they going to be hanging out? What’s their mindset when they’re using that platform? That should give you an idea of where you need to be present and what content you should be sharing in order to get in front of your prospects and nudge them along the journey of becoming a paying client. Not all social media platforms are created

6 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

without a clear strategic objective – stop. You’re wasting your precious time! active on, you must know what your aim is. If you’re looking to generate traffic to your website from Facebook, this will affect the strategies you use.

(You’re more likely to have a detailed paid advertising strategy in this case.)

If you’re using LinkedIn to create brand awareness, the imagery and video you use will more often than not include specific branded

Christina Robinson Green Umbrella Christina works with business owners and marketing directors to educate them on how best to maximise their online marketing activities to enhance their business, increase brand awareness and ultimately increase sales. Alternatively, she offers online coaching, 121 or group training to help you as a business owner or B2B professional discover how to generate more business using tried and tested strategies.

01604 726758 christina.robinson@green-umbrella.biz green-umbrella.biz

elements. If you’re using Twitter to uncover new opportunities, you’ll say less and listen more!

You might have two or three clear objectives that span the whole of your

social marketing activity. However, I would consider drilling down and being clear as to what each platform you are going to use should be

The Business Bulletin

creating for you. Without going into

I can show what it’s like to be

more leads coming into your business

too much detail, here’s an example

part of team GU.

from people who don’t remember where they first heard of you. If your

based on my business: LinkedIn ■ Objective 1. To appear an expert in my field ■ Objective 2. Lead generation ■ Rationale: This is where my

Instagram ■ Objective 1. Reassurance Marketing ■ Rationale: It’s unlikely I’ll get business from Instagram, but in today’s online world who would

prospects hang out and are in a

work with a marketing agency

buying mindset

who doesn’t use Instagram?!?

Having a presence here ticks

Facebook

a box for prospects who are doing their due diligence.

■ Objective 1. Brand Awareness

social media activity is working, people simply just know about you and will reach out in the way that suits them when the time is right.

There are, of course, indicators that show us we’re doing things the right way, or that allow us to tweak our strategies. I rely heavily on Google Analytics to tell me which social media platforms I’m receiving clicks from, which pages are getting the clicks, and whether those users click through to another page or not. If I get the initial click from Facebook or LinkedIn, for

Where’s the ROI of social?

It’s too hard to measure.

example, I know whether or what to

If you’re sitting there thinking

that gives me information to act upon

you’ve been posting on LinkedIn

too. When it comes to reach and

here to see behind the scenes

for years now and never had a lead,

impressions and how many people

and get to know my team, it is

you wouldn’t be the only one! The

liked that post or watched that video…

an excellent and cost-effective

problem is quite often business

I don’t care! It means nothing in

platform for getting into the

owners are transfixed on measuring

terms of my bottom line! I’m more

minds of my prospects and

results in the wrong place. If your

interested in measuring the volume

those who are not yet aware

social media activity is working, your

and quality of leads coming into my

they need my services. If I want

business will be growing. The phone

business. In writing this article, two

to build my team, this is where

will ring more often, and you’ll get

enquiries have landed in my inbox.

■ Objective 2. Customer Retention ■ Objective 3. Employer branding ■ Rationale: Clients follow us

tweak in my content strategy. If they disappear from the site seconds later,

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 7

The Business Bulletin

One from a LinkedIn connection who

and make firm decisions about the

audience. From there, we might talk

engages with me regularly. The other

tactics you’ll use to implement that

about increasing that, or about what

from someone I’ve never heard of who

strategy, you can keep things in check.

form it takes. The conversation might

has filled in a form on our website.

It’s about having a plan and sticking

even be around how you tweak the

A quick search and it turns out we

to it, that plan may include diarising

distribution of the content you create.

have a ton of mutual connections on

time slots that allow you to do what’s

But that’s just the starting point! So,

LinkedIn and friends on Facebook.

required. Part of your plan will be

if you’ve stuck with me through this

When I speak to this person and ask

to use specific tools that help make

article and you’re still reading, then I

where they heard of us, I’d put money

you more efficient or may even be to

think the best advice is to reach out

on them struggling to think before

outsource elements that you find the

and ask for help. Whether that’s from

saying ‘I think it was a google search’

most time consuming or you’re least

me or another social media marketing

because they don’t know!

enthusiastic about.

professional. (Obviously, I’m hoping you’ll pick me!) Either way, you’ll have

That’s how I know social is working

What’s one thing I should do straight away?

someone in the know looking at your

The answer to this is going to be

improvements that will help you up

Oof… doing social is like a full-time job, isn’t it?

different for everyone reading this

your social media marketing game.

Yep. It can take over if you let it.

the content you’re creating and talk to

However, if you create a clear strategy

you about how you give value to your

for me – and when my clients experience the same, that’s how I know what we’re doing is working for them!

article. When I’m asked this question, my approach is to immediately look at

efforts with a fresh pair of eyes, and able to constructively feedback with

Writing your own website copy – preparation is all

Stephen Church Copywriter Pro Stephen uses his love for language and knowledge of marketing to get businesses more clients by writing words

So. You’re thinking of having a crack at writing your own website copy? Good!

But hold on just one second. As with any craft worthy of the term, preparation is all. Well, maybe not quite all, but it matters more than

for their websites which are clear, concise and compelling. He writes other stuff too – Newsletters, Articles, Blogs & more. He loves working with businesses of all sizes, especially those who understand the immense value of well-researched and produced commercial content..

07703 472207 stephen@copywriterpro.co.uk copywriternorthampton.co.uk

you may realise. Ask any craftsman – a chef, a DIY expert, a mechanic, an artist, a fisherman or, yes, a copywriter. The reply will be the same.

(Unapologetic cliché alert) Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 9

The Business Bulletin

Fail to prepare.

Prepare to fail.

Fail to step back and consider the fundamentals of your website project before you start, and you’ll be wasting your time. In this article, let’s look at the great, big, fat question that you need to answer ahead of any other.

What’s my website for? What do I want it to achieve?

You might reply – ■ ‘I want my website visitors to be attracted by what they see.’

■ ‘I want them to find on my website what they’re looking for.’ followed by one or more of these – ■ ‘I want them to place an order.’

■ ‘I want them to get in touch by phone/email/using a ‘chatbot’/completing a submission form.’

■ ‘I want them to find the information they were looking for.’

■ ‘I want them to sign up for my newsletters.’

■ ‘I want them to download an infographic or e-book.’

That first impression –

2. Communicate it at the

how long does it take?

earliest opportunity

How many seconds does it take for someone to form their very first impression of your business? Ten seconds? 5? 1? No – none of these.

Your precious website visitor, on whom your livelihood depends, who will feed your children and pay your golf club fees, will make their first judgement of your site in just under 0.5 seconds.

That’s all it takes for the visual signals to hit the retina, whizz along the optic nerve to the relevant brain cells and be processed by the opinionforming brain cells. This early phase of impression-forming will be down to your website’s design: the imagery and the feel of the website. But the words come a close second. Here are two more stats.

Website visitors spend an average of 5.59 seconds looking at a website’s written content before disappearing.

88% of visitors never return if, on their first visit, they’ve endured a bad experience.

These two facts alone should be enough to convince us of the importance of getting those first

‘Should I stay or should I go’ Once you’ve settled on your website’s

words right. How do we do this?

1. Know what your ideal client is looking for

The proof When I say that the most important part of your website is the part that tells visitors what you do, this isn’t some kind of guess-work. I’ve got proof!

A year or two ago, I sent a survey to my client database. 27% responded – not bad.

The survey asked the participants to think about what they’re looking for when they visit at a website with the intention of buying a product or service. They were given a list of eight types of web page – 1. the Company History 2. the Company Mission Statement, Vision or Ethos 3. the Products or Services the company provides 4. the people who work for the company 5. Background Information on the Products or Services 6. the Testimonials 7. the Client Portfolio or Case Studies 8. the Contact Details I asked people to re-sort this list, with the most valuable at the top and

goal, you need to consider the best means towards achieving it. Where better to start than first impressions?

Number one – you need instant appeal. No – not ‘need’. You must have instant appeal. The one question going through your visitor’s mind when they click to go through to your site is ‘should I stay or should I go’. Without instant appeal, you’ve lost before you started. If your website fails to instantly click with your visitor, then you might as well go back to spending £500 a month on ads in the local paper.

10 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

[visitors] make their first judgement of your site in just under 0.5 seconds.

The Business Bulletin

the least important at the bottom.

Have a go yourself. Jot down on a piece of paper your preferred order of importance e.g. 61834752. Done?

OK – here’s the survey result.

(3). the Products or Services the company provides (5). Background Information on the Products or Services (6). the Testimonials (8). the Contact Details (7). the Client Portfolio or Case Studies (4). the people who work for the

If your website fails to instantly click with your visitor, then you might as well go back to spending £500 a month on ads in the local paper.

company (2). the Company Mission Statement, Vision or Ethos (1). the Company History How does your re-ordered list compare?

My guess is that you placed number three fair and square at the top of your list. For most people (by a massive majority), it’s the products or service that matter most. Here’s a question which never ceases to puzzle me.

Given this information and given that we have a miserly 5.59 seconds to communicate to our visitors the

At best, this information should be tucked away under About Us. Or maybe you’ve seen Home Pages which open with a mission statement – Our mission is to make a difference. We’re committed to changing the way the world thinks about …

Do first-time visitors really want to know about how you’re planning to change the world?

What do you do?

that which they want most, why do so many websites fall at this first, critical hurdle?

Have you noticed how

The lesson is surely this – When your potential customers are searching for a product or service,

websites often seem oblivious to

assume they’re in a hurry – that they’re

communicating what the customer

in no mood to hang around on your

most wants to know – the products

website for very long.

or services on offer? Instead, you’ll find, for example, right at the top of the page, just below the Home Page banner, a morsel of company history. – Bletsoe & Blincow was founded in 1981, since when we’re proud to

You have a matter of seconds to grab their attention. And how are you going to do that? Tell them about your company history, your ethos or your portfolio? No. Our survey clearly shows that, right

have become the region’s premier

at the very top of your Home Page,

blah blah

you should be telling your potential

client the one thing they want to know, above all else, which is … … what you do Nothing more. The rest, (vision, mission statement, company ethos, company history etc) relatively speaking, is fluff.

OK – ‘fluff’ might be an exaggeration, but compared to your products or services, your other pages are of secondary importance.

Once your web visitor has found out what you do, they’ll soon work out whether this matches what they’re looking for. If it does – then you’ve taken your first vital step towards making a sale. They’ve taken the bait and are hooked. Your next task is to make sure they stay hooked and don’t wriggle off.

This is where your ability to communicate the benefits of your products and services comes in, as well as your USP – what makes you so special. Then to finally reel them in, you need a superb call-to-action – a choice of words that convinces them to pick up the phone or send you an email.

But that’s all for another day.

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 11

The Business Bulletin

Business networking: Love it or hate it?

As you can imagine I talk to an awful lot of business people about how they generate new business.

When we get onto the subject of

you maximise the value of that

networking it usually gets a visceral

relationship, as well as managing your

emotional response. People either

expectations on both sides?

love it or hate it and then continue to give details to justify their position.

Either the amazing client they got

So what are the results you want from these relationships? Business relationships fall into three main

as a result and support they get from

categories based on what type of help

others or the frustration of pitching

they can give you; information, support,

up to meeting after meeting and

and referrals. The people you know

never getting anything from it and

don’t fall into neat little categories like

how their clients aren’t in the room.

this and many people may provide

coaching company and realising she

They are always defining networking

you with help in two or more ways (see

knew very little about marketing and

as pitching up to events with a room

Venn diagram opposite). These are

full (or “zoom full”) of other business

likely to be your strongest relationships.

people and pitching their business.

I want to take you away from that view of networking and give you another perspective.

Whether you like it or not if you’re in business then you network. Business networking is the process of building relationships with the intention to generate business, increase your knowledge and influence, gain support from others and give back to the community. Every interaction you have with others you are influencing that relationship and in turn, influencing the quality of the response you get from the other.

For the purposes of this illustration, I’ll focus on each type of help other people can give you separately. 

Jacky Sherman Asentiv 18 years ago Jacky set up her own

with no local network she turned to Asentiv for help. Then eight years ago she bought into the company in Northamptonshire where she is known as the local referral marketing specialist and first port of call for business entrepreneurs who want to grow their business through their relationships...

Information network These are all the people who have knowledge or expertise that you

07970 638 857 jackys@asentiv.com northants.asentiv.com

lack. They cover such basics like legal, financial, tax advice, insurances, marketing, sales training, data protection and specific professional compliance as well as new industry trends or innovations. If you have a mentor or business coach they also fall into this section.

Often you are their client but not always. One of the advantages of

some may act as informal board level advisors or even as you grow become non-executive directors. These people have a vested interest in your success.

As a supplier of services to you the more successful you become the more likely you are to retain their services or spend more with them.

For those offering their services

going to formal networking events is

free whilst the monetary reward may

your fellow members who have that

not be important their reputation

wouldn’t it be better to have a strategy

expertise may share information with

is. Psychologically we only help the

and business process that means

you. As your relationship deepens

people we like and we tend to like

As this is happening anyway,

12 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

The Business Bulletin

people who share our values and

profess to hate formal networking

than people who can introduce them

ethics. So if they are successful as a

have either not attended long enough

to their prospective clients.

result of our help it bolsters our self-

or not developed their relationships to

esteem to have picked a winner. That

take advantage of this type of support.

in turn motivates them to want to help you further.

Support network Everyone who runs their own business knows it can be a lonely place; it can be a real roller coaster with many ups and downs. The pressure to get a regular flow of income, that covers your costs and obligations and deliver excellence can be intense. The first rejection or cancellation of an order can be gut-wrenching. You need other people to motivate you and help you keep a sense of perspective and give you constructive feedback when you bounce ideas off them. They are also there to help you celebrate success. Have you noticed how often award ceremony photos and thank you lists mention someone who as “just there when I needed them”?

Whilst friends and family fill a support role, having independent people who have experienced what you’re experiencing who you can draw on for support is invaluable.

Sticking with engineers, it is rare (if ever) to meet the leader of an engineering company at an early

Referral network

morning breakfast network meeting.

I like to refer to your referral network

Who you will meet is Ashish who

as the engine for your business. These

provides IT support specifically to

are the people who can put you in

engineering companies. What a

front of your potential clients. You

find! Get to know him and help him

will meet them through all the same

through your engineering network

routes as above. However you meet

and he will be motivated to help you

them, this is the network where it

in return.

pays to have a strategy for choosing who and how you motivate them to introduce you to their contacts.

So your business strategy probably already includes direct approaches to get in front of your prospective

Who is best fitted to help you with

clients. Expand that strategy to

introductions? The only people who

consciously leverage the full power

can refer you on a regular basis are

of your network. Analyse who you

people who know lots of the sort

already know who can help you

of people you want as clients. For

with better information, support and

example, if you want to meet lots of

those crucial introductions, and invest

managing directors of engineering

time and money in being active

companies then it pays to know

in the environments where others

people who also do business,

who are working with similar types

education or support with the leaders

of clients tend to congregate. Then

of engineering companies.

work on developing strong personal

One of the major reasons people

relationships with like-minded people

espouse for finding formal networking

to explore how you can help each

frustrating is they go out seeking to

other succeed.

meet their prospective clients, rather

Some people draw on their personal friendships for this type of support, often going back as far as school, university, previous jobs or their social lives. It may be just your mates down the pub or fellow enthusiasts at a local sports or hobby club. These social outlets often have the advantage of

Information

bringing you into contact with people with diverse backgrounds and work experience that you would not find easy to access through other means.

If you don’t have these relationships then it can be a key purpose for joining

Support

Referral

to a business networking organisation.

When I ask people who belong to such groups what they get from their membership this support from their peers is usually the first thing they mention. I suspect some of those who

Three types of business relationships.

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 13

The Business Bulletin

SEO: Why it’s not a one-off exercise Just doing SEO for your website launch, then leaving it, is like having a shop with its windows boarded up. People will come when invited to the grand opening, but after that they’ll walk past every day and forget you’re there.

You’ll understand why I say that later.

So now you know the jargon, what

readers. They consider how long

But first, let’s make sure we’re talking

does SEO actually mean?

people spend on each page, how you

about the same thing.

What is SEO? ■ SEO – an abbreviation of Search Engine Optimisation.

■ Search Rankings –the order of results returned from a search engine. The higher your page

Well, it’s all about the actions you take to get your pages ranked as highly as possible in the major Search engines. Notice that I didn’t say “in Google”. Whilst Google is the biggest, most popular search engine, there are other smaller, but still significant players like Bing (which is Microsoft) and Yahoo. That said, I’m going to use

got there, where you go afterwards and thousands of other complex, subtle factors. SEO is no longer about loads of keywords squeezed, sardine-like, onto a page, like it used to be. Now it’s more about understanding your customers’ problems and providing useful information to help solve them.

If you can do this, you have a much

Google for the rest of this article. Just

better chance of climbing higher in

for ease.

the rankings.

The algorithms got clever!

Good content isn’t enough

complex calculation that

Search algorithms have evolved

So, you might be thinking that a bit

search engines use to decide

enormously in recent years, especially

of keyword research and well written

whose web page gets

with advances in artificial intelligence.

content will be enough to get you

ranked where. The thing that

They now understand what your

noticed by Google. It may well be.

calculates the search rankings.

content is and how useful it is to

But not for long. You see, while you sit

appears in the rankings, the more chance you have of being seen by readers.

■ Search Algorithm –the

14 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

The Business Bulletin

around slurping latte and admiring

had the rug pulled out from

to engage with your audience and

your brilliant copy, the rest of the world

under it. People won’t use the

steal them away. And people will start

moves on. If you don’t keep up, you’ll

term to search anymore and

searching on that new buzzword that

just end up with cold coffee and no

your ranking suffers.

was coined on Love Island so your

new leads. And nobody wants that (except maybe your competitors).

There are three main factors that are constantly evolving, frustrating your efforts to reach that elusive page one of the search results…

1. Search algorithms

■ Language changes – new phrases come and go in common use all the time. TV programmes, social media, world events and so many more things have an astounding impact on what people say and what they search on. Who’d have

The search engines themselves are

been looking to rank for, or even

your biggest enemy. Contrary to

really heard the term ‘global

popular belief Google isn’t out to make

pandemic’ in 2019? But people

life difficult for you and your website.

will use these new phrases in

It’s just trying its very best to get the

their searches. If your site still

right outcome for its own customers –

uses the outdated phrases and

Mr. & Mrs. Joe Public who are pushing

you don’t keep up, your search

the ‘Search’ button. To do this, the

ranking will get left behind.

algorithms are ever changing.

In fact, Matt Cutts, the respected former Google search guru, once stated that Google updates their algorithms 350-400 times a year. Yes, you read that right – 350-400 times a year – that’s almost one a day! No wonder it’s so hard to keep up. Oh, and by the way, they keep the details of the updates as closely guarded a secret as Colonel Saunders’ secret recipe. When major updates come out, there are often some hints as to what’s changed (e.g. ‘mobile responsiveness is now a major ranking factor’), but no details.

And nothing for the minor tweaks they do. All you can really do is monitor the

3. Your competition Your website doesn’t live in the vacuum of deep space. Your competitors

Hopefully you now you understand why SEO must be an ongoing exercise if you want to drive traffic to your website. But do you have time to keep it going yourself? A specialist who’s immersed in the chatter and detail around the search engine algorithms, nuances of the changes required and can tweak your campaigns can bring you real results.

popping up with their own take on SEO, keywords and brilliant content.

And there you go sliding further.

It’s like a gigantic game of snakes and ladders, where the rules change constantly without anyone telling you.

Your website lives in the real world.

research, build brilliant content ready

using these terms, it’s suddenly

So, what can you do?

worse there could be new competitors

statement. If you do your keyword

hat the next. If your website is

start all over again.

down the rankings. To make matters

2. The market

suddenly unacceptable or old-

traction overnight. Then you have to

SEO campaigns and you’ll be pushed

what I meant by my opening

that are popular one day are

couple of months. But it can lose that

only need a few of them to start new

So, by now you should understand

■ Fashions change – things

while for SEO to get traction? Usually a

places on page one of Google. You

and adjust when you see results dip.

important ways:

And did I mention that it takes a

are all vying for the same precious

The shop with boarded up windows

is constantly changing in a couple of

desert island.

who can pick up the subtleties and

results of your efforts, watch for trends

And the real world around your site

pages will be marooned on their own

for your site to go live and shout about

Paul Drake Whitestar Paul spent more than 30 years working in IT in large corporates before going independent. In September 2019 the business expanded, taking on a graphic designer and an apprentice web developer. Whitestar now offers

it on social media, you’ll be starting in a

a full set of digital agency services,

good place. Google will love you and so

including branding/rebranding and

will your readers.

But if you don’t do anything else, the algorithms will eventually move on and leave your SEO efforts floundering.

Your competitors will find new ways

graphics services; web design, hosting and support; SEO; marketing support; copywriting and social media support.

07809 677628 paul@whitestar-dm.co.uk whitestar-dm.co.uk

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 15

01604 378495

Get more - and better - clients for you business with words that are Clear, Concise and Compelling

g n i m Co Copywriters' ! n o o s Corner FREE Friday copywriting school Loads of web copy email for tips and tricks ! more info Copywriting Q & A Web copy group review

Stephen@CopywriterPro.co.uk

The Business Bulletin

How social media stress can ruin your online presence

Samantha Cameron Samantha Cameron Social Samantha shows businesses of all sizes how they can increase their social media presence and brand simply, but with effective results. She also studies and uses social media physiology to help you really understand your online brand and how to capture your audience.

Through her social media coaching,

During the pandemic, social media user activity increased from an average of two hours a day to seven hours a day. Social media became a lifeline for many during the lockdown and all of the social media platforms not only saw a huge increase in new users signing up but also inactive accounts being used once more.

training and easy to follow online and group workshops, you can implement her simple methods so that you aren’t spending hours a day online; avoiding feeling overwhelmed and stressed by social media..

07919 263868 hello@samanthacameronsocial.co.uk samanthacameronsocial.co.uk

Continued on page 18

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 17

The Business Bulletin

Having access to so much information

have had a negative effect on many of

online through our social media

our stress levels, which isn’t healthy.

platforms can contribute to our stress levels especially when we have so much to process which isn’t good for our mental health.

With fake news, people becoming experts in COVID-19 overnight and

You may have not noticed any stress or felt that your social media had a negative effect on you or your health at all, but I know at times even for me I wanted to switch off from it all as it all got too much.

everyone having their own opinions on what was happening, it was a time

Here are some of the signs to see if

where our mind space was taken over

your social media is stressing you out

with things we wouldn’t normally deal

and/or affecting your mental health.

with, and unfortunately we are not built to process all this information in a natural way.

Add into the mix having to deal with a new working environment such

■ Struggling to fall asleep or waking throughout the night with an urge to look at your social media.

■ Damaging a friendship or removing important people from your social media connections.

If this sounds like you then maybe it’s time to think about how you can take time out or reduce your social media activity. There is so much research into the negative effects that social media can have on us and if you are feeling depressed, anxious or stressed I would highly recommend having a social media break or at least reducing your device time. However many of us have learnt to rely on our social media over the past seven months and walking away from it isn’t an option or we feel

■ Becoming angry at posts or

it’s something we can’t do easily.

now online, children at home eating

comments to the point you

their way through the contents of the

may throw your device.

Learning to manage our social

as working from home, meetings

fridge like locusts, having to adapt our day to homeschool and literally having to change the way we spent our days, weeks and months. No wonder people have decided to leave social media and have an online break.

■ Posting negative posts or leaving negative comments, especially if it’s something you didn’t do before the pandemic.

■ Reliving conversational posts

With everyday stresses and then

and comments in real life with

adding the impact of what was on our

friends and family and getting

social media during this time it would

worked up.

media and not spend every waking minute on our phones, tablets or desktops is something that becomes a habit and can take time. This is something I’m passionate about and also practice myself and coach others daily.

You can still have a great social media presence and be visible without being on it for hours every day. HOW? It’s just about time management. Also, think about turning off your notifications to the social media platforms that you use regularly or any other apps. It helps

…if you are feeling depressed, anxious or stressed I would highly recommend having a social media break or at least reducing your device time.

with that temptation of looking at your social media platforms constantly and getting caught up in social media activity and things that will create negative mind space or take up your time.

If you feel that your social media is causing you stress here are some simple things you can put in place or follow.

■ As I mentioned before turn your notifications off for all your social media apps.

■ Have selected times throughout the day that you check your social media. Make sure you limit your time then once you are on there and

18 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

The Business Bulletin

have a “get in and get out” approach. Go through your notifications, interact with others and complete other social media housekeeping tasks such as messages and accepting or declining friend and connections. Ideally, you

…keep it simple and follow my theme plan…

can do this in 10/15 minutes slots 2/3 times a day.

■ Avoid areas or people within your social media that you think cause you stress.

■ If your posts are negative or causing arguments, think about not posting for a while until your mindset has changed, and just watch from the sidelines and try not to comment either. Become a spectator until it feels right to start up again.

■ Have a social media cull.

Get rid of those negheads that are causing you stress.

There is nothing wrong with unfollowing, unfriending or unconnecting with people.

You don’t need to tell them or broadcast it either all over your social media platforms. There is nothing worse than being a pity party.

■ Maybe you need to have a social media detox and take time out, even a weekend away or evening from your social media can make a difference. Turn your phone off, read a book or watch a film.

Leave your phone somewhere you won’t be able to grab it and start scrolling through.

I love social media and it’s been a

that it’s affecting your stress levels,

If you are struggling with social

then implement these few changes

media content idea’s then keep it

I’ve mentioned above, and you may

simple and follow my theme plan

notice a difference in your stress and

just until you get into the habit of

health levels. Plus you may also find

posting regularly:

that you aren’t consistently on your social media.

■ Monday as a Motivation day ■ Tuesday as a top tip from your

Here are my top tips for keeping your social simple and help towards keeping your stress levels low.

■ Plan your social media ahead of time – think of what content you are going to put for the week. Having a plan can save so much time with our social media.

■ Don’t overwhelm yourself. If you only have time for one

business or industry ■ Wednesday tell people something about your business ■ Thursday’s posts could be a review or testimonial ■ Friday share some humour ■ Saturday share something about you – after all people buy people ■ Sunday ask for a recom-

platform then only use one

mendation, movie, book,

platform. It’s all about baby

restaurant etc. People will want

steps and introduce a new

to get to know the real you

platform once you know you are giving 100% to the ones you are using.

■ Be consistent if you are going

■ Save time with your social media and look at scheduling tools. There are so many out there, and they will allow you

to post daily if you are going

to plan your content, post

to post 2/3 times a week and

it ahead of time and get

that is manageable then stick

into a routine of being more

to that and build on that each

present on your social media

week. It’s about showing up

platforms without actually

and being present.

going into them.

■ Tell your audience what it is

■ Most of all have fun with your

great way for us to stay online during

you do, what your business

social media, be you and

these unprecedented times not just

does and the products and

start switching off from that

from a business point of view but to

services you offer. If your

negative content that can

stay in touch with friends and family,

audience doesn’t know what

cause social media stress.

as long as you feel stress-free and

it is you do how can they use

happy with being on there. If you feel

you or recommend you.

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 19

The Business Bulletin

Google Ads – worth it?

Google ads is an extremely effective platform for sending highly relevant visitors to your website. The advice below, although by no means exhaustive, will guard against Google emptying your bank account. Like any ad spend, Google ads should result in a healthy return on investment (ROI)

Google ads is an extremely effective platform for sending highly relevant

From pencils to property, there’s a Google ad for everything but is it for you?

visitors to your website. The advice below, although by no means exhaustive, will guard against Google emptying your bank account. Like any ad spend, Google ads should result in a healthy return on investment (ROI).

Google are constantly trying to make their ads platform easier to use, if you follow the “easy path” prescribed

by Google, you will end up paying more than you need. If lucky, you will get a decent ROI but when was luck ever a reliable KPI in business?

20 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

The Business Bulletin

Fail to plan, plan to fail….

From pencils to property, there’s a

Set your goals before you start

set a budget you can afford. If you

Google ad for everything but is it for

Ultimately you want to get a return on

you? Google ads can work wonders,

investment (ROI) so the goal should

every chance Google will spend it.

delivering hungry consumers to your

be to generate leads, make sales or

website day in day out, but is your

get prospects into your marketing/

website converting those visitors into

sales funnel.

phone calls, enquiries, leads or sales?

There are two sides to an ad campaign on Google, what happens before the click and what happens after the click. If you can’t or do not want to work on the destination (after the click) do not use Google ads, you will be wasting your money. If you are willing and able to put thought and effort in, read on, and plan your campaign.

The plan, in a nutshell Before the click ■ Structure your ad campaign correctly, learn as much as possible about the Ads platform ■ Understand your prospect –

Set up conversion tracking

primarily be completed checkouts on e-commerce sites, lead form completions or phone calls to your business. All of these can be tracked and reported back to google ads so you can keep a track on your ROI.

Start small and build on success Focus on your most profitable product

advice for free. Please politely decline.

Would you let the fox guard the

buy, help them buy!

chickens?)

call you

“wing it”. I have spent the last 14 years in this domain and still learn new things on a regular basis. If you have the time to study this yourself, get the following books.

Perry Marshall – The Ultimate Guide To AdWords Sean Dsouza – The Brain Audit

Fail fast, if it is not working stop, get

try to sell, if they are looking to

■ Make it easy to buy, enquire or

ask but please don’t think you can

is performing, remember the goals?

(Google may call you offering their

action”

after the click. It may sound like a big

regularly to see how the campaign

looking for information, don’t

this page make you take

learn the system before the click and

Do not set it and forget it, check in

my words, I work for you, not Google!

“if you clicked on this ad would

and cost.

the least competition on Google ads.

trying to achieve, if they are

■ Get an unbiased opinion, ask

between sufficient clicks, conversions,

or service and if possible, the one with

I do this for free and do not mince

would you buy from you?

visitors, so you need to find a balance

Finally, and this is critical, you must

to the goals above. These would

help them. What are they

■ Put yourself in their shoes,

the campaign is to generate website

Learn the system!

an expert to look at your campaign,

■ Answer all their questions

Also be aware that the purpose of

your website visitor to take, linked

them, KNOW how you can

■ Give them what they want

set a £1000 per day budget, there is

Conversions are the actions you want

get in their head, think like

After the click

Google ads use daily budgets,

Budgets and CPC (cost per click) Every time someone clicks on your ad you pay google for the click; this cost is defined by your maximum CPC. Google will not charge you any more than this. However, some bidding strategies recommended by Google allow their AI to determine the CPC, which can result in unexpectedly high click costs. Practice extreme caution when using automated bidding, if in ANY doubt use manual CPC bidding.

Damien O’Dwyer Web Alliance Damien is a business growth and internet marketing expert with 22 years’ experience in the industry and has a technical IT and sales background.

Damien, with his wife and business partner Danielle, possess a myriad of skills and knowledge across the spectrum of internet marketing and business growth in general. Their primary reason for being in business is to help my clients make more money from their business, using the internet.

07962 308118 damien@businessgrowth.org.uk web-alliance.co.uk

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 21

The Business Bulletin

Do you want to create an AMAZING brand?

The first thing to remember is that your brand is not what you think you are, your brand is what other people think you are.

22 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

The Business Bulletin

So, you need to get out there and show people exactly who you are.

Which of course means that first of all, you need to be out there. Be online, be in communication, be visible wherever you need to be visible for people to see you. Write those blogs, create those vlogs, write social media posts, comment on people’s posts, get some PR, just be seen out there. And while you’re doing that, you have to remember to, first of all, be authentic.

Be you-nique.

Be the brand that you want people to know. Have that unique voice when

Building a brand is about creating a relationship …

When they trust your brand, price becomes a secondary consideration…

you speak so that you can build your following, build your recognition and build a community of people that

If you look cheap, with a home-

know, like and trust you.

secondary consideration to a buying decision. To win trust you need to

made logo and a website you cobbled

How do I stand out?

produce value – and this isn’t the

together in Wix, you might struggle

same as being cheap. You don’t need

to charge premium prices for your

to be Apple to create an amazing

service as there is a gap in what is

product (arguably). Even lower end

believable there. If your brand looks

products (think IKEA) produce

amazing but you fail to produce the

amazing value to their customers.

value that people expect, that’s also a

Have a memorable design; wherever you go, your logo goes; wherever you go, your brand colour palette goes; wherever you go, your brand fonts go.

Always the same, being consistent, being the same, being recognisable everywhere. Because this is just going to empower people to recognise you, to know who you are and what you do. You need to weave your brand into everything from your blogs and your website, to your business card and your LinkedIn profile, everywhere. Your brand needs to be really, really consistent so that people can instantly recognise you.

And don’t try to talk to everyone.

This is really important, because if you try to talk to everyone, you end up talking to no one. Know specifically

So, think about what sets your

cavern that will destroy your brand.

product or service or company apart from the others. What value do you provide and how does that value differ from that provided by your competitors?

How do these benefits really tap into your customer’s emotions? How do they make their lives better? How do you solve their problem? Your brand taps into all these emotions and what is important to you, is important to your ideal client – this is where your brand is at its strongest point.

Trudie Avery Avery Creative Trudie has been building brands for small, medium and bluechip companies for over 20 years. Creative, dedicated,

you can talk to them with a clear

Putting a price on branding

acutely driven by quality & passion, Trudie

voice, with authority and so that they

Everybody struggles to work out

create it with a friendly, honest approach

who it is that you’re talking to so that

can recognise you for something.

Being the master of everything makes you instantly forgettable.

How do I win trust?

how much to charge, but do you produce enough value for what you’re charging? Or actually, do you produce way too much value for what you’re actually charging? Think about how

Building a brand is about creating a

you are being perceived and make

relationship with people. When they

sure that you put a good enough

trust your brand, price becomes a

value on that.

has an insane ability to ‘get’ people, to extract exactly what they’re thinking and that clients love. She takes the time to build relationships, offering advice & working with clients to deliver intelligent, engaging, innovative & perfectly tailored results..

07903 716 790 trudie@averycreative.co.uk averycreative.co.uk

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 23

The Business Bulletin

What is Public Relations….?

Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising …… a common misunderstanding is that these terms are interchangeable; they are not. When I meet a prospective client for the first time they are often confused by these terms so I thought I’d use this article to explain the differences between each of these terms.

Think about your favourite brand….

have undertaken market research,

What made you decide to buy their

focus groups, branding exercises,

product or service?

photography and a myriad of other

■ Was it because of the glossy packaging they used?

■ Did you fall in love the story behind the company?

■ Was it because you

things all designed to create a story around the product and make it attractive to you, their consumer.

Having identified that there is a demand or a need for their service, and worked out who their target

saw a friend using it, or

customer is the company now needs

maybe a business contact

to get their messages out to you.

recommended a particular

This is where Public Relations and

service to you?

Advertising play their part.

■ Had your read stories about the product or seen reviews in the media, whether print or online?

■ Did you see their advert in a

Public Relations is the discipline which looks after

is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and

According to the Chartered Institute

mutual understanding between an

of Marketing “Marketing is the

organisation and its publics.”

brand to market, the company will

24 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

can bring to small and medium sized businesses..

07764 611971

influencing opinion and behaviour. It

In order to get your favourite

and drink, fashion and online retail.

She is a passionate believer in the value

eleanor@shrewdpr.co.uk

understanding and support and

customer requirements profitably.”

Professional with over 20 years’ experience, including B2B, lifestyle, food

of Public Relations, “Public Relations

Instagram or online?

identifying, anticipating and satisfying

Eleanor Lester is a PR and Marketing

According to the Chartered Institute

reputation, with the aim of earning

management process responsible for

Shrewd PR

that good PR and strategic marketing

magazine or TV, Facebook,

Marketing

Eleanor Lester

shrewdpr.co.uk

favourite magazine or website?

Perhaps you saw an influencer review the product or do a live unboxing on Instagram, Facebook or YouTube? Do you ever wonder how the journalist

Going back to your favourite

or influencer found out about the

brand, what spurred you to make

product so that they could review

that purchase If it was a technology

it? This is where the company’s PR

product or fashion item, had you

will have been involved; they will be

seen reviews of the product in your

responsible for getting the brand’s key

The Business Bulletin

messages out to the media, so that

more likely you are to recommend

is something that their readers will be

you, their target market, can find out

them, all of which is good for their PR

interested in.

about their products and services.

in general.

PR also works in other more

It’s important to remember that

However there are occasions when these lines are subtly blurred

subtle ways, if you follow a brand

good PR doesn’t happen overnight.

and that is when a company pays

on Social Media, a Blogger or an

It takes a minimum of three to six

for advertorials and sponsored posts.

Influencer, have you ever stopped to

months to start to see results and the

This is where a brand pays to get

question why? The chances are it’s

effort has to be sustained. Once you’ve

an article into a magazine or onto

because what they post resonates

built a relationship with a journalist,

a website. The brand pays for the

with you, it might be because they

blogger or influencer you’ll often find

advertising space but can then use

share great tips and advice, photos

that other opportunities start to come

it to publish a piece of promotional

of their latest products or simply

your way. I have clients who have

editorial. In these instances the

things that you are interested in.

regularly been called upon to provide

articles are, usually, flagged as

All of this helps them to build a

comment, answer questions or offered

either advertorials or sponsored

relationship with you and maintain

the opportunity to provide articles

posts so that readers are aware.

goodwill and understanding.

following the initial campaign, which

The same applies to Social Media if

just goes to show how PR can benefit

an influencer is paid to promote a

your business in the long term.

product then they must state in the

Lastly, think about how the brand engages with you directly. Every time you visit their store, whether

copy that it’s an #Ad #SponsoredPost

that’s a bricks and mortar one or

Advertising

online, do you receive great customer

Advertising differs from Public

service? Are you able to buy what

Relations in one key way. An advert

you want? Do you get annoyed

is a paid for announcement that

viewed as the canopy of an umbrella

when they charge you for a bag, or

appears in the print, broadcast or

that uses Public Relations and

gift wrapping? Each staff member

online media. With PR, there is no

Advertising as its ribs which in turn

you interact with plays their part in

direct financial transaction between

help to create demand for a product

promoting the brand and developing

the brand and the journalist, a

and service that ultimately results in

your relationship with the company,

journalist or blogger will have featured

profit and sales for the company.

the more positive your experience the

the product because they feel that it

or that the products featured were given for review purposes.

In summary then, Marketing can be

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 25

The Business Bulletin

6 questions to ask before you write a blog You may be eager to get writing but I urge you to stop and think first. These questions will help you focus and write a nifty blog that grabs your target audience superfast.

Blogging for business works…

But after they have worked for me, I give them all a rest.

Businesses with a regular blog on their website get twice as many email enquiries than businesses that don’t.

Small businesses with blogs get 126% more lead growth than those without.

– Quoracreative

But only if you do it well…

And so you don’t end up with naff content or take eons to write something you should always ask six questions, before putting pen to paper.

I let them rest from nine till five, For I am busy then, As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea, For they are hungry men.

But different folk have different views; I know a person small – She keeps ten million serving-men, Who get no rest at all!

She sends ‘em abroad on her own affairs, From the second she opens her eyes – One million Hows, two million Wheres, And seven million Whys!”

And there you have it. Your six questions: “Their names are What

Six honest serving-men Do you know the poem “I Keep Six Honest Serving Men” from Rudyard Kipling’s “The Elephant’s Child”?

and Why and When and How and Where and Who.”

So ask yourself…

“I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew);

1. What do I want to achieve?

Their names are What and Why and When. And How and Where and Who.

to engage with your business or

I send them over land and sea, I send them east and west;

will grab your customers. But once

26 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

Presumably you’d like more people you wouldn’t write a blog in the first place. So you need a topic that you’ve hit on that topic dig deep.

What exactly do you want to achieve by writing about it? Do you want to start a conversation about something – say healthy dog food? Would you like to rank first on Google when people search for your business – an eco-friendly pet food store? Or are you raising awareness of a new product – the trendiest canine cuisine in town?

2. Why am I writing about this?

Blogging is a brilliant way to keep in regular contact with your customers and build relationships with them.

And good relationships lead to sales.

So this could be your ‘why’.

But can you be more specific?

Would you like to be known as a thought leader or become established as the expert in your field? Do you want to help people, giving out free advice or resources? People respond extremely well to help, will be drawn to your business, start to trust you and see you as the go-to person in your niche.

The Business Bulletin

3. When do I want to post it?

no point writing a series of eloquent

your writing much more effectively

The date may not matter, depending

and engaging articles for LinkedIn if

when you know exactly who your

your target audience doesn’t use the

target is.

what you’re writing about. But by linking to a specific event or day you could have a greater impact.

Going back to our pet food store, they might post during Crufts, the well-known British dog show. Lots of the people attracted to Crufts are also pet owners who need to buy their animals food. So linking the two is a

platform!

And you need to shout about your blog so people can find you. So make sure you have a strategy for sharing your posts, particularly if you’re publishing on your website. Will your target audience be able to find your posts through a search engine? Will

no-brainer.

you alert people to new posts via

4. How will I write it?

social media too.

Is your blog post going to be mainly opinion or information? Both can work well, as can combining the two.

But do consider your ‘what’ and ‘why’ when deciding how best to write your post. And what works well for your topic.

Our pet food store wants to start a conversation, so they’ve chosen to write an opinion piece. But if they were only interested in boosting their SEO ranking a blog with lots of wellresearched information would work very well.

email? Or do you need to share via

6. Who is my audience?

If you’re going to engage people, hook them and reel them in, you must know who your target audience is.

And the more specific you can be the more likely they’ll notice you. So again, do your research.

Our pet-food store could easily target anyone with a pet. But actually,

How to focus your mind further So you can organise your thoughts and keep on track while writing, here’s a handy template. You can use it to plan a series or for single posts.

Just don’t make the mistake I’ve made many times – answering the questions, starting to write, then an hour later after getting excited about the subject realise you’ve written something completely off piste! Do keep your plan in sight while you write to stop the drift.

When you do, asking these six questions will laser-focus your mind so you can write a nifty piece that grabs your target audience superfast.

Happy blogging!

a female dog owner, age 40, with plenty of spare cash to splurge on pampering her beloved pooches is their ideal client. And you can focus

5. Where will I post it?

Will you blog on your business website or somewhere else? Perhaps you’ve got a separate website or intend to write articles for LinkedIn. Or want to produce long posts on Facebook.

Susan Hammond

Wherever you’re going to post,

Susan Hammond Copywriting

please do your research first. There’s

Susan specialises helping mental health and wellbeing businesses grow.

Having lived with severe depression for over ten years she knows how important good mental health is. Only through counselling, drawing on her Christian faith and getting outside whenever possible, was she able to deal with it and recover fully. And her mission? Helping you change lives through your business, and helping you get your message across to your prospects.

07768 910232 susan@susanhammond.co.uk susanhammond.co.uk

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 27

The Business Bulletin

How writing a business book gives you a priceless marketing tool “Having a book published” still holds a certain kudos and perhaps in Pavlovdog fashion, people automatically associate someone who writes a book about something, with that someone being an expert on the subject.

The “$30 business card” gets people

book is a useful product. After your

merchandise. A book also makes a

recognised as experts, even if they

performance or presentation in pre-

good addition to your product range,

don’t deserve to be.

COVID-19 days you could sell your

if you’re selling “back of room” either

book or books “back of room” after

literally or virtually because it gives you

your events.

something to “bundle” with your other

In the USA, one prolific speaker on business topics has been heard to describe his books – which he self-

Today with pandemic restrictions

merchandise and therefore make

publishes – as “$30 business cards.”

you can still sell all formats of your

an attractive package with an overall

Cynical perhaps, but the folklore

book via online retailers or your own

discount. Most people find it hard to

about the author of a book being an

website after Zoom/MS Teams etc.

resist a bargain.

expert in his/her field is crystallised

meetings, webinars or as part of your

therein. However…

online courses.

If you work as a public speaker

Depending on which publishing route you choose, your mark-up on the direct sales of your book will

(even part-time) or as a coach,

Sales opportunities

trainer, lecturer, motivator, instructor,

Particularly if you’re a musician, actor

is relatively low, book sales will still

actor, comedian, musician, or in

or other celebrity, your biography or

enhance the overall marketing success

fact whatever occupation that gives

autobiography will sell very nicely

of whatever you do, add to your

you access to captive audiences – a

alongside your DVDs and other

reputation as an expert in your field,

28 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

vary, but even if your profit margin

The Business Bulletin

and get your messages and ideas out

and offered it for sale via a sales portals

there where you want them to be.

(E-Junkie.com). Bear this in mind when you’re thinking about that book

If readers can find all or most of your information on Google, don’t write a book about it This is a somewhat hard lesson older authors (like me!) have to take on board, but here it goes: if you want your book to sell make sure it offers readers a lot more than they could find just by searching for the information on Google.

I had the painful experience recently of looking into the production of an “A to Z” book of jargon terms for two particular audiences, clearly defined. All seemed clear and cracking until that “Oh No” moment hit me: why should people buy this book containing several hundred entries when all they need to do to find out what any of those terms mean, is to key them into Google?

you want to write; sales portals offer a useful test-marketing opportunity.

Approach your topic in a way that Google can’t An example of how to refine your topic came up in a discussion I had with a client when I was helping her

covered everyone who possibly could be included in anyone’s wedding party. Great idea, right? Wrong. Sales were poor, and after a bit I understood why: people due to give a wedding speech aren’t interested in what other speakers will be talking about at the wedding. They are only interested in

Better Books Media Former copywriter/content marketer Suzan St Maur is the author of 37 published books, some of which have

with developmental structuring of her

been organic Amazon No.1 bestsellers.

book, which was a small encyclopaedia

She now works as an author coach and

of different processes that help in a variety of health requirements. I raised the point that when looking at each process individually, readers could find them easily on Google or other

publishing consultant, helping others get their passions into print and other media ... having brought together her own experience of writing books and getting them published … and using her marketing/advertising skills to promote them.

search engines. What Google could not provide was a means of comparing each of the processes with and against each other, and rating them against a

07767 354090 suze@suzanstmaur.com betterbooksmedia.com

set of criteria made up of each reader’s personal needs. That was a light bulb moment for my client and as I write this she is busily typing away.

Similarly I tested an eBook about wedding speeches with advice that

Suzan St Maur

Make something easier

you may be surprised at how much valuable knowledge and experience you have ready to share with others less accomplished than you are. You may have created shortcuts and new

If your book offers a process, tips,

methods without really noticing them.

shortcuts and other ways in which

Yet to a beginner in that area, these

readers can achieve something

could be worth their weight in gold,

they need to achieve more easily/

saving them a great deal of time,

quickly/cost-effectively, it will do well.

effort and even money.

Especially (but not necessarily) if you are a known expert in your topic,

their own speech.

Fortunately I didn’t have to spend anything to find this out. I just produced a PDF document myself

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 29

The Business Bulletin

Give readers pleasure Nonfiction books with a feel-good factor will nearly always do well, because people like to feel good about themselves while they’re absorbing the information you share with them. Whether you write about delicious food and wine, beautiful-but-simple embroidery and needlework, DIY car repairs,

informative the subject matter, if it

standard that a traditional publisher

is written in a turgid and lumpy style

would turn out. Increasingly though,

readers will find it hard going. If they

readers are becoming more savvy

scan the book in the bookstore or

and although they may not notice the

online before buying it, that turgid and

specifics of how a book is produced

lumpy style may well be enough to

as I’ve outlined above, they may just

make them pick someone else’s book

look at the book and think it feels of

even if you are the world’s number one

inferior quality.

acknowledged expert in the subject.

Right from your book’s inception,

If your book is simply to be a cheap stocking-filler for the Holiday Season

you need to think in terms of letting

or a low-cost book about, say, a sport,

readers enjoy the experience of

then this really doesn’t matter. But

reading it. Think in terms of sharing

for many of us who produce books

stuff does not normally sell.

your information with a friend over a

in line with our main professions or

drink or a cup of coffee. Be informal

other passions and interests, our book

Inspire and change lives

and conversational. Use humour

or books have to be “on brand” and

Many people are dissatisfied with

if you want to. Make sure those

reflect what we, as professionals, stand

thoughts set the tone for your book,

for. Just as it is in the case of other

right from the beginning.

business or professional media like our

social networking, aromatherapy or whatever, you book needs to exude a positive, smiling atmosphere. Negative

their lives and are attracted to nonfiction books which tell them how to revolutionise things, from their love lives to their relationships at work to cleaning and de-cluttering their homes. If you have specialised knowledge that you know transforms life for people around you, and/or if you have developed a life-changing process for yourself, unless it’s about something incredibly obscure people will want to read about it. Even in our increasingly cynical age where you can rent gurus by the hour, readers always want more help to try to realise their dreams. If you believe you can help them, genuinely, then write your book.

Before you read on, don’t forget to entertain

Humour and lightheartedness sell books Face it: it’s true. However this does not mean you need to become a stand-up comedian. It means, simply, that you need to produce a book that’s written by you, to your readers, in a way that you would share your knowledge and expertise to a friend at your kitchen table. If you normally make people laugh and learn at the same time, write that into your book plan.

Why does your book need to look professionally published?

This may seem a bit of a no-brainer,

There is no rule that says even a

and there are still people around

serious textbook has to be written

who don’t notice whether a book

in a dull and boring way. It’s a fact of

has been produced and published

life that no matter how interesting or

professionally to at least the high

website or even our business cards, our books have to look as good as we do. That’s not conceit; that’s good marketing/branding sense.

Assisted (and hybrid) publishing: a deductible expense?

Yes, it will cost you to have your book produced by an assisted selfpublishing service but don’t forget that you may well be able to offset some or all of the cost against your tax liability. To find out more, contact your accountant or bookkeeper, or your country’s tax authority, e.g. the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the USA or Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the UK. In most developed countries there are special rules for authors, particularly when you set

The Business Bulletin

Some of these publishing houses now

gain from their ability to distribute your

have hybrid sections where authors

book into a wider selection of retail

write a book or a series of books

pay something towards the cost of

options including bricks-and-mortar

as collateral to enhance their main

production and get a larger share of

bookshops, probably world-wide.

business or other activity. Either

the royalties.

yourself up as a writing business.

Many nonfiction authors, however,

way it’s something you may well want to explore and factor into your budgeting. You will have to pay tax on the royalties your book earns, however.

What about traditional publishing?

Some book coaches, like me, have no financial incentive to push clients towards either assisted self-publishing or the traditional variety. This way we can advise clients who have a really

In the main, these publishing houses will still want to maintain control over the book’s cover design and the timing of its release, etc. This means you may be restricted on how much of your business branding can be incorporated into the book, and/ or timing its release to coincide with a business re-brand, launch or other landmark (traditional publishers take a long time to get books out.)

Assisted self-publishing companies As with anything else, there are excellent ones, mediocre ones and terrible scammers who charge you fortunes for a bad product.

This is where a good author coach, especially one who has a lot of experience as a published author themselves, can not only guide you through the process but also save you

However what you would gain from

good business or self-help idea for a

publishing this way is the “kudos” of

book to try submitting proposals for it

being an acknowledged author with

to one of the major publishing houses.

a traditional publisher. You would also

a lot of money and heartache.

MAKE YOUR MARKETING PIECES FIT Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses

FREE Marketing 'Discovery' Meeting An informal, no obligation chat to see how APS could help develop marketing strategies, plans, and activities to reach your target audiences effectively and affordably.

www.apsmarketingservices.co.uk

07773 366 393

The Business Bulletin

Spotllight on…

Spotlight on Christina Robinson Christina Robinson of Green Umbrella Marketing shares some insights into her management buyout of the company and her journey since then.

It’s an interesting journey in terms

intricately, when I was looking at the

you’ll see the value of the business in

of how you became the boss of

figures I was very much ‘I know this

a very different way.

Green Umbrella. It might be quite

is going to happen’ and ‘I know that’s

useful for those that might be an

going to happen’ and ‘I know the

employee in a business or thinking

other’s going to happen’.

about buying a business. You’ve obviously gone through that experience, so what was it like for you? What are some of the top tips you’d give anybody that was looking to maybe buy a business from a previous owner?

I’d worked with the previous owner

Your purchasing decision is not made in the same way when you’re buying a business from within. You’ve got to be able to go to someone that doesn’t know the business in the same way you do and present them with the figures because essentially, the only thing you should be going

for a number of years and we’d got

on is what’s happened to date - not

quite a close working relationship,

what you believe is going to happen

so it was very difficult to draw a

in the future.

line between the emotional and the commercial. That’s something you really need to consider if you’re looking to go through a management buyout scenario.

A mistake I initially made was that because I knew the business so

32 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

If you were buying any other

At what point on that journey did you realise that you were going to buy the business?

I came into the business as a freelancer initially. Within a very short space of time I became a full-time employee, very dedicated to the business and buying it was just not on the cards. I never imagined myself as a business owner. I was having a conversation with the previous owner and she explained that if she were to ever sell , she wanted to sell it internally and asked if that was

business that’s how you’d be

something I would ever be interested

thinking. But, for me, in an MBO

in. At the time I went yeah sure! But

situation you get hooked in.

in my head I was thinking that’s

Depending on which part of the

never going to happen, it’s a long

relationship you are (whether you’re

way off! I was absolutely flattered by

buying or whether you’re selling)

the question.

any anxiety apart from the day I drove

perspective, it was almost like I was

business grew. My role continued to

over to where we were meeting to sign

functioning at a level but had zero

increase in terms of the function that

all the paperwork. I parked the car,

foundations! So what I needed

I served and I was very much involved

turned off the engine, went to open

was someone that would have the

in decision-making. All of a sudden,

the door and I just felt the reality of the

conversations with me and call me

that gap that I’d felt when buying

situation come over me. There were

out on the stuff I didn’t know, rather

the business was first mentioned,

a few choice words - I thought who

than assuming that I knew things.

became really, really tiny. The previous

am I to do this? I probably sat there

business owner had found another

for a good five minutes or so and then

Any business would value from

passion and was spending more

realised there’s no going back now!

A couple of years passed and the

and more time out of the business which is a fantastic thing to be able to do when you’re a business owner.

But the more she was doing that, the more I was doing the day-to-day running of the business and thinking more strategically. It got to a point where I thought if I’m going to buy this business, it’s now or never!

It must’ve been a range of emotions going through that - was there a conscious mindset change from you going from employee to employer?

My mindset had changed already.

We got to a situation where, from my perspective, a decision would need to be made and I’d be waiting for her to make it and she’d be waiting for me to make it! I think that’s where it got

You have mentors/coaches for your business. Was that something that you took on when you took over the business or did you have external influences before?

My approach to this was very

a business mentor. You’re buying a friend and it’s as simple as that. It’s really frigging lonely trying to make decisions. I don’t think it matters whether it’s just you and your business, if you’ve got a team, if you’re working with contractors, freelancers or whatever. When you have to make the difficult decisions it’s lonely - and

much about me rather than the

it’s all on you. When you’ve got to

business if I’m honest. What leader do

start making plans, even when they’re

I want to be? What kind of business

exciting plans - who are you going to

owner? What kind of entrepreneur?

talk to?

Where did I feel the gaps were in my

When you buy in, what you’re

knowledge, or where did I feel my risks

actually buying is someone you

were? I put myself in the position of

can share all this stuff with because

an employee and thought “Christina’s

you trust them, you’re like-minded

coming in as the business owner,

and you’ve got similar interests. I

where would my concerns be?”. I then

remember a day when I’d dropped

went and found mentors that would

the ball on something, got really

help me get over those ‘gaps’.

frustrated with myself and then

I’m not a natural salesperson

couldn’t get out of that negative head

a bit tricky and that’s why I started

when it comes to business. I didn’t

space. I literally sent my mentor a

to feel like I already was the business

go to business school. I haven’t got

voice note saying you don’t need to

owner. Only it wasn’t my business -

a business degree. I’ve never studied

respond but I just need to get this out

that was the crunch point, it just felt

entrepreneurship. When it comes to

of my system - I just needed to put it

like a rite of passage. To be honest I’m

reading business books, I’ve only really

somewhere! It’s that ear to bend or

not a risk taker, buying the business

done that for the last three years.

shoulder to cry on when needed!

was a natural next step. I didn’t feel

So I felt from a business education As an organisation, you share a hell of a lot of information. You’ve got

It got to a point where I thought if I’m going to buy this business, it’s now or never!

videos, you’ve got eBooks, you’ve got regular webinars that you do. Some people say don’t do that - that’s my company’s intellectual property.

That’s what I’m selling. That’s what people are going to be buying. What are your thoughts on that?

Give it all away! Why not? If I can educate as many people as possible in what we do, then the reason for sharing all this stuff is that they’ll hopefully use us at some time. I

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 33

Spotllight on…

The Business Bulletin

The Business Bulletin

Spotllight on…

always say we help people who lack

You fairly recently launched a

been the inspiration to make me

the time, the enthusiasm or the

podcast - what was your thinking

ask the questions I’ve needed to ask.

courage when it comes to their online

and idea behind that?

There’s a little bit of marketing in

marketing. If I can educate you in everything you need to do, you’re going to come back to me when you’ve realised how much time it takes, and that it’s possibly not the best use of your time in your business.

Some people get some really

‘Christina Talks’ launched at the end of August 2020 because I’ve been privileged to have the experience that I have. We’ve talked about mentors, but the reality is I was someone that didn’t really have a lot of self-confidence. I was constantly pulling out that line of

there of course, (because I’m always tuned into the marketing stuff) but the podcast is more about me - in fact it’s all about me! It’s not about Green Umbrella and it’s not about digital marketing, it’s just a slightly different insight.

fantastic ideas of what to put on social

“fake it, until you make it”. There have

media or what to blog about - but

been a lot of people who saw things in

actually hitting that publish button?

me that I could do, and be. So having

That’s the bit they struggle with. The

met people that are my cheerleaders,

more I can put out there and the more

people that have really inspired me,

I can make it easy for people - the

people that really make me think and

better! The reality is, it honestly doesn’t

ask questions of myself as well as the

saying no to people. There are things

matter what you’re selling. If you’re not

business - the idea was for the podcast

you have to say no to sometimes even

providing that answer, people are just

to really be a reflection of that.

though you really want to do them.

going to Google it and get the answer from someone else anyway. Why not let them get the answer from you?

Build trust with you and then, when

In reality, the podcast is very much about all the little things that have happened. For example, where I felt exceptionally lonely as a

One last question - what’s the biggest challenge that you’ve faced being in business and how did you overcome that?

The biggest challenge is probably

There are opportunities I’ve turned down because what I needed to put in from an effort and time perspective wasn’t going to be worth the reward.

Equally, there have been people

they’ve got that money in their back

business owner even though I’d been

pocket, when they can actually pay to

surrounded by people - it’s actually

that have wanted to come and use our

have it done rather than struggling to

just voicing some of that stuff. Having

services that I know we can’t deliver for

do it themselves - where else are they

conversations with people that have

because of what they’re selling or the

going to go?

helped me overcome issues or have

way their business works. Maybe I just

34 | Issue 1 – Finance

It’s really frigging lonely - trying to make decisions didn’t gel particularly well with that business

JB Commercial Finance

Does your business need cashflow finance?

owner and I just couldn’t see that we would ever be able to gel - maybe I didn’t believe in their business. Even in that situation, it’s really hard to say no to someone and turn that business away. Especially when things are tight and everyone’s looking to protect our bottom lines - we’ve got to have the revenue!

Are you looking to buy a commercial property and require funding?

If you were to give one top tip for a business owner, what would that be?

Don’t be alone - Don’t think you have to know everything. I think people expect you to have all the answers and actually most of us don’t. The more you talk to other people, the

Has your bank turned your business down for finance?

more you go out and say “this things come up and I don’t know what to do” - the more you’ll realise that there are very few business owners out there who do have all the answers.

What you’ll find by asking those questions is that you’re able to surround yourself with

Dont know where to turn for business funding?

a circle of accountability, whether that’s a formal relationship with a mentor or informal relationships you build with your peers.

Being honest about the fact that you don’t have all the answers, asking those questions and reaching out to people that might have the answers you end up having a solid foundation and getting into a scenario where you’re not alone and find that you’ve got a choice of people to reach out to.

Watch the interview This is an edited version of the video interview – for the full version and even more insights into Christina, visit here: https://youtu.be/MItBkpft1tw.

Call JB Commercial Finance for a free initial consultation

Telephone: 0116 3440 322 Mobile: 07722 432 128 Email: info@jbcommercialfinance.co.uk Website: www.jbcommercialfinance.co.uk @jbcommercialfinance

James Blacklaws

The Business Bulletin

5 tips to get your business back on track So far, 2020 has been something of a wild ride for businesses, especially SMEs. At the time of writing, we’re entering

you stay in touch. It may well be that

the 5th month of lockdown

your client’s needs have changed and

restrictions and the Coronavirus is

that, by changing up your offering,

looking set to maintain its hold on the

you better serve them. Simultaneously

UK economy for some time yet!

maintaining income you might

However, with government schemes, such as furlough, set to end in the coming months, it’s imperative that businesses make changes now to get revenue flowing again.

This is especially relevant as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but these tricks and tips apply to any moment when your business faces difficulties and needs to reboot.

Why not give them a try!

#1. Check in with your existing clients I shout about this all the time, but I cannot say it enough. When times are hard, pick up the phone. Calling round your existing clients, just to say hi and ask how they’re getting on,

otherwise have lost.

#2. Make the most of networking and training The importance of making new connections when business is slow

trained many individuals to sell by developing their own style but using tried and tested sales techniques. She understands how daunting it can be

sales calls, networking is the perfect gentle way to introduce yourself to new audiences.

Likewise, upskilling yourself when business is slow is a great way to invest into future revenue. There is often cheap or free training available online which can enable you to offer new services to your existing clients or advertise a new package out to the world.

reputation long term.

Many of the old ways of bringing in revenue aren’t as effective as they

and trust. Regularly showing you care

once were. Moreover, during the

about your clients and their business

current pandemic everything has

nurtures the relationship between you.

moved online, and I wouldn’t be

This inevitably ends in sales now and

surprised if it stayed that way.

great retention rates for the future.

During her career, Julie has successfully

if you’re not comfortable with making

your immediate survival and your People buy from people they like

The Sales Manager

cannot be underestimated. Especially

#3. Brush up on your digital literacy

will have a massive impact on both

Julie Futcher

Therefore, it’s really important that

to have to pick up the telephone or meet with clients/customers face to face with the view of interesting them in the product or service that is being offered. In addition she provides sales consultancy services which improves sales processes and performance; as well as LinkedIn training showing you how to generate sales through this platform.

01604 532004 julie@thesales-manager.co.uk thesales-manager.co.uk

social media marketing to digital bookkeeping. As with training and networking, putting the time and energy into learning new digital skills now will pay off tenfold in the future.

#4. Embrace change In difficult times, it’s more important

you are up to scratch on the many

than ever to be flexible with your

affects every business at the same

ways of conducting your business

services and be open to changing

time, it’s even more important that

online, from Zoom etiquette to

things up when needed. Being too

When something happens that

36 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

The Business Bulletin

rigid with your plans and offerings will

Remember to take time off

only speed up the decline if those

when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

offerings are no longer viable.

Or spend time with friends, family

As with many businesses, we’ve spent the last four months getting our heads around the changing circumstances. In response, we’ve dropped certain services and started

or doing a hobby you enjoy. No one can continually give to their business without replenishing their own energy supplies. Failing to do so – or thinking

– is not going to serve you or your business in the long run.

I hope that’s given you some food for thought about how you can help your business to bounce back from troubling or difficult times.

‘I’ll take time off when all this is over’

up some new ones. The result is a new business model that really addresses the problems other businesses are facing.

When circumstances change, you must make yourself relevant again.

Failing to adapt often means failing to survive.

#5. Look after yourself Running a business when things are uncertain is an enormous challenge.

One that can easily lead to exhaustion and burn out. Therefore, during difficult times, it’s vital that you take

…it’s more important than ever to be flexible with your services and be open to changing things up when needed

care of your own physical and mental wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of your business and staff.

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 37

The Business Bulletin

Why isn’t my marketing working?

The question I’ve heard most during my 30 or so years in the marketing industry is … ‘Why isn’t my marketing working?’

Is that a question you’ve asked

low-cost (or no-cost) tactical activities.

to increased website traffic, get that

recently? If yes, then I guess the

Hence common responses have

phone ringing and customers buying

scenario is not enough traffic to

been: “I’ve placed some ads but had

again. This does require taking a little

your website, the phone isn’t ringing

no response.” They are not measuring

time out and doing some thinking

enough, and not enough people are

it in any way and think their efforts

about you and your business. And

buying? You’re thinking what am I

and money invested is not delivering

most importantly, what you ‘know’!

doing wrong? Is it COVID stopping

footfall, enquiries or sales they

people buying? Don’t they like me

need, but how do they know? That

anymore? The truth is it could be any

approach will never work well.

number of reasons … now I’ll use that great phrase from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” … DON’T PANIC! Marketing is probably the biggest issue for people running or starting small businesses mostly due to their marketing strategies being poorly thought out and not delivering the results they expect, or indeed not having a marketing strategy at all.

A common error made by many is that there is some kind of ‘onesize-fits-all’ marketing strategy that you can follow and expect great results, whatever your business. This is simply not true, since all businesses are different, and all have different requirements. There could be some easy solutions by checking through some common things you may have

They are also probably doing ad

overlooked that you can do to help put

hoc advertising, jumping straight into

your marketing back on track, leading

Your marketing should ‘tell a story’… stories trigger emotion and emotion triggers action 38 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

Here’s some questions to you to ask yourself: Do you know your ‘why’?

This might seem a bit of a strange question to start with, but many people go into business. And don’t really understand all the reasons why or what their motivation is – what gets them up in the morning – but this underpins you and your business. If

The Business Bulletin

you don’t know your ‘why’ and what

customers defines the experience

heading? If you don’t know now, how

makes you tick, no one else will. When

they have when buying from you and

will you know when you get there? Are

you know and understand your values

whether they buy again and tell their

you are doing the right marketing?

and your ‘why’, your genuineness will

friends and family how brilliant you

Is it helping you and moving your

glow like a warm fire and customers

are. With products or services you sell,

business forward? Do you have a

will understand you, your business and

be specific about the benefits. What

marketing plan (quarterly and annual)

want to buy from you.

the product or service advantages are,

and do you review it regularly? There

and how it will make the customer’s

are simple ways to help you plan for

life better and indeed easier.

marketing success without taking up

Do you know your audience?

I always ask new and existing clients

all your time.

‘who are your customers?’ Sometimes

Do you know your story?

I’m told ‘I don’t know’ or they say

Your marketing should ‘tell a story’.

Do you know it’s not all about ‘me’!

‘everyone’ … but that’s not right is

After all, stories trigger emotion

Let’s be honest. You can talk about

it? Understanding who your best

and emotion triggers action. Think

you and your business all day – it’s

customers are is a basic aspect of

about books you’ve read or movies

exciting and it’s yours! But shouldn’t

successful marketing.

you’ve seen when you were growing

you find out about what the customer

up – you probably still remember

needs, as they will help you achieve

them, right? So, think about what

the success you crave?

Try to put together some sort of pen portrait of a few customers to understand their lifestyles, what they enjoy, their media consumption (TV, print or online, etc), brands they might aspire to and so on. This will help with your marketing message and product positioning by showing how the product or service helps to make their daily lives better and easier.

Do you know your USP (Unique Selling

you do and put together your ‘brand’ story with messages that grab the attention which will help increase your customers, encourage loyalty, so you and your brand can grow. Don’t dismiss the importance of this. Consider what

You need to look at your business Would you be happy with everything

unique thing is YOU … as the way you are with

marketing expert.

Do you know your customer journey?

So, what’s unique? There

as you. Simple … the

to do all this, then enlist the help of a

their purchase from you?

from the point of view of a customer.

offering the same service

If you don’t have the time or resources

makes your customers feel good about

Proposition)? are loads of other people

Call in an expert to help

in that respect? How often do you ‘speak’ to your customers? What do you say to them (message) and how do you say it (tone)? How well do you follow up queries and information requests? Can a customer find how to contact you easily? If you’re thinking ‘how can I remember all this every time I communicate with a customer’, you don’t have to, as depending on the size and nature of your business, there are many technological solutions to help you improve the experience and relationship you have with your customers.

Do you know your marketing objectives?

This helps set your marketing strategy.

Andy Sarson APS Marketing Consulting Services Andy offers a full range of affordable marketing services including marketing strategies and planning, project management, marketing reviews, campaign management and marketing consultancy. His 30+ years’ marketing industry experience gives him an advantage to offer “big marketing agency” experience at an affordable cost to smaller businesses by delivering a sound marketing strategy, followed by a costed plan with the right activities to reach your target audience to achieve the best possible ROI. 07773 366393 andy.sarson@apsmarketingservices.co.uk apsmarketingservices.co.uk

Where are you and your business

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 39

The Business Bulletin

Know your target market Back in 1985, a scientist/business entrepreneur called Clive Sinclair (later to be knighted for other achievements) unleashed a brand new product concept onto the world. An electric car!

Knowing who your customer is and

Well, to be precise, it was more a

Sinclair invested several millions of

single user, battery powered transport

his own money into the project. He

what they want to buy is crucial to

“pod” and was positioned as an

even bought a factory, earmarked

the success of any new venture. Yet

alternative to mopeds and scooters.

for closure, from Hoover and set

so many business owners get caught

It had a limited range on account

up a manufacturing facility there

up in the “excitement” of new markets

of the battery technology then. The

employing many people.

and customers without really thinking

main body was plastic and the seating position was only several inches from the ground, leaving occupants feeling very vulnerable when “driving” in conventional traffic conditions.

So sure that the product was going to be a run-away success, Clive

After a disastrous product launch, scathing reviews from the press (the Sunday Times called it a “formula 1 bath chair”) and struggling sales, production was wound up in August 1985 – the factory closed and the project was shut down by the end of that year. One notable customer was Kensington Palace who purchased two for the then young princes, William and Harry, as “toy cars” to run around the house and gardens in. The point of this story is simple. Sir Clive had done NO market research before embarking on the project and was utterly

John Milner Alium Consultants When the opportunity came about to set

than 20 years under his belt and works a success of exporting, enabling them to win and retain new customers quickly, while minimising the costs and risks, often associated with breaking into new markets.

07713 614942 john@aliumconsultants.com aliumconsultants.com

heavily in electric vehicle technology.

Battery capabilities are so much better and there is a hungry market; driven partly from a strong “green” lobby globally.

When a business owner is looking to embark on expansion into a new market, whether domestic or overseas, the experiences of Sir Clive illustrate clearly the need for thorough market research upfront; before any investment is made or resources committed.

40 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

things into focus a little, below is a quick list of some of the basics to look at when venturing into pastures new (note – I have not included USP in the list as this is a subject in itself): Customers ■ Who / Where Products

■ which products/service

in love with his technology. manufacturer in the world is investing

with business owners to help them make

squandered investment. To help bring

on his own belief that people would fall

was an opportunity to help SME business

on his own experiences. He has more

of product/service to customer and a

■ local demand?

Now, of course, just about every car

presence in international markets, based

often similar to Sir Clive. A mis-match

convinced of its success based purely

up his own business, John decided there owners gain a quicker, more effective

through a proper plan. The result is

Competitors ■ Who / how well are they doing Local issues ■ language ■ marketing ■ legislation/compliance ■ currency Legal issues ■ protect your Intellectual Property (IP)

Let’s look at these in a little more detail – Customers Define who it is you are trying to sell to and if it is in a specific market segment or niche. For example: consumer or B2B? In which case, small business (SME, generally defined as up to around 25 employees) or larger. A niche sector could be education, retail,

determine as best you can, if there are

the “opposition” may well be known

any strong regional demands. If there

to you. Give them a call and ask how

are then is this for a particular product

they are doing. Why not? You may be

or service in your portfolio.

surprised by their response!

It is worth a thought that you don’t have to sell your whole range from

Local issues

day one. Start with a limited, targeted

There are a myriad of things to

product launch and then expand

consider when trying to develop a new

the range as and when you become

market, but upfront research will again

more established.

serve well, particularly when it comes to the time to develop an effective

financial, manufacturing, etc. The list

Competitors

is almost endless. If it is a consumer

Who are they? How many are there?

market you are aiming for then try and

How well are they doing?

break it down to things like sex, age, life-style, financial bracket, etc. Again

If there are lots of competitive

marketing strategy.

The most obvious of these is probably the need (or not) for local language. Whether this be in marketing

companies in your target market and

collateral or web site material. More

they are doing well, then it maybe

often than not, having material in

that market is going to be tough to

a local language not only helps to

penetrate. For instance, establishing

engage with B2B customers but also

a new brand in a retail environment

helps considerably with a consumer

where there are lots of incumbent

base. Whilst top level management

customers are located. In a smaller,

players is a tough ask and requires a

are usually conversant with English

growing market this may not be as

considerable investment.

language in a business context,

the list is extensive. This exercise will save a great deal of time and effort when it comes to defining an effective marketing plan.

Finally, try to identify where your

relevant, but in a larger, mature market (such as Germany for example), there could be regions you need to focus on, which may entail a degree of targeting in specific regions.

Products

There a many, family-run, successful food retailing businesses who would love a chance to sell into the UK. However, the brand creation and demands from the large, established

engaging with people further down an organisation or the general public, can become more of a challenge when not in a native language.

One word of caution here is to

outlets can be prohibitive. The UK

always get content checked by a

consumer market is huge, but it

language translation company before

In the course of the research

comes with a price!! In a niche market

publication. Do not rely on web tools

answering the above questions

sector where competition is limited,

for accurate translations.

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 41

The Business Bulletin

Particularly in the case of any

be certain to set up the required

technical or legal content. Another

currency arrangements early on in the

issue worthy of checking are any local

process as it can be awkward if this is

legislative requirements. This becomes

not sorted once you start trading.

particularly relevant in developing markets and ones further afield from

Legal Issues

Europe. Finally in this section, the issue

Leading on from the above, comes the

of currency. What will the customer

important issue of patent protection.

expect to be invoiced in?

Particularly key with new overseas

As an example, in the US market, it will almost certainly be expected to be US$. European customers will expect local or, in the main, € (Euros).

A conversation with your local bank in the UK will satisfy most

markets. If you are expanding outside the UK, then you should look to obtain patent protection for each market/ country you wish to trade in, not just a blanket international cover.

As with local language advice, it is

requirements. Although be aware,

always wise to consult a patent expert

some banks, even the High Street

when filing for protection; just to make

names, become nervous about credit

sure you have all aspects covered

to some overseas markets. Essentially

adequately. Omissions can be costly in

the long run.

There are other issues not covered here that are equally important, but are separate subjects in themselves – such as customer support, logistics, marketing and more.

However, if thorough market research is carried out prior to a sizeable sales and marketing investment being committed, then this enables you to really understand a new target customer base and a great deal of the other issues become more logical to address.

One final thought – if Sir Clive had got it right, we could all be driving a C5 today!!

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The Business Bulletin

Ask the experts Do you have a burning question that you would like the answer to?

Or maybe you’re looking for some advice to help your business? In each edition some questions will be shared and answered by some of The Business Bulletin experts.

Q. Is having a target market important?

A. The short answer is yes.

The slightly longer answer is that if you don’t know who your target market (i.e ideal customers) are, then how will anyone else?

You need to know it in order to assess where to market to, what messages to use etc. AND in order to get useful referrals, they need to know who you are after as well.

As a graphic designer I can in theory work with ‘anyone’, but this isn’t going to bring ‘anyone’ to mind. If however, I tell you that my ideal customers are: ■ Businesses over five years old ■ With at least five staff ■ Who understand the value of good graphic design ■ Who don’t have the skills inhouse ■ And worry that they are losing ground to their competition because their marketing materials are not good enough That might start the cogs whirring.

If I say that they ideally are: ■ Based in Northamptonshire or surrounding counties ■ May have used other agencies but have had bad experiences

44 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

who does the graphics as only

more targetted towards your ideal market(s)

part of their ‘real job’

Mark Coster - Pixooma

■ OR have a member of staff

■ And are in finance or engineering That might start you thinking of specific companies perhaps. Now that description above isn’t even that great, it still needs work, but its a hell of a lot better than ‘Anyone’. And often it leads to someone thinking of a company that fits only some of the criteria, something that wouldn’t happen without some of that detail.

And does it mean that I can’t work with new IT startup one-man-bands?

Nope. It just makes your marketing

A. A target market is very important and by moving away from “everybody” being your target to narrowing down it will help you rather than hinder you and below are, from a sales perspective, the reasons why.

1. You will be more successful By picking a target market and just working in that arena, you can truly get under their skin and understand their pain points, what their issues are, and why they would want your product. This knowledge helps with the sales process because you will be

The Business Bulletin

able to tell them exactly how your product/service resolves their needs, want, issues, or problems, which is key in for a successful sale.

2. It saves you time and money By honing in on who would really benefit from your product and what their needs, wants, issues and problems are, you can speak directly to them with your marketing content, you can attend the networking events where they would attend and use the social media platforms they use.

In addition to this, you also know who your likely decision-maker would be, which takes the guesswork out of who to try to speak to within an organisation if you are undertaking a pro-active sales approach 3. You become an “expert” Having the status of being an expert in your field, is invaluable as it enhances your credibility and creates trust with your prospective customer. Your knowledge of their industry, market, etc, gives them the reassurance you know what you are talking about and that your product/service is tried and tested in their world.

Taking time to really sit and think about who you will target and why will pay dividends.

Julie Futcher – The Sales Manager Q. Which social media platforms should I focus on? How do I decide where to put my time and effort?

A. Your starting point should be to work out which platform is appropriate for your business and which one(s) your target customers are using. If you’re a business specialising in professional services or your target market comprises people that you network with regularly then Linked In is a good start.

clients are doing and also ensure that you’re involved with the conversation around the events you attend.

Facebook and Instagram are ideal if your business is more customer focused and you have product to sell with good supporting imagery.

It’s important to remember that Instagram has a younger audience than Facebook with 29% of its UK users aged 18-24; 35% are in the 2534 age group. 56% of Instagram users being female. These platforms also offer you the opportunity to grow a real community with your audience and to get that all important word of mouth buzz going. If you have product to sell then it’s also worth considering using the shop functions that both these platforms offer.

My advice to clients is always to have a plan for using social media, be consistent – post regularly, listen to your followers, interact with them and don’t spread yourself too thinly.

Concentrating on one or two platforms that really work for you is a much better use of your time and energy.

Twitter is an excellent place to be if you want to drive traffic to your website by sharing blog posts and news for your industry. Careful use of #tags is essential and it’s important to ensure you keep up to date with trending topics so you’re ready and able to jump in if there is something that relates specifically to what you do.

set about answering it for you.

Twitter is also a good place to be if you regularly attend exhibitions and trade shows, you can keep up with what key

Tiktok came to prominence during lock down, before you jump on the bandwagon it’s important to remember that 26% of it’s users are 18-24 years old, 9% of users are 25-34 years old.

Eleanor Lester - Shrewd PR.

Got a question?

If you have a question – then email us and these experts will It can be on any business topic you like, be it finance, sales, marketing, operations, resources, strategy or personal development.

If you would like a more immediate response, then raise your question on the “Ask The Experts” forum.

Contributing experts

Mark Coster

Julie Futcher

Eleanor Lester

Pixooma

The Sales Manager

Shrewd PR

Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing | 45

The Business Bulletin

SME Survey What marketing channel works best for you?

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half”

(11%); with all other options being less

John Wanamaker

you are not using these channels to

than 2.2%. Clearly networking seems to give the most “bang for your buck”!

Likewise (see figure 2), the same three channels come top again: social media (37.4%), networking (20.9%) and website (14.3%); with other alternatives once again being 3.3% and less.

This would certainly suggest if reach your target audience, it may be something you should consider. And, if you are, but they are not working

You have maybe heard this quote

If you are unsure of where to spend

before? It is now over a 100 years old

your marketing budget, then this

and nowadays there should be no

edition’s survey should be of interest.

excuse for not knowing what return you get from your investment in marketing.

A total of 88 respondents completed the survey. The first

you use, you should be measuring

channel works best for you?” with

the results you get from them. It is far

a follow up question: “What works

easier to do today then in the past;

second best for you?”.

particularly with Google analytics and the various tracking data you can get from email marketing and your social media activity.

activity to establish what isn’t working for you.

Of course there may be other channels not falling into any of these

question asked: “What marketing

Whichever marketing channels

for you, then it is worth reviewing your

Figure 1 shows that the top three channels for those that took part in

three areas that are successful for you, the point is if you are not measuring it, you can’t manage it. If you know where your return on investment is coming from, then focus your efforts on those channels that are working for you.

the survey were networking (58.2%), social media (14.3%) and website

Get involved To take part in the next survey – What’s your biggest operational challenge? – visit here: https://forms.gle/ oEy4WA1TMfXS7Xiv7. The results will be shared in the next edition of this magazine.

Figure 1

46 | Issue 2 – Sales and Marketing

Figure 2

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