I speak to many businesses who define their target market as “SMEs”. An SME (small-to-medium enterprise) is a business with less than 250 employees, turns over up to about £40m, and where a non-SME organisation doesn’t own more than a quarter of it. The problem with targeting SMEs is this: according to government statistics, 99.9%…
The coronavirus has seen many people being advised to work from home – but even in today’s connected world this can be a new and startling experience for some. I’ve worked from a home office, on and off, for around 10 years now, and it’s a very different experience from being in an office with…
Marketing has many aspects – that’s what can make it so much fun; but it can also make it seem bafflingly complex. Just some of the things you’ll be considering in your marketing are branding; unique selling points, or differentiators; your strengths and weaknesses as a business; customer service; setting the right prices; competitors; choosing,…
Digital marketing has transformed marketing strategy and practice at a rapid pace, and continues to do so. If you don’t live in the digital marketing world every day, it can all seem a bit baffling; and with things changing so quickly there can be a real sense that digital marketing is a black art, and…
If you’re wondering whether you’re doing the “right marketing”, that’s a good thing. It means you are thinking about your marketing’s effectiveness and measurement and what your options might be to make improvements. To begin answering the question of whether your marketing is “right” we need to step back and tackle three key questions: 1.…
In part 1 of “How to write for trade magazines” we looked at the strategic and media issues. Now for the practicalities and golden rules. Writing issues Editorial or bylined article? If this is editorial, you need to write in a factual, dispassionate way, like a journalist who has no vested interest in the…
In many business-to-business markets the trade magazine or business journal is alive and well. But in the digital marketing era there’s more to them than just the printed copy on the office coffee table. There’s also the added benefit of having your article published on the journal’s website and shared on social media and in…
The digital marketing world is full of jargon, abbreviations and acronyms. Digital marketing people use the terms freely… but if they are not explained, they can leave clients feeling in the dark – or worse, using the wrong term and asking for the wrong thing. So here’s a short digital marketing glossary of some useful…
Measuring your marketing efforts is vital, so you know whether you’re doing the right thing and, importantly, how you can improve to get even better results. Many of our clients are manufacturers, and so embrace the concept of ‘continuous improvement’. We believe marketing should do the same – which is why putting objectives and measurements…
Creating a blog for your business can be really beneficial: it means your website is regularly updated, which can help with search engine optimisation (SEO); it can provide value for your customers or potential customers by answering their questions and reassuring them about your product or business; it can position you as an expert in…
