Marketing
A friend of mine once confessed: “I’d like to run my own business, but I don’t like lying to people.” It’s a telling indictment on the state of free enterprise in the 21st century. Everyone seems to have an experience of being let down by the system. Whether it’s believing an ad only to find […]
The impact of undertaking dodgy SEO shouldn’t be underestimated – it could cripple your business. Adopting what’s known as ‘black hat’ tactics may claim to offer your business short-term gains, but in actual fact run the risk of harming your business in the long-term. Website success today means following good ethical SEO practices, based on […]
Video is everywhere and whether you prefer to stream YouTube shows, flick through Facebook or get your fix in 10 second Snapchats, chances are you’ve already engaged with video content today. In fact, more than 500 million people watch Facebook videos every day. And that’s not just funny cat videos. If your business is not […]
A blog is an invaluable marketing tool that can help your business reach new customers, retain existing customers and even generate more sales. Unfortunately, many business owners ignore these benefits and, instead, focus their marketing strategy on minimally effective outbound techniques. Regardless of what type of business you operate, though, a blog can increase your […]
Here are the ten brands with the most loyal customers in 2017. A list compiled by US consultancy Brand Keys from 740 brands across 83 industries. Can you spot the attribute that’s common to each? Amazon (retail) Google Apple (tablets) Netflix Apple (smartphones) Amazon (video streaming) Samsung Facebook Amazon (tablets) YouTube Yes, they are all […]
Facebook’s recent changes aren’t the only hit brands will take this year. Changes in socials and customer behaviour means brand pages will begin to hemorrhage audience members if they don’t start to adapt. The first quarter opens the floodgates for new gym memberships, refreshed wardrobes and of course, the mass clean outs of social media […]
Recently, I was at an electronics store looking for a new alarm clock. I asked a salesperson for a recommendation and he listed off features as he ran through the options – ‘This one has extra USB docks’, ‘This is the budget option’, and so on. After he ducked off to help someone else, a […]
There are lots of great reasons for brands to write, blog and contribute articles. Companies that blog reportedly see 97% more links to their website and are 13x more likely to achieve a positive ROI on marketing efforts [2]. Consumers also want great blog content – 47% of buyers view three to five pieces of […]
Marketing, if done well, can help you engage your audience, attract new customers, and even break into new markets, ultimately leading to an increase in revenue and profits. Poorly executed marketing, on the other hand, often marks the beginning of the end for any business. Since marketing takes up a significant portion of any company’s […]
Most businesses rely on referral leads or leads who are already in ‘buy-mode’. Those people are just a tiny 3% of your target market. So how do you tap into the other 97% of prospects? Using two tools: a lead generation website and a well-oiled, high converting sales funnel. Most businesses’ websites are just sources of […]
In 2017, we’ve witnessed numerous Customer Experience (CX) failures that have damaged the reputations of some of the largest companies in the world. From long call waiting times after a number of severe outages, to poor customer service ratings, and other critical service failures, there are a number of lessons to be learned if brands […]
As 2017 draws to a close, eMarketer [1] predicts that Australian ecommerce sales will reach $32.56 billion. Of this, it is estimated that $20.15 billion, or 62 percent, will be driven by online retail sales. [2] For Australian businesses working in ecommerce, this should be an exciting time filled with opportunity, instead, for the past year […]
The holiday season is one of the biggest times of the year for retailers, accounting for as much as 20% of annual sales. With the increased sales, as well as the opportunity to acquire new customers who will shop year-round, early planning and preparation can be key to maximising success. But, what happens when the […]
Inbound marketing is one of the most exciting initiatives to arrive on the marketing and business scene in the past five years. If you are not investigating inbound marketing at the moment, it is time to take action. One of the biggest challenges of running a business is remaining relevant and adapting to change. Whether […]
In an age where digital content is king, it is understandable that small businesses are struggling to keep up with what has become a fragmented narration of brand content. With 1.6 billion people on social media channels sharing their personal experiences and opinions online, the e-commerce business can be an overwhelming marketplace of products. For […]
While many small businesses have taken their time to embrace social media platforms, it’s now obvious that the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses. Social media allows you to build a sense of community around your own brand. The key is not to see it as a promotional tool but as a relationship building opportunity. Social […]
Does your website generate sales? I mean – lots of sales? According to EY, in 2017 94% of consumers research products and services online. So with that in mind, if you are like most businesses, you really should be getting more sales. And if your website is not converting into sales, even if it looks […]
Collaboration is a ubiquitous word in the modern business environment. We no longer work with our colleagues; we collaborate with them. We partner internally to save time, reduce costs or to extend our reach and call this collaboration too. What of collaborating with other brands or even—whisper it quietly—our competitors? See also: Two brands are better […]
Influencers continue to re-shape the media industry as an increasing number of businesses enlist them to fuel business growth and customer engagement. As the director of a PR agency, I have recognised the power of influencer marketing to reach client’s target audiences and start real conversations with consumers. The rise of influencer marketing can be […]
With all of the talk about artificial intelligence either stealing your job or revolutionising your industry, it’s easy to overlook something that can be revolutionary for your small business, right now. I’m talking about Marketing Automation. No, this doesn’t involve machine learning, natural language processing or algorithms. Instead, taking some fairly simple steps to implement […]
