|
Resources you can use
This is where to find articles and advice about marketing
and communication challenges faced by small businesses, large companies,
not-for-profit organisations and local government.
If you are responsible for PR, publicity, promotion,
media relations or sales and marketing strategy, feel free to use
this as your resource centre.
Attitude is everything, especially to the Master
Networker
When I ask successful service business owners to name
their most important marketing strategy, networking is always high
on the list.
(more . . . )
Christmas is coming - but in marketing, it's next
year already!
OK, so Christmas is long gone. But you still need to
plan ahead. This simple 3-step "plan for a plan" to get
your marketing and communication under way still applies. (more
. . .)
Do you find clients, or do clients find you?
Especially for service businesses: 9 good reasons why
your marketing should focus on the latter (more
. . .)
Boosting word-of-mouth marketing
"Most of our business comes through word-of-mouth".
How often do you hear owners of successful service businesses say
that? How do they do it? Can you give the process a boost? (more
. . . )
Get attention first, sales later
Businesses which sell services, solutions, or
products to other businesses share a common challenge — gaining
the interest of potential clients and customers. (more
. . . )
Is the web working for you?
Thousands of New Zealand businesses
are wasting money on websites which are not achieving an adequate
return on investment.
Are you one of them? (more.
. . )
Pigeon-holes are for the birds
Are you "pigeon-holing" your business by
restricting your thinking about your market segments? (more
. . .)
Kick-start the New Year with a
new marketing approach
Now is the time to kick-start your
marketing communication.
You're back from holiday, rested
and enthusiastic for the year ahead, and so are the people in the
businesses your business sells to. (Part 1 in
a series)
More marketing kick-starts
It's worthwhile revisited the principles involved so
you can continue this approach throughout the year. (Part
2)
Traps for sponsors
In the wake of the Holmes Affair, New Zealand businesses
involved in sponsorship, or considering one, are probably wondering
what might go wrong with their arrangements.
What are the benefits of sponsorship? Just how useful
is it as a PR tool?
Is it basically a case of paying money for fame by
association? If so, what are the risks when the star you're hitched
to goes off course? (more . . .)
Guesswork is NOT a form of research
We usually know what message we want to get across
in marketing or communication, but what about those on the receiving
end? When we're trying to explain, persuade, or sell, wouldn't it
be useful to know what knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs our communication
will face? (more. . . )
No PR please — we're independent
Do journalists really lack confidence in their own
integrity, or have they begun to be influenced by the media's own
spin? (more . . .)
Timing is everything
Getting the timing right is essential in the launch
of a new product, or in a public information campaign.(more.
. .)
Business-to-business services need tailored marketing
If your business sells services
to other businesses, your marketing challenges are different from
those of a retailer. (more. . . )
Why we don't like selling
If you are uncomfortable with a "hard-sell"
approach to marketing, maybe your instincts are telling you something.
(more . . .)
Blunderbuss marketing is no way to reach your targets
If your business is struggling to get its message across,
it could be you're using blunderbuss marketing. (more.
. . )
Why one-trick ponies don’t draw crowds
Do you get the feeling you’ve tried everything
in your marketing and it’s just not working, or at least it’s
not working anything like as well as you’d hoped? As a result,
you’re wondering if there’s something wrong with your
product or service, your pricing, or your marketing strategy? (more
. . .)
Big Writing No-No's That Make Marketing Ineffective
If writing is the key to effective marketing, it's
no surprise that some marketing is ineffective. If your marketing
isn't delivering the results you'd like, maybe you should analyse
your material to see how many of these it includes . . . (part
1 of 2)
More Big Writing No-No's
Many business people worry about their marketing strategies,
when fine tuning the words in their marketing material could make
a greater difference. They worry about what they're doing, rather
than about how they're doing it - or more to the point, how it reads
or sounds . . .(part 2)
7 Ways to Get Your Message Across - Without Paying
for Advertising
Here's seven low-cost communication strategies - actually
a few more than that - which I apply for clients and also use myself.
I'm using one of them right now . . . (more
. . .)
The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR
Attempting to convince your target audience of your
brand's claims through paid space or time lacks a key incredient
vital to success - credibility. Don't take my word for it - check
out the US marketing guru who wrote a book about it . . . (more
. . .)
Advertising and Public Relations: Get the Mix Right
When is advertising a waste of money? How can PR and
advertising work together for your benefit? Here's the results of
research on how news coverage affects the impact of advertising.
If you operate in the public eye and advertise to support a brand,
this could save you money, embarrassment and stress. . .(more
. . .)
What's in a (product) Name?
A lot of money, and important marketing considerations.
Now you canadd intellectual property issues when you're thinking
about a product name. Achieving "household name"; status might be
great, but it could mean your brand loses its legal protection .
. .(more . . .)
Forget "humble" - Your Business Needs to Communicate
Your business needs to proactively communicate its
reputation - or risk being overtaken by those who do. Put pride,
inertia and cultural cringe aside. Getting your message across is
the lifeblood of your business or organisation . . . (more
. . .)
How to Control Costs When Everyone's an Editor (or
wants to be)
What you can do when others want to make changes which
will blow your budget. A "must read" for anyone managing
a print or web production project . . . (more
. . .)
|
