It is natural to run out of ideas for content for your social media, blogging and email content strategies. But, even after many many years of working with clients - my answer to your creative block is to relook at your customer avatar(s). How well do you know who you are trying to reach by telling your business story? Customer Avatar Exercise This is a structured way to really flesh out and get to know your target audiences (customer avatar) as well as possible. This is what we use when working with clients and honestly, it's the magic wand you have been looking for. Old school marketing people will remember the concept of ‘personas’. Gartner provides a definition of a Persona … [Read more...] about Customer Avatar Exercise
Strategy
What’s in a name?
We have refreshed our brand and identity in line with our fuller digital marketing offering and how much we have grown since we started up in 2010. Changing our name was a big step, but there were a few reasons for it. I thought I would share our journey a little bit with you so you can understand why we changed...and also why we chose the name we did. Reasons for a change 1. Diversification In 2010, we started out as a social media specialist agency. We provided consultancy, training and management to small businesses seeking to understand how to use social media better in their businesses. In those days we had to spend a lot of time educating people, before they understood the … [Read more...] about What’s in a name?
Community Management
This is the 5th and final post of a series I have written providing some help and advice to answer the question: "How much will social media cost me?" Make sure you read the full series – ‘Social Investment’. Social media is not a 'set and forget' environment. It is highly charged with conversation and action. So, while I do advocate scheduling content (which has already been thought-through and planned) - it is still important that you pay attention too. This means you need to be live on the platforms each day to make sure you are responding to people and also being seen to be sharing other people’s content. For bigger businesses, they may well be using social media as a serious … [Read more...] about Community Management
Social Media Admin
This is the 4th post of a series I have written providing some help and advice to answer the question: How much will social media cost me? Make sure you read the full series - 'Social Investment'. This is an area that is largely dismissed in the scheme of things. It is however, a very necessary part to maintaining your consistency in ‘showing up’ for your audiences, and staying relevant. While strategy and content creation are crucial, the administration of how these two display themselves across social media means that your admin and systems need to be spot on. I call this “skilled” admin. This isn’t just a matter of drearily ticking boxes of scheduling content and running a report … [Read more...] about Social Media Admin
Content Creation Sweat
This is the 3rd post in a series I have written providing some help and advice to answer the question: How much will social media cost me? Make sure you read the full series - 'Social Investment'. This area is definitely not given as much time and attention as it needs to be. I think I can best describe underestimating content creation by saying it's like expecting to win the London Marathon by making sure you walk 30mins a day with your dog. Disjointed thinking right? Exactly. Value is at the heart of creation In order for you to truly attract your ideal customers on social media…or at least ‘find’ them - you need to value them. You value them by really getting to know them and what … [Read more...] about Content Creation Sweat
Invest in a Strategy
This is the 2nd blog post of a series I have written providing some help and advice to answer the question: How much will social media cost me? Make sure you read the full series - 'Social Investment'. This is the important foundational part where you craft a plan at the beginning of your social media journey. In order to know what you are going to be ‘doing’ on a day to day basis - you need a roadmap of where you are hoping to end up. So, the old adage of ‘Fail to plan, plan to fail’ holds true here. If you find you are active with social media, but you frequently lose heart, steam and the will-to-live - my guess is that you do not have an over-arching strategy or plan. Or…you do…and … [Read more...] about Invest in a Strategy
Social Media Investment
This post is the first of a series I have written providing some help and advice to answer the question: How much will social media cost me? Make sure you read the full series – ‘Social Investment’. If I had a $ or £ for every time I'm asked the question: "How much will it be every month?" Followed quickly by: "What do I get for that?" Well, I would have a house paid for in Portugal next door to Sir Cliff Richard. While I’m happy to answer the question(s) - I still think there are misperceptions of what investing in social media for your business looks like. In order for business owners and indeed marketing managers to be able to assess the resources needed for fully embracing this … [Read more...] about Social Media Investment
Pause for Creative Thought
Finding time in your day, your week, your month to just PAUSE is rare. Until recently I would have said to you - I just don’t have time to think. I felt “full-up” - my brain wasn't able to take in or process any more information. Then…I met Duncan Wardle of ID8 & Innov8. Creative thinking is the key to innovating…evolving your service, your delivery, your products and the way in which you care for your clients/customers. What I haven’t completely gotten on a logical level is that you need the space for thought. I know you will say: Isn’t that obvious? But I have literally been so busy in my business and deep in delivering my service to my clients that I have made no space for … [Read more...] about Pause for Creative Thought
Mobile and App Usage Trends
Designing for “mobile” is key to reducing friction and holding the attention of your audiences. This concept is at the heart of everything we do and advise our clients on. As a business, you need to keep an eye on global trends on (1) advances in technology and (2) the behaviours of the users of that technology. Today, you cannot ignore certain inalienable truths - i.e. that you are affected by: software, hardware, social media and human behaviour …and this is unrelated to what business or industry you are in. That means…the ice-cream shop in Florida (like Vicky Jeavons’ “Haze Ice Cream” that just got the other side of Hurricane Irma); the chocolate shop in Sydney … [Read more...] about Mobile and App Usage Trends
Business Interview: Lisa Brice
This is a series where we go out and have a Facebook Live interview with a local business owner. We talk about their business, what the story is behind why they started their specific business and how they are using social media to support their ambitions. In this interview, we talk to Lisa Brice, who runs her training and consultancy business from Pitsford in Northamptonshire. She is a Master NLP Trainer and a Personal Performance coach. Her clients are brands like Philips, Carlsberg and Ernst and Young. Lisa Brice's background… Lisa and I go way back, so I was really keen to share her wonder with you in this interview. Her background stems strongly in the property industry - with her … [Read more...] about Business Interview: Lisa Brice