There are two types of research that are going to aid any social media campaign. The first is researching what your competitors are doing and where they are marketing. At this point, we should add, we aren’t saying copy them, they might not be advertising in the right places, but it’s a good idea to see what services they are offering and where.
Social Media Marketing – Use the right tool for the right job Read More »
In recent years it has become increasingly apparent that successful social media advertising goes far beyond just posting clever copy, amazing videos, and shareable images. It now also involves networking and interacting with your audience, creating a community around your brand. This is known as community management. Community management involves far more than just answering
Why you should focus on community management Read More »
As with anything, reputation and client bases grow over time, so any previous investment in marketing or a website will impact on a new strategy. How can you compare success rates when you have no idea what the starting point of the company you’re comparing to was? You have no idea if they have had a head start.
Stop comparing apples and oranges Read More »
A positive customer experience is integral to any business success (unless you’re Ed Debevic’s in Chicago, famous for actively employing rude staff, and even then, people go there to have waitresses swear at them). Customers need to be made to feel special, to feel that the business they are buying from has gone beyond expectations and that there is minimal friction or inconvenience.
Customer Experience: is yours as good as you think it is? Read More »
With any realignment, no matter how small, it’s essential that you revisit your marketing strategy and ensure that your content reflects your new offering. NAMA are firm believers that marketing and business strategies go hand-in-hand, so it stands to reason that if you are considering offering a new service or changing how you operate, your marketing will need to reflect that.
Customer Centric – Are you selling a solution that your client base needs? Read More »
Loyal customers also provide the word-of-mouth recommendations that every business needs. Nothing is better than someone who has used a service telling you how good it is. It creates an element of trust. That’s why it also comes as no surprise that around 85% of B2B business comes from referrals (NAMA can attest that the majority of our clients came to us because they were told about us).
How can loyal customers help your business achieve its goals? Read More »
In marketing, there has always been a common thought process that older consumers are in some way past their prime or set in their ways. Examples of targeted advertising during daytime TV heightens this feeling, with adverts popping up about stairlifts, over-50’s life planning, will writing, and sensible shoes. But this stereotyping could be unwise.
Ignore the over 55s at your peril – why you should be targeting active agers Read More »
We made the decision very early on that we would focus on our existing clients. Doing whatever we could to help them survive; be that free hours to pivot (another word that now evokes far too great an emotional reaction), a critical friend at the end of the phone, a zoom shoulder to lean on when things felt tough, or someone to bring boundless energy, enthusiasm and ideas to the table. Because if there is one thing that Tabs can do, it is think so far out of the box people start looking for the box.
We Turned 5! Sort of… Read More »
What’s important to remember with any form of CSR is that it has to be an integral part of your business’ ethos and culture. It can’t just be something on the side or an add-on. A CSR strategy should be part of your overall business strategy. It is more than just donating to charity once a year (although that’s also great, don’t stop doing that). It has to be something that everyone within your organisation lives, breathes, and signs up to.
Why companies should have a CSR strategy Read More »
We’ve had the conversation above with many clients in the past and one of the replies is always, “but, what about negative reviews?” The first thing to consider is why would there be negative reviews? If you run a business, then you set the expectations of your customers. So, if you’re providing the strong customer service they expect (even when things go wrong) there shouldn’t be any room for 1 stars.
Increase revenue by marketing to your existing clients Read More »
Read our latest blog tips for 2021. Discover how to write an engaging blog that will also improve your SEO and online presence… This is one of our favourite blog tips. Having realistic keywords means that you will attract the right audience to your content. In the simplest terms, there is little point in going after a keyword that gets thousands of hits a month, when your top ten keywords are searched hundreds of times a month.
Research and explore your keywords and create content that relates to them. You could even look for spin-off keywords that could bring in new customers.
Our blog tips for 2021 Read More »
You’ve written a blog, now what? Find out how to increase the reach of your blogs and target new audiences. You’ve done all the things we’ve suggested, now is the time to analyse your blog’s performance. Check to see what your reach was and whether it hit the target demographics you wanted. Did you receive much interaction? If you didn’t think about which bit failed to hit the mark (or call in a marketing professional for advice).
You’ve written your blog, now what? Read More »
Have you ever had a moment when you’ve been trying to buy something that’s on promotion and the staff member serving you has no idea what you’re talking about? Or you mention a service that a business has advertised, and they have to go off and ask their manager? Frustrating isn’t it. It can also leave you feeling a bit awkward for asking. However, if everyone is up to speed about the latest marketing, it means that even if the team member can’t help, they know the perfect person who can.
Internal Marketing? Don’t forget to tell your team what you’re doing Read More »
Allowing your customers to begin sharing their content with you and interacting with them to get feedback and opinions then provides an opportunity to create focussed messaging and personalised content for different audiences. Essentially achieving what third-party cookies did whilst creating a dialogue with your audience; far more friendly and customer-centric. It also provides a far superior insight into their buying habits than simply looking at clicks and signal data
The End of Third-Party Cookies; Now Marketing Needs to Change Read More »
2021: The year when you really should embrace networking. Networking isn’t just about turning up every week or two weeks for an hour, it’s about engaging with other businesses
2021: The year when you really should embrace networking Read More »
Throughout this blog you might have noticed that we’ve been using ‘you’ more than ‘we’. We could have sat here and written “this is what we do for our customers”, but that wouldn’t have engaged you to get this far. Your audience wants to know what they will receive from your service and how it will impact on their needs. So, instead of “we promise” consider using “you’re guaranteed” or change “we provide” to “you receive”. Talking directly to your audience can literally win over their hearts and minds.
The A-Z of attractive and engaging content Read More »
Brexit and GDPR, there is a lot of confusion regarding where data is concerned, Brexit & how GDPR is impacted is causing additional concerns
Brexit and GDPR: What you need to know Read More »
Are you getting your marketing right during a pandemic? Get in touch to discuss how to market right during a pandemic
Getting your marketing right during a pandemic Read More »
How many emails did you wake up to this morning? And more importantly, how many did you delete without reading? On any given day, 293 billion emails ping their way around the globe, and an average office worker will receive 121 of them in their inbox. If you consider those stats, it makes sense that
Why it’s time to tidy up your email marketing list Read More »
The Sports Business Club has grown from strength to strength over the last six months and has plans to have engaged with over 1000 grassroots sports clubs by the end of March and up to 5000 by the end of 2021.
Press Release – The Sports Business Club Read More »
If you are a member of a family-owned business and are interested in joining the Family Business Place, take a look at their free resources first. If you find yourself nodding as you are watching, you’re probably an ideal prospective member.
NAMA is proud to be a member of the Family Business Place Read More »
There’s no point sending out an integrated marketing brand message to the four corners of the world/county/town/universe if Bernard in accounts doesn’t understand it. He works for your business and probably speaks to customers, so he needs to be portraying the same message that your social media and mail outs are. Never forget the importance of internal communication.
Integrated Strategies: The Science Behind Marketing Read More »
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, how many followers do I have on Twitter? What’s the size of my MailChimp mailing list? How many likes are on my Facebook page? Do you regularly ask these questions? If you do, then it’s time that somebody introduced you to the concept of Vanity Metrics. What are Vanity Metrics? Vanity
Vanity Metrics – The ugly side of the magic mirror Read More »
CSR Marketing works well when it is utilised in the right way, so do your research and check that everything fits with your requirements before you sign on the dotted line.
NAMA has extensive experience in advising companies of all sizes about sponsorship and donations.
CSR Marketing – Becoming a Sponsor Read More »
What is meant by ‘Digital Footprint’? Your company’s Digital Footprint, in this instance, is the trail of information that is found on the Internet, including everything from Websites, Social Media platforms to Directory Listings. It is not unusual for low quality or inaccurate information to be spread inadvertently across the Internet, and you would not
Have you thought about what your Digital Footprint is saying is about your business? Read More »
We advise against incentivising people to leave reviews; it is against a large proportion of the platform’s guidelines, if you are found in breach of the guidelines, you can be kicked off permanently and named and shamed, this will do your business significant harm. In the longer term, I would advise creating a process that can be followed by all within a company to roll out receiving customer feedback online continually.
How do I get online reviews for my business? Read More »
No company wants to find negative online reviews regarding itself, let alone a plethora of them, but remember a few things: no one is perfect; mistakes or misunderstandings do happen, mistakes can be learned from, honesty goes a long way, as can an apology, don’t compound the complaint by dealing with it badly and
My business has negative online reviews, what should I do? Read More »
Firstly you need to deal with the actual online complaint (bad review) Is the lousy review/complaint accurate / does the customer have a point? What can you offer as a solution? Do not ignore the review; communicate with the client! Communication will need to be both online and in person. Why both? Because once a
Once you have found a bad review you may have two interlinking issues Read More »
For those of you who aren’t acquainted with the concept of personal branding, I’ll explain. Personal branding pretty much does what it says on the tin. It’s your personal brand of everything that’s you, or at least the view of you want to be presented to the world. If you imagine a personal branding site as being similar to meeting a stranger at a party and engaging in small talk, you’ll be on the right track. So, what you do, why you’re good at it, and then also, what you’re interested in and what makes you tick.
Personal branding and do I need it? Read More »
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a necessity for any business’s website No matter if you are a small trader, a small or medium-sized business, or a large global entity, having content on your website that means your pages are displayed on the first page of Google – or any other search engine – is vital.
Search Engine Optimisation Read More »
If you have searched the internet (including Google Profile, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) and discovered that your company has no online reviews (good or bad). Not a single online review regarding your company’s product, services or skills. It could be worse; people could have left a bad review. However, it is still not the best position
Should I worry that my company has no online reviews? Read More »
Many pieces of software or apps can help you manage your social media by allowing you to schedule your posts in advance, amongst other things. Social media management tools should not be confused with social media management in the outsourced sense of the word. What is the purpose of Social media Management tools? With an
Is there an app to help me manage my social media? Read More »
Telling your business and marketing consultant the good, the bad and the ugly will save you time and money and make your goals far more achievable. Businesses bring in people like us (business and marketing consultants) for a range of different reasons; they need a specific field of expertise, a critical friend, or a disruptor
Telling the ugly truth… Read More »
The importance of online reviews to your business should not be underestimated for several reasons including; the customers buying decision-making process can be impacted or altered due to them, and they can impact your company’s search engine rankings, either one of these points should on its own make you pay attention to them. I appreciate
The importance of Online Reviews Read More »
How Charities and CICs Can Attract the Right Sponsors Maybe you are trying to improve your charity’s fundraising, or perhaps you have just started a CIC. You could even be raising money for a single-issue cause. Whatever stage you are at, the reality is the same: you need funding to deliver your mission. Corporate sponsorship
CSR Marketing – How to find sponsors that fit your cause Read More »
No, not quite! Now that you have discovered your positive online reviews, what are you going to do with them? Firstly, make sure you have read them all and respond in a personal way to each of the reviews (do not copy and paste a generic “thank you” in response to all of your reviews,
My company has positive online reviews, our job is done! Read More »
Not sure what a brand voice is? Remember the bad old days before texting when you would answer your phone and immediately recognise who was on the other end just by the way they said “hello”? It was because of their tone of voice and their intonation. With people close to us, we can spot
Give your Business a Brand Voice Read More »
Have you ever wondered how it is that you look at something on Amazon that then, suddenly, that item pops up in ads on every other webpage you visit? Or why it is that there are always adverts popping up on your Facebook and Instagram feeds that relate to something you’ve bought before? You didn’t imagine it;
AI in Marketing: Is it as intelligent as we think? Read More »
Can you outsource your company’s social media strategy and management successfully? The short answer is yes, you can outsource your social media management. The longer answer is yes. You can outsource your social media management and strategy. However, if this is the route you decide to take, make sure you have considered and understood the
Should you outsource your Social Media Management? Read More »
Why does my business need customer personas? Knowing what your potential customers need means that you can tailor your offering to suit them. In an increasingly digitalised world, our clients are becoming more remote. There is now less face-to-face interaction, so if we can pre-empt what someone visiting your site or reading your marketing might
Customer Personas, what are they and why do you need them? Read More »
There are undoubtedly some copywriters out there holding their heads in their hands because it seems that tone of voice is going to have to change. Content is going to need to be more conversational in order to meet the SEO related to more question-based queries. It’s also going to need to answer a query quickly.
Alexa, is voice search the future of marketing? Read More »
I’m sure many of us have spent hours poring over beautiful images on Pinterest, looking at everything from interior design, to pictures of pets, to the best duvet sets out there, to ideas for your next birthday party. But how can a business utilise the Pinterest effect? Pinterest is often used to inspire people –
Have you considered using Pinterest for Business? Read More »
Whilst these are clearly high profile and more extreme cases, small businesses and organisations should take note. Credibility and reputation are hard-won, but very quickly lost and, without your credibility, your business will suffer, sometimes to the point of complete failure.
How will my decision affect the reputation of my brand? Read More »
Imagine that the internet is a busy networking event. We’ve all been to them and have, hopefully, noticed that there are people who work the room and there are also people who stick to the edges of the group and wait to be approached. The people who work the room are always the ones who are most memorable, whether it’s through charisma or a natural technique, we leave with their message in our minds.
Is blogging still important in the age of podcasting and video marketing? Read More »
A friend of mine has had a viral moment. He blames it on Harry Hill. One complimentary video on his Facebook page and overnight he had a phone full of notifications and a 9000 reach on a piece of unpaid advertising. Now, we all know that uninvited celebrity endorsements are few and far between (although
Is it time for you to invest in Video Marketing? Read More »
Marketing does not exist inside a vacuum. Sadly, when we think about marketing these days, the first thing that often comes to mind is social media marketing. How many ‘likes’ does our business Facebook page have? Do we have any followers on Instagram? Are our tweets being re-tweeted? Social Media Management has been a highly useful tool
Is your digital marketing strategy ignoring about 20% of the population in the UK? Read More »
Personally, I hate sitting in meetings listening to words that, at times, seem quite frankly made up and so far outside the realm common usage you feel like yelling “That’s not a real word!” There will always be the marketing buzzwords that come into fashion but thankfully leave us as quickly as they arrived. However,
Marketing Buzzwords Read More »
Because a podcast is created by you, it’s unique to you and your company. This means that you can create a truthful and believable tone which will grab regular listeners. Podcasts also provide a perfect platform for you to teach your listener base about your business and enables you to gain followers who are genuinely interested in what you do. After all, it takes more commitment to listen to a podcast than to like a Facebook post.
Should podcasting be part of your marketing strategy? Read More »
Do you know what a social media influencer is? I’m going to assume that you have heard of Kim Kardashian. She’s one of those people who is famous but no-one can really pinpoint exactly why. Kardashian shot to fame in 2003 as the friend and stylist of Paris Hilton (less famous now) and has cemented herself as
Social Media Influencers: Do you need a Kardashian in your life? Read More »
It is estimated that you need between 5 and 20 touch points (depending on industry) before considering buying from or using a company. That’s 5-20 videos, blogs, e-books that are read or absorbed, radio adverts, out of home media, magazine articles, etc, before they consider purchasing your product. Essentially, they want to get to know you before they commit, which is very reasonable. Ensuring that you have an armoury of excellent content means that you are in a prime position to seal the deal and begin to convert leads from customers.
The way to their heart and wallet is through your content Read More »
Take a moment to imagine that you’re in a shopping centre which is full of shops selling identical products all at the same price. What makes you choose the shop to purchase from? Is it the way the product is displayed? How helpful the shop assistant is? The advertising in the windows? Whether they accept
UX, User Experience – Give the users what they want Read More »
Is your website working? Do you know who’s visiting it? It’s really rather easy to find out using Google Analytics, which is completely free and pretty easy to set up. As a bit of a statistics fan and number cruncher, I love scrolling through a Google Analytics report, and the app gives me some
Using Google Analytics to understand your website Read More »
Can you market your business effectively without Instagram? If you run your own business, author your blog or post frequent content to your website and you’re not using Instagram, then you could be missing a huge trick in marketing your brand. It has now been calculated that there are One Billion active Instagram users every
Instagram – a must-have tool for your business? Read More »
Chris Daly, Chief Executive of The Chartered Institute of Marketing, comments: “In today’s customer-led world, getting Data Right is a business-critical issue. Whilst our research reveals trust is low and the public is being bombarded with data, two-thirds (67%) of the public actually said they would share more personal information if organisations were more open about how they will use it.
Not Another Marketing Agency pledges to get DATA RIGHT Read More »
It’s important not to forget the tried-and-tested, as well as the new marketing kids on the block. The attraction of the latest whizzy tech can be almost overwhelming, but as I said earlier, integrated marketing is all about the consumer. Irritate and annoy them, and you’ll lose them. Think about your campaign messages from their point of view; they won’t care how much money you’ve spent trying to grab their attention – it’s not their problem.
What is Integrated Marketing? Read More »
If you look down our list of blogs (and it’s pretty extensive) you can pretty much get the message that we think blogging is important. Whether you are running an existing business or starting a new career, a blog is an important and useful way of sharing your message. When we tell clients that they
Why is Blogging Important? Read More »
As a business owner, you’ve probably already looked at your business plan and revamped it, considering which steps you will take over the next 12 months to improve your processes and your profits. Staff training, new equipment, maybe even new premises, but have you thought about how you will let your existing and potential customers know about your plans and achievements? It’s the one business resolution that always gets overlooked. You need to update your marketing plan!
Why improving your marketing plan should be your New Year’s Resolution Read More »
Why is a logo important? Your logo is the pinnacle visual element of your branding, and all your marketing efforts should pivot around this fundamental symbol, representing you and your business. Despite this, the fundamental logo is probably one of the most overlooked areas of any business. Your logo will undoubtedly ‘speak’ to your
You can’t afford to take shortcuts with your logo Read More »
Website design trends that have emerged during 2016 and expected to be refined during 2017 Website design trends today follow very different trends than they did just a year ago. However, a “trend” doesn’t necessarily mean “new.” Many new design trends come from the tastes and preferences of designers and users in design and usability.
Website trends expected to continue into 2017 Read More »
Everyone has heard of hashtags (#), and the majority of us have used hashtags in our social media content in one way or another. But where did the term ‘hashtag’ originate from? Back in the early years of Twitter (now X), in 2007, a user suggested that a hashtag could be used as a good
What are Hashtags and how do you use them effectively? Read More »
With so many business events being put on, from networking to training, you really need to come up with something a little different. USPs (Unique Selling Point) is the annoying acronym that should be inserted into that statement. There have been some excellent examples recently of really good and interesting events targeted to specific markets
What makes a successful business event? Read More »
