2022 has not turned out to be the return to normality we all craved as we came out of the pandemic. War, looming recession, rising energy prices - it’s a roller coaster and we all want to get off! With financial worries plaguing us all it’s likely you’re looking at ways to help your business survive. One area you should be focussing on is your marketing strategy, so this month we are taking a look at digital marketing and how building the right strategy now will help your business through the next year.
Prioritise your Customer It’s understandable that cutting spending is the first thing we look to do when faced with financial uncertainty but marketing is vital for your business in order to stay visible to your customers. Instead of thinking of marketing as a cost to your business you should view it as an investment that will boost engagement and help you build a strong relationship with your customers.
Stay True to Your Brand Customers will only spend on the brands they can trust or where they feel they get the most value from. Now is the time to be open and honest about your business and what you have to offer.
Review Your Digital Marketing Strategy As customers change the way they shop your business needs to adjust. Look for ways to engage with your customers - now more than ever you need to focus your marketing on staying connected to your customer base. Don’t make the mistake of cutting back on your marketing - now more than ever your customer is looking for certainty in uncertain times. Stay active on social media to make sure you're strengthening your relationships with your customers - post regularly with relevant and helpful content to engage with your audience. Blogs, newsletters and email marketing are other great ways to communicate what is happening within your business while building strong and long lasting relationships. Are you struggling with your digital marketing? We can help you stay focused, hone your key marketing messages, take the pressure off by doing it for you or simply get better through training and support.
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You might not notice it but brands evolve all the time, from subtle amendments to the logo to complete rebrands including name changes. So why do businesses choose to rebrand? There could be a number of reasons a business decided to rebrand - maybe the business is merging with another company or the current brand is not in-line with the target market. Some recent big rebrands you can’t have missed include Facebook’s morph into Meta or Hermes rebrand to Evri. Both these companies chose to make huge changes to their brands for differing reasons, whether those changes have had the desired effect remains to be seen. Rebranding is a big risk and you should think carefully before you embark on any major changes to your brand. If you are changing the logo for example, a subtle change to start with that can then evolve over time is possibly a better way to go than an all out completely different logo. Of course it all depends on your reasons for rebranding, so let’s have a look at when you might need to consider rebranding and how you should do it so you don’t lose your core customers: Rebrand or Refresh? Over the past year we’ve seen a lot of big companies make bold changes to their brand image, possibly as a response to the way businesses had to adapt in the wake of the pandemic. We saw more and more businesses provide online services and many completely changed the way they interacted with their customers. Of course big changes like these mean your business model is different to when you first started up so it makes sense to reflect that in your brand image.
If you decide to rebrand don’t forget the importance of trademarking your logo to protect your brand. Are you considering a rebrand for your business? Contact us or help with your rebrand or trademark advice. Everyone has heard of Google and you’re probably not surprised to learn that it’s the world’s most visited website! It currently holds more than 92% of the search engine share- it’s seemingly unstoppable! So if you’re making sure your SEO is getting your business seen in searches it makes sense to go one step further and take advantage of Google Business Profile.
What is Google Business Profile? Google Business Profile (previously known as Google My Business) is a free business listing provided by Google. The listing lets you include all your important business contact details and photos and is a brilliant way to boost your business discoverability. It’s only available to businesses that have customer contact, so you’ll have to stick to other tools and analytics if your business is online-only. It’s really beneficial to your business to create a Google Business Profile as once you’re up and running your listing can appear in any of the Google Services from Google Search, Google Maps and Google Shopping. How Can Google Reviews Impact Your Website? Customer reviews are great for your business- they give you valuable insights into your customer and their journey, build trust and credibility and give you great content to use in your social media marketing to boot! Obviously the difference with Google reviews as opposed to say reviews on your business Facebook page is that they’re there for everyone to see- this might seem scary especially as you can’t pick and choose which reviews to share but the combination of star rating and written detail really help your potential customers make an informed choice. Negative Review? Don’t panic! Criticism or negative reviews can be hard to handle but don’t let that put you off creating your Google Business Profile. It’s important to respond to your reviews, positive or negative, as this has been found to affect how your business comes across to customers. A survey carried out by Google and Ipsos Connect found that businesses that respond to reviews are viewed as being more trustworthy than those that don’t so it’s well worth taking the time to reply. Be sure to respond in a timely manner and remain true to your brand voice and image. If a review is negative you should respond honestly and always offer an apology where it is necessary. Criticism is a great learning tool so use it to help improve the weak points in your business. If you get a review that is inappropriate then you can get it removed by reporting it to Google. Top tips for optimising your Google Business Profile
Need help with your Google My Business listing? Want help improving your existing profile? Book a Health Check for first aid assistance. This month we’re taking a look at the emerging trends in digital marketing for 2022. The pandemic and it’s continuing effect on the way we live, and work has had a huge influence on the marketing industry. These are difficult times in many ways and all industries are having to adapt to the ever-changing landscape. So, as we slowly step into 2022 what can we expect to see trending in digital marketing?
Metaverse and Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality experiences When Mark Zuckerberg announced the transformation of Facebook to Meta it was met with mixed reviews. But whatever your opinion on the ‘Metaverse', it can’t be ignored. There are loads of apps that work in augmented reality via the smartphone camera and as mobile devices advance VR will become more accessible too. AR and VR are a great way for consumers to experience products and services and interact with brands! Voice Search It was hailed as a digital marketing trend a few years ago but never really took off as predicted, however it looks like it might be finally catching on so you might want to consider including optimisation for voice search in your marketing strategy for 2022. Personalised Messaging Targeted marketing is a huge trend for 2022. When you’re planning your marketing strategy for the year be sure to hone your customer lists so you can ensure you tailor your ads to their preferences. Micro Moments Closely linked to targeted marketing, micro moments is a term coined by Google to describe the way we make snap-decisions. The key here is to make sure you have a presence on all the same platforms as your customers, using short and snappy targeted ads and personalised marketing. CSR Brands and businesses need to show they care about their communities and act with respect and authenticity. Recent reports in the US showed customers will actively boycott companies that have unethical practices or values. Influencers During the pandemic consumers put more trust in influencers than they did big brands so there’s no doubt influencer marketing is set to rise this year as well. Creator Led Shopping By introducing affiliate revenue Instagram is making it easier for Creators to share and earn money on the products they love. Clear Communication Make searching and shopping a breeze with a clean, simple and easy to navigate website. If it’s not clear what you sell or the services you offer then you are going to lose customers so make sure your website communicates well. Takeaway message: This fast-paced industry is not slowing down but don’t panic, there are lots of exciting opportunities and developments to embrace that will help your brand soar in 2022! If you’re not sure your website can stand up to the fast-paced world of 2022 get your FREE website audit here. On 31st of October in a number of countries, “Halloween” or “All Hallows Eve”, the eve of All Saints Day is often celebrated by children, and adults! dressing up in frightening costumes. Not everyone supports the view of Halloween but nevertheless it is another business marketing opportunity that can be marked in the calendar. 1. Give Away Branded Treats
Give away branded treats with every purchase or order. Cupcakes and treat bags are always popular but think a little outside the box… it might just grab you a bit of attention! 2. Hold a Halloween Event Be part of the Halloween spirit and if appropriate make it a dress up day at work. 3. Halloween Themed Graphics Create spooky or Halloween themed graphics and add a funky graphic to your branding... this can used on your social media and website. 4. Get Creative with #Hashtags or Voucher Codes! You can brainstorm a bespoke hashtag or voucher code for your customers to use to promote how they use your products or services or to save money on products and services just for that day. #Halloween2021, #Boo, #FindTheSpider, #TrickOrTreat 5. Hold a Halloween Competition Hold a Halloween competition with public voting on a specific theme e.g. For a veterinary practice… best spooky dog costume. You will need to advertise this through your website or social media. Treat by the way!... Happy Halloween! |
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