by Marketing Dan | 4 Feb 2016 | Marketing Tips
SEO is it a racket?? this is a question that was posed recently and one that is worth some consideration. We are a marketing company that carries out SEO on behalf of some of our clients, we have our own SEO for the phrase marketing help and it is usual for us to be in the top 2 in the organic search results for this phrase. However this does not prevent us fielding calls at least 3 times a week from overseas companies promising to make us top of Google search results, not to mention the untold e-mails we receive promising much the same thing. As there is with any product or service there is always the snake oil salesmen who will promise much and deliver little, in our experience these fall in to 2 categories. Overseas callers – once you have paid them they lose interest and you are lucky if you get any any results let alone top of Google Unfortunately, many large NZ companies run campaigns to get your website to the top of Google, these companies, some of who used to produce such things as directories, which are now defunct, and so they have moved their sales force onto locking you into SEO and Pay per click contracts you can’t get out of. from this point of view then the answer to the question SEO is it a racket is yes at times it is. However if you can get someone to perform your SEO that will sit with you and explain the ins and outs of what they are going to do for your website...
by Marketing Dan | 29 Jan 2016 | Business Setup Tips, Established Business Tips, Marketing Tips
Marketing ideas – Lets get Started So thats the first month of the new year over, so we can stop calling it the new year now, its 2016 (and its 8.3% over) If your are still procrastinating about your marketing ideas (and that would make you one of the 60% of small business owners who do) then here are a couple of ideas to get you started on your marketing plan for the year 1. Who is your ideal target customer make a list of the things that make your ideal customer, for instance your ideal customer is the one who a) understands that in order for me to provide them with a great service they need to pay me b) is within 15 kilometers of my business c) Pays their bills on the date requested d) requires the service I am offering on a regular basis There are a number of other things that you may put into your list, just about anything you can think of that makes them ideal. Then make a list of the clients who you currently have that meet this criteria (or most of them). Consider how you got these people as a client and then identify ways to market yourself to a similar group of people Consider the clients you have that don’t meet any of your ideal target client criterai and put their price up!! (If they go away you will probably find you haven’t lost much) Understanding whom you are selling to (and who you aren’t) is critically important – it can save you a lot of time and energy and...
by Marketing Dan | 16 Jan 2016 | Marketing Tips
Hybrid Marketing Hybrid Marketing is a comparatively new term to the world of marketing, and is often referred to as integrated marketing, if you consider your website and your printed promotional material, they do not appear to have a lot in common so you will find yourself dealing with a website designer, a hosting company, a print designer, a printer and a distribution company, just to carry out 2 aspects of your marketing. A Hybrid marketing company has the expertise to carry out all aspects of your marketing, both on line and off-line. Why use a Hybrid Marketing Company When you approach the issue of marketing your business, you can find yourself becoming overwhelmed by the volume of advice and a lot of it will be contradictory. In addition to this you will find that just about everyone you talk to is a marketing expert, your accountant will probably give you some marketing advice, the bank will give you some marketing advice, your family will probably chime in with their marketing advice and if you ask your hairdresser they will probably have an opinion as well. There are problems with getting marketing advice from these sources, Accountants should be expert on doing your accounts and giving advice on financial matters, why they consider their background in accounting practice makes them marketing experts is a source of wonder to those of us who actually work in marketing. The bank should really be concentrating on helping you with your money and getting marketing advice from your family and friends will usually see them agreeing with whatever it is you think you should be...
by Marketing Dan | 20 Dec 2015 | Marketing Tips
Marketing Research for Small Business Marketing research should be an integral part of your marketing planning, whatever you are selling – ice cream, shoes, fishing tackle or burgers, it will pay you to know as much as possible about your target market. Many small business owners think they cannot afford to carry out marketing research, they have heard that large companies spend thousands of dollars carrying out marketing research and assume they have to do the same. Many large companies do indeed spend thousands of their marketing dollars on research, they set up research teams, carry out large surveys, have focus group meetings, arrange for testing panels to be set up and conduct extensive qualitative research into their new product or service. However for the smaller business there are ways to carry out marketing research and not spend a fortune doing it 1) you can survey your existing customers. 2) You can set up small focus groups 3) Research on line – search for reports, international trends and magazine articles about similar products or services 4) Check out what people are searching for on Google 5) Don’t rely on the opinions of your close friends and family often – their opinion will be swayed by your enthusiasm for your project. These will all take time if done properly but good market research can help you avoid the expensive mistake of launching a product or service that nobody wants. Lastly but probably most effective, – use a Marketing Company – Here at Assist Marketing we have our own market research databases and research panels that we can draw on to help...
by Marketing Dan | 7 Dec 2015 | Marketing Tips
What is Marketing?? a simple question put to me yesterday by a student leaving school next year. I have my definition of Marketing, – everything you do before and after a sale to ensure your client gets satisfaction from the sale. however there are many different answers to the What is Marketing question A quick Google search found at least 70 different answers to the question what is marketing, without even trying!! Wikipedia for example Marketing is about communicating the value of a product, service or brand to customers or consumers for the purpose of promoting or selling that product, service, or brand. The oldest – and perhaps simplest and most natural form of marketing – is ‘word of mouth’ (WOM) marketing, in which consumers convey their experiences of a product, service or brand in their day-to-day communications with others. These communications can of course be either positive or negative. I quite like this quote from Gini Dietrich the founder and CEO of an American Marketing company called Arment Dietrich Marketing is branding, naming, pricing, and the bridge between paid and earned media. It is NOT sales. This definition by Sam Fiorella from Sam Fiorella.com puts a sporting perspective on what is marketing Marketing is the business’ play-maker. As with successful hockey franchises, the most valuable player is not always the player who scores the most goals but the player who creates the play that allows others to score (think Gretzky, Crosby or Orr). A great marketing team assesses the brand’s playing field, quickly captures their competitor’s position, strengths and weaknesses, maps it against their team’s position, strengths and...
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