Are Business Cards still relevant ?

July 26, 2016 | Cheshire Digital Marketing

In this digital age of many of us swap contact details on LinkedIn,by Email and on Twitter.Its instant you can import them easily into your Marketing/CRM software.Is there still a place for using Business Cards in your business dealings?

The answer is yes just as we said in our item on using handwritten communication (HERE) some more old fashioned methods of marketing can add some formality to your digital strategy .

So here’s why Business Cards still work ?

1. Swapping contact information digitally is impersonal.
Networking is about making genuine connections. Sending contact information via text or email on the spot is convenient but it is also extremely impersonal. Engaging in eye contact and actual conversation is how real relationships begin.People buy from people .Giving a business card helps people remember your encounter.

2. They are the most effective direct marketing tools.
Email marketing, search engine optimization and paid media all do a great job of attracting leads and prospects, but they still aren’t as effective as an in-person meeting sealed with a handshake along with a business card exchange.

3. A business card is the first impression of your brand.
When you meet someone that could potentially be a great prospect or connection, don’t you want him or her to walk away with a great first impression? A memorable business card does a lot more than just pass on an email address or phone number.

4. Creative business cards get shared — spreading the word about your brand.
A business card is a physical object that a potential prospect leaves the encounter with. Your brand stays with them. If you hand over a creative business card that makes a great impression that person is likely to show it to other people — putting you and your brand in front of additional prospects.

5. Business cards show you are prepared.
Have you ever had someone write his or her contact information on a cocktail napkin and hand it over to you? How about someone that had a mobile phone with a dead battery? It isn’t the most professional approach.

We are always looking to differentiate ourselves from the competition so here is a great way to do this?

For a free consultation on your Video,Online,Social Media Marketing or even Written Marketing needs or for more information Contact Us for more details.

Why you should use handwritten communications in your Marketing

July 4, 2016July 5, 2016 | Cheshire Digital Marketing

Businesses are constantly searching for new and novel ways to attract new Customers . Many are turning to handwritten communication . Surprising in this digital age ? No not really its all about novelty and perhaps a bit of formality ! Consequently business is booming for handwritten letters .No one is suggesting that we all go back to handwritten letters en masse there is the small matter of cost and coverage . Digital is vastly cheaper ,has huge coverage and is much more measurable.

However a handwritten message is powerful too perhaps we can suggest that it can be used most effectively for follow up from an initial enquiry or targeting key prospects .

So here’s a few ideas for how we can use handwritten communications to complement digital marketing :

-For some written communications hand write the envelope

-Target key customers with a handwritten letter

-Send thank you cards after an appointment or even better after an order !

-Write with a fountain pen and use a classic script

There are a few businesses growing to meet this new trend charging companies to write handwritten correspondence to customers on their behalf. One example is Inkpact .Or of course you can dust off the fountain pen and reacquaint yourself with ‘Writers’s Cramp’

For a free consultation on your Video,Online,Social Media Marketing or even Written Marketing needs or for more information Contact Us for more details.

Do voters behave like customers ?

June 18, 2016 | Cheshire Digital Marketing

Social Media is becoming the digital campaign tool of choice for political campaigning .In recent years I have done more work for political clients seeking election and re-election .

Internationally we saw the Social Media success of the Obama campaign in 2008 and 2012 .More recently Bernie Sanders ran Hilary Clinton a lot closer for the 2016 Democratic Party Nomination than anticipated .Last year saw Justin Trudeau and Canadian Liberal Party surge to power on the back of a great Social Media campaign .In the UK the Scottish National Party use Social Media very effectively with considerable electoral success .

For the current UK European Referendum Campaign the #StrongerIn side have put a lot of faith in Facebook. ads in the five days #VoteLeave is less digital in its approach maybe because its key demographic is older .

In digesting the lessons of our own of work on political campaigns use versus that we do for commercial customers the big question is ? Is Voter behaviour the same as Consumer behaviour?

That’s a good question my view is they are largely similar but commercially its a monetary transaction . Whereas a voter in a negative scenario might vote one particular way as a protest or in dysfunctional electoral systems like the UK tactically .Do customers buy something to ‘hurt ‘ their favourite brand or buy tactically to affect a Market outcome.

It would be nice to hear from anyone else what they think ?

Lessons from the 1920s for Video Marketing

June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 | Cheshire Digital Marketing

There is not much question that Video is a very powerful online marketing tool. Video consistently gets fantastic engagement . You’d think that nearly 100 hundred years on the silent movies of the 1920’s had nothing to teach us about Video Marketing in 2016 .

But actually the skills in telling their story without sound are highly relevant. Facebook tells us that more than 80% of videos viewed are done so without the sound on.So a simple lesson here add subtitles and captions to your video marketing !

For a free consultation on your Video,Online or Social Media Marketing needs or more information Contact Us for more details.

How to use Christmas to promote your business

November 25, 2015November 25, 2015 | Cheshire Digital Marketing

Christmas is just a matter of weeks away so it could be time to give your marketing a festive feel.

If you’re a retailer, Christmas is probably a really important part of your year.If you provide services you probably see Christmas as a distraction,a holiday period that disrupts the business cycle or a welcome break.

However many service-based businesses neglect Christmas and the marketing opportunities it brings.

Christmas is an ideal time to develop relationships by engaging with your customer base and providing them with information about your services. Depending on the service you provide you may be able to tie this in with the festive season, whether it is in the way of special Christmas offers or by assisting with Christmas preparations.

If you offer a service that you can’t exactly tie in with Christmas. The festive season is still a great time to engage with your customers, new and old. Some ideas include:

– Customised Christmas cards – even though we live in a digital age where messages can be sent and received instantly, there’s still something nice about receiving a printed Christmas card. Unlike an email, it will be there for all to read and may even be displayed, for this reason be sure to include all of your company contact details and a unique Christmas message

– Christmas eCard – for those who perhaps have a database of email addresses but no postal addresses, why not send out a Christmas card in electronic form? eCards are ideal as they give you the freedom to inject the personality of your brand and can be sent and received instantly. They are also a good option to consider when there isn’t enough time to design, print and send a printed Christmas card .Its quite a nice idea perhaps to make a donation to charity equivalent to the savings made by going digital.

– Promotions for the New Year – give your customers a gift they can redeem in the New Year, discount off your services in January works well. Spread this Christmas cheer by way of email and your social media channels

– A branded calendar or diary – ensure your business is visible to your customers all-year round by sending out a calendar or diary that they can display or use throughout 2014. Again be sure to include your contact details and also a short description of what you do for the benefit of others who may be viewing it

– Promotional gifts – If you have a larger budget, why not consider sending out promotional gifts to your customers? Whether this is items they can keep such as paperweights or pens, or items they can eat like chocolate Santas or candy canes, this always makes for a nice touch and a way to remember your business.

– Send a Christmas email to wish people compliments of the season and let them know your Christmas/New Year Opening hours.

– A Christmas Competition on your Social Media Channels – Many businesses and brands are choosing to run competitions and promotions to give their social media communities a boost before the holidays.

Please Contact Us and let us know if you have any suggestions or if you want any additional advice on how to make the best of the festive season.

Róisín Murphy.
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Time to take a serious look at Snapchat and Instagram for Business

September 29, 2015 | Cheshire Digital Marketing

Both Snapchat and Instagram are now in the mainstream of social meda marketing the former at 200 million monthly users and the latter at 300 million. So its time to take a serious look at using them for marketing there are some very clever strategies for retailers to harness the power of theses networks.Here are the best two online guides I have found so far How to Use Snapchat for Business and 26 Tips for Using Instagram for Business .

The best first step you can do to prepare yourself for this opportunity is ,if you havent done so already, set up Snapchat and Instagram accounts and try them out.

Please Contact Us of you have any queries or for more information .

Stanley Littlewood

Are the Summer Holidays really bad for business ?

August 4, 2015 | Cheshire Digital Marketing

Digital Excellence Experts

There’s a popular view that suggests the Summer isn’t a good time for business. Is it really though ? Is it just a state of mind we all get into?Maybe its a good time to get ahead of your competitors ? Here are five easy things you could do:

1) Call people. “Hi just calling to see how you are and to find out if there’s anything we can do for you right now?” Better still call in.

2) Spend time on cleaning up your marketing database. Often updating your contacts/address book/marketing database gets left till last here’s a chance to catch up and hit the ground running in the Autumn .

3) Planning and preparation. So even if EVERYONE is on holiday, there’s no-one to call and you’re stuck in the office, this is a great time to do some planning. Plan and prepare so you hit the ground running in…

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What does your business have in common with Sky,BBC,ITV,Netflix etc ?

June 19, 2015June 27, 2015 | Cheshire Digital Marketing

Well unless you are a Media business the answer might appear to be not much. In fact you have a lot more in common than you think. The key to great Marketing especially online is authentic original content for your Blog or Website.Essentially this is about having something interesting to say about your business, business sector and or area of expertise.

This means more than just talking about your products and services as great as they may be. Authentic and original (creative) content will attract potential customers to your Blog,Website or Social Media profile. Repeating or copying content from elsewhere will see a rapid drop in engagement with potential customers.

So whats the connection with high profile Media Companies like Sky,Netflix and the BBC? Well they have the same challenge the search for authentic and original content.Whether its the next Game of Thrones,Orange is the New Black or Champions League Football content is critical to their business.

You need to think the way they do and always be looking for your next blockbuster.There are lots of ways to do this and they depend on how creative you are.If you are not you can engage a Content Creator/Curator like me,use other team members and or use Guest Bloggers too.Just remember Content is King.