What is your business missing out by not having a blog?

Is your business missing out by not having a blog?If you have a business website, you will probably be wondering if you should have a blog or not. Many businesses are losing out on huge numbers of traffic and sales due to simply not implementing a simple blog. But the problem is, they just don’t realise it.

Regardless of what business you’re in, you can always benefit from having one. It’s not
has hard as you think and it’s also not about telling the world about how you took the
kids to Disneyland at the weekend and one of them was sick all over the couple sitting
next to you on the train.

Your company blog, in many ways is representation of your brand. It’s something that connects you and your customers and builds a level of trust; you’re no longer just another copywriter, or that guy they go to office supplies; you’re an expert, but you’re an expert with a name, a personality and, most of all, someone they can relate to.

For everyone blogging is different; some say that blogging once or twice per day, five days a week is essential, while for others, once a month is sufficient. The point is not the amount of content you post, but the consistency. Consistency is one of the best ways to build trust, and since we humans are habitual creatures, we start to feel uncomfortable when something we’re used to having at a certain time suddenly isn’t there anymore.

I have spoken to many business owners about this issue, and nine times out of ten, I get the same responses: “I don’t have time to blog,” “I’m not a writer,” “nobody wants to read what I have to say.”

Like I told them, I will tell you; wrong, wrong, and wrong again.

Blogging doesn’t have to take as much time as you think. If you can schedule one post a month into your schedule and stick to it – that’s all you need. Again, it’s about consistency, not quantity.

You may not be a writer, but there are plenty of good copywriters out there who are able to create great posts on behalf of your company.

People do want to read what you have to say; they want to know how you can help them, and why you are better than any of your competitors. It doesn’t matter which industry you’re in; you have something to say, and there are plenty of people just waiting to read it.

By not having a business blog, you are really doing yourself and your business a great disservice, and the best thing is that your competitors are all thinking the same as you. So, if you want to give your self a competitive edge, then a blog is a great way to get started.

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There has truly never been an easier or better time to go into business for yourself than in this generation; but just because it’s easier than previously, doesn’t mean it won’t be hard or without problems and challenges. Statistics show that 1 in 3 start-ups will fail within their first three years. The reasons for these failures are:

• Failing to plan – starting a business is certainly an exciting time, but by getting carried away and starting to run before you can walk is one of the most fatal mistakes you can make when going out on your own – and is one of the top reasons why so many start-ups go under before they even get started. Ensuring you have a clear plan of your business goals and updating them regularly is very important – even if you would rather be doing the fun stuff. As they say “failing to plan is planning to fail.”

• Sloppy marketing – the idea of marketing can be somewhat overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to get started and also which particular strategy and type of marketing your business even needs. Marketing is not something that needs to cost you an arm and a leg, and can tailored to suit your needs. It’s always advised to invest some time and money in learning about marketing and how to do it effectively for your business. The difference between good and bad marketing could mean the success or failure of your business.

• Writing your own copy – much like marketing, most small business owners are not really aware of what copywriting actually is and what it can do for your business when done right. The other problem is, copywriters cost money that, much of the time you don’t want to part with because you see it as an unnecessary cost. However, paying a reputable copywriter to write your copy is one investment you really do want to make for your business – it can almost certainly be the difference between success and failure, and the money you pay a copywriter will be earned back in no time when those sales start coming through. Even copywriters hire fellow copywriters to write their own site, because it’s always easier to sell someone else’s product than it is your own.

No one goes into business with the idea of failing – but sadly it happens, and what’s even sadder is that it’s completely avoidable. Start making a few small changes and take the time to invest in your idea.

Are you in need of a new marketing campaign, or do you need your own copywriter? Submit a Brief now!

Sarah

Image from TechCrunch

With the intensity of the marketing activity surrounding the London 2012 Olympics almost matching the excitement of the Games themselves, here’s a look at five different approaches official sponsors have taken to raise profile and attract positive associations through their links to the spectacle:

1. Crowdsourced Advertising
Making use of an increasingly popular trend in marketing, McDonalds has compiled an entire ad campaign from user-generated content to support and plug its sponsorship of the games. Out of more than 20,000 submissions from members of the public showing their support for the Games, the fast food giant has put together press, digital and outdoor ads featuring 60 Team GB supporters, with individual descriptions such as ‘The flag-waving piggy backer’ and ‘The come-on come-on-er’, under the strapline ‘We all make the Games’. A TV campaign will be launched to coincide with the closing ceremony.

2. Athlete Endorsement
Sponsors have flocked to show their support for star name athletes competing at the Games, with Team GB members attracting the most interest as brands look to cash in on the high profile of a home Olympics in the UK. Heptathlete star Jessica Ennis has been dubbed ‘the face of the Games’ by marketing analysts after British Airways, P&G and Adidas all launched specific campaigns to encourage support for the reigning Olympic champion ahead of the start of the track and field events.Twitter has become a particular focus of all three brands’ attempts to rally the public behind her.

3. Social Media
With the prominence and popularity of social media in a different stratosphere to what it was when the Olympics were held in Beijing four years ago, London 2012 is being dubbed the ‘social games’, with interaction between competitors and fans at unprecedented levels. Marketers are getting in on the action too, with virtually every major sponsor launching a dedicated Twitter hashtag to drive conversations surrounding their campaigns.

4. The Marketing Anthem
Music has always had an integral role to play in event-based marketing, and few brands know how to make an anthem work better than Coca-cola. An official Olympic sponsor for 50 years, the soft drinks giant has taken an innovative approach this time around, commissioning top DJ and producer Mark Ronson and singer Katy B to compose a sports-themed track made up of sound-bites taken from actual sporting events and stars. The resulting track, ‘Move to the Beat’, has already grabbed huge vital attention through YouTube, showing how Coca-Cola’s traditional use of music to promote its brand is also moving with the times.

5. Olympic Imagery
There can be few symbols as iconic as the Olympic rings, and a number of brands have focused their London 2012 marketing around the image. United Colors of Benetton has stuck to its long-standing campaign to raise awareness about HIV with a striking poster and press campaign depicting the Olympic rings made up of coloured condoms, while artist Sarah Hyndman has created a series of ‘alternative’ Olympic posters picturing the rings made up of everyday objects that many critics have lauded as far better than the official posters.

Upload your business brief to expand your company’s marketing potential today!

Sarah

Many of the most well-known and successful brands that are around today are ones that we have all grown up with – they have just always “been there”. At least, for as long as
we can remember anyway.

But, in actual fact, it turns out that some of the biggest and most successful brands of all time came very close to losing it all. So, let’s take a look at the ones that almost didn’t make it:

Apple – Considering that Apple are now the most valuable company in the world and constantly maintain their top-spot by producing nothing less than the best products, then this was a bit of a shock. The company was just months away from bankruptcy before Steve Jobs returned and put them back on the map as the leading innovators we know and love today.

Ben & Jerry’s – These guys are known the world over for their delicious ice-cream. In every supermarket, shopping mall, and amusement park, you will find it difficult not to find a place selling Ben & Jerry’s. Though when they were just starting to become known, their competitors at Hägen Dazs were somewhat less thrilled by the success of this new ice-cream chain who seemed to be popping up all over the place. Hägen Dazs made some quite strong efforts to scare the little guys at Ben & Jerry’s away, and by doing so only caused more support for their competition.

Disneyland – Known and loved by children and adults alike, the happiest place on earth almost wasn’t a place at all. When Walt Disney came up with the idea to open the first Disneyland park in California, he was turned down for a loan 302 times. In a case where many people would’ve just given up, he kept going and finally got his loan approved, which then also lead to the opening of two further parks in the US and Europe.

KFC – What started out as a small roadside café in the 1950s was to become one of the most recognised fast food chains of today. Though, not before almost going completely under. When a new interstate was built just outside the café, the value of the property lost so much value that people just weren’t eating there anymore. But instead of admitting defeat and shutting shop, Harland Sanders took his secret recipe to the streets and eventually built one of the biggest franchises in the world.

If you are looking for an innovative online marketing campaign, submit a brief now!

Sarah