Can Staff Destroy your Brand using Social Media

We had a great event with MyHR this morning to answer this question for business owners.

Clue – the answer is “yes”!

The longer answer is that it will probably only be a total destruction if you do not have clear policies in place or if your company has something to hide and is not clearly communicating to customers, staff, stakeholders and shareholders.

The slide decks by Rebecca Caroe and Jason Ennor are below.

Watch the video on the Creative Agency Secrets YouTube Channel.

Any questions – please get in touch.  We are happy to offer a free 20 minute phone chat to prospective clients.

Marketing and HR combine

Marketing and HR Can Now Join Forces Thanks to Tech

More and more businesses are beginning to see the benefit in strengthening the connection between their

Marketing and HR combine

Marketing and HR combine
Photo credit: Actionhrm.com

marketing and human resources departments. When technology is used in combining the resources of HR and marketing, it can certainly have a positive impact on both departments. Technology ensures that everyone in the same company has access to the same information, which can make it easier to build brand loyalty. Trust in a company is increased when potential customers see a genuine commitment in its personnel.

Consumers desire products that they can perceive as being aligned with their own self-image or that fit in with an idealistic lifestyle. The same emotional needs and motivations apply to employees too, especially those who identify themselves with a particular culture or set of values.

Technology is used in marketing to build brand loyalty through strategies that bring in better results. When marketing strategies are combined with HR, the result is greater employee loyalty through higher expectations and more engagement with the brand.

When marketing and HR join forces, thanks to tech, the value of the brand is enhanced from a customer’s point of view and this has an obvious impact on sales.

Technology allows HR teams to focus on strategic tasks

HR software systems allow close analysis of employee performance. This means that an employee’s future prospects depend less on having the right skills and formal qualifications and more on their level of engagement with company values and branding.

HR can carry out analysis of job candidates in the same way that the marketing department identifies and targets potential customers. This effectively rules out anyone being employed that are likely start complaining. If the wrong sort of people are hired, the potential is always there that they will do harm to the brand by using social networks or suchlike to voice their complaints.

When HR can focus on recruiting people who want a more meaningful career, company employees stay loyal to the brand and act as ambassadors. They post positive messages about their job and show pride in what they do.

Together marketing and HR can build better strategies

The same type of analytical data that is used by HR to identify the potential of an employee can be applied in marketing to assess the relevant aspects of a potential consumer.

Tracking software used in HR gives all employees access to their own data. The marketing department can use feedback from individual employees in combination with analytics to see exactly how well their strategies are working in real terms. The team can then make decisions about refinements that will increase sales through better marketing strategies in future.

Greater benefits for business

Before the digital age, a marketing department was primarily concerned with working to a budget, and its main focus was on products and consumer demands. HR was not involved in any of those aspects and was only concerned with company employees. In the modern world employees expect to be treated more like consumers and the functions of these two departments should become more closely linked through technology. As a result there will be some obvious improvements in both departments.

Marketing departments develop strategies that match the company’s values. They establish a brand and reinforce the company mission. The same sort of technology used in marketing can help HR to recruit sales staff that have a similar philosophy. With the input of data from HR and the marketing department, the workforce is better prepared to get the right message across to potential customers.

Amplify Podcast logo

Amplify Podcast features Rebecca Caroe

The blogging concentrated team runs the Amplify podcast and invited me on as a guest last week.

Amplify Podcast logo

Amplify Podcast logo

We talk about bookmarking services – our favourite ways of saving and sharing web links and also tech companies in #Dunedin.

Listen to the Amplify Podcast episode (25 minutes).

Why appear on Podcasts?

I was curious about how the Blogging Concentrated team used podcasts and other podcasters as an active part of their marketing promotion strategy and tactics.

Dan Morris told me that by approaching podcasters and getting featured on their shows it helps them reach new audiences.

Like Creative Agency Secrets – there are a large potential audience who would like to use our marketing advice but cannot afford to pay or would prefer to implement the marketing themselves.  Offering a podcast with tips and advice is a great way to serve this part of your audience.

We have three offers for Creative Agency Secrets – everyone fits into one of these groups.

  • I want free marketing advice
  • I want to be trained or coached in how to do marketing
  • I want marketing to be done for me
CAS_apple

Creative Agency Secrets Apple icon

Our entire website is structured around pathways to guide the reader into one of these.  Click the apple and orange image on our home page and explore for yourself.

Anniversary marketing campaign ideas

 

Linda Horton from Bermuda makes amazing Bermudan Black Rum Cakes and is planning a 30th

Horton’s Bermudan Black Rum Cake

Anniversary Marketing event.  Here’s what we recommended

  • Create a special cake (unique box, big plus small cake in one box, different sizes, multi-buy)
  • Use your database of past customers and create a mailing campaign
  • Create a landing page on your website “30th Anniversary” – on the page talk about the history of the company and tell them there will be a contest every week during July and you’re planing a special cake edition.  As each email gets sent out, edit the page to include more and more information

Send messages as follows

  • 1 month in advance (1 June) telling them to expect something special at the anniversary.
  • 2 weeks later tell them what it will be and say you’re taking advance orders at a special discounted price for 1 week only.  [This is useful because you then know the volume you need to bake.]
  • 1 week after – send an email saying you will raise the price to the normal price on the website in 1 day [this will drive more sales].
  • On 1 July start the contest on Facebook and also run it on the website.  Include a simple entry form so you get their email addresses.
  • On 8 July announce the winner of the first week on Facebook and the website page.  Also email every person who entered and did not win offering them a special price on a cake and encouraging them to enter again.
  • Repeat each week till the end of July.
If you want to boost contest entries you can do Facebook advertising to send people to your landing page.
I am really looking forward to the cake Linda’s sending over for the team… morning coffee will never be the same again!

 

Job sheets and accounts software for tradesmen

We get asked all sorts of things by clients and this morning an electrician startup asked us

“Got a recommendation for a job sheet and accounting app that also incorporates inventory management?”

We did some research among our clients and contacts and found two options for them to check for inventory management and time management.

Two videos for you to watch
  • Next Minute – integrates with Xero
  • Jobsheet App also integrates with Xero
Contact Bevan at Jobsheet App support@jobsheetapp.com for more information
Jobsheet app is used by David Mortimore at Precision Plumbing  he’s used it for a few years and has 6 guys on his team.
Rowperfect is a client who uses the new Xero inventory system and it works fine.
And when you’re ready for marketing advice for tradesmen – give Creative Agency Secrets a call!