Marketing Archives - Page 38 of 54 - Creative Agency Secrets

The best approach to get leads for a B2B solution

13 January, 2016/2 Comments/in B2B, Lead Generation, Marketing /by Rebecca Caroe

I got this question on Clarity.fm where I’m a registered consultant and so decided to share my answer here as well.

Firstly, get some testimonials and case studies for the product.
Build a website and pay to have it SEOed professionally.
Plan a blog writing year of articles.
Get public speaking opportunities to showcase your expertise and if you can, mention the B2B solution.
Buy a mailing list (or build your own) and use direct mail to educate the audience in your area of expertise. Later mention the B2B solution and build a landing page on the website to capture inbound enquiries.
Seek referrals and word of mouth from happy customers.

In order to do these things you will need the following marketing assets: Website, brochure collateral, marketing automation software, CRM database, SEO and strong copywriting.

Happy to help with more detail if you arrange a 20 minute phone call with me personally. I can either tutor you in how to do it yourself, or my team can do it with/for you.

Business not working effectively? Have you considered a business relaunch?

4 December, 2015/1 Comment/in B2B, Marketing /by Creative Agency Secrets Team

If your business isn’t working as effectively as it once was, a business relaunch might be for you. Relaunching a business is a proactive decision taken to ensure that your business stays relevant and engaging in this new fast-paced, dog eat dog world. If a business is relaunched successfully, it can shed its old, ineffective face – and usher in it’s new, more successful era. Here are our tips for business relaunch, to make sure you nail it.

Our Tips for a Successful Business Relaunch

Do Your Homework

The first step of any major change is to work out what isn’t working. Analyse your business, and work out what was effective, and what wasn’t. Recruit someone to give you a hand with this; preferably someone unbiased who won’t sugar coat the truth. From here, go deeper and work out why your business wasn’t working; have your customers changed? Has your market changed? Is your product still what it once was? This is the defining moment of a relaunch decision – carry it out accordingly! Having extensive knowledge of both your own business and the wider market is key to a successful relaunch.

Learn from your Mistakes

Now that you know what wasn’t working and why, it is time to make some changes. In front of you there are two ‘piles’: the good things and the bad. Keep the good things – be it your software, product, or even your business cards, and take the lessons from the bad things. These lessons are the most important part of a relaunch – learn from, and don’t forget them. Make positive decisions based on what you learned – this is where your business has its grand rebirth – it is a landmark moment. You have an effective business again – go you.

Spread the Good Word

Now you effectively have a new business – but no one knows about it. This is your time to share your business with the world (again). If you can signal the relaunch of your business with an event, and promote it in such way as to get people talking about it, you’ll put yourself in a strong position to start well. Your main aim here is not only to promote your business, but also to differentiate it and shed the image of the old one. If you can express the fact that your business is leaner, meaner, (maybe cleaner and greener), and here to stay – then you might be onto a winner.

Want to read more?

This article focuses on business relaunch options, and introduces the concept of pivoting your business
While slightly older, this article shares some fantastic war stories of businesses that have relaunched.
Look here for a quick relaunching guide from Marketing Donut.

Psychometric Reports add value to an Accountant’s Tool Box

27 November, 2015/0 Comments/in Marketing /by Rebecca Caroe

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place……. (George Bernard Shaw).

Communication has always been important but in these days of Facebook, LinkedIn texting and all that

Psychometric profile report sample

goes with these mediums, do we really understand the individual through these communication channels?

Psychometrics literally means “measurement of the mind”, but what does that mean?

Psychometrics include aptitude/ability tests but also, arguably even more importantly, personality and behavioural reporting. And this is why consultants and accountants in increasing numbers are recommending this methodology to their clients, quite apart from the fact that they too can use behavioural reports for their own team building in recruitment, motivation and communication.

Why Accountants need different staff

Accountants are facing the need to broaden their consulting services and clearly human resources tools are an obvious and practical option. As Mark Twain puts it “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got”. Progressive accountants realise the importance of understanding their clients and the importance of their clients understanding what makes their employees tick.

So what’s involved in grasping this methodology?

HR Profiling Solutions provide versatile, user friendly psychometric testing tools empowering you and your clients to get the best from people, improve performance
and the bottom line.

We are the Master Distributors of Extended DISC and the recently released FinxS products for the Australasian region, representing a Finnish based global organisation which has distributors in some 80 countries.

Reporting is based on world renowned and validated theory, is available in 60 languages, and uses methodology which is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading and most advanced assessment systems.

The FinxS system offers versatility with the ability to brand and customise reports according to client requirements. The system also offers significant value added, user friendly options (once a Behavioural Analysis has been produced), all available at no additional cost including:

A range of standard competency reports, eg Accounting Profession, Business Development, Management etc
Team, Recruitment, Work Pair Analysis & Vocational Aptitude Reports
Online functions accessing 1,000+ competency resource
Ability to create specific Job Template

FREE offer for our readers

If you would like to learn more about how you can help your clients to grow whilst generating additional revenue for your practice, HR Profiling will provide a free test report with no ongoing obligations to any accountant who wishes to test drive the system and make their decision as to accuracy, value and practical application by contacting Alison Sherning on 0800 333 668 (New Zealand) or 1800 764 432 (Australia).

Marketing Online magazine features how to use RSS

23 November, 2015/0 Comments/in B2B, B2C, Content Marketing, Marketing /by Rebecca Caroe

Rebecca’s article ion how marketers can use RSS is in this month’s edition of Marketing Online (p22-23).

Really stoked that we’re getting online!

Unusual Christmas gifts for business

12 November, 2015/2 Comments/in B2B, Marketing ideas /by Rebecca Caroe

A client asked us what they could do to thank their clients for their business that was more original than a christmas card. Here’s a summary of our suggestions:

Charity Gifts

Do a charity donation plus a performance. I know the CEO of StarJam a charity empowering young people wiht disabilities through performance and singing. Pay to sponsor their class for a year (it costs $30 per child per month), invite all your clients to a drinks party (mid-winter) and get a performance from the troupe. I’ve experienced these and they are very powerful, plus it’s local and community building.

Better still, make the donation in the name of your client and get StarJam to send a thank you card direct to the client so they know it was given by you but they get the recognition.

Subscription gifting

Choose something that comes once a month so clients remember you throughout the year. The Ma Cherie cafe makes exquisite French macaroons and pastries (I had breakfast there today) and they could send a box gift from you all. Or FarroFoodKits (Auckland only) or SnackPack the Honest Food Co,

Others include Bacon delivery or beauty products, pet gift boxes or shaving products monthly.

Cafe Direct the ethical coffee and tea business offers “Handpicked” a monthly selection club.

Overall, a good business gift should be memorable, enjoyable and if you can, unusual and over-riding all these it must align with your brand values.

Here are a few other helpful articles which may give you inspiration

Forbes list of gifts to keep you top of mind
Helpful lightbox advising shipping information
The Uncommon Gifts company – helpful lightbox pops up to advise they ship to New Zealand.
The Great Gift company UK – nice categories to select from by recipient.
That Sweet Gift – has a holiday gift guide

Achieve More With Less: Time-saving techniques for business & marketing

Event: Achieve More With Less Time

10 November, 2015/0 Comments/in Marketing /by Creative Agency Secrets Team

Nowadays everyone works under time pressure. We all have a long list of things to do and running out of time in the day to do them becomes normal. Exceptional business owners and entrepreneurs are supremely organised. You need to understand how poor work processes affect you and what is possible to achieve with training.

What does it take to complete your task list?

When you know how to prioritise, set up efficient processes and avoid procrastination, you achieve your goals and clear your in-box. So if you’re not getting the business goal results you want, this event is for you.

Marketing Productivity Tips From The Experts

Ticket Includes: Time management training from market leader Robyn Pearce; practical marketing implementation advice from Rebecca Caroe and free ebook “Getting A Grip On Effective Meetings” (value $19); with complimentary breakfast, tea and coffee.

Guarantee: full refund if you’re not satisfied.

What You’ll Learn:

Outlook e-mail tricks to save at least 30 minutes a day.
Diary management and prioritising – methods used by the most successful and efficient people.
How to make best use of your marketing copy.
What, when and how to automate marketing processes.
Practical tips on how to outsource effectively.

Event Timings:

7:45am – Doors open, breakfast served
8:00am – Presentation begins: introductions
8:10am – Inbox management techniques and streamlining workflow
8:30am – Marketing processes so you don’t keep reinventing the wheel
8:50am – Questions and Answers
9:15am – Event ends with friendly business networking

Website appraisal – criteria for success

29 September, 2015/1 Comment/in B2B, Digital media, Strategy /by Rebecca Caroe

If you ask Creative Agency Secrets to help improve your website marketing, a good place to

Number 1 business website problem
Credit: Wikipedia

start is with a website appraisal. You get a summary document of issues and recommendations for improvements.

So far, so good.

The number 1 problem with business websites

Let me tell you the one thing that over and over trips up our website appraisal – the site is created without having first answered these 3 questions.

Who is it for?
What is it about?
What do you want visitors to do?

If you create a business website without first doing these 3 answers, the results will be haphazard.

Answering them will inform

writing style
keywords
calls to action
menu structure
ancillary marketing (newsletter / brochures / case studies)
blog categories, themes and post-types

I’ve just been asked to appraise a web page called “Why choose us?”.

Believe me, it was desperately hard, because the page did not answer the question in the title.

I am known for being straight-talking and as a result the report was frank – if the client had first done the thinking, then they would have a much clearer website page and I could have added much more value with more detailed recommendations. Without answers I could only guess the answers and the recommendations weren’t as full and complete as I would have liked.

Do your business website a favour today

Go and answer those 3 questions. NOW!

Signed: In grateful thanks – your marketing team

Want more marketing ideas for your business?

Get in touch for a free 20 minute discussion by clicking the link bottom right on this page.

The blue icons opposite are part of our 8-Step New Business Development Methodology.

Click each icon to find more blog articles on the topic – educate yourself in modern marketing

Create Demand By Learning How to Make Your Website Perform

28 September, 2015/1 Comment/in B2B, B2C, Marketing, Marketing ideas /by Rebecca Caroe

This is the webinar of the year which we’ve put together for you.

In it, Rebecca explains how to find out if your website is performing using 3 simple free testing tools. You should do these tests now and see if the results match your expectations.

How to run a website (design and functionality)
Top 3 website frustrations business owners have and how to solve them
Top tips to get your website generating leads
3 Free tools to test your own website to see if it’s performing (or not)

Get your website working for you

16 September, 2015/0 Comments/in Marketing /by Rebecca Caroe

5 minute interview I did with Tom Poland that answers these questions

Why business owners need to learn how to ‘drive’ a website
Top 2 frustrations business owners have with their website
Why business websites under-perform

Get your free ebook – Get My Website Working For Me from this link