Best practice approach
Understanding your marketplace
When you first start working with me, I like to ensure that I get to grips with your marketplace. I like to understand what factors are influencing it. Factors that will be affecting your profitability.
I’ll listen hard and ask you lots of searching questions. I’m also an advocate of research. To quote a many a well known marketer… using market research and making informed decision is the quickest route to profitability.
Understanding your customers
I like to discover what makes your customers tick. What are their most important needs? What issues they might be struggling with. If appropriate, I will use segmentation to split your customers into groups of buyers. Segmenting will allow us to be very specific with how we target them.
Understanding your business and your products
I use a very holistic approach that follows the 7Ps. This is a structured way to track down issues that may be holding you back.
Winning strategies and tactical plans
I’ll work with you to create a strategy that helps you move towards your goals. A strategy that has objectives, includes a tactical plan and is measurable. Giving you clear direction.
I’m not talking about a long-winded document that gathers dust on a shelf.
The tactical plan will…
- Define segments of the market to target
- Detail key tasks… from digital to traditional
- Assign tasks to employees or external teams
- Show time required for implementation, including dates
- Provide a budget guide
The aim is provide you with a workable recipe. One that is easy to use by you, your team and any contractors.
Hands-on help
As-well-as strategies and campaign planning I can help with a wide range of support including…
Your message
Together, we’ll work through what you need to say and how to say it in the best way. The end output will be a compelling message that connects with your target audience. A message that stands out from the crowd, is appealing and helps to turn readers into customers.
If you don’t like writing then don’t worry. I can write the content for you or train a member of your team.
Communications Mix - Digital
Website Performance
- Search engine optimisation - support with keyword research, on-page optimisation and identifying issues.
- Content - supporting you to identify what content to create. Creating the content and optimising it for your website.
- Speeding up your website - helping you optimize your website for speed. If you export then I can look at solutions that ensure your website is fast around the world.
- Website design - see our website design pages. We have a range of high performance content management systems that are secure and easy to use.
- Embedding Tags - embedding Google Tag Manager and other helpful code snippets.
- Embedding social media - helping your visitors to share your content.
- Embedding email signup forms - adding signup forms for services such as MailChimp.
- Reviews - helping you add customer reviews to your website
- Calls to action - helping you to create strong calls to action
Social Media
- Choosing platforms - helping you to make decisions on the best social media platform to use.
- Sourcing content - helping you identify good sources of content for sharing.
- Sharing content - helping you to distribute content at the right time for the best engagement.
- Social media advertising - creating ad campaigns using your favourite social media platform. Campaigns that use geo and demographic data for accurate targeting.
Internet Advertising - Pay per click
- Advertising setup - helping you setup your advertising. From simple ads through to remarketing lists.
- Advert creation - helping you to take advantage of responsive advertising. Advert design and launch.
- Measuring responses - calculating your return on investment.
Communications Mix - Traditional
- Brochures and direct mailers - help with all aspects of creating a brochure. This includes - writing text, sourcing images, layout and printing.
- Banners - creation of roller and outdoor banners
- Exhibitions and other events - helping you to coordinate all aspects of events. I have a track record of managing exhibitions and conferences.
- Sales tools - expert advice for creating winning presentations, emails and call scripts. I have worked in sales during part of my career and I have also created tools that support the sales team.
Too much to do?
Outsource
If you haven’t got enough time to manage your marketing then I am able to take on the tasks for you.
Manage
If you have an employee that requires managing then I happy to take on a marketing manager’s role on your behalf. I use a project management tool and encourage time sheets so that I can see progress. I would make regular meetings and catch-up calls.
Train
I have mentored employees so that they can do the required tasks. This needs regular meetings and setting of jobs. Again, I use project management software to scope, set and track progress.
About Tim, your marketing consultant
I completed my BA Hons Business degree in 1995 which specialised in marketing. Since then, I have been in frontline roles. I particularly enjoy the new technical requirements of my industry. I am also an experienced programmer.
Check out my linkedIn profile.
If you have a project in mind I’d love to hear from you so that we can discuss how I could help support and fortify it. We’re based in Cornwall, but we’re happy to work with you wherever you’re situated.
By: Tim Bowerbank
Role: Marketing Consultant