Just a Thought...
A FEW WORDS I HAD FLYING AROUND
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Turning things upside down
June 21 2020
To observe something dispassionately, giving the subject some distance, it is really powerful to either look at it in a mirror or take a photo of it. You can also sleep on it and come back to it some hours later.
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Marketing through uncertain times
June 4 2020
There are two points to this. Firstly there is the resolve that I won't let another year go by without tending to my own website and blog posts (there are no excuses). And secondly, that periods of change can be good for some of us.
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The art of automated, personalised email campaigns
September 9 2019
Do you send automated emails so they sound personalised? If you want my opinion, don't do it. It's almost always inaccurate unless you have the most meticulous record-keeping skills and a seriously nerdy marketing person who doesn't ever slip up.
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The power of the blog
October 8 2018
Blog is one of those words that is overused and often misunderstood. To be very brief, there are two main reasons to include a blog page in your website.
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The changing face of websites
October 24 2017
What a long way we’ve come in the past few years. From websites that invested heavily in words and told the visitor EVERYTHING to a more sophisticated, image-led approach that tempts the user into finding out more.
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Is it time to speak up?
October 2 2017
Talking is becoming a lost form of communication as we turn to our fingers and thumbs to tap out messages. We conduct some of our most important relationships digitally and instantly - by email, text, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
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Is it time for a brand review?
August 23 2017
When did you last really look at how your company is perceived by the outside world? I am as guilty of this as the next person which is unacceptable as it is my actual business. My main excuse is that I am too busy doing it for my clients -...
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What are your 'sliding doors'?
September 6 2016
“The Sliding Door Company doesn’t use sliding doors” – this is a funny social media post currently doing the rounds. It’s more than ironic but we all have a sliding door that we should be using. What does your business do? How do you showcase it?
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Women's business groups - what are they for?
July 12 2016
"Business can feel like a boys' club, but the answer is not to set up a rival girls' gang, it's to open membership to all."
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Wear your work face better
June 17 2016
A couple of quite different observations this week have prompted this blog theme - how well do you wear your work face?
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Dated accolades? Bin them!
June 8 2016
I was driving behind a lorry yesterday that boldly proclaimed on its rear end 'Haulier of the year 1999'. It washed over me for a while until I suddenly thought - "that's 17 years ago!" Dear lord, get the quick-removing hair dryer on that vinyl lettering at once!
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Are you using visual content?
June 3 2016
There's a good reason that the big online players are competing hard to buy up the social media platforms that focus on visual content. Facebook paid $1billion for Instagram (2012) and bought WhatsApp for $19billion (2014).
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At the coalface
February 16 2016
Quite often I spend time working with clients in their place of work - it's the perfect way to really understand what challenges they face, how the culture works and how you can flex your role to really make a difference.
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Social media for busy people - 5 top tips
January 26 2016
It's the one thing we know we should be paying just a little bit more attention to but don't quite find the time, right? Here are 5 tips that will help cover your company's social media basics...
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Less is always more
December 14 2015
In my zest for tidiness and world domination, I cleared out one shelf of my main pantry cupboard yesterday and chucked out a whole black bin bag of things that were either a) out of date (Angel Delight from 2008), b) looked unappealing (mainly well-intentioned healthy things) or c) items...
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Perfection paralysis
December 14 2015
The pursuit of marketing perfection is a long, weary haul.
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Can I help you? (too much?)
December 14 2015
Is it possible to over deliver? We complain about poor levels of customer service all day long. But what about when people become over zealous in their aim to please – to the point of irritating?
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Pass it on
December 14 2015
I find the best way to get new business (for someone like me) is word of mouth. I am always happy to be recommended – it happened again this week resulting in a really great new client.
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Am I making myself clear?
December 14 2015
One of the brand issues I come up against most is CLARITY. What do you do? Who do you do it for? What are the key benefits of using you?
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donotreply@emailaddress
December 14 2015
If I was Marketing Minister of the World I would outlaw any email addresses that start with sales@, enquiries@ or info@. If you need to have a generic email address, give it some proper consideration and make it (at least) seem as though it is actually going to a human.
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Special offer? Is it really?
December 14 2015
I bought an Epson printer last month. £60 with £30 cashback. Oh and another £30 cashback when I bought £30 worth of ink. What a great deal – £90 worth of goods from Currys for £30 all told. Step forward happy consumer. Whoa, not so fast…
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How do you look online?
November 20 2015
All businesses have a brand. Some carefully craft theirs (from start to finish) so they are as representative of the company’s culture as possible. Some businesses start life with a designer and maybe an agency for initial support.
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Don't make people have to work it out
November 20 2015
On the motorway yesterday I saw this incredibly annoying strapline on the side of a van: “Enhancing outcomes for the patient and the carer” – or some such blah. What does it even mean? Firstly, I can’t be bothered to work it out and secondly, JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU...
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Start, stop, change, continue
November 20 2015
You can apply this fantastic process to your marketing, your whole business or even in a self-help “change your life” kind of way. I’m talking marketing here as it’s a marketing blog : ) It works when you find yourself in a work based rut and feel the need for...
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Ban lazy social media
September 19 2014
Today I was inspired to blog after coming across an article that showed how a PR company had scheduled tweets for the fabulous, late Joan Rivers that are now being broadcast, seemingly from beyond the grave (Source: The Guardian – link to article… http://bit.ly/ZrKSPF).
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Get off the bandwagon
June 21 2014
…or better still, don’t go there in the first place. Never more poignant as England are now out of the World Cup, the point of my missive this week is my advice to align your business with popular events with circumspection and extreme caution.
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i <3 Facebook advertising
May 15 2014
I’ve recently been moved to try Facebook advertising for my clients and for Fluent. I have always been impressed at Facebook’s spookily accurate targeting. Have you noticed how all the ads on the page are all about YOU? My Facebook wall features clothes I like, diet advice, relevant book information,...