It may be from a lack of marketing experience or expertise within the company, or it may be that the person driving the marketing has so much on their to-do-list they are struggling to keep all their plates spinning. Whatever the reason, this trend can lead to missed opportunities and/or a loss of time and money.

A key step to overcoming this problem is making sure every channel within the marketing mix has a clearly defined purpose, in line with the marketing and business-level goals and objectives. Tips for how to do this are outlined below.

Understand the ‘What’

To make an informed marketing channel selection, it’s important to first familiarise yourself with the marketing channels available. Beyond simply knowing they exist, you should also explore deeper to identify what goals each channel is best suited to help accomplish.

Further, as budget is a key consideration when planning the marketing strategy for a business, it’s important to understand the expected costs associated with each channel.

Clarify the ‘Who’

Marketers are becoming more aware of the need to understand ‘who’ they are targeting, to guide more strategic marketing decisions. To identify which channels will be best suited to reaching the right audience, you must first have a comprehensive understanding of who that target audience is, including:

• A top-level understanding, defining the overarching market;
• Identification of the key target market segments (or groups) that exist within that overarching market; and
• A detailed understanding of the characteristics and preferences of each target market segment (i.e. a ‘profile’ for each segment).

Identify the ‘Why’

Every business decision should be tied to the overarching business objectives. Before selecting marketing channels, both the business objectives and the marketing objectives should be clarified and understood. This will allow you to consider how each marketing channel can help you achieve these objectives, and then set clear goals and KPIs for exactly what you want to achieve through each channel – giving each channel a clear purpose, driven by your objectives, with metrics by which to measure success.

Monitor and Analyse

Tracking must be correctly set up across all selected channels to ensure the data can be recorded to measure performance. Creating a monitoring and measurement plan in line with the KPIs is a good step to take. This plan should clarify which metrics will be measured and what methods will be used for measurement (e.g. Google Analytics to measure conversions on the website).

You should then analyse the success of each channel at regular intervals and adjust approach based on performance insights. This shouldn’t be a case of set and forget, and you should continue to consider if there is anything you should analyse that you haven’t thought of before. You should also continue to consider the purpose that each channel is serving and review your channel strategy in line with the performance insights.

The post Flying blind? How to nail your marketing channel selection appeared first on Reload Consulting.

Businesses have taken notice and as a result, have been utilising online channels to promote their products and services. Through these mediums, businesses can increase their visibility online, encourage engagement with their target audience and increase sales. As marketing becomes increasingly more digital there is a greater ability to monitor its performance and make informed decisions based on data. Perhaps one of the most valuable outcomes of the digital movement is the ability to use data to inform marketing activities. There are also many independent online tools that can be used to gather and analyse data from these marketing efforts. In the past traditional marketing expense was more difficult to justify, now digital channels enable businesses to monitor exact figures on things such as impressions and ROI. This level of data can be utilised to inform such things as a marketing strategy, channel recommendations, budget allocations, and even provide information on the characteristics and motivations of the target market (and many more).

Not all businesses have taken advantage of this opportunity. In fact, based on new research, 87% of the businesses surveyed consider that data is their organisation’s most underutilised asset. It also revealed that 49% of respondents feel “significant pressure” to increase data’s role in their current strategy. Data analysis, however, is becoming increasingly less daunting with free and easily accessible tools available. It’s the act of selecting the relevant information from the mountains of data and what to do with this information that could be quite intimidating.

The trick is to always go back to why these marketing activities were implemented in the first place (i.e. goals and objectives). Then, narrow down the information to focus on based on the purpose and goals of the marketing efforts. Outlined below is a step-by-step guide on how to leverage the tools and data available to grow your business.

1) Set your goals and objectives – Before even embarking on any marketing activity, it is important to identify the goals that you want to achieve from your marketing endeavours. Such goals include increasing awareness, boosting sales, encouraging customer engagement, generating leads, increasing website traffic, etc. It would also be ideal to set (realistic) measures for each objective. These goals and objectives will later be used to gauge the success of your marketing activities.

2) Determine and set up the tools to use – There are many free and paid tools available for collecting and analysing data from campaigns, especially those executed online. In fact, some channels are equipped with their own data analytics tool. For example, Google Analytics is a great tool that can collect and measure data on your website activity as well as ads implemented through AdWords, Google’s advertising arm. The information that can be gleaned from the tool includes demographics of a site’s visitor, sources of traffic/clicks/views, tools used to view the site, the most viewed content and so on. Similarly, social media platforms like Facebook have their own analytics tools that can uncover data such as demographics and user behaviour.

There are also online data collection tools such as SurveyMonkey, Zoho Survey, Dub InterViewer and Google Forms that allow users to collect information about their target audience via surveys. Some of these platforms may be accessed for free and are equipped to aggregate answers and present the information gathered in a report.

3) Select the data to focus on and interpret – As mentioned earlier, there are mountains of data that can be uncovered using analytics tools. Among the information made available, how would you know which ones to focus on? Well, the answer lies within the goals and objectives previously set. The data that should be closely monitored are those that will offer information that may help determine if these goals and objectives are being missed, have been met or were exceeded. Some of the metrics that are commonly used are in this article.

4) Use the data to make informed business and marketing decisions – When data collection and analysis are done habitually, you will be able to uncover trends in your customer’s demographics and psychographics. The information will then enable you to make calculated decisions when it comes to future marketing efforts and business decisions.

There is an old proverb that goes, “knowledge is power.” This saying is especially true in marketing. Knowing insights and using data to drive marketing and business decisions will enable a business to operate more efficiently and reap rewards from their marketing efforts faster and in a more cost-effective manner.

The post How Technology is Impacting Marketing appeared first on Reload Consulting.

So what’s in store for 2017? While the future is never truly known, we envisage the following 7 trends will make their mark over the next 12 months.

Trend #1 – Sales Reps become Subject Matter Experts to drive business growth.

While the concept of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) isn’t new, it is expected to become more prominent, as businesses realise more the value of aligning sales and marketing. Sales professionals within a business are a gold mine of industry knowledge and customer insight that can be highly beneficial to areas such as marketing, and also makes them ideal candidates to become SMEs. This can be achieved by identifying their strengths and making them responsible for providing a single point of sales expertise, which will then refine their knowledge bank that can be tapped into as needed by other departments.

Trend #2 – Full integration of sales and content marketing

When marketing and sales teams come together to speak a common language, it is more likely they will see sales results off the back of their marketing budgets. Businesses that understand the importance of this will look to formalise marketing-to-sales handover procedures and better open up lines of communications. This can then lead to the creation of content that brings more, better quality leads through, with more informed content that educates the intended customer and stands out from the crowd. It will also ensure that the messages customers receive from marketing channels and sales interactions are consistent, presenting a unified message.

Trend #3 – C-suite executives turn to video content for business information

A study by Forbes highlighted that video content is becoming a critical source of information among business executives, with over 80% watching more videos online now than they were a year ago, and 75% watching work-related videos on business-related websites at least once a week. This trend is confirmed by HubSpot’s Consumer Behaviour Survey, showing that over 55% of users consume videos in their entirety. Based on these insights, it is evident that video is a preferred medium for ensuring an entire message is consumed and a promising channel for B2B brands wishing to reach business executives.

Trend #4 – Clearly and narrowly defined market segments increase engagement

Narrowing a broad target market into clearly defined segments is a trend that we have already been seeing over the past year, and we expect that this will continue to rise as more business become savvy to the need for greater target market understanding. Digital marketing allows for highly targeted marketing campaigns, however, without understanding ‘who’ the intended recipient is for these campaigns, it becomes difficult to choose the right marketing mix, ensure the right message is being sent and set the right targeting parameters.

Businesses that want to get the most out of their marketing budgets will also look at the customer journey, identifying the thoughts, needs, feelings, and behaviours at each stage along the path to purchase (from awareness through to advocacy). This will mean that not only is the right message being sent via the right channels, it is also being served at the right time to guide the customer towards the purchase decision.

Trend #5 – Millennials take the lead and start moving into management and executive roles

Baby boomers are now reaching retirement age and we see millennials starting to step up into management and executive roles. This is expected to shake up business operations and impact on office dynamics, as they begin to influence the workforce based on their values and preferences. Key areas where this change is expected to be most prominent include:

• Office layouts – as traditional office space designs are transformed to encourage broader communication and increased collaboration.
• Flexible working hours – with the ‘9-5’ being replaced by more flexible and adaptable work schedules.
• Less internal emails – as different internal communication tools are adapted to allow for more effective collaboration, replacing traditional emails.

To prepare millennials for this new level of responsibility, many businesses are making asserted efforts to train their future leaders through effective knowledge transfer and up-skilling.

Trend #6 – Greater focus on connecting customers to what they want.

It is well known that consumers are growing tired of being ‘sold to’ and are able to determine a sales pitch from a mile away. With traditional sales-focused methods turning people away, businesses need to find new ways to encourage people to buy their products or services. What we have seen in the market, is that consumers are responding more positively to brand messaging that considers and caters to their preferences and needs. Services that connect them to what they want are gaining significant cut-through (i.e. Uber), as we well and truly enter into an economy built on connection and sharing. This creates opportunities for service-based businesses to enter the market with little to no physical assets (i.e. Uber doesn’t own a single car).

Trend #7 – Leveraging employees’ strengths

A study by Gallup established an undeniable connection between employee strengths and their engagement in the workplace. We have already seen a shift in the mindsets of a number of businesses towards identifying and leveraging the strengths of their employees, to build stronger and more effective teams. In 2017, we expect that businesses will hire more ‘specialist’ roles and invest in strength-based training. One of the organisations included in the study that capitalised on this method implemented a “Lead with Your Strengths” program that, within a year, saw employee engagement levels improve by 26%.

These are some of our thoughts, based on our observations and what we have been seeing in the media. We would love to hear if there is anything you would add. What trends do you think will become prominent over the next 12 months?

The post 7 Business Trends to Watch in 2017 appeared first on Reload Consulting.

Branding consists of two aspects: the tangible and the intangible:

• The tangible aspect refers to the graphic representations (i.e. the logo and other design elements), colour palette and typography. These are usually manifested by marketing collateral, stationery, signage and other visual materials.
• The intangible aspect encompasses the messaging and the tone of voice in the businesses marketing materials. It is also evident in the behaviour of the people associated with the company.

Both the tangible and intangible aspects of any brand need to be consistent, in order to make a lasting and positive impression. Doing so will help your business earn the trust of your customers and yield the following benefits:

• Improves audience recall – It takes time for customers to get to know and trust your brand. However, seeing the same design elements and messaging throughout various touch points will help customers become familiar with your brand.
• Reinforces your story, messaging and image – Consistent branding will further highlight to your customers what your brand is all about and help them to form impressions of your business that are in line with what you are working to communicate.
• Influences buying behaviour – When customers believe in and share your values, they are far more likely to purchase your products and/or services. Seeing consistent messaging that reflects your business’ values will encourage customers to see your brand for what it is and give them the confidence to trust your business.

With the proliferation of new marketing touch points, maintaining branding consistency across multiple channels is more challenging than ever. However, consistent branding is necessary to earn your customer’s trust and eventually, their loyalty. Below are some ways to ensure consistency across all your customer touch points:

• Ensure that your brand identity is reflected accurately across all marketing channels and/or customer touch points. Each touch point and/or marketing channel should use the same logo, tagline, colours and tone of voice, and should communicate the same brand messages. This will help to leave a visual imprint in the minds of your customers and will foster an emotional connection between them and your brand. In the future, these customers will then easily identify and remember your company.
• Develop a brand book and use it. A brand book contains a detailed description of the brand and its elements, and how to properly utilize them. It serves a guide for designers and writers when they create communication materials. It is also a good reference for employees on how to act in a way that accurately represents the company’s values and personality
• Develop a branding and messaging strategy. Consistent branding across multiple touch points is not easy to demonstrate and requires careful planning. While not a lot of time and energy will be needed to pull off visual consistency across marketing channels and customer touch points (as the graphic representations will be standard), achieving cohesive messaging across these channels can be tedious. It is best to plan ahead.
• Assign a brand ambassador. With all the communications that go out, having someone responsible for ensuring that all outbound communications are in line with the brand will be advantageous to your company. The brand ambassador, usually the Communications Officer, will have the task of meticulously checking whether or not the visual and intangible branding aspects in all marketing materials and other forms of communications reflect the company correctly.
• Develop key messages that reflect your company values and product or service offering. Find out what messages resonate with your audience and the best method of delivering them. It is important to consider your customer’s language and how and where they consume information.

Maintaining consistent branding across all marketing channels and customer touch points are key to first getting the attention of your customers and then, later on, earning their loyalty and advocacy. When creating your outbound communications, it is important to remember that branding consistency goes beyond the mere visual aspects (i.e. logo, tagline, colours palette), and that messages and tone of voice in communications and the behaviour or demeanour of those that represent the company are also just as crucial to the overall branding of a company.

Learn more about how we can help build your Brand Identity and Positioning Strategy here.

The post How to Ensure Consistent Branding appeared first on Reload Consulting.

The key is to be informed and to approach budgeting in a systematic and carefully thought out way. Here are 7 key things that you should do when planning your marketing strategy to ensure that you get the most stretch for your budget.

1. Understand why marketing is important and why it’s a necessary investment for your business.

The purpose of marketing is primarily to introduce your brand and your product or service along with it (or vice versa), to build awareness and spark interest among your target market. If your target market isn’t aware of what you have to offer and why they should purchase it, then inevitably there will be no sale and no sale means no profit, and no growth. Once you’ve established your brand, marketing then helps to strengthen the brand image, which can then be leveraged to attract high-quality talent, establish strategic partnerships and win the loyalty of your customers.

2. Consider the industry in which your business operates, your product or service, and your target market.

Marketing is never a case of “one size fits all” and there is no magical formula for successfully gaining market traction. Your marketing strategy will need to take into consideration your target market and where they get their information, which will then help you to strategically select the marketing channels that are going to allow you to reach your target market without breaking your budget.

3. Set your marketing objectives.

This involves identifying what you want to achieve with your marketing efforts (e.g. brand awareness, lead generation or increase sales), linking it back to your overarching business objectives to ensure This will then be used to gauge the extent of your marketing activities and will help you in selecting the marketing channels to use.

4. Determine your marketing budget.

The recommended allocation for marketing is usually (reload’s recommended budget here) percent of the company’s previous or projected gross revenue. However, this may or may not be followed depending on the current circumstances of the business. When creating a budget, it is important to consider your marketing objectives.

5. Know your options.

There are various options available for getting your product or brand noticed. This can be done either via traditional channels or through digital channels. There are pros and cons for investing in each of these channels. Choose the channels that will allow the widest market penetration, whilst considering your budget. For small to medium business owners, digital marketing might be the more practical choice as it is more cost-effective and tracking of results is easier.

Traditional channels include:

• Print (i.e. newspapers, magazines, posters, etc.)
• Radio/TV
• Direct mail (the delivery of marketing communication (i.e. a letter, postcard, and coupons) to customers via post)
• Trade shows
• Face to face interaction with customers and prospects
• Telephone interaction with customers and prospects

Digital channels include:

• Web marketing
• E-commerce (selling products online)
• Affiliate marketing (partnering with other businesses to cross-promote each other’s products)
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) (the method of increasing the visibility of your website in search results)
• PPC and banner ads (paid ads that appear on websites and searches)
• Email marketing (communicating with a database of customers and prospects via email)
• Social media marketing (Social media marketing includes blogging and sharing content, and engaging with customers via social media channels)

6. Plan your marketing strategy with a corresponding timeline.

Having a marketing strategy is important to ensure that your marketing plans are aligned to your overarching business goals. The marketing strategy will outline your goals and objectives, which marketing channels you will be using, timelines and milestones for achieving your marketing goals, any costs associated to the marketing efforts and other pertinent details.

7. Don’t forget to track and monitor data and feedback.

It’s important to measure how your marketing efforts are performing against the goals that you’ve set. The data that you will gather from your marketing efforts will allow you to track the progress and growth or your business. This information can then be used to guide decisions around future marketing efforts.

There is no cookie-cutter approach to selecting the best marketing activities and channels to use for building awareness, generating leads and increasing sales. Selecting the correct mix of channels and activities will largely depend on factors such as your industry, target market and budget. The key is to research the options that are available, set a clear budget and develop a strategic plan, then throughout the implementation continuously track the performance of your activities and be open to making little tweaks and adjustments here and there based on the insights that you gain.

The post 7 tips to make your marketing budget stretch appeared first on Reload Consulting.

Not only is it about the design of your site in terms of how it looks (although this certainly does come into it), but there are a number of other elements of website design that must be considered when planning a website that will convert well.

Using the AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) principles, let’s explore the role that website design plays in driving conversion.

Attention

As mentioned above, you only have ten seconds to grab a user’s attention when they land on your website. First impressions are formed very quickly, and it’s those first 10 seconds that will either lead the user further into the site or turn them away completely. Therefore, the homepage or landing page of a website needs to be eye-catching and engaging enough to convince the user to keep reading.

Interest

Users are only going to stay on a website if they find it interesting. In order to retain a user’s interest, it must be clear to them what value they are getting. It also helps to aim to establish an emotional connection, which can be done when you have a solid understanding of who your target customer is. There is a range of different design strategies that can influence emotional connection, such as strategic use of colour psychology.

Desire

In addition to capturing a user’s attention and sparking their interest, your website should also drive a desire for your product or service. To do this, ensure that your website provides detailed information on what you offer, in a way that is easy to understand and in line with the needs of your target market. People respond better to concise information rather than large blocks of text, which should be reflected in the design of your website. For example, the use of bullets and subheadings, white space and contrasting colours to break up text and help important points to stand out.

Action

Once you have their attention, have sparked their interest and driven them to have a desire for your product or service, you then need to make it as easy as possible for users to take action. Ensure that clear and compelling call to action are located throughout the website so that a user can take action from wherever they are on the site when they make the decision.

How about the actual design characteristics of a website that contribute to driving conversion? Here are 5 key design characteristics that can’t be ignored…

Easy to Navigate

Navigating from one page on a website to another shouldn’t require too much thinking and should feel natural and straightforward for the user. The information on the site will perform better if it is organised logically, considering the target market, what’s important to them and their typical thought process when looking for your product or service. Some best practices in menu navigation include

• Each menu item should be strategically named and must match its contents exactly, making it immediately clear to the user what information they will find by clicking on that menu item.
• The top-level navigation menu should contain no more than eight items to avoid a ‘cluttered’ or ‘crowded’ menu.
• Breadcrumb navigation should be shown on every back page of the site, allowing users to easily retrace their steps and making it easy for them to see where they are within the site.
• A search function will allow visitors to locate the information or product that they are looking for quickly, without having to navigate through multiple pages.
• Consider the use of Mega Menus, particularly if your website is an e-commerce site. Mega Menus allow visitors to get a preview of the product/s without having to go through several pages.

Clear Calls to Action

As mentioned earlier, it must be easy for users to take action on your website. What this action looks like will be highly dependent on your conversion goals (i.e. online purchase, free demo, submit an enquiry, etc.). Clear and compelling call to action prompts should be shown throughout the website, taking into consideration the location within the site and your conversion goals. Below are some tips to ensure your calls to action are effective.

• Use action-oriented text (i.e. ‘Secure Your Reservation’).
• The colour of the call to action should be contrasting to the colour of the background to ensure that it stands out.
• The size of the call to action should be large enough to be noticed but not too large that it becomes off-putting.
• The call to action should be located somewhere eye-catching and in line with typical viewing patterns (users typically view website content in an ‘F’ pattern).

Visual Hierarchy

The content on your website should be organised in a way that prioritises the most important info, ensuring that users don’t miss the key points. There is a science to drawing a user’s attention to the most important information on the page. Some of the principles that guide the positioning of the items on a page include:

• Scanning Patterns – multiple studies have shown that before committing to reading a page, visitors first scan the page in either an F or Z pattern.  
• Size – the most important information is highlighted through size and hence makes it difficult to miss.
• White space – when an item or a text is surrounded by a lot of white space, the eye tends to focus on it.

Use of Colours

Colour affects human emotion and behaviour and can be used to influence users to take action. Therefore, having a solid understanding of who your target market is will allow you to choose the colours that will have a positive sway on their emotions.

Readable Text

Reading the content of your website should not be taxing. Use hierarchy to differentiate the level of importance of the content. To prevent your visitors from getting frustrated, easy to read font and easy to understand text must also be used.

People tend to easily become bored with websites and the design of your website has a huge bearing on whether or not they will continue to explore your website and take action. Having said this, it is also highly important to consider website usability best practices when designing your website, ensuring a positive user experience when interacting with your site.

The post How to design a website that converts appeared first on Reload Consulting.

Take Toyota and Lexus for example, which are both car brands of Toyota Motor Corporation with very different positioning strategies. A Toyota Camry and a Lexus IS may be comparable in shape and size, but the two models are designed and marketed to reach two different consumer groups. The Camry is for consumers wanting reliability and economy, and the IS is for high-end consumers wanting prestige and luxury.

When you take a proactive approach to your product positioning, you can influence the market on how they perceive your product. Failure to actively promote and position your product will inevitably result in the market doing it for you, and this can be detrimental to your company’s ability to gain a strong competitive position.

So how do you position your product?

First, you need to select the target market that will be most receptive to your product’s positioning. Segmentation decisions are instrumental in developing your company’s product positioning strategy.

Knowing your target market allows you to effectively position your product to meet the needs of that specific market. With this in mind, you are then able to develop and implement more cost-effective and efficient marketing strategies.

Once you have determined your target market and their needs, you need to formulate a positioning strategy that will appeal to the targeted demographic. You must decide how you want to position your product in the minds of your targeted customers.

A solid understanding of your market and your competitors will assist in being better able to position your product. Comparing your product’s features to that of your competitors and identifying your unique selling points is a good way to determine what differentiates your product.

Revision of your positioning should be an on-going process to help refine your position according to changes in the market. Environmental changes or shifting consumer preferences often force firms to rethink their positioning strategy.

How do you communicate your product positioning?

There are a host of resources available to assist you in communicating your positioning statement to your target market.

Social media is an important modern day marketing channel that, if utilised correctly, can give a company valuable, market-specific exposure and vital product related feedback. A social media presence backed by a solid following creates an environment for open discussion on your product.

There are many innovative marketing tools available today to assist companies in achieving their positioning strategies. Different tools will suit different products, but the key to success is choosing the right mix to match your product and the goals of your company.

So, if it has been a while since you last thought about your product’s positioning, now would be the time to do so.

The post Product Positioning: Stand Out From the Crowd appeared first on Reload Consulting.

Their discussion outlined how businesses can formulate a complete digital strategy that will position them for online marketing success, and provided practical tips to help businesses avoid the common pitfalls made online and improve their marketing ROI.

The post Networx Presentation – Integrated Digital Strategy appeared first on Reload Consulting.

Not that the salespeople are doing a bad job, it is more about communication and information flow within the different areas of the business.

Could it be that the sales team haven’t been informed of the marketing strategies or campaigns at hand? Are they trained in strategic ways of handling multiple leads? Do they have all the resources needed to close a sale? Do they know who your target markets are?

All these questions should be asked by the CEO/MD and Marketing team prior to kicking off any marketing campaign. Without a strong sales process, CRM (customer relationship management) system, call tracking, closing strategies and so forth, a firm runs the risk of wasting serious money on lead generation, time and growth opportunities through poor sales execution.

Prior to any campaign, make sure all your sales staff understand and know exactly what to do with “hot”, “warm” and “cold” leads that might come through. Ensure they understand what the key messages are of the campaign and who the target markets are so that they can adjust their pitches and presentations accordingly.

Finally, provide ongoing feedback during the campaign and sales cycles to ensure they are constantly improving. If the first 50 leads don’t come off, don’t sit on your hands hoping it will get better by itself with the next 50.

Contact Reload for any advice on sales and marketing strategies or process re-engineering of the sales team.

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