If there is one thing everyone loves, it’s a freebie.
That unexpected free piece of cake with coffee, the fiver lost and then found again in the pair of jeans at the back of the cupboard – we all love them. And if you’re the cost conscious owner or manager of a business chances are you love them even more!
At Who Dares Marketing we’re exactly the same and so to help you out and satisfy your inner thriftiness we’ve compiled the top 5 free marketing tools you can use for your business.
1 – Canva
Do any research into the most searched for things on Google and its a guarantee that tucked away in there will be “Free online photoshop” – it’s as predictable as day turning to night but for good reason. Photoshop is brilliant! An excellent piece of software that makes editing imagery easy and straightforward. Of course that fluid experience comes at a price and for most businesses the ends don’t justify the means hence the frequency of the above search.
Well fear not because there is an alternative and as it turns out a pretty great one. You may not have heard of Canva before now but from here on in we guarantee it will be a permanent fixture in your favourites list. Perfectly proportioned social media posts? Check. Flexible design options? Check. Download completed designs? Check. Of course it doesn’t have the depth of something like photoshop but for most small businesses it will be more than adequate.
Data is a major trend in marketing and indeed the business world right now and for good reason – it helps businesses make better decisions. A company website is a potential treasure trove of useful data but of course you have to collate that first and of course how do you do that? Well the Google URL builder is one step on that ladder and one that will help you evaluate accurately the effectiveness of your marketing efforts through Google Analytics.
Let’s say for example you have a new blog post (much like this one) and you promote that post through various channels online. If you have the one link that goes everywhere it becomes difficult to tell which area your clicks are coming from or if any meaningful actions took place as a result of the post. The Google URL builder solves this problem, putting unique parameters into each link allowing you to be able to judge exactly how effective each part of your marketing is.
3 – Hootsuite
Social media. Depending on who you speak to its the greatest thing to happen in the last 30 years or its the cause of all the worlds problems. Either way there’s one thing that can’t be denied, it’s value to businesses. After all where else can you speak to potentially thousands of customers all at once. That said it doesn’t come without its challenges with some people doing Facebook but not Twitter or keeping one channel up to date more because after all who has time to update multiple profiles? Well with Hootsuite all those pains vanish and through one simple dashboard you have control over all your profiles in one place. What’s better still is that you can post to all of them at the same time! Assuming you run 3 social media platforms you’ve instantly cut your workload by three, not bad!
4 – Codecademy
Have you ever wondered what exactly is happening when you open a web page? What the difference is between HTML, CSS and Javascript? Or how that button changes colour when I hover over it? Well wonder know more with the web’s foremost web development teaching site, Codecademy. A wealth of resources, Codecademy will have you grasping the basics of web development in no time at all.
If you’ve made it this far (and why wouldn’t you have!) you’ll notice that this is the second mention of our friends at Google this time for its keyword planner. A major tool as part of its AdWords platform the keyword planner allows you to research in great detail exactly what and where people are searching related to your business.
Notice an increase in searches for a particular product and service and you can run a campaign targeting these potential customers. It’s also a good tool for looking at trends and can be used to make informed decisions about what customers are interested in allowing you to plan activity in advance.
So there you have it, the top 5 free marketing tools for your business. At Who Dares Marketing we specialise in creating compelling, content oriented, data driven inbound marketing campaigns.
If you you have any questions or would like more information please get in touch today on 07837008301 or by visiting our website at www.whodaresmarketing.com
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce member Tanami has been acquired by worldwide integrated marketing and media group Cello Signal.
Tanami, founded in 2013 by Managing Director Jemma Goba, specialises in the production of high-quality video, combined with social media strategy and management. The company has been a member of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce for two years.
Tanami’s diverse portfolio of clients includes St Columba’s Hospice, Burness Paull, The Royal College of Nursing, Hibernian Football Club and Scottish Rugby.
Under the terms of the deal Tanami will remain a self-contained unit operating from its Hanover Street base and reporting directly to Cello Signal’s Scotland Managing Partner Richard Marsham.
Jemma Goba said: “It’s exactly four years to the day since Tanami opened its doors. We will continue to service our loyal client base who will only benefit from this news.”
“Over the last 12 months we’ve put some sharp thinking into a five-year strategy to strengthen our creative and technical offering. Becoming part of such a respected, innovative group will accelerate these plans. My team and I couldn’t be more excited about this next step.”
Richard Marsham said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jemma and her team into the Cello Signal fold. Her team will help fill the ever-increasing need for quick turnaround film content.”
Cello Signal, a division of pharmaceutical and marketing specialists Cello Group Plc, owns award-winning agencies including Edinburgh-based The Leith Agency, Signal and Stripe Communications and employs more than 500 people in its offices in Edinburgh, London, Cheltenham, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Singapore. Cello Group employs more than 1000 people worldwide.
Grant Thornton has strengthened its Marketing & Business Development team with a new key hire.
The business and financial adviser has hired Brian Cameron who, as Associate Director of Marketing and Business Development, will be based in Edinburgh and take a leading role in growing the firm’s client base across Scotland.
Brian has almost two decades of experience and joins from global talent solutions consultancy Hudson, where he was Regional Director responsible for running the Scottish professional services division.
Commenting on his appointment, Andrew Howie, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said:
“Brian brings a wealth of experience with him at a crucial time for our business. Right now, we’re growing across the country, including a number of significant client wins in industries such as oil and gas and financial services. We’re also expanding our physical presence with several new hires at our Aberdeen office, which has firmly established itself in the city after less than a year. I’m confident Brian’s proactive, value-driven attitude will help to shape our bold plans for further sustainable growth.”
Brian Cameron added:
“My career has focused on working with clients to realise their true potential by offering solutions and support which are truly unique to them. Ultimately, Grant Thornton shares those values with a real focus on building long-term relationships with business leaders to shape a vibrant economy in Scotland. It’s an exciting time to work in professional services and I’m looking forward to implementing the next phase of the firm’s ambitious growth strategy.”
Mearns & Company are absolutely delighted to announce that they have been shortlisted for the Money Marketing Best Corporate Adviser award 2017.
They are the only firm in Scotland to make the shortlist for this award.
This accreditation reflects the high standards Mearns & Company continue to hold at the core of their business, and the quality of service that they provide to their clients.
Commenting on the news, Malcolm Steel, Director, said “To be recognised as the principal Scottish firm, and be in the running for this UK-wide award, is an independent verification of our professionalism and expert knowledge within the corporate advisory sector. Everyone at Mearns & Company is delighted to be recognised in this way, and we also send best wishes to our fellow finalists.”
If you need any advice on your company’s auto-enrolment needs, employee benefit packages including private medical insurance or require any personal financial advice please contact info@mearnscompany.com
The results will be announced on Thursday 22nd of June at an awards ceremony in London.
Edinburgh graduate joins the Cullen Property team
Edinburgh property investment and lettings specialist Cullen Property has recruited Edinburgh graduate Hannah McConnachie for its first marketing executive position.
The marketing executive position has been created due to increasing demand from investors interested in Edinburgh property, as well as the number of students looking for high quality property in Edinburgh. Recently, Cullen Property announced that 100% of its properties are now let. Hannah’s role will primarily be to help promote investment opportunities and properties for rent, and develop the Cullen Property brand.
Hannah, originally from Aberdeen, graduated from Queen Margaret University in 2015 with a BA (Hons) in Media. Since graduating, Hannah undertook internships with public relations and marketing agencies in order to further her experience.
Hannah McConnachie, Marketing Executive, says: “It can be a difficult process trying to find your first job as a graduate and I’m extremely grateful to have this opportunity with Cullen Property. I can’t wait to hit the ground running and start meeting with prospective investors and tenants at property shows and student accommodation fairs.”
Steve Coyle, Operations Director at Cullen Property, says: “We are delighted to have our first in-house marketing executive. The experience Hannah has gained through working with local marketing and public relation firms will be a huge asset to us and bring a fresh approach to our current in-house marketing activities.”
Your personal LinkedIn profile may be up to date, filled with keywords, skills and an appropriate photo, but LinkedIn doesn’t stop there when helping you to generate leads.
Company Page usage has gone up from 24% to 57% between 2013-2014, highlighting the fact that consumers find them useful tools and they are becoming ever more popular on the professional networking site for a variety of reasons –
- They help potential customers to learn more about a company or brand
- Customers are always looking for more information and LinkedIn can provides it.
- LinkedIn keeps the audience updated with relevant industry news. Dell, for example, has 940,000 followers and regularly keeps them informed of technology updates and industry development.
- There are 1,275,000 products and services highlighted across company pages so it is an obvious place to go to get information
- Company pages help to humanise a company by also showing the people who work there.
But, company pages aren’t just to inform the customer; they can really help a company to build its brand whilst connecting with its target audience.
The more you add to your company page and the more you build it up the better the results, you’ll see more followers and more engagement with your audience. They are so much more effective than a personal profile as it showcases a company rather than an individual employee. They increase your web presence and make your company look much more professional and are easy to find.
Make sure your Company profile is complete
An incomplete profile will only put your audience off so fill out all the sections available with relevant information.
- In the ‘About’ section use this opportunity to let the audience know the most important things about you, make sure it’s helpful and up to date
- Keep in mind how you can meet the needs of your target audience, what problem can you solve and what the solution is
- Use keywords as much as possible and think about the words that you want to be found for – this helps you to be found in searches
Use your content to your advantage
The content that you post makes a huge difference to how your page is viewed. It can help to attract an audience and put your company forward in a certain way, showing that you can benefit your followers.
- Post news, updates and anything that is relevant to your industry
- Hint at exciting news and share exclusives, making your followers feel special and part of a community
- It should be easy to take in and of high quality, as well as helpful
- If you can post once a day but don’t want to spam your audience; be consistent and regular
- Link to articles and blogs outwith your own website to encourage conversation
- ‘Pin’ the most important content to the top as it’s the first thing your audience will see
Through posting the correct content and updates, you’ll be able to reach out to new followers and build an audience. This is the best way to market your brand, also helping with SEO strategy and a word-of-mouth. Furthermore, it also sets your company up as a ‘Thought Leader’ meaning you’ll be seen as a credible expert in your field, becoming a trusted source.
Use visuals as well as words
Images help to break-up words and grab the attention of your audience.
- YouTube videos often get shared more
- The banner image is the first thing people see – use it to reflect your brand, drawing the audience in
- Keep it eye-catching!
Engage, engage, and engage
Engagement is what it’s all about. Your company page should build a community with its followers and engagement is the best way to do this. It helps you to further your reach and grow your network, which ultimately leads more potential customers to your company.
- Engage with comments and keep conversations going
- Use interesting headlines and engaging introductions to capture attention
- Ask questions, involving your audience and starting conversations
Plus all the extra bits
Having a company page that is complete and engaging can make a big difference and they come with some extra add-ons that you can use to make the most of your page.
- Check your analytics to see how effective your updates are and change accordingly
- Sponsored updates are a great way to expand your audience, reaching the right people – but they do come at a cost
- Company pages can show your business as a great place to work – ‘Your LinkedIn company page is one of the best assets for attracting talent, promoting your employer brand and establishing your company as a great place to work.’ – and this encourages potential clients
- Add your employees to your company page, allowing people to move between the two and open up your connections
- Showcase pages allow you to highlight services or products
Ultimately your company page helps you to get your message out to a professional network and create a real chance to promote lead generation, with Hubspot finding that LinkedIn is almost 300% more effective for visitor-to-lead generation than other social media sites.
Through our own research we also found that 82% of Scottish Business People prefer to use LinkedIn than traditional methods. This shows the importance of having an impressive company page as it helps to ensure that you don’t miss out on valuable connections – so keep your company page relevant and up-to-date.
I am running a LinkedIn Masterclass for the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce on 30 June where you will learn to make the most of Company Pages and Much more. For details follow this link or get in touch with the Chamber Training Team or call them on 0131 221 2999 (option 3).
MuleKick Media, fellow members of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, announce today the launch of their, for a limited period, Free Reputation Marketing trial for members of the Chamber.
This short YouTube video that we’ve created shows the importance of building a strong Online Reputation and how we’re doing that for some Edinburgh companies. It also gives more details on the Month’s Free Trial that we are currently offering Chamber members:
Just paste this web URL into your browser to view the video: http://goo.gl/ZW7ZRs or click our logo:
What you get in your Free Month’s Trial:
- The MuleKick team will check your Google+ Local free listing to ensure your listing has been done correctly – crucial to helping you rank highly in Google.
- We’ll install some software on your website which makes it as easy as possible for you to direct happy customers to post reviews on Google (primarily) for you (you can view the software on the MuleKick website Home Page – we’ll advise on how best to do this.
- Phone consultation to outline some ideas for building a Reputation Marketing culture in your business and to developing your Online Reputation and also in dealing with negative reviews.
- We’ll list five other major Online Directories that you need to be listed on (free) which can help with your ranking highly on Google – and broadcasting your good reputation where your prospective customers will see it.
All this is free of charge – with no obligation to carry on working with MuleKick at month’s end. If nothing else you’ll have learnt some strategies for building a 5-Star online reputation – and we are confident you will have more good Customer Reviews than at the start of the trial.
Visit the Free Trial page on your website: www.mulekickmedia.co.uk or
Call: Frank Kelly – 07711 327359 or email: frank@mulekickmedia.co.uk
