by admin | Oct 7, 2021 | Uncategorized
https://youtu.be/BhBaSAITCVE
This FREE Interactive Webinar and Q&A will explain why you should be using video in your marketing.
About this event
Whatever the message, we believe you can convey it simply and successfully with video, join us for our interactive webinar to learn why you should be using video. In this webinar, we’ll be sharing our hints, tips and tricks for video marketing.
Webinar Outcomes:
At the end of this session, you will have a clarity and understanding of video marketing and why you should be using it now.
Speakers
Join us on Tuesday, 19th of October 2021 at 13:00.
Book now:
by admin | Oct 5, 2021 | Uncategorized
So, best-laid plans… we all have them!
Last week I was attending a two-day conference and I was really looking forward to seeing two of the big-name speakers. Let’s just say that one really didn’t disappoint and I have learned so much whilst the other…they didn’t turn up.
This event was over 2-years in the planning with the pandemic and my heart went out to the organisers as this speaker was a big name draw – over 1200 business owners from across the country who had all paid money and committed time to be there!
But do you know what…
The organisers quickly stepped in and delivered an extra learning slot that to me had 100% more content I could adopt and made me even more motivated. Our new weekly email giving you hints and tips was crafted and this blog was drafted.
So what else did I learn?
Planning, planning and then more planning is needed in all aspects of business and your marketing is just the same to step in when things go wrong. It shouldn’t just happen on a whim but is part of a rhythmic process to help you avoid the peaks and troughs.
My top tips for you today:
1. Add marketing into your diary this week – if it is in your diary as an appointment is more likely to get done!
2. Set up a Trello account (or equivalent) and plan out your weekly activity in the run-up to Christmas. (Christmas cards need to be printed and ready to post by the 1st December). I am happy to share our Trello Board Template if it helps, just send us an email and I will send it over – claire@creationzmarketing.co.uk.
3. Tell your staff, team, family, friends or Creationz Marketing what your one priority is this week to get the accountability you need. My priority is to get 1 video created for a free training programme we are running and to work on our Hubspot process and I will share it in our Marketing for Success Facebook Group if we achieve this or not as I need accountability too.
4. Look at how you can monitor the return on investment from your Marketing – visits to website, social media growth, new enquiries. One thing I learnt at the conference is that we often monitor too much and it becomes too complicated. Try and stick to a maximum of 10 things to really get a flavour of how your marketing is performing.
Looking back, I’m so glad that the speaker didn’t show as it made me take action.
What can you achieve this week to move your marketing forward?
If there is anything in particular you would like some handy hints and tips on then just reply to this email. We are happy to help!
Kind Regards
Claire
p.s If you want to read more marketing tips – our blog is packed full of advice
Further Reading:
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by admin | Sep 29, 2021 | Uncategorized
Remarketing (also known as retargeting) is a means to re-connect with consumers who have previously visited your website or mobile app. Remarketing allows you to present your online adverts to this audience as they browse throughout other websites and social media platforms, this helps you increase brand awareness or prompt these consumers to convert.
The most common forms of remarketing are:
- Google display adverts
- Facebook adverts
- Follow-up emails
So, what are the benefits of remarketing?
- Improves brand recall – Remarketing is a fantastic tool for reminding potential customers of your business and its product or service offering.
- Improved conversion rates – It can act as a tool to convert customers who previously dropped off part way down the sales funnel by re-engaging them.
- Better return on investment (ROI) compared to generic advertising – As it allows you to engage with those who have already shown an interest in you and your products, rather than being a completely cold lead.
- It allows you create specific and targeted ads – Remarketing allows you to directly target those who have already shown an interest in a particular product or service you offer. You can create various remarketing lists that will apply to specific prospects, such as those who have lapsed at the checkout stage of an ecommerce website.
Tips for running a successful remarketing campaign:
- Ensure your tagging is appropriate.
- Make sure your adverts have a clear message and suitable call to action.
- Constantly refine your campaign, set time aside to analyse your campaigns results and make amendments when necessary to achieve the best possible return on investment.
- Include a special offer such as a discount code in your adverts when targeting lapsed customers. Not only is this likely to entice them to act fast and buy now, but it is an easy way to see which customers have converted from your ads.
Get in touch to learn how Creationz Marketing can help with your remarketing needs – call us on 01158 376 260 or email info@creationzmarketing.co.uk
by admin | Aug 26, 2021 | Marketing Planning, Training
What are lead magnets?
Lead Magnets tend to be exclusive pieces of content that is provided as incentives for the customer to carry out the desired action. (you usually sign up for an email newsletter or provide contact information). Common types of lead magnets include downloadable PDF files, case studies, resource lists, and videos.
Why do they work so well?
You can target them – Instead of giving the same generic “Subscribe to my mailing list” message on every page, you can offer specific incentives for what your visitors saw on that page, meaning they are more likely to convert.
Offers a clear reason to subscribe – Lead magnets give your consumer a genuine reason to subscribe to your mailing list. Rather than just requesting your consumer subscribes to your newsletter with no real incentive, your subscribers know that they’ll get something in return for their email.
Makes your visitor a legitimate lead – When you create a lead magnet you know you will never get a 100% conversion rate, however, you know those that do sign up for it have a genuine interest within your business, allowing you to follow this up. Here’s an example for you:
Download our Free Marketing Marketing Planning Template:
Creating a lead magnet in five simple steps:
1. Choose your customer – The biggest mistake marketers make with their Lead Magnets is trying to attract too many people all at once – You want to do the exact opposite. Your Lead Magnet needs to be specific to the people you want it to attract. If your Lead Magnet isn’t relevant to the wants and needs of your buyer persona, they aren’t going to download it. Most companies have several different demographics they want to target; however, each lead magnet should be specific to each one.
2. Identify what you will offer – Once you have identified your customer you need to then decide what value you are going to offer them. The more valuable the content that is offered the more leads are going to be generated. The most valuable thing you can offer is giving the customer something they already need, rather than trying to work out what it is that they want.
3. Give it a name – Now you have decided what piece of value you are going to offer, giving It a name should be easy. It needs to be short and attention-grabbing, sparking your customer’s interest.
4. Choose the type of lead magnet that you will offer – By this point, you probably have a good idea of which type of lead magnet you are going to offer, however, you often have several options to choose from that you can deliver.
To name a few:
guide/report, cheatsheet, toolkit/resource list, video training, free trial, discount, quiz/survey, assessment/test, sales material.
5. Build it – The hard work is done, but you still must work on creating your Lead Magnet. As you work on your Lead Magnet, remember who it’s for the value you want to offer. If you keep those two things in mind, the process will be straightforward.
Of course, if you need any help with anything mentioned above, please do not hesitate to get in contact with the team at Creationz Marketing.
Good Luck!
Download our Free Marketing Audit Template:
by admin | May 16, 2021 | Uncategorized
8 Years! Where has that time gone???
I set up Creationz Marketing in 2013 to allow me to work with a range of businesses with a vast array of budgets and requirements. I had already at this point worked in-house for companies for 14 years and felt the time was right to branch out and steer my own ship as it were.
Was it that easy? Not really…when you first go from working in-house to running your own business there is a very steep learning curve to go through:
- How do you run a business
- How do you win and retain clients
- What extra services do I need to be able to do – accounting, IT, insurances, etc
- What support do I need when income is tight
- Will clients want the services I offer?
Today, as I celebrate 8 years with the team, I am reflecting back over this time and can honestly say that it was a good decision and I have been very fortunate to work with amazing clients across the UK that have been able to see the transition and go on their journey with them. Some of our highlights include:
- Moving into our new office in Beeston
- Taking on my first employee in 2018 – now a team of 4!
- Setting up an Internship Programme with Nottingham Trent University – we are 2 years into this programme
- Running events in London, Dublin, Dubai, India & Germany, Vienna and more events planned.
- Helping businesses to pivot in-person events to fully online during the pandemic
- Speaking at client events on the power of marketing – in-person and online
- Creating a network of people that support our business as we grow.
But you may be reading this and thinking that’s great but so what?
And you would be right! 8 years might not seem like a milestone birthday like 10, 15 or 20. To us, it is, especially after the year we have just experienced with Covid and the restrictions both we and our clients have faced and felt it is important that we all stop, take stock and celebrate the fact we are here helping our clients.
So, how has marketing changed over the past 8 years.
Marketing never truly sits still but the pace at which these changes are happening is helping us to shape our services to clients to ensure they are supporting their businesses in the right way and include:
- Not Just Social
Over the past 8 years, there has been a reliance on social media as the only marketing a business needs as it is free. Whilst this was the main benefit in the beginning, now businesses need more time, bigger budgets for ad spend, and much more to make social media their only source of marketing. We help businesses to systemize their marketing so that social media is a marketing pillar but NOT the only pillar.
- Time to remove the invisibility cloak
Over the past few years, it has become very apparent that businesses can no longer hide and rely on loyalty from existing clients. The speed of the internet, social media and choice had made that loyalty disappear. If we want something and cannot get it from our usual supplier, we look elsewhere. Just look at how many more orders were placed on Amazon over the past year when shops were closed. By helping businesses to be visible, but in the right way, it keeps that awareness and loyalty alive – even as circumstances change.
- Direct Mail Has a Place
As inboxes get fully, direct mail is becoming popular again – have a think about the post you receive, how much is now from your suppliers and clients. It is a great way of letting your customers know that you are thinking of them. It doesn’t have to be costly – a simple postcard or letter can make all the difference.In a world where we are connected online, could you give your clients something to take stock and think of you? We have lots of ideas and happy to have a chat.
- Power of CRM
One of the biggest areas for marketing at the minute is the power of your own database. Again with many businesses relying on social media, contacts are not taken online and into CRM system or even a simple excel spreadsheet. We help clients understand that putting all their eggs into social media channels can be dangerous as you don’t own the foundations you are building on. Could you still contact your vlients and contacts if social media shut down your account for a period of time? There are many cases in the news recently about Instagram Influencers who have had their accounts shut down overnight and have lost 100,000 followers etc. Do you have a plan to build a database?
- Consistency – Not spreading yourself too thin
With over 20 years of experience in marketing, one of the biggest changes is businesses no longer having a written marketing plan that helps shape the marketing efforts. Marketing is more ad-hoc, inconsistent, and following a scattergun approach. This can really impact where marketing time, effort, and budgets are spent. We are passionate about helping our clients to have a plan – it doesn’t have to be lengthy but by having a plan, you can see what works and what doesn’t and be a lot more consistent.
- No Marketing Magpies Here
Hands up, who has been swayed by the latest marketing tool or gadget? To be honest, most of us have. I can hold my hand up to this when I first set up the business, Chatbots were all the rage and I spent an afternoon setting it up to realise it was not right for us at that time. We help clients get really clear on what they want to achieve and put a plan in place so that it is harder to get swayed by something else. Over the last year, a lot of businesses had to pivot or they would have lost business and by being clear, we were able to help them pivot successfully by being clear and getting being marketing magpies.
- Understanding and knowing your numbers
We help businesses to understand their numbers, whether it is social media traffic, website traffic, budget spend it can all help. We were able to help a business fund a new website project by reviewing their marketing budget, reviewing where they were getting clients from, and showing them where they could make savings. They have always advertised in directories that didn’t generate any traffic or bring leads into the business – by understanding the numbers, they were able to get the new website they needed to make the business reflect current online conditions. Do you know your numbers? If not, let’s have coffee?
- Get the help and support
We have noticed over the past 8 years that businesses are seeing the benefit of outsourced marketing teams at their disposal. Sometimes someone outside the business can offer a different perspective. Having a team of experts on-call can actually save the business money than training and employing someone full-time. We have seen first-hand the power of how we can help clients, from as little as sending a monthly newsletter, right through to running full marketing campaigns. We become an extension to the businesses we work with, part of the team!
What does the future hold?
Whilst we are looking back over the past 8 years, we also have eyes on the future and we are so looking forward to what that future may bring. We are constantly reviewing and adapting our services, we have some big plans to support more businesses across the country to get the marketing support they need. Watch this space.
Our thanks go to Steve Edwards – Steve Edwards Photography for the fabulous images on this blog.
