36 . Glasgow Business May/June 2014
BRING LIFE TO T
Industry experts lift the lid on what it takes to build a buzz around your brand to attract and retain your customers
he key to unlocking business success is not just having a product or service that people demand, but being able to market it and communicate with
your audience effectively. Oſten overlooked, marketing and
communications are essential for bringing your brand to life. What’s the point of building a business
if you are not going to invest in building its brand? Creating a buzz about your brand and
geting potential or existing customers talking about it is the aim. But if you have no marketing or communications experience, this can be challenging, so Glasgow Business has tracked down some industry experts to pass on their expertise. In just five simple steps, they can equip you
with inside knowledge to help you to bring your brand to life.
Make sure you listen to the voice of the customer Knowing exactly what your customer thinks, feels, likes and dislikes about your business is important because this valuable insight can be used to reach out to potential customers and keep your brand alive. Knowing the voice of the customer can help
businesses get a glimpse into their customers’ minds and find out what’s important for them in terms of product and service offering, says Louise Graham, director of growth marketing agency TinkFrog Marketing. She explained: “Te voice of the customer
can be captured in a variety of ways: direct discussion or interviews, focus groups, or email survey, and it is best carried out by someone impartial to the company. Te outreach is friendly, open and professional and should form part of a business/product/ service development strategy. “I would advise all businesses to conduct thorough research in this area before launching
into a marketing campaign or initiative. “Businesses who follow this approach will
benefit, ensuring a greater success rate with their marketing through confidence that their messages are hiting the right spot. In addition, customers of companies who adopt this approach are far more engaged with the business (aſter all they’ve had an input).”
Invest in good content Craſting creative content is another must-do to bring your brand to life. Content is everything from articles in a
newsleter, to tweets and blog posts. And content needn’t just be words – good quality images and videos also work effectively. But how can you get this to the people who
mater most to your business – employees, customers and other stakeholders? “Tere are a number of platforms to
consider, including your own printed publications, social media, and digital platforms, including your website, apps and e-newsleters,” explained Alan Ramsay, managing director of Connect Publications. “Te key is to sit down and develop an
effective strategy, where the content comes first – based on the concept of ‘COPE’ (create once, publish everywhere). And you’ll need to think about what platforms will help your business reach its particular audience. “And by using a clever mix of print and
digital communications, your business can reach your audience at different times and different places. Each can be tailored to do slightly different things.” Obviously, the nature of your content is
also crucial. Alan said: “Among the many types of effective content, one thing you may want to ask yourself is – does this tell a story? “Aſter all, the story is the most engaging
type of communication. Also, consider how you can continue to tell the story across different platforms, in different ways – appropriate to that media.”
“ Knowing the voice of the customer can help businesses get a glimpse into their customers’ minds and find out what’s important for them in terms of product and service offering”
Use social media wisely ‘I don’t have the time for social media’. If this sounds like you, then either make time or employ a dedicated social media manager to take this time-consuming – yet vital – role off your hands because social media should be on your priority list when building and marketing your brand. Not only is it an effective way to reach a wide range of customers, promote and build your company culture, it also takes your brand awareness to a whole other level. To do this though, you need two key things, as Kirstin McKay, brand strategist at MadeBrave®, explained: “Strategy and creative. Te strategy will help you to make sure the channel is actually helping you to achieve your objectives. It’ll also give your team useful guidelines that’ll help them use it effectively and manage any problems, such as negative comments, that may arise. “Te creative will give you the sparkle and
buzz that social media needs to work. It’ll mean the difference between having an empty social media profile and one that’s full of likes and comments.
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