Business is the same the world over
After delivering several marketing workshops recently for SME UK & European businesses, the old adage "business is the same the world over" gained extra significance.
Culture and currencies might change, but most businesses share the same common issues.
So, how can we turn these to our benefit? There are lots of points to consider, but I like to focus on the 4 main ones.
Know your differences.
What makes you different from the competition?
Don’t just ask management, ask the team that delivers the difference day in day out.
What makes you believe that your customers share the same view?
Are these differences delivered throughout all of your customer points of contact - from phone calls to delivery?
If you don’t know, get feedback.
Communicate them well.
Every part of your marketing communications strategy needs to work hard for you. However, I guarantee that some parts will be working harder than others.
How well do your current channels to market communicate your brand values ?
If you marked all of your marketing communications against your brand values, how would you score out of 10?
Which are your weakest areas of communication?
Communicate often.
Never before in history have there been so many channels to market.
Online and offline, you can segment and target like never before.
So… do you ?
Do you have a formal strategy to communicate with existing and potential customers?
Do you engage with your customers and stake holders at different levels?
Do your existing channels to market really address all of your target groups?
Measure.
What measures do you have in place for each part of your marketing communications plan?
How do these compare with industry averages?
Do you get a sufficient return on your investment?
Are there any alternative channels that you can use, at a lower cost which will provide more measureable results?
Whether you are in profit, making a loss…or just starting out. There will be some aspect of your marketing communications which could be improved, and give you an improved return.
Realising this is half the battle, changing it is the other half. Do both, and you will be in the minority of companies that perform exceptionally well.
Edward Ryder
Director
Biskit Marketing www.biskit.co.uk
