Blog Comments and Why You Should Do Them
November 18, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
Unless you are a total stranger to blogging, you may already know the importance of comments. If you want to get more engaged and responsive visitors to your blog, blog comment marketing is something you should consider doing.
At the end of the day, comments are the thing that validates a blog’s existence. Comments allow us to see what other people think about our posts, inspire new ideas and validate that a connection is being achieved.
What is blog comment marketing?
It’s basically just that – leaving comments on other people’s blogs. You may already do this, but if not, it is certainly worth doing as part of marketing yourself, your business or your brand differently.
Comments represent the level of activity in a blog and it is a major factor differentiating static websites and blogs.
If you already leave comments, then have you given any thought to the comments that you leave on blogs? Have you considered the impact is has and how it reflects on you, as the writer?
Here are some reasons to consider commenting more often, as part of your marketing strategy:
- Comments are the first step in forming a relationship with another blogger. Good comments improve the quality of a blog, so you notice the people who are enabling your blog to be better. If you leave comments, over time you’ll start to be recognised.
Consider this real world example
Have you ever gone to a shopping centre and noticed that some stores have many customers, while others are empty? When a new customer enters the centre, will they be attracted to the store with customers or those with none?
The same goes for restaurants. How often have you avoided a restaurant that is empty and gone nearby where there are more customers eating? It is a reflection of the quality and offerings of those stores. Real or perceived, it doesn’t matter.
This is applicable in blogging too. Readers have a tendency to stick with the blogs with comments, while they always avoid the blogs where no discussion is going on. If you actively participate in discussions at other blogs, you too will receive lots of comments in your blog. This is simple blogging etiquette; it will become a reciprocal arrangement.
A busy blog is an attractive blog.
- You’ll get “pre-qualified” visitors. Be smart about where you comment, leave thoughtful comments and you’ll attract the attention of the blogger as well as the other readers. If you clearly know what you’re talking about and they’re interested in the topic, many of them will click through to your blog as you become deemed an authority figure with something pertinent and interesting to say too.
- You’ll learn something in the process. If you read other blogs on your industry, topic, market and competing brands, or blogs that are directed to your ideal audience, then you may even pick up some useful knowledge.
The main reason that blog commenting is so useful is because it can potentially lead to more traffic for your website or blog. It can build awareness, loyalty, sales and advocacy for your own brand. At the end of the day, the key ingredient to successful outcomes for your brand will result from applying your blog commentary to those blogs that target the same audience that you are trying to reach.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY CHERYL HAYMAN
- Why isn’t my blog getting any comments?
- Approaching Your Boss – a Mentoring Perspective
- Uncover, communicate and nurture your personal brand
|
|
Cheryl Hayman – Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM.
|
Approaching Your Boss – a Mentoring Perspective
September 28, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
Mentoring is probably the most powerful developmental process people can experience. Used effectively, it can empower people and provide a means to communicate that is second to none. It provides many tools and tips for managing those around you, one of the most important being ‘the boss’.
Mentoring is about professional and personal development and hence it is a terrific framework to utilise in any approach to your boss. It will give you more confidence and a heightened level of competence for communicating, especially if the conversation is considered to be critical, from your point of view.
The starting point
Remember that strong managers are primarily concerned with their team and the organisation, driving toward positive results. Approaching your boss is therefore all about exploration of the possible actions you might take and managing your own expectations about outcomes.
You need to explore the possible actions, bearing in mind the manager’s driving forces above and go forward to your boss with the best possible option. Be sure that you have considered it from all angles (theirs and your own), first.
As in a mentoring situation, much depends on the topic to be discussed.
- If it is something significant, related to changes in personal or professional attitudes and behaviours, you may find that you need to explore an issue on and off for several months.
- If it is a practical topic, related to knowledge or skills, it may only take a few minutes or a few hours.
The goal is to find mutual understanding.
This new understanding is experienced in a number of ways, depending on the individual and the importance of the issue in hand. Be flexible and resourceful, ready to move forward (and sometimes backwards) empathically and constructively.
Even when dealing with your boss, be supportive and sensitive so that when you challenge, your boss is receptive and able to acknowledge and learn your desires.
Always challenge positively. Even bosses can feel vulnerable, especially if the ‘old way’ is being criticised. Provide reflection and respect for the past. In the end, the boss needs to be part of the “journey to discovery,” that place where you would ideally like to land.
Following agreement on the new course, the action phase is sometimes immediate but, in the case of complex attitudinal and behavioural issues, it may take weeks, months or even years to fully develop. Ultimately, the timescale is dependent on experience, the nature and complexity of the issue and the quality of the conversations that you are able to hold.
In the end, the similarities to the mentoring process are based on the following personal traits, drawing on your ability to be:
- Enthusiastic – genuinely interested in the boss and his/her concerns, needs and aspirations.
- Motivating and encouraging – to understand and channel the boss’s energy into constructive change, new challenges and overcoming difficulties.
- Open – prepared to share your own experience of similar issues, be honest about yourself, be honest and appreciative of the boss.
- Empathic – able to appreciate how the boss thinks, feels and behaves.
- Positive in your outlook – able to appreciate the boss’s point of view and see solutions.
- A good listener – able to really focus on what the boss is saying without your own thoughts crowding out the boss’s words.
If you harness all these abilities as you go into discussions with work colleagues and your boss, you are much more likely to resolve your issue with a mutually agreeable outcome than you would if your approach was hostile, disrespectful and centred only on your needs and desires.
Check back tomorrow for the next blog post in 30 Days to a Great Career! 1-30 September 2011
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
- Grammatical glitches that spell “disaster” for job applicants
- Making A Good Impression: 7 Keys To A More Professional Image
- Board quotas – are they the answer?
|
|
Cheryl Hayman - Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM. Cheryl personally undertakes continuous professional development within her various business roles, as well as attending external courses.
|
Women – Are we our own Worst Enemies?
September 9, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
Today, while reading an insightful SMH article about the increased number of females on Boards, but the declining numbers of females in the upper corporate ranks, I found myself astonished by the following section of the article:
A (noteworthy corporate) female, who now runs her own business, said the best way to resolve the problem was to introduce targets in senior ranks.
“We need to have targets for senior executive positions as well as board positions, but the targets in executive roles need to focus on the areas that chief executives are chosen from,” she said. “They are not chosen from human resources and consumer support.”
Whilst this is clearly just the quoted female’s observation (not necessarily what she agrees is right), I find it amazing that we are prepared to accept and declare that we define targets within targets to ensure the right ‘professions’ are in the CEO ranks.
As females, surely we want the best executives amongst our ranks in those positions and we need to move on from the old-fashioned view that HR professionals and consumer-orientated executives can’t run businesses. Who’s left, just accountants?
I personally know many amazingly talented women from these fields, who not only can read, analyse and adjust behaviours based on their P&L’s, but have the added skills of strong personnel and supplier relationships. They also seem to have a substantial attention to well-rounded results which include the necessary selling and consumer engagement experiences to grow a business.
Just as in every corporate field, there are those that can manage a business and those that grow it. The best CEO’s will combine both these characteristics. To suggest that HR and consumer support directors are NOT a focus for CEO candidature just supports a bias within the female barracks that is not required and certainly not justified.
Source: Executives scarce thanks to push for women on boards
Check back tomorrow for the next blog post in 30 Days to a Great Career! 1-30 September 2011
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
- Uncover, communicate and nurture your personal brand
- Get Organised for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual
- Putting your best foot forward in an interview
|
|
Cheryl Hayman - Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM. Cheryl personally undertakes continuous professional development within her various business roles, as well as attending external courses.
|
Uncover, communicate and nurture your personal brand
September 8, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
In developing and managing your personal brand, the most basic marketing principles apply.
In today’s job-hunting environment, the most successful job-seekers are those who understand the value of marketing and apply to themselves those principles that companies have used for years to successfully sell their products.
Those principles are:
- What brand are you; how do you present?
- What do you want to be known for; what reputation elements are you wishing to display?
- How do you build awareness of yourself, and then reinforce that awareness so you become more top-of-mind versus other candidates?
- Where do you voice your brand (you)? What ‘media’ channels?
- How do you measure your success?
- Are you willing to change/evolve according to the reception and success you’re achieving?
There are 3 key things to consider before you begin the personal branding journey:
- Are you willing to be yourself – to put who you are into what you do and how you do it?
- Personal branding is based in authenticity, not in creating an image for the outside world – can you be authentic?
- Can you bring yourself – your best self to every interview or career experience?
Building a strong personal brand isn’t about telling people how great you are, it’s about showing people how great you are.
Messaging – Tone/Personality/Style
If you are a brand, then your clothing is your logo. What impression is your wardrobe giving to those around you?
Consider how you present yourself. Think about what impresses you when you meet people for the first time. Things such as Personal Style, Colour Choices, Casual vs Corporate Attire, Hair and Make-up. How do the individual components represent your personality and the impression you wish to convey?
They say ‘first impressions count’ well, it is a well documented fact that the way your present yourself creates an impression is the first 7 seconds!
Do you…
- shake hands (top & tail)
- smile
- come prepared with questions
- demonstrate your enthusiasm of the job through prior research
- retain eye contact
- answer questions properly
- know when to stop talking ???
Distribution channels – how to initiate contact
There are numerous ways to initiate an approach when seeking to further your career:
- Job Postings & Recruitment Advertising – watch and select
- Cold Calling – tough for most people, but sometimes you get lucky this way
- Networking – again, tough for some people, but an absolute ‘must’ at any stage of career progression
- Job-hunting on the Web
- University Career Centers & Alumni Offices
- Headhunters/Recruiters/Executive Search Firms/Employment Agencies – all viable and well known routes to employment. Just remember to treat these people the same way you would treat the actual company you’re interviewing with. Never assume you’ll pass this phase and go straight into an interview with a company.
Which is the most important distribution channel?
Most career experts agree that networking is crucial to a successful job search. Networking means developing a broad list of contacts – people you’ve met through various social and business functions – and using them to your advantage when you look for a job.
Building an online presence
Today, no personal brand can be built without acknowledging and understanding how to utilise the online space that surrounds our every day lives.
One of the first things you can do is to create an online portfolio. Find out if your personal domain name is available. If it is, purchase it!
I recommend building and designing your online portfolio using a free content management system, such as WordPress. On the homepage, include a welcome message to visitors which can be a similar, more generic version of your cover letter. Then, include separate pages for your resume, portfolio, contact information and a link to your professional blog (if you feel comfortable with this).
What are the biggest personal branding mistakes job seekers make?
- Not controlling content. Many sites—such as Facebook or Twitter—have ‘private’ settings for personal information. If your future employer won’t think it’s appropriate, take the content down or make your profile private.
- Not knowing what makes you unique. Show employers how you will fit with their company and why you will be an asset.
- Not taking advantage of technology. Along with LinkedIn, Twitter and other sites for networking, you should also create an online portfolio. Sites such as VisualCV or webs.com allow you to compile your work and show them to others.
I like to remind people that Google is not a search engine. It is a reputation management system.
Online, your reputation is quantifiable, findable and totally unavoidable.
LinkedIn is a:
- Professional social network
- Way to research business and individuals
- Professional “Branding” opportunity
Facebook advice:
- Watch the photos you upload
- Create a business page and a friends site separately
- Watch wall posts
- Join relevant Groups
- Publish anything you write, any article written about you and any links to relevant industry pieces. It is about building a profile and enhancing awareness of you out in the larger world.
Online is one of modern day’s networking tools. Never underestimate its power or its influence and the impression it leaves. It has become part of your “grooming”… as important as the clothes you wear!
If you follow these tips and remember you are the brand, then you will find that over time you will do all these things as part of your second nature, and there is actually no major effort required, other than being conscious of how you continually reinforce “brand YOU”!
Check back tomorrow for the next blog post in 30 Days to a Great Career! 1-30 September 2011
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
- Get Organised for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual
- Putting your best foot forward in an interview
- Staying Positive Through Your Job Search Process
|
|
Cheryl Hayman - Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM. Cheryl personally undertakes continuous professional development within her various business roles, as well as attending external courses.
|
Stand Out from the Crowd at Job Interviews
September 2, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
The most effective start to your process of standing out from the crowd requires a pragmatic approach that illustrates that you have given thought, as well as brought insight, to any job interview.
Firstly, it is important to uncover and comprehend the trends in your desired career field.
Gather detailed information about the companies you would like to work for.
Using market research is essential to your success:
- Read reviews and articles about the industry – demonstrate your passion and knowledge. Few people bother doing this.
- Interview people in the industry – information, networking and potential leads are not only helpful, but also increase awareness of you to a relevant and influential crowd.
- It’s absolutely essential to your job-hunting success to know how to research potential employers. Not only will this information help you in writing your cover letter (and perhaps tailoring your resume), but it is mandatory for when you get invited for a job interview.
Always remember that you are the product that you’re trying to sell. Like in industry, the products with the most compelling messages will win out in the marketplace.
So you need to examine what characteristics, features and skills make you unique in order to stand out among competing job searchers. Remember to examine this from eyes of potential employers. These features can include things like work experience, leadership experience, professional memberships, and, of course, your education and training.
However you must write and express these skills in a compelling and meaningful way using key differentiating attributes.
Differentiating Attributes about You
- What makes you, you?
- What are your key differentiating attributes? Consider elements such as drive, enthusiasm, training, passion, prior experience, specific skills, industry knowledge, a customer, computer skills, creativity.
- Focus on matching YOUR differentiating characteristics with WHAT the COMPANY or ROLE needs. You must manage the fit during the ‘job hunt’ process.
There is an advertising term called the Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What is the one thing that makes you different than any other job-seeker applying for the same job?
- What are your accomplishments (not duties or job titles)?
- How attractive a ‘product’ are you? Why?
- What will make you more attractive to employers?
No matter how attractive a product you are, employers may not recognise and value you unless you have properly positioned yourself on the job market.
Positioning involves developing a perception in the eyes of employers and is a three-step process:
- Identify a set of possible competitive advantages upon which to build a position. What are your competitive advantages for potential employers?
- Select the right competitive advantages. Different employers seek different strengths and skills.
- Effectively communicate and deliver the chosen position to the market. How can you develop a successful communications message?
From this day forth…
- Create a Word document to keep track of your achievements.
- Every time you accomplish something, jot down an entry.
- Include what you did and why it was important.
- When possible, show how that achievement helped any company you previously worked for.
- Ask others what they think are your key defining attributes – you might be surprised.
Harness all these things and develop strong ‘story’ and the ‘compelling messages’ that help you Stand Out From The Crowd.
Check back tomorrow for the next blog post in 30 Days to a Great Career! 1-30 September 2011
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
|
|
Cheryl Hayman – Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM.
|
Tip No. 7: Advice for a Business Owner with a Strong Marketing Focus
August 30, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
Marketing is all about determining the needs of consumers or customers and matching those needs with products and services a company can deliver for the right perceived value. Branding is the key marketing asset for any company and as such, a brand needs to be carefully crafted and created to embody the customer promise and meet, or ideally exceed, expectations at every engagement with its user.
So for those considering a business requiring a strong focus on its Marketing know-how and edge, here are the Top five pieces of ‘career ‘advice I can give you:
- Be prepared to work hard and understand the objectives of a marketing role and the need to hit those for progression and success. Be patient and get the job done. Marketing people and their businesses have to be results driven. You should measure the business’s success against achievement of the businesses goals as well as the marketing strategies (including budget management).
- Try to be mentored and inspired by great leaders and managers from whom you can draw many in-field skills: the interpersonal and the technical skills. After you find yourself a mentor, utilise their advice and guidance as you need it. Know what you need and go after it, in the form of their wisdom.
- Listen, analyse, listen again and harness this learning into your personal skillset. There is a constant need to listen to your consumers, although of course, it doesn’t stop there. There is always valuable insight within an organisation both from more experienced managers and out in the ‘field’ or your external world of other suppliers. (e.g., sales people, plant managers, etc)
- A marketing person has to be like an Octopus. You have to draw upon the expertise of many, cobble it together, ensure it works for your consumer and finesse it accordingly along the way. Being able to juggle many balls and get the best out of a diverse group of individuals requires major co-ordination and relationship capabilities.
- Action-oriented: You must be focused on the achievement of results. Marketing is a fast-paced and contemporary industry, so those who succeed have the ability to act swiftly to meet trends in competitive marketplaces. The best businesses always have top marketing executives who can find solutions at every turn.
Follow this advice and you won’t go far wrong. Good luck with your business development and building your brand’s assets through a solid marketing approach.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY CHERYL HAYMAN
- Tip No. 6 – Marketing to Small Business Owners
- Tip No. 5: Integrating your Marketing and R&D Strategies to Win
- Tip No. 4: Shoppers even more Savvy
- Tip No. 3: Brand Loyalty-the Pot of Gold
- Tip No. 2: Out-Step the Competition
- Tip No. 1: Remember ‘AIDA’
|
|
Cheryl Hayman – Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM.
|
Tip No. 6 – Marketing to Small Business Owners
July 11, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
The ‘one size fits all’ method doesn’t work when it comes to connecting with small business owners.
Many of us within the ABN need to attract and engage with other small businesses and their owners. Marketing to such a unique audience requires some diverse thinking and a reduction in the grandeur of the usual marketing formats we discuss, especially for those of us who herald from bigger corporations and brands.
Small business owners are busy. They wear many hats and are often generalists in many areas.
Areas on which to focus that help small business owners notice you have to do with:
- How your service helps the business owner stand out, in other words promotion – do you have a means by which they can grow their customer base and their profits?
- How your service helps the business owner find new customers – what do you offer that adds value to them and provides a resource or skill they don’t have internally?
Understanding that a large percentage of small businesses with less than five employees don’t have a website, you have to think about how to best reach these business owners as well. While they may not have a website, they do subscribe to industry trade journals, meet with peers and use online services to stay competitive. Even though they might not be on the bleeding edge of technology adoption, as they are busy running their company, small businesses definitely look to find new ways of reaching customers.
Introducing your products and services through targeted ad placement is one approach for connecting with this group.
Another is providing useful information that helps a small business owner stay competitive.
Become a champion of this group – provide resources and participate in the conversation where small business owners are.
So what can you quickly do to connect to the SMB audience?
Here are a few sites where small businesses are actively present:
- Manta – allows for specialised/targeted advertising to small businesses and decision makers by revenue, employee size, industry, etc
- LinkedIn – allows for finding business professionals by industry
- Present.ly – allows individuals within a company to post short, frequent updates that are tracked or “followed” by others. Unlike Twitter, it provides a secure and private way to share updates among members of a company, without them being visible to the general public
- TalkBizNow – allows networking while visualising the small-world phenomenon by displaying how each member is connected to any other member
Good luck – and always remember it’s about tailoring your strategic approach, not a one size fits all approach.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY CHERYL HAYMAN
- Tip No. 5: Integrating your Marketing and R&D Strategies to Win
- Tip No. 4: Shoppers even more Savvy
- Tip No. 3: Brand Loyalty-the Pot of Gold
- Tip No. 2: Out-Step the Competition
- Tip No. 1: Remember ‘AIDA’
|
|
Cheryl Hayman – Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM.
|
Tip No. 5: Integrating your Marketing and R&D Strategies to Win
June 7, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
My premise this month is that a company’s future success derives from providing value to customers that is not available from competitors – and that it must be developed with a market-orientation.
To accomplish a competitive edge, most companies will either:
- Improve existing products and services;
- Develop radically different offerings, quickly.
Generally to succeed long-term, you must be prepared to cannibalise your own business before someone else does. So where to start?
We are all so busy, and there are so many business hurdles…
- Thinking strategically while working the day-to-day business issues
- Deciding which comes first : technology, product, quality, market, manufacturing, distribution or finance
- Understanding the influence of culture and values
- Selecting a dominant strategy that integrates marketing, R&D and production strategies
- Focusing on the winners, dropping the losers
- Examining your company’s mission, vision and strategic intent
- Measuring integrated strategic planning progression… just to name a few!
Always remember, however, that the planning responsibility of business owners and senior management includes conceiving and implementing an integrated business strategy that results in profits, growth and clear direction for the entire organisation.
Therefore, as part of aligning total business strategy, Marketing and R&D strategies need to align to increase the return from investment in new technologies.
It is therefore imperative that an integrated portfolio approach to support market-oriented R&D planning is undertaken and baked into the business culture.
Why are market-oriented strategies so important?
- Market orientation is a key driver of company performance, so companies should align their core activities with market requirements.
- Among the most important activities is the introduction of new products which sustain company success in many markets.
- The alignment of process steps, from idea to launch, with market requirements drives success.
- Consequently, R&D should be focused on designing new products which satisfy market requirements.
So in the end, ask yourself this… How can my company best integrate the marketing function with research and development? As product life-cycles and development cycles become ever shorter and as increasing proportions of R&D are outsourced, linking the marketplace with the ‘laboratory’ becomes both crucially important and increasingly difficult.
A final thought… don’t give up! This integration of marketing and R&D practices is the key to your long-term success and the only way to gain a sustainable competitive advantage.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY CHERYL HAYMAN
- Tip No. 4: Shoppers even more Savvy
- Tip No. 3: Brand Loyalty-the Pot of Gold
- Tip No. 2: Out-Step the Competition
- Tip No. 1: Remember ‘AIDA’
|
|
Cheryl Hayman – Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM.
|
Tip No. 4: Shoppers even more Savvy
May 6, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
The latest data has it that a growing majority of consumers are making more considered purchases and turning to the internet for cost savings.
Research from ACP Magazines reports that 76% of Australians are being more careful with their money. With 71% taking advantage of easy price comparisons online and daily deals through group buying sites such as Ouffer, Cudo and Jump On It, it is important to consider how this might impact your sales.
It is not a blue collar, lower socio-economic phenomena. It is an Australian phenomena and the implications are that it is now more acceptable to shop the “home brand” or retailer brand, which is often considered (even if just a perception), to provide the same quality as the branded product.
This particularly presents a big challenge for a branded, marketed product. The imperative to deliver over and above expectation is clear. It is no longer enough just to build a brand with sexy packaging and a funky name.
You must now consider every suitable marketing channel for your product and the most compelling offer on a channel by channel basis. Simultaneously, you must consider the mindset of your consumer when he or she shops through that channel. The impact of social media and other internet channels need more and more thought. Consumers have always been unique but now their unique values and behaviours will alter as they access products and services through various, and newer channels, and their approach and mindset will differ by channel.
For instance, if I’m traveling, I will buy my perfume in the duty free store. My mindset is positive and expectant and excited by the impending journey, so I will be less concerned with price, however I will also assume a good price because of my environment. On another occasion though, if I run out of that same fragrance and I am not about to travel, I immediately jump onto the internet, perhaps to strawberrynet.com and purchase the same product at a reduced price. I would no longer shop in a store for the fragrance, and I access the online resource for two reasons – practicality (it’s easy), and price, knowing the product is the same.
In almost every case now, I turn first to online for purchases. I don’t always buy that way, but it is a resource for helping me short list and research anything else I want to know. Now, even if I am a bit ahead of the norm, the data suggests that that won’t be the case for long.
In a world where every brand is considered, by and large, the same, and it’s about convenience and price, what tricks or tools exist to engage the consumer above the competition? How do you cement your brand into the consumer’s mind?
US research shows that companies that utilise social media and engage directly with consumers have a greater opportunity to not only reach more customers, but also increase their likelihood of making a purchase. Here are some basic tennants:
- Social media websites have become an information resource for consumers
- Online word-of-mouth is powerful
- Consumers who visit social media sites are more likely to take action
- Talking with a brand representative online greatly influences purchase behaviour
Social media marketing is playing an increasingly important role in the marketing strategies of companies. One of the biggest advantages that social media websites have over company or news sites is that consumers who visit social media websites are more likely to take action. Consequently, companies who integrate elements of social media into their marketing mix will have a greater opportunity to influence consumers’ buying choices.
If you are not already doing this, then it’s now time to act.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY CHERYL HAYMAN
- Tip No. 3: Brand Loyalty-the Pot of Gold
- Tip No. 2: Out-Step the Competition
- Tip No. 1: Remember ‘AIDA’
|
|
Cheryl Hayman – Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM.
|
Tip No. 3: Brand Loyalty-the Pot of Gold
April 8, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
In order to create brand loyalty, a brand or business must break consumer habits, help them acquire new habits and reinforce those habits by reminding consumers of the value of their purchase and encourage them to continue purchasing those products or services in the future.
The image surrounding a company’s brand is the principal source of its competitive advantage and is therefore a valuable strategic asset.
Loyalty marketing is specifically aimed at building a strong continuing commitment to your brand, rather than just brand awareness. It suggests rather more influence and involvement from a consumer.
There are 6 components which I recently came across and which I think have enormous and wide reaching applicability.
- Fame
- Leadership
- Emotional Affinity
- Rational Affinity
- Difference
- Price
If you can garner “fame” then you are the most popular and most salient brand in the marketplace, but this is unlikely to happen immediately unless you truly pioneer an untapped area. Beware however, that even if you are “first in,” don’t assume fame will follow. You still need to demonstrate all the remaining loyalty-building components above.
Leadership is awarded to your brand if it sets trends and is able to grow in popularity. If you become the brand other brands try to emulate, or if you are the ‘port of call’ for the media or whoever your relevant advocacy groups are, then you have the leadership quality required to enforce lo
yalty.
Emotional Affinity is exuded through your warmth of character, your tone, the image you project and personality. It provides your brand with engagement at a ‘heart’ level with your consumers and works to lock them into their association with the brand.
You also need a Rational Affinity: the ‘head.’ The balance between how much ‘heart’ and how much ‘head’ depends on your brand, your industry or marketplace, and the tangible and practical attributes you have on offer.
Your point of difference must be linked to a direct benefit that meets the “what’s in it FOR ME” criteria that underlines all strong brand loyalty relationships. It may work on an emotional or a rational level, although it is ALWAYS important to ensure that there is a rational benefit of some sort that is defining and differentiating for your brand.
Price is self-evident, although it is usually more about Value. If you can develop and cement the previous characteristics into your brand then you will have strong loyalty and as long as the price is appropriate and relevant for the marketplace, this should not be the most important attribute for your brand.
Recently I heard an interesting expression: “Losers make decisions; Winners make commitments”… we can all think of brands that meet these criteria, consider them against your own brand and decide now whether your brand make that winning commitment and succeed.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY CHERYL HAYMAN
|
|
Cheryl Hayman – Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM.
|
