E-mail Marketing

At Sydcam Marketing Communications, we hear several concerns from clients who don’t see the value in hiring us for their marketing communications needs:

1)      You’re too expensive, I can’t afford you

2)      You don’t know/understand my business

3)      I understand marketing, I can do it myself

4)      You’ll just take over my marketing activities

Here’s Part 2 of our post.

1)    The Dangers of DIY

There are many issues related to businesses doing certain thing themselves, whether it be accounting, HR management or marketing. It always comes down to an issue of expertise and knowledge. And in the case of marketing strategy and planning, success is also a function of having a clear and objective perspective on the opportunities available to you.

A marketing consultant can provide businesses with a fresh, knowledgeable and unbiased perspective, articulating the strengths and opportunities of the company and how they can best be leveraged through an integrated marketing communications plan to deliver optimal results. Business owners are often too close to their companies to truly provide this objective point of view.

2)    Loss of Control

Arguably one of the biggest deterrents for many business owners is the potential loss of influence and involvement over the marketing process. In reality, good marketing consultants understand that input from various members of the business is critical in developing an effective marketing program that will actually deliver results. Eliciting participation from various members of the business is simply a smart way to get true ‘buy-in’ to the marketing strategy and plan.

If you’re looking for a marketing consultant that wants to partner with you in helping to grow your business, give us a call. We’re looking for clients who want to take their business to the next level, and to do so in a cost-effective and strategic manner.

At Sydcam Marketing Communications, we hear several concerns from clients who don’t see the value in hiring us for their marketing communications needs:

1)      You’re too expensive, I can’t afford you

2)      You don’t know/understand my business

3)      I understand marketing, I can do it myself

4)      You’ll just take over my marketing activities

The reality is often very different.

1)    Pricing that’s right for you

We understand that cost is often an issue for many small and medium sized businesses, especially in these challenging times. Our goal is to provide cost-effective marketing solutions that will grow your business and fit your budget.  We can do as much or as little as your budget dictates.  More importantly, we can help you prioritize your various marketing initiatives to determine what would deliver the “biggest bang for your buck”.

2)    Doing the ‘deep dive’

It’s entirely correct that we don’t work for your business and may not, at least initially, completely understand your culture, vision and values. However, we pride ourselves in spending the time with each and every new client – no matter how big or small – to get to know their business on as intimate a basis as possible. We recognize that it’s impossible for us to do our job successfully without this in-depth knowledge of you, your business, your staff and your clients and prospects.

We’ll cover points #3 and #4 in next month’s post, so stay tuned!

I recently presented this topic to my colleagues at the Oakville Networking group, and they found it very informative and helpful, so I thought I would repurpose it and share it with you – not to mention it’s a long overdue blog post for us at Sydcam! Here is Part 2 of a two part series on this topic.

Social Responsibility

Of the many hot ‘buzz’ words in the 21^st century, arguably none is bigger than corporate social responsibility (CSR). With all the corporate wrongdoings by both individuals and groups such as Bernie Madoff,  WorldCom and Lehman Brothers, is there any doubt why the issue of CSR is so prominent today? Clearly, there is a need for businesses to be more ethical and accountable. Brands that can truly stand under the CSR umbrella can build brand equity and value through these actions. Those that don’t will likely be the next businesses under Chapter 11.

Social Consciousness

Employing socially responsible business practices is nothing new. As many of us know, companies like Ben and Jerry’s and The Body Shop have been doing this for over a decade. Where the tide has shifted however is in the attention given to this area of business. Once considered a novelty and a “nice to have”, today the public considers socially responsible business practices a requirement; part of the rules of engagement in business. Anything less is considered a failure and a symbol of irresponsible management.

What does this all mean for small business?

While many small business owners may look at this development as a daunting one to take on, one could argue the complete opposite. This is very much a “glass is half full” scenario,  where this “social” movement can enable small business marketers to position their clients in a way that would have been virtually impossible even 15 years ago.

This so called ‘social’ movement has enabled small businesses to differentiate themselves and stick out from the crowd. Smaller companies have the benefit of being more nimble and community focused, and thus using these attributes to leverage the local market and beyond with their social purpose and mission. In the end it’s all about making a difference and a statement about your business stands for.

The Social Movement

The evolution of social consciousness has created a number of opportunities for marketers of all types of companies, small, medium, large, for profit and non-for-profit. But to embrace this phenomenon requires a completely different perspective than in the past: marketers need to consciously develop a social element to their client’s marketing this becomes an integral part of their brand, mission and values.

I recently presented this topic to my colleagues at the Oakville Networking group, and they found it very informative and helpful, so I thought I would repurpose it and share it with you – not to mention it’s a long overdue blog post for us at Sydcam! Here is Part 1 of a two part series on this topic.

The Customer is King

So what has changed so much in marketing to make it such a different playing field that it has been historically? Simply, the consumer has evolved into a position of power, if not even control by many of the developments in the last 10+ years. The era of the internet has provided consumers with something they never had before – easy access to a plethora of information on virtually every topic under the sun.

From product information to customer feedback and ratings on products and services to direct feedback loops via social media to retailers and manufacturers etc., the consumer has real influence over the marketplace and the products and services offered to them for consumption.

Being “Social” is more than Social Media

Many who read this blog’s title may assume that I was just going to talk strictly about social media and its influence on marketers. Wrong! While social media is an integral part of the many ‘social’ changes affecting society today, it isn’t the only one.

Being social touches on social media but goes much farther. In general, it influences marketers in its ability to enable active engage with your customers, the ability to add value to this relationship on a regular basis, and to broaden the reach of your marketing and communications messages – both on social networking platforms along with other mediums.

Use this engagement to learn more about your customers, and what they need or want from you. Encourage  them to collaborate with you to build better products and services, and to share any ideas and unfulfilled wants they might have.  You’ll build brand awareness, customer loyalty and a whole lot more!

Part 2 of this blog post will follow shortly in February, so stay tuned!

One of the challenges many entrepreneurs and business people face when they establish a business, set up their LinkedIn profile for the first time, delve into social media on a business level or start networking is creating the proper image that aligns with their business or position.

Business people often find it difficult to get the right person to capture them in a photograph. What they find equally challenging is determining how best to present themselves in their headshot in order to come across in a positive, flattering and professional way.

What can be even more difficult for many is effectively writing a biography that captures in words their experience, skills and education while at the same time striking a balance between being overly boastful or drab to the reader. Many people find it hard to speak about themselves in an overly positive manner, thinking they’ll be perceived as arrogant.

What can be especially difficult for business people is to find professionals that are good at all of the above, and who can also provide a complete, packaged service at an affordable price. Having identified this need, photographer Laurinda Shire, copywriter Ian Turner, and image consultant Janelle Long have teamed up to provide a fabulous and cost-effective package.

The package consists of an in-home image consultation, a professional headshot and a professionally written bio for only $200 +HST. This will take place at the eSpot on Thursday July 21^st from 10am-12pm. Bring a friend and let them take advantage of this great offer too! For more information or to book your appointment, contact Laurinda at 289-242—5547 or laurindashire@hotmail.com.

Let us help you create the right impression – in both words and picture – so that you can impress your clients, colleagues and network and set yourself up for success!

What makes a great marketer? Is it above average creativity, a strong business acumen, an ability to think strategically with a big picture approach, or is it a bit of everything? And how do marketers acquire these skills?  Is it by working in various areas of an organization first, by attending a B-school and perhaps getting an MBA, or is it by cutting your teeth first in sales and then translating that training and exposure into a marketing role?

 I truly believe there is a lot to be said about the latter approach, and here’s why. I often feel there is a much more practical way of going about becoming successful at marketing – and that centres around thinking more like a customer! At Sydcam Marketing Communications, we believe that thinking like a customer is at the essence of effective marketing.

Understanding Needs

One of the primary reasons why I think marketers need to think like a customer is that it helps to better understand the needs of the end consumer of your goods and services. I would argue this is even more important when you hire advertising agencies and the like to work on behalf of your company, who have an arms length relationship to the business and its products.

Buyer (i.e. consumer) behaviour is a critical component of the purchase decision and process, which is exactly what most marketers are trying to impact and influence. There is no better way to understand what motivates the end customer to purchase your products or services than to actually put yourself, as the marketer, into their shoes and try to understand why they make certain purchase decisions.

Formulating marketing strategies

When it comes to thinking strategically, or developing a marketing strategy for your business or client, the same tactics and approach apply. It should be based on the perceived motives and intents of your target client. What are they looking for from your given product or service? What are their expectations? What would be the distinguishing factor that would sway them to purchase your products over your competitors? All these questions should be carefully considered and analyzed when coming up with a marketing strategy for your business.

In the end, business and marketing always comes down to the customer. Understand their needs, appreciate what motivates their purchasing decisions, and recognize what actions will resonate with them and you’ll be on the right track. Stepping into their shoes is the best way to assess this effectively. You will then be able to develop marketing campaigns and programs that will achieve the bottom line results you and your company expect.

Thinking like a customer is really no more than a concerted approach to thinking and acting in a very unique way that can have tangible benefits for your business. If you would like to discuss how you can implement this kind of strategy within your company, or if you simply want to discover some simple techniques to incorporate this into your daily marketing routines, contact us at Sydcam Marketing Communications. We’d love to sit down and talk to you about something we’re very passionate about.

Why achieving a consistent, branded communications strategy is critical in the digital era

I recently came across an interesting article in the Harvard Business Review* (HBR) that I wanted to share with my readers. The article talks about a unique aspect within social media: how it is impacting consumer behaviour (and attitudes), the impact it is having on a company’s brand, and how a consistent communications strategy can resolve consumer confusion and improve your bottom line.

At Sydcam Marketing Communications, we understand that social media is changing the sales and marketing landscape. We hope this article will enable you to better understand this new media and help you devise the necessary strategies to take advantage of this digital phenomenon.

The demise of traditional media

We all recognize that technology, the internet, and most recently social media have all adversely affected both traditional media (newspapers, TV, and radio) and traditional methods of marketing (TV and print advertising). However, many of us don’t realize the extent of the impact.

The online communities created by social media have provided a forum for discussing a company, its brands and products. These discussions often take place after a customer has purchased a product, either in the form of a product review or an online discussion.

Lesson #1: The growing importance of the post-purchase stage

In the article, the post-purchase phase of the buying process is referred to as the “Enjoy, advocate, bond” stage. Social media has facilitated consumer’s ability to advocate for (or against) a brand or product, to bond with it and to disseminate information to a wide audience very quickly. Marketers need to allocate more attention and resources to this critical stage of the buying process.

Lesson #2: Shifting the marketing spend

The research highlights that the conventional approach to using paid advertising in traditional media to influence customers before the purchase decision is not effective anymore. Instead, influencing clients post-purchase will have a much greater impact on their satisfaction with their purchase decision, will expedite their future repurchase decision, and will enable them to advocate for the brand through social media  – positively impacting the purchase decisions for many buyers.

Lesson #3: Keep your “branded” messaging consistent

Today’s plethora of marketing and communications channels creates other challenges for businesses – ensuring product and brand messaging is consistent across all channels of communication, from print to social media to product packaging and PR. One of the key concerns noted by consumers in the HBR paper was inconsistent product information and descriptions across different sources and different media, and how this made the purchase decision more difficult.

It is incumbent on companies that they view product and brand messaging from a strategic perspective, and coordinate it more effectively. Research has proven that centralizing this communications role with marketing results in a clearer and more consistent understanding of the brand by consumers; they are then better able to articulate its attributes.

 Implementing a “branded” communications strategy

If you’re looking for assistance in developing a social media plan to improve your marketing and communications efforts, or you’d like to comment on this blog, please contact us at Sydcam Marketing Communications; we’d love to hear from you.

Together we can work on devising a program that will create consistent messaging across your entire organization, strengthen and grow your brand and your customers’ loyalty to it, while helping you become more profitable.

 * “Branding in the Digital Age: You’re Spending Your Money in All the Wrong Places”, Alex MacLean, Harvard Business Review, December, 2010.

http://hbr.org/2010/12/branding-in-the-digital-age/ar/2

Collaborating with our clients probably isn’t that foreign to most of us – we’ve likely done it at some point in our careers. The real question is how often do we do it? Is it just something we do only when it’s convenient or when the client insists upon it? Or is this the approach we often engage in, one that forms a fundamental way to we meet our clients needs?

At Sydcam Marketing Communications, we develop collaborative marketing strategies, plans and communications by working closely with our clients. In this blog we’ll explain to you why we feel so adamant about it.

Collaboration delivers results

As we’ve seen with the explosion of Web 2.0, social networking is all about collaborating with clients to better understand their needs and to provide them with products and services they want. Bottom line, collaboration with clients has been proven to achieve better results and bigger successes. Why you may ask? Well, it can simply be the result of the old adage “two heads are better than one”.

It would be difficult to dispute that our clients possess considerable knowledge about their industries, markets and ultimately, their clients. We need to proactively tap into this wealth of knowledge to deliver superior results for our clients. Engaging them in the planning and decision making process can only benefit us in developing products and services that will truly “wow” them.

How can we make this work?

Many readers may think “this can’t work in my business”. Truthfully, collaboration can occur successfully in a variety of different ways, and with many different players. Employers and employees can collaborate as a team, and industry and academia can also collaborate together.

The most important element to successful collaboration is the willingness of both parties to work together, appreciate each others unique perspectives, be able to contribute and engage fully in the process, and finally be willing to compromise where necessary.

Collaborating with Consumers

In marketing, collaboration can be taken one step further by engaging consumers in the development of marketing strategies, plans and tactics. Through the use of surveys, feedback from social media and “old school” concepts such as focus groups, the consumer can become an integral part of the conversation, identifying what they feel would be the best way to satisfy their needs.

By working collaboratively with either clients or consumers, we’re able to create very practical and pragmatic solutions, and gain a fresh perspective on how best to apply marketing concepts and strategies for maximum affect. In our highly competitive and ever evolving marketplace, it seems inconceivable to ignore this input and information.

If you’re interested in working with a firm that wants to develop collaborative marketing programs with its clients, contact Sydcam Marketing Communications by email at info@sydcamcommunications.com. We want to hear from like-minded businesses that see the value in building stronger relationships as a means to creating better solutions. Let’s work together to build even better mousetraps!