Marketing

I'd like to suggest something that is going to sound a bit bonkers. 

Trust me, it really can help you market your business more effectively.

Tell people about something that's bad about your business. 

Yes really. Declare a downside or a disadvantage. Don't hide it. Tell people about it. 

it doesn't have to be anything earth-shattering or something that will really put people off. Just something you're aware of. Perhaps an aspect that some people find a bit odd or off-putting. Or something t…

Recent economic predictions have indicated we could be in for a rocky time. inflation increases, fuel price hikes and an uncertain economy mean that not everyone will want to think ahead and book a holiday or feel good about spending on a day trip. Combine this with the discounts available on overseas' holidays and iffy British weather and the domestic tourism industry isn't feeling as confident as a few months ago. 

So, there may be tricky times ahead. What can you do about it? 

First of all,…

Have you ever had a random phone call or email offering you the chance to advertise at a bargain price? Or thought you might need to pay money and advertise your business to give it a bit of a boost?

This article could save you a lot of money!

It's never a good idea to advertise just because you think you're getting a bargain. I'll come on to when to advertise later. But first, before you pay to advertise, make sure you've really taken advertise of all the free channels and opportunities first…

Social media is a funny thing. It’s free and easy to use. It can help you reach millions of potential customers. But when most people talk about it, they mention negatives!

Yes! it can be useful for business and marketing but…

It takes up so much time. It’s hard to know if it’s really working. It’s hard to come up with ideas. It’s hard to keep up. All of these things can be true. They’re also relatively easy to solve. Sometimes, the problem isn’t the one we think.

There are a few mistakes eve…

Have you noticed the letters TLDR or TL;DR on social media recently? If you haven't, now I've pointed it out you probably will. It's everywhere!

TLDR means Too Long - Don't Read.

It's an abbreviation used just before a quick summary of a longer post or article. The idea is that we're all so busy we like to find shortcuts. So the TLDR is for anyone in a hurry. Some people will read the full version, but only if they think it's worth it - the summary gives the rough gist, and can entice further …

Have you tried letting your visitors do your marketing for you? 

The 'normal' ways to do this is through word of mouth recommendations. I'm suggesting going a step further with four different ways to encourage your visitors to help promote your business - without being pushy.

First of all, you can encourage word of mouth recommendations through social media, simply by suggesting people follow you or asking happy customers to post photos of their visit. 

The second way is to think about offeri…

You've probably noticed one of the biggest trends that developed during lockdown and is likely to stay: a massive increased in dog ownership. Whether you love dogs or don't want them anywhere near you, this could be an opportunity for your business. 

Visitors are going crazy for dog friendly pubs, accommodation, and even places to take their dogs for entertainment. Don't stop reading if you really don't want to cater for dog-lovers. There's an opportunity for people who can offer pet-free servi…

Good marketing is often said to be 'promoting the right product to the right people in the right place at the right price'. It is but there's another essential element most never think about.

Timing is everything

Try selling flip-flops in Winter. Or serving hot stew on a hot Summer's day. It just feels wrong. 

But... we don't always use that knowledge. 

We post on social media first thing in the morning because it suits us to make it part of our morning routine. Porridge and a quick facebook…

Do you ever feel like your potential guests and visitors are just 'not getting it'?

That maybe people just don't realise how good you are, that you have the most fantastic business?

Perhaps they keep asking the same questions over and over again, or miss the point on what you have to say? 

Or maybe you're sometimes downhearted because you know you're offering a brilliant service or experience and yet you just don't seem to be able to charge the prices you'd like, or attract the visitors you want?