Reputation by Design is proud to announce that it has won the prestigious MobileWebAward for Best Marketing Mobile Website. This award recognises the importance of creating a website that is user-friendly, engaging and impactful on mobile devices. The award was judged on criteria including creativity, impact, design, content, interactivity, ease of use and use of the medium. Reputation by Design partnered with Five by Five to design and develop its website.
The MobileWebAward evaluates websites based on their ability to provide an effective user experience across different mobile devices. In particular, the judging panel looks at how well a site engages users and converts them into customers. As part of the competition, each website is evaluated for its creativity in using graphics, interactivity with users, ease of navigation and overall impact on audiences. The judges found that Reputation by Design’s website scored high marks in all categories due to its clear structure and design as well as its effectiveness in delivering information quickly and efficiently to users.
Reputation by Design’s Founder and Director, Karen Hall commented on the win: “As a business specialising in reputation, we know the importance of a strong online presence, including an effective and great-looking website that represents your brand and team well. 80% of prospects will check a company out online before buying from them, including reviewing their website and social media pages, so a website is a crucial investment in your online reputation to build trust and credibility.
“Reputation by Design is honored to have received this award along with Five by Five from the prestigious MobileWebAwards organization for Best Marketing Mobile Website. It reflects our commitment to providing an exceptional user experience for our customers regardless of their device or platform preferences when accessing our services online. We would like to thank Five by Five for helping us create an amazing website that meets the of our clients so well.”
Did you know LinkedIn is an extremely effective marketing tool for generating leads for your small business – if you know how to use it correctly? It’s the world’s largest professional networking site and, according to a recent study by HubSpot, it generates more leads for businesses than any other social media platform.
In this article we’re going to look at some of the benefits of using LinkedIn for small business marketing, some tips on how to do it well, and finally, we’ll take a look more generally on any updates LinkedIn has planned for 2023.
5 Benefits of Using LinkedIn as Part of the Marketing Strategy for Your Small Business
1. It Allows You To Grow Your Professional Network
As a small business owner, it’s important to surround yourself with other like-minded individuals who can provide advice, mentorship, and support, and LinkedIn is the perfect place to grow your professional network. By creating a profile and connecting with other professionals in your industry, you’ll be able to expand your network quickly and easily. Furthermore, LinkedIn Groups are a great way to engage with other professionals in a more informal setting. Your connections can also introduce you to other people who can help your business grow.
2. It Helps You Find New Customers and Clients
LinkedIn can also be used as a powerful marketing tool to reach new customers and clients. By creating a company page for your business and sharing high-quality content, you’ll be able to reach a larger audience and position your business as an industry thought leader. In addition, LinkedIn Ads is a great way to target potential customers with laser precision. And LinkedIn Newsletters are a powerful tool to grow your subscriber base.
3. It Allows You to Stay Up-To-Date in Your Industry
Another great reason to use LinkedIn as a small business owner is that it allows you to stay up-to-date in your industry. It has a newsfeed feature that will show you articles and posts from people and companies in your industry. This way, you can always be in the know about the latest news and trends in your field.
4. It Gives You a Place to Share Your Expertise
LinkedIn also provides small business owners with a place to share their expertise with their network. By sharing articles, blog posts, or even just updates about your company, you are able to position yourself as an expert in your industry. This is a great way to attract new customers and clients who are looking for someone with your expertise.
5. It Allows You To Connect With Potential Customers
LinkedIn groups are another fantastic feature that can be really beneficial for small business owners. Joining groups full of potential customers or collaborators is a great way to grow your business. These groups provide a place for you to start discussions, share content, and answer questions.
3 Tips to Effectively Generate leads on LinkedIn for Your Business:
1. Optimise your profile
Your LinkedIn profile is essentially your online resume. That’s why it’s important to take the time to make sure your profile is optimised and is representative of your personal brand. Include a professional headshot, a detailed summary of your work experience, and any relevant skills or endorsements. Additionally, be sure to include links to your website or blog so that potential customers can learn more about you and your business.
If you’re short of time, or know-how, the specialist team at Reputation by Design can help you with all aspects of social media optimisation!
2. Seek out relevant groups
Joining relevant LinkedIn groups is a great way to get connected with potential customers and grow your network. When joining a group, be sure to participate in discussions and add value where you can. For example, if you’re a real estate agent looking to connect with potential home buyers, you might join a group for first-time home buyers and offer advice and answer questions related to the home buying process.
3. Post regular updates
One of the best ways to generate leads on LinkedIn is by posting regular updates on your activity feed. These updates can be anything from blog articles you’ve written or newsworthy items related to your industry. By sharing valuable content on a regular basis, you’ll not only position yourself as an expert in your field but you’ll also be top-of-mind when someone in your network needs the services you offer. Don’t have the time? Let us help – we are experts in social media management.
What’s New on LinkedIn in 2023?
In LinkedIn’s annual preview of new features coming in the year ahead, the company announced a number of features rolling out in 2023. Here are three that stood out:
- Improved Video Accessibility – videos uploaded to the platform will now automatically generate captions. (TIP: This is great for Q&A, Did you know, etc videos!)
- Updates To B2B Product Search – they recently launched Product Pages to help users explore products that meet their needs, connect with community experts, and, if interested, make a purchase. (TIP: Ensure your ‘Services’ page is up to date!)
- Content Analytics – they are updating the creator analytics dashboard to include audience data and top-performing content. This enables you to examine the evolution of your following and discover more about your audience’s demographics. (TIP: Reviewing your top-performing content is important to know which posts are working better than others and create more of what’s working!)
Make 2023 the Year You Learn How to Use LinkedIn for Your Business
LinkedIn is a powerful tool that can be used for networking, growing your professional connections, and most importantly, generating leads for your business. If you’re not using it effectively, you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers. By following the tips above, you can start generating more leads for your business today.
Contact Reputation by Design today for a health-check, to optimise your presence, and for more tips to generate leads and grow your brand on LinkedIn.
Winner: 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 – 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮!
We are SO excited to share we’ve just been awarded the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮/𝟮𝟯 Corporate LiveWire 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 – 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮!
It’s our first ‘global’ award accreditation, and one I’m incredibly proud of given the breadth of the judging criteria!
The criteria for this award included:
* Service excellence
* Marketing and branding
* Industry recognition
* Ethical practice
* Employee satisfaction
Thank you so, so much to our amazing clients for their continuous support, and to our ever-growing team for helping achieve this milestone 6th award 
What they had to say about us
Corporate Livewire were kind enough to provide us with a generous press release. Here’s what they had to say:
“Established in 2015, Reputation by Design is a boutique marketing agency offering a bespoke range of services designed to instigate business growth. Based in Balgowlah, New South Wales, the firm has a 14-strong team which blends expertise in marketing, copywriting, graphic design, and journalism to take its client’s revenues and reputation to new heights.
Reputation by Design has particular specialities in award submission writing and organic social media management, and has the expertise to support clients from a range of different industries, including real estate, finance, IT, education, cybersecurity, and tourism. The modern, agile agency possesses more than 70 years of marketing experience amongst its team, and represents the true value of outsourcing.
Reputation by Design’s Founder and Director, Karen – who offers more than 25 years of industry experience – began the company as a one-woman operation and has developed it into one of Australia’s premier marketing agencies. One of its key services is social media management and optimisation, where the agency showcases its in-depth knowledge of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and their algorithms, maximising the potential for its clients to be seen, heard, and engaged with online.
Reputation by Design’s proven 51-point checklist for social media channels helps guide businesses toward being fully discoverable by their target audience. Furthermore, the agency’s talented writers offer errorfree copy for award submissions and marketing materials, capturing the voice of the brand and breaking down barriers between clients and their intended audience.
The judging panel was particularly impressed by the results-driven process the firm uses. Reputation by Design follow a customised process with each client, all beginning with a free opening consultation to establish their goals and objectives. Its talented team discuss key business metrics too, gaining a comprehensive overview of where the company’s marketing weaknesses lie. From there, a detailed strategy is developed for the client alongside the relevant costings, enabling them to make an informed decision. The agency remains in constant communication throughout the project, keeping its clients updated and even once a successful outcome is achieved – guiding them towards even better results.”
No major brand would forgo professional graphic design so why should you? Here’s why professionally created graphics are important for businesses of all sizes.
The rise of online DIY tools like photoshop and Canva has led to many business owners trying to tackle graphic design themselves.
While it’s possible for anyone to click and drag a few squares and circles to create a graphic, there are strong reasons why you should invest in the services of a professional graphic design provider if you want to build a credible brand image that stands out.
Reputation by Design brings your message to life through compelling graphics, infographics, storytelling and content to raise your credibility, professionalism and trust. Think headings, fonts, colours, hierarchy, graphs, tables, infographics, icons, and charts. Graphic design is more art than science, and best left to experts! If you want the help of a professional graphic designer, contact us today.
Before you lose time attempting graphic design yourself, consider the following points:
Professional graphic design involves a great deal of strategy
Think of a pianist sitting down to flawlessly play a tune. The five minutes of beautiful music they produce is a result of hundreds of hours of practice and learning.
The same applies to graphic design. It may take a professional designer a few hours to put together some concepts for a logo but this is thanks to the many years of study and experience. What’s more, the same way a pianist knows exactly when to pause and increase the tempo, a graphic designer understands how elements like colours, fonts and images can represent a brand and appeal to its target audience.
Quality graphic design applies an information hierarchy and a detailed understanding of the way humans respond to images. Unless you understand the principles, it’s easy to come up with designs that fall flat.
Consider some of the following questions graphic designers ask themselves when creating a logo:
- Is it impressive but easy to remember and recognise?
- Are there elements that reflect what the brand does or is focused on?
- Will the colours appeal to the target audience?
- Does it tell a single ‘story’ rather than trying to share a number of messages?
- Is it similar to a well-recognised or rival brand?
- Is it scalable and versatile? Can it be used at small and large format sizes for different assets (business cards to billboards)
- Has the font choice been considered as part of the overall vibe and tone of the brand?
- Can it easily be resized and adapted for various requirements (e.g. can it be made to fit within a circle, square or rectangle?)
And that’s just a logo. There are so many more elements to consider when it comes to other image-based collateral.
A professional graphic designer will understand your brand
Your graphic designer will get to know your company vision and your target audience. When you have an ongoing relationship with a designer, they’ll be able to pick up where they left off whenever you need new visual assets for your business.
If you decide to go the freelancer route and use a different person every time you need some graphics put together, you won’t have consistency across your brand messaging. What’s more, freelancers are often spinning many plates and are unable to provide the attention your business deserves in a timely manner.
Graphic design isn’t quick (especially if you’re not experienced)
Yes, you can take the DIY approach to graphic design but you are still spending time on the task. This is fine if you don’t have anything else to do but chances are there are other areas of your business that you could be focusing on.
If you want to grow your business, you need to master delegating. Finding someone reliable to help with tasks like copywriting, graphic design and social media management can help you achieve a great deal with minimal investment. When you outsource to a professional, you can focus on building the strategies and relationships that will grow your business.
Professional graphic design stands out
If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
Professional graphic design makes a business more credible. Have a look at a few different brands and you will be able to see the ones that have invested in quality because they look so much more professional.
Your graphic design is your first impression
Words and websites are important but the first thing anyone notices about a business is the look and feel. If yours is done well, you will be a step closer to a brand new customer.
Work with a professional graphic designer from Reputation By Design
Reputation By Design was recently awarded Top Expert’s Best Graphic Design in Sydney. If you want to find out more about our professional graphic design services contact us today.
Reputation by Design win 2022 National Australian Achiever Award
Reputation By Design (formerly 101 Things Marketing), based in Sydney NSW, has won the 2022 Australian Achiever Award for Australia’s Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Services category.
Now into its twenty-fifth year, the Australian Achiever Awards are an independent, unbiased award system based on assessment ratings from a business’s own customers. The awards provide an indication of a well-run business where satisfied customers are a sign that a business is healthy, worthy of praise, and increased custom.
The award system focuses on eight criteria, namely: Time Related Service, Addressing Client Needs, Care and Attention, Value, Attitude, Communication, Perception, and Referral. The criteria are rated individually in percentage terms and the final score is an amalgam of these. Anything above 80% overall is regarded as exceptional and reflects outstanding customer service.
Reputation By Design achieved a 99.40% overall score for Customer Service and Relations, topping all other Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Services business applicants to become the National Winner. The 2022 Australian Achiever Award proves Reputation By Design delivers on the promise of customer satisfaction.
Established originally as 101 Things Marketing by Director Karen Hall in 2015, the business was recently re-branded to Reputation By Design to more accurately reflect what they offer. As a specialist marketing agency, they provide clients with a suite of marketing services, social media management, and award submission assistance. The team of 14 specialists supports clients not only in Australia but also internationally. They aim to proactively grow their client’s business reputation by increasing trust and social proof in brands, and ultimately growing leads and revenue. Karen proclaimed “We are thrilled to be named the National Winner of the Australian Achiever Award for Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Services. The entire team is so passionate about growing our clients’ businesses and reputation, and to lead by example and win this award means so much!”
Some of the comments Australian Achiever received from Reputation By Design customers are:
“I have been dealing with Karen and the team for five years now, which is a reflection of her customer service. I am hugely impressed with her; she is remarkable. They are excellent at managing expectations. She runs a tight ship; follow-up is on time, and she keeps me well informed about everything. I have ultimate respect for her and her business. She makes us feel like we are the best company she deals with.
“Reputation by Design takes time to understand our needs. They are clear and concise with all information and are a delight to work with. “
“I love the energy, consistency, and transparency of Reputation by Design. They always come up with new ideas so we can stay ahead of the competition. I appreciate it when they chase me to follow up and update me. They know the industry very well. And they have been much better than previous businesses I dealt with that did not deliver on promises.”
For more information contact:
Karen Hall, Reputation by Design
T 0447 682 635
E marketing@reputationbydesign.com
It’s time to start your marketing plan for 2023!
Instead of struggling to play catch-up when you could have been preparing, start getting your marketing strategy ready for 2023 now. Here’s why it’s important that you don’t wait.
You know what it’s like – it’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of things that we forget about all of the opportunities we’re missing. And even though there are always going to be busy periods, if we don’t keep an eye on our marketing plan, we’ll find ourselves with no leads and no income during the slower times. So let’s avoid that by being proactive and starting our preparations today!
A great tip is to use quiet times, such as the Christmas and New Year break, to work on an effective marketing strategy. By having key practices and strategies set in place, you can keep up a consistent dialogue with future customers.
Here’s why you need to make time to focus on what’s going on with your marketing strategy at least a couple of times per year:
Time to come up with ideas
If you want to come up with new concepts, do a bit of brainstorming and marketing research. Another great option is to take some time for yourself – go on a walk or have a shower – so your brain can have a break. This will allow moments of brilliant inspiration for your marketing strategy to flow more freely.
Pause for a moment to think about your marketing strategy.
- Who is your ideal client? And who isn’t?
- What are their pain points?
- What are your goals?
- What is your product mix and profitability?
- What is your product innovation strategy?
- Who is on your team and have they got the right skills?
Taking the time to answer these questions will help you create more effective content and use your marketing time more efficiently.
There are a lot of tactics and strategies that you could use to build your business, but it’s important to focus on what will work best for you. Take some time to research and analyse your data – this will help you identify what’s been successful in the past and where you should be focusing your efforts going forward.
It’s also a good idea to plan ahead and be prepared for any potential changes in your industry. For example, are there any new trends that you need to focus on? Or do you need to adapt to what you’re doing in order to keep up with changing consumer preferences? By thinking ahead and including these considerations in your marketing strategy, you can stay ahead of the competition and continue to grow your business successfully.
Time to execute
A well-executed marketing plan is key to the success of any business, large or small. By planning your content calendar in advance and delegating tasks among a team or outsourcing them to specialist agencies, you can ensure that there is always fresh, relevant content to share with your audience.
Of course, you can’t plan everything in advance – after all, things are always changing and evolving. But by having a strong framework in place to start from, you’ll be able to quickly make any necessary adjustments so that your marketing continues to help drive business growth.
The ability to reach more people
Nowadays, a central component of marketing is being where your consumers are. You need to consider which mediums you’ll use as part of your strategy and plan accordingly. More specifically, you should identify where your target audience spends their time (for example: reading the newspaper, scrolling through social media or driving past your store) so that you can design ads they won’t be able to miss.
For example, you’ll need to be on LinkedIn if your target audience is there. The same rule applies to niche magazines and social media apps like TikTok. You can make sure you’re reaching the maximum number of potential clients and customers by having a definite plan when you know what you’re doing. And don’t forget the power of Google Business Profile and local business awards if you’re a local business!
Better brand recognition
Have you heard of the ‘Rule of 7’? Research shows people have to be exposed to your brand seven times if you want them to remember you.
A well-executed marketing campaign will help you get more customers who are looking for what you offer. Your name or label will become synonymous with the services or goods you provide and your ideal clients will be more likely to reach out when they need you.
Improved measurability
‘What gets measured improves’.
Having an unorganised marketing strategy might snag you a few leads every now and then, but it’ll be hard to tell what works and why. Having specific goals lets you track your progress so you can focus on what’s working well. You can do this by looking at website visits, recording customer enquiries, and monitoring conversion rates. Doing this allows you to ensure that each marketing activity is actually moving towards your expectations.
Room to experiment
Marketing is an inexact science, which doesn’t have to be scary – it can actually be really exciting. Trying new things, even if they are a little left-of-centre can result in big payoffs that you didn’t expect. But you’ll never know until you experiment!
As you’re thinking about your marketing plan, also consider what budget you’ll set aside. And if you can swing it, keep some extra cash on hand for trying out new online or ‘traditional’ marketing ideas.
When will you plan your marketing for 2023?
It’s time to take a look at your calendar and schedule a few hours (or even better, a few days) to focus on your marketing strategy. This way, you can start the new year off strong, with a clear plan for how you will promote your business.
Not sure where to start? I can help you create a marketing strategy that works for you. Get in touch with the team at Reputation by Design today.
Social media marketing for business is now every bit as important as doing your taxes.
Find out how to be engaging on social media and look at some social media ideas.
If you’re in business and you want to grow (or even simply keep up) with the competition, you can’t underestimate the importance of social media marketing. Let’s start with some facts:
- In 2022, there were over 4 billion total social media users across all platforms.
- Over 80% of potential customers or clients will check your business out on social media before committing to a purchase.
- Consumers are six times more likely to make a purchase from a product page that includes user-generated pictures from social media.
If your business isn’t playing the social media game, it’s an undeniable fact that you’re missing out on attention and potential revenue. With that in mind, here are some social media tips for business owners.
Which social media platform is best for your business?
TikTok or YouTube? Instagram or Pinterest? LinkedIn or Facebook?
It’s possible to have a presence on every platform but think first about where your audience is. You don’t have to be everywhere… but you should at least be somewhere.
A B2B (business to business) brand may have success sharing content on LinkedIn and maintaining a steady presence on Facebook. A highly visual B2C (business to consumer) brand will attract more qualified buyers on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.
You need to know where your audience ‘hangs out’ on social media when you create your strategy. The classic saying is to ‘Go deep, then go wide’ — so choose one or two platforms first and build your audience there, then consider extending to other areas.
Social media ideas for business
If you’re not a creative type or if you are focused on other parts of your business, you may not know where to start.
The first thing you need isn’t an idea, it’s a calendar. Spend some time fleshing it out so you’re not scratching your head for social media ideas every few days.
To get you started, here are some ideas, from ‘easiest’ to ‘hardest’. Note that the ‘easy’ ideas are probably less engaging but they will still help you show up online.
- Share content your clients may be interested in reading or seeing (not from your competitors!)
- Share product descriptions and images
- Share special offers
- Turn customer testimonials into graphics and share them
- Write two blogs per month and break them into several ‘micro blogs’, then drip feed these to social media
- Post a survey or poll for your followers
- Share candid snaps of your team at work
- Share case studies
- Repurpose existing content from your website or other marketing collateral to share on social media
- Develop a lead magnet such as a free guide and invite people to download it
- Create a daily, weekly or monthly series e.g. interviewing industry experts
- Go live
Start making videos:
- How to’s
- Q&A
- Product ads
- Fun, entertaining, shareable clips
How to be engaging on social media
The more interesting your content is, the more people will stop, look, like and share.
Some tips for being engaging on social media for businesses include:
- Ask questions and get people to respond in the comments
- Share a controversial opinion (not too controversial!)
- Post clear, bright images
- Use a smiling face that makes eye contact with the device user
- Make a Reel (short, entertaining video) and include text that says ‘Watch to the end’
- Share special offers but only for the first few people who comment
- Respond to comments to stimulate further discussion
- Talk about a current topic
Figuring out how to be engaging on social media can take some time. Think of it like training for a marathon; you won’t be race-ready after a single month of going for a morning jog. Social media can be a long game and you need to stick with it if you want the best results.
How often to post on social media as a business
There’s no denying it, social media is a hungry beast.
Social media tool Hootsuite recommends posting the following amount as a business:
On Instagram, post between 3-7 times per week.
On Facebook, post between 1 and 2 times a day.
On Twitter, post between 1 and 5 Tweets a day.
On LinkedIn, post between 1 and 5 times a day.
Yes, it’s a lot. You may find you can get away with less, depending on your brand and your goals. However, from those recommendations, you can see why you need a social media manager.
Having someone to take over and look after your online activity will ensure you have great social media ideas for your business and that a regular posting schedule is followed. Your social media manager will also brainstorm and create stories of client scenarios, savings/sales, local events, sponsorships, regular videos, and more, so the content being shared is relevant and topical to your audience and industry.
Don’t forget to keep track of your social media results
The final piece of the social media puzzle for your business is tracking your social media results. This includes more than simple likes, so you know what’s working and what can be improved.
The importance of social media marketing comes down to achieving better results for your business. You need a strategy so you can increase awareness of your brand, improve customer experience, and ultimately encourage more enquiry. When your social media activity is consistent, creative, and suited to your audience, you’ll find it supports your journey to a more successful business.
Get in touch with Reputation by Design for help designing and implementing your social media strategy!
I’m excited to share with you that we’re changing our name to more directly reflect the services we offer. The team is still the same and everything will work exactly as it does today; the new name simply reflects that in recent years we’ve switched from doing 101 things to focusing on proactively growing our clients’ reputation.
Our areas of specialty include:
- Award writing
- Organic social media management
- Graphic design
- Copywriting
- Online optimisation
We’re proud to support our own reputation with multiple awards this year too, so you know you’re in good hands.
Our business has also grown through referrals from clients who love what we do and the results we deliver for them. So if you have a client, business partner, or colleague who wants to proactively grow their reputation, please warmly refer us.
Thank you for your support. We can’t wait to help you grow your reputation even bigger and better!
Karen Hall
Founder & Director
Proudly supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Through our giving programme, B1G1, we donate 1% of our revenue to charities that support education, food, and human rights.
Have you thought about your marketing strategy for 2022? Now’s the time to start preparing so you don’t miss any opportunities. Here’s why.
It is so easy to get caught up in the rush of day to day work that you neglect to think about the opportunities you may be missing.
And even though you may have busy periods, if you don’t pay attention to your marketing strategy, you’ll find that when things do go quiet you don’t have any leads to follow up with. The result can be a slump in income that you haven’t planned for.
One piece of advice I always give my marketing clients is to take advantage of quiet times like the Christmas break or the beginning of the year to work on a marketing plan. With a few strategies and practices in place, you can maintain an ongoing conversation with prospective clients.
Here’s why you need to make space to focus on what’s going on with marketing your business at least a couple of times per year:
Time to come up with ideas
Having headspace without the distraction of other tasks makes room for new concepts. Do a little bit of brainstorming and marketing research, and you’ll find the ideas begin to flow. Even going for a walk, drive or taking a shower can give you moments of brilliant inspiration. This is because your brain has the chance to relax and stop trying so hard.
Having time to think will also allow you to come up with an actual strategy rather than simply posting marketing content when you have a few free moments. The best steps to follow are to firstly consider exactly what you want your marketing to help you achieve, then decide what your strategy will be and then figure out how you will execute your strategy.
Time to execute
It’s easy to come up with brilliant marketing ideas to help grow your business in 2022 but you need time and resources to bring them all together. Once you have a goal, a strategy and a plan for your marketing, you can delegate to your team or find freelancers to bring everything together. By working to a calendar that you have planned out in advance, you’ll always have fresh content ready to share.
The ability to reach more people
These days, one of the biggest challenges of marketing is making sure you have a presence where it matters most.
Deciding which mediums to use for your marketing should be part of the planning process. You need to figure out where your target audience is (e.g. reading the newspaper, scrolling through social media or driving past your storefront) so you can create messages that are impossible to miss.
If your audience is on LinkedIn, you need to be there too. The same goes for niche magazines and newer social media apps like TikTok. When you have a strong idea of what you’re doing and a clear plan, you can make sure you’re reaching as many of your target clients and customers as possible.
Better brand recognition
Have you heard of the ‘Rule of 7’? Research shows people have to be exposed to your brand seven times if you want them to remember you.
It seems like a lot but a carefully executed marketing plan will help you achieve this magic number. Your name or label will become synonymous with the services or goods your ideal clients are looking for and they will be more likely to reach out when they need you.
Improved measurability
‘What gets measured improves’.
A haphazard marketing strategy may bring you in a few leads but it will be difficult to know what has been the most effective and why. When you set goals, you will be able to track your progress. You can do this by reviewing visits to your website, keeping track of enquiries and being aware of conversion rates. For each marketing activity, you’ll be able to keep an eye on how the results live up to your expectations.
Incorporate a regular review of your marketing throughout the year and you’ll be able to optimise your strategy.
Room to experiment
Marketing isn’t an exact science, which can actually be really exciting.
Incorporating a few left of centre marketing ideas or launching a short term social media ad campaign just to see what happens can pay off in unexpected ways. But you won’t know until you try it.
When you plan your marketing, you can also think about the budget you will allocate. If possible, leave some room for experimenting with both online and ‘traditional’ marketing strategies.
When will you plan your marketing for 2022?
Now’s the time to open your calendar and schedule a couple of hours (or days) to focus on your marketing strategy. Then you can put the wheels in motion and start the new year off strong, with a clear understanding of how you will spread the word about your amazing business.
Want help creating a marketing strategy? Get in touch with Reputation by Design today.
We’re currently rebranding a business, including redeveloping their logo, colour, typography, imagery, tone of voice, design and positioning – the 7 elements of a brand.
For colour, we’re diving into the colour psychology of branding. This is an important element of a brand because consumers make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and between 62% and 90% of that assessment can be based on colour.
Further research indicates that brand recognition can be increased by up to 80% by effective use of colour throughout marketing, packaging and logo design.
No pressure! ; )
