Springing forward

Hurrah!

 

Hurrah! We made it to 1 February. As a start-up business, you probably think we’re focused on survival, but it’s actually quite the converse – we’re growing more quickly than we had anticipated.

It’s a pleasant challenge to have, and we’re heartened by the number of businesses that are reaching out for help in getting their brand and marketing materials in better shape for 2015.

Our belief that a strong business starts with a correspondingly robust brand that’s carried across everything from an e-signature (how’s yours looking?) to a website, van livery and brochure is key to generating a response from prospects and customers.

We’re also finding that many customers are preferring to work with us on a long-term marketing strategy, rather than calling us in to tackle ad hoc problems. It makes sense – it’s the equivalent of a carpenter ordering wood several months ahead, instead of every time he starts a job. Regular attention and forward planning of your marketing will create a stronger, more successful you this year.

If your business could do with a marketing audit to support your business goals in 2015, email hello@chapelroadcreative.co.uk

Good tweeting

So, way back in week one, we were asked by smgvirtualpa.co.uk to create a logo for the @WNTweetup – a quick project that we were delighted to turn around after meeting her and a fantastic bunch of tweeps.

Since then we’ve had great fun tweeting and joining in the banter with some amazing businesses across our county and beyond. It’s early days and we’re still very much NKOTB, but what Twitter and other social media channels bring are a strong sense of community, connecting like-minded individuals and companies, all waving their banner.

It has been suggested that social media has eclipsed the website as a marketing tool, conveying far more about a company, its brand, values, customer engagement and personality. While we reckon the ‘old-fashioned’ website is still with us for a while, offering an unmissable shop front with the world, social media marketing can undoubtedly boost your business immeasurably.

To put this in context, we recently helped a client to market a leisure event on the North Norfolk coast. It grew its audience 1,000 per cent year-on-year using targeted consumer specialist display advertising, a regional newspaper supplement and a healthy dose of PR. But the magic secret ingredient? Social media. Each time a tweet or a post went live, ticket sales went through the roof. That’s real time business growth, right before your eyes.

But how do you go beyond the quick hit, keep the conversation going once you’ve caught the eye of your prospective customer? That’s where long-form marketing can work wonders – continuing the narrative, telling your story through blogs, interviews, case studies, articles and thought-leadership features.

If it sounds like an awful lot of effort, think how just 140-characters can boost your business profile – then consider how extending the messaging across all areas of your advertising and marketing collateral could impact your bottom line. We’re ready to help you make every word priceless.