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Tuesday, 8 March 2011

Not a Quick Fix

Social Media and Social Networking is not a quick fix for business success. You have to be in it for the long term to get a return on the investment you make. This investment could be the help and knowledge you give or the time you spend. But is well worth making the investment for if you have staying power you will certainly see the benefits.

But do not forget that it is not the only way to build a successful business. It will play an increasingly important part in the future but do not forget today.

Any successful business must adopt a multi faceted marketing strategy. The strategy you will adopt will be unique to your business. The best way to find out what works for you is to test and measure. Should a strategy work do more of the same. If not stop it immediately and try something new.

Some of the tool you could use are:

  • Cold calling
  • Telephone calls
  • Direct Mail
  • Variable Data Mailers
  • Mass marketing flyers
  • Networking groups
  • Email marketing
  • Trade shows and exhibitions
  • Surveys
  • Competitions
  • Postcards
  • Referrals
  • Advertisements
  • Special Offers
  • Client Visits
  • Internet Directories

Like social media, the lead time for getting a return on any marketing activity could be rather long. It will normally take three to six months for it to kick in. The biggest problem with many businesses is that when they are very busy their marketing activity stops. This is where the problem lies. Successful businesses never stop their marketing programme as it takes so long to switch back on again.

Remember, whatever business you are in you are in the marketing business.

You should always be marketing your business.

David

Posted by David Holroyd-Doveton at 14:20
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About Me

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Are you confused about all the hype on Social Media and Social Networks?

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ecademy, My Space, You Tube, Flickr, FourSquare - the list is endless!

HootSuite, TweetDeck, my6sense, MarketMeSuite, Gowalla, foursquare – sounds like a foreign language.

 Google reader, blogs, video blogs, RSS feeds, Facebook pages, Marketplace - who has the time to learn what they all do, let alone find out how to use them?

All these strange names create are questions and confusion for most people.

What does it all mean?

Why do I need it?

What will it all do for me?

Will it make me any money?

Do you dip your toe in the water and dabble or do nothing and hope it goes away?  

The problem is – it’s not going to go away.  

  • Google+ has been around since 2011
  • Twitter since 2006
  • Facebook has been around since 2004
  • LinkedIn since 2002
  • And Ecademy is fourteen! 

If you really feel that you should be doing something about this social media lark, but you don’t know where to start or what it could do for you, don’t worry.  You are not alone, I was there myself, not so very long ago, so I know exactly how you feel about it and, yes, there is a way out of all the confusion!

Let me give you a short guided tour of this Social World that we live in.

I am David Holroyd-Doveton, a Marketing Strategist and Digital Marketing Coach with over thirty years experience in helping both well established and start up businesses develop and promote themselves resulting in an increase in sales and dominance in their target marketing niche.

I use a tried and tested three pronged 'SID' approach to provide tailored solutions for my clients.

The 'SID' approach stands for Strategy - Implementation - Development.

There are three main channels of expertise:

  • Digital Marketing Coach
  • Marketing Strategist
  • Design/Print/Promote

My expertise is well suited for business owners with both established businesses and the over 50's who find themselves in a declining industry and who need help in moving their business to the next level. 

As an accredited Digital Coach, I can show you the Why, How and Where of Social Media Marketing ensuring that you don't just have a presence online, but ensure it’s both consistent and financially rewarding.

I will coach business owners to be Known, Liked and Followed, the cornerstone of Ecademy philosophy.

As Managing Director of Positive Print and Design Limited I have over sixteen years experience in helping both start up and existing  businesses with their off line marketing plans.  We offer a wide range of services, from design to print, direct mail to variable data printing, banners to exhibition displays as well as helping our clients to get noticed with both online and offline promotions.

This means that I can offer a variety of solutions from carrying out an initial Marketing Audit to a comprehensive coaching process designed to meet individual needs.

With experience in engineering, purchasing, sales and marketing over the years I’ve been on a journey that’s given me a good grounding in how businesses work and what makes them profitable.

Having been in the ‘social media is a passing fad’ brigade for a while, until someone helped me to see the business application and power behind it, I know how easy it is to dismiss it.  That’s why I really want to help other business owners and managers with the challenging new Social Media platform, so they can really leverage this essential element of today’s marketing mix.