Why you should hire a Marketing Consultant

This month we have a guest blog by the super talented Lindsey Milner. Lindsey has several years experience working for some of the largest media houses in the industry. Take a read of her blog ‘Why you should hire a Marketing Consultant below…

Time is money. Two heads are better than one. Jack of all trades, master of none. 

If you own your own business, these phrases probably pop into your mind most days?

Often a business is set up to pursue a passion. Unfortunately, the reality is less hours are spent on the ‘passion’ and more on marketing tasks like:  

Why isn’t my website getting more visitors?

What’s the quickest route to increased sales? 

Who really is my target audience?

If you can relate, then here are our top 3 reasons why hiring a Marketing Consultant will be the best decision you make this year:

Fact 1: Marketing Consultant’s will understand and care for your business as much as you do.

Let’s say you’ve set up a vegan food delivery service.

Your background is in nutrition and you have decades of skill and experience at creating exemplary vegan cuisine.

Even if your Marketing Consultant hasn’t worked on an identical proposition before, their background, skill and experience is in making exemplary, water-tight and profitable strategic business plans.

Within a couple of months of working together, they will establish:

·        Who and where are your target customers?

·        How and when do they want to be targeted?

·        How often you should send marketing messages to them, when and in what format?

·        Which platforms should you spend time and investment on?

·        How to generate a return on investment (ROI) on any of your marketing activities.

The same way vegan food is your calling, improving the profitability and efficiency of your business via marketing is theirs.

Fact 2: Hiring a Consultant won’t be ‘expensive’. It will generate a return.

There’s nothing like the thought of losing money to strike fear into the most rational of folks. However, let’s flip this fear on its head.

If you need to grow your business ASAP, you’ll soon learn you have to pay to some extent, to do that.

Whether it’s spending on advertising or improving your digital platforms via SEO, CRO or content creation, there will always be a cost even if it’s just your time.

If you don’t have experience in these fields, I can guarantee that trying to fudge it yourself, no matter how many hours you spend on You Tube tutorials, you won’t get the outcome you desire.

You could advertise at the wrong time of year, to the wrong customer.

You could be optimizing clicks to your website rather than conversions.

It could all amount to a poor performing quarter in both financial and development terms.

A Marketing Consultant can guarantee as little waste of your pennies as possible AND increase your business growth within the shortest time possible.

They’re the experts and do this day in, day out, with qualifications to boot.

“Then I bet their rates are expensive” I hear you cry?

As with anything in life, you get what you pay for.

However, the brilliant thing about a Freelance Marketing Consultant is that they’ll work with you to find out your primary objectives, then calculate back exactly how many hours a month they need to hit those objectives for you.

It maybe you only need five to ten hours a month? Or two days a month. Or a month’s work to get you off the ground so to speak.

Whatever you need, they can give you: with no other overheads and a promise they’ll put everything in place to get the returns you seek, with as little waste as possible.

Fact 3: They have a deeper understanding of digital marketing than you do.

In today’s digital world, the job of a marketeer is as broad and diverse as you can get.

Outside of the traditional marketing techniques like branding, advertising, PR, events, and generating new business, today we also specialise in:

1.      Website creation and maintenance

2.      Search Engine Optimisation

3.      Conversion Rate Optimisation

4.      Social media

5.      Content creation

6.      Copy Writing

Digital and its users move fast.

Staying on top of trends and techniques to get all of these marketing tactics spot on, is a full-time job in itself.

With the best will in the world, you can google “How do I improve my website search ranking” and take a few punitive steps towards it. But you won’t get the results you desire any time soon.

A Freelance Consultant can put all of this in place for you and teach you a few tricks of their trade.

 All of the phrases we began with are true.

As a business owner, it’s imperative you put your business in the hands of experts.

This time next year, we can’t promise you’ll be a millionaire.

But we can promise you’ll have built a brand and awareness of said brand, increased sales and have a solid understanding of the next steps to work towards your ever-evolving business via sensible targets and objectives.

And if you want to work with Marketing Consultants that really, really care, get in touch with Icon today. We are here whenever and however you need us.

Mum’s the Word for Business Success

It may only be in its first trimester, but 2019 is already a boom year for ex-radio presenter and mum-of-two, Kiesha Humphreys who is celebrating her fourth year at the helm of Icon Marketing Communications Ltd. In that time, Icon, a specialist marketing consultancy based in Wilmslow, has been responsible for a number of SME business success stories across Cheshire and Manchester.

Kiesha Humphreys

Photo credit: Senem Peace Photography

Kiesha explains; “I set up the business after the birth of my first son, and Icon is an anagram of his name, Nico. I’d been working at a senior level at a large advertising agency in Manchester, and while I was on maternity leave it struck me that there is a gap in the market for a reasonably priced and flexible marketing resource, in the area.”

Kiesha has first-hand experience of smaller businesses approaching large agencies and being put off by the cost. She says, “Bigger organisations can be a bit intimidating to smaller businesses – especially when they only need a one-off marketing facility or a bespoke marketing service.”

While larger organisations often don’t see the immediate potential in helping businesses when they’re starting out or are at the ‘expansion phase’, Kiesha seizes the opportunity to put her big agency knowledge and international marketing expertise to the test.

“For the past 15 years I’ve worked in the UK and South East Asia. In this time, I’ve seen the communications climate change dramatically – and it still is changing, year on year”.

In tandem with her ‘day’ job as a Business Development Manager for upmarket restaurant chain, Gusto, Kiesha honed her communications skills as a regular Radio Presenter for Cheshire’s Silk 106.9, BBC Radio Manchester and Capital (formerly Galaxy 102). It meant she had her finger on the pulse of all kinds of media. “I’m a natural-born communicator,” she says, “I was increasingly drawn to digital channels and I could see that the major draw of digital is its level of accountability and significant ROI”.

Photo credit: Jonathan Farber

As well as running Icon, Kiesha has spent the last year completing her Google Ads certifications and working on SEO projects with a number of clients.

Kiesha continues; “There is still a need for an integrated marketing communications strategy to support and strengthen the digital aspect, including PR, events and traditional print and radio advertising”.

Kiesha says; “While we’re based in Wilmslow, we often work from The Workspace in Handforth, a beautiful co-worker environment that has flexible terms – it’s great for businesses who want to collaborate. We work with businesses of all sizes to provide one-off support or ongoing marketing management (across the mix) in and around Manchester and Cheshire. We create tailor made packages in line with our clients’ budgets or we can offer bespoke solutions to suit their needs.”

The Workspace Handforth Meeting Room

Photo credit: Compton Harry Photography

It’s not every day a company can benefit from marketing experience of the kind Icon can deliver, without the international agency price tag. With so many success stories under her belt – and plenty more waiting to happen, Kiesha is more than happy to spread the good news.

For more information visit www.iconmarketingcommunications.co.uk .

To celebrate its fourth year. Icon Marketing Communications Ltd is offering all readers a 1 hour complimentary marketing consultation. For more details, please contact Kiesha on kiesha@iconmarketingcommunications.co.uk or call 07979940526.

The Workspace can be contacted on 01625 522209 or via email info@theworkspace.uk

For more information visit www.theworkspace.uk.

Hello! Is anyone listening? The magic of Radio and its similarities to running successful Social Media campaigns

It’s a while since I last wrote a blog, the truth is working in marketing you tend to neglect your own promotion in favour of your clients. But that’s no excuse it is important to be consistent. So today I wanted to talk a little about the wonderful world of social media. I remember being one of the first of my friends to sign up to Facebook in April 2007. Back then there was no Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest and Twitter was only in its first year.

How far social media has come since then? Facebook now has in the region of 2.23 billion users. They’ve recently had a ‘rough’ time losing £90.8 billion of their share value following the Cambridge Analytica scandal (I must hasten to add the company is still valued at nearly £400 billion – yes billion).

What is true is that businesses of all sizes are looking to harness the power of social media. Just like any other media there are different channels which may be more suited to your target audience. Instagram users for example are predominantly aged between 18 and 29 and there is a greater tendency for them to be female over male. Whereas Twitter and LinkedIn users, tend to be older and more business orientated. Effectively utilising social media reminds me a lot of my time as a Radio Presenter. Different stations appeal to different audiences.

But the similarities don’t stop there. Just like the world of radio particularly commercial radio;

You need to plan…

Before each show I’d spend at least an hour prepping. My prep would include reading the local and national papers, checking on upcoming events, researching in to any new music that was added to the playlist, creating topics to encourage listener interaction. Planning was imperative to an enjoyable show (for me and the listener).  The same can be said for social media, making the time to produce a fortnightly or monthly social media plan will make the process of generating regular content a far less onerous task.

You’re promoting…

 In radio this is usually the station you work for, other presenter’s shows, local events or special guests. But equally as a business owner utilising social media to promote your business is a wise choice. What other media gives you the opportunity to directly promote your product/service to your customer?

You’re conversing…

Encouraging listener participation brings the show to life. One of my favourite features was my topical themed final song of the show, during this feature I would get listeners to get in touch suggesting a song themed around a news story from that day. People love to receive a direct response from a company, favourite brand or business . I once tweeted Screwfix about a great experience I’d had with their Cheadle store. They passed the message on to the store who responded to my tweet with a thank-you – I was touched. Conversing with your social media supporters encourages brand loyalty and sets you ahead of your competition.

You’re sharing…

 I remember a few years ago whilst I was working for Cheshire Silk 106.9 there were a number of school closures due to excessive snowfall. Silk became the go to station to find out whether your local school was closed. That’s one of the things I loved most about radio was its speed. If you were on air when a big story broke you could share it with you listeners instantaneously. That speed still puts radio ahead of other media such as print. You can utilise your brands social media to share something relevant in your industry or to your followers.

Sharing, conversing and promoting is the holy trinity as far as establishing a successful social media presence. But I would encourage you to exercise caution when utilising social media. Unlike the world of radio which is regulated by Ofcom anyone can get online through social media and share news, views, pictures and videos. Without the necessarily having the knowledge on what you should or shouldn’t share. I once received a piece of advice whilst working in radio which I still reflect on today ‘If in doubt, leave it out’.

Also avoid the temptation to sell too much. I once took a call from an irate listener during one of my shows for a commercial radio station following a particularly long ad break who asked ‘Are you running an advertising agency or a radio station?’ the truth was a little bit of both. But they raised a good point effective selling should blend in to overall content and be informative not overpowering,  if you ‘sell’ too much people will switch off or in the case of social media at a click of a button they have unliked/unfollowed your page.

Radio is a medium which will always remain special to me, my five years working for stations in Manchester and Cheshire has taught me so much. If you’d like to have a friendly chat about your social media or broader marketing strategy  feel free to get in touch kiesha@iconmarketingcommunications.co.uk

Working from home...

Make your space an Oasis

With the rise in the cost of living, individuals starting families later in life and the challenge of striking a work life balance many females are setting up their own businesses and opting to work from home. Companies still have reservations surrounding ‘telecommuting’. But for educated working Mums this presents an opportunity to ‘have it all’.

I set up my business after the arrival of my first son (Icon is an anagram of his name Nico). I looked into office space initially but decided that working from home would work best for me allowing me to keep my overheads low and pass these cost savings on to my clients.

As a working Mum being home-based has many advantages, popping a load of washing in whilst working, being home to receive deliveries, being home for ‘workmen’ not to mention fitting around my children’s school and nursery schedules. That said it does come with disadvantages. Working as a sole trader can be a lonely time (the prospect of cold-calling strikes fear in me to my very core). Although I have a team of freelancers that I can utilise it’s difficult to keep motivated when you don’t have a regular team around.

Over the last couple of years I have learnt a great deal about home-based working. Here are some helpful tips for fellow entrepreneurs;

1.       Make sure you have a designated space to work

It’s easy to lose focus when working from home and to become distracted by chores. Having an area set aside to work means you are entering into your office space just like going into work.

2.       Make a to do list

It may sound obvious but having a list of jobs that need to be completed each day and crossing them off is like giving yourself a pat on the back at the end of the day.

3.       Don’t forget to take a break

I tend to be at my desk each day by 8:45 and can easily become engrossed in a task. By making sure you take a break you can keep your productivity at a premium. I have a hula hoop at the side of my desk to use when work gets too much.

4.       Make your space an Oasis

Just like you would when going into the office it’s important to make sure that your workspace is inviting. I have a selection of photos on my desk and even a potted plant to ensure that my workspace is as appealing as possible.

5.       Find a good radio station

Listening to the radio is a friendly companion I have a selection of digital stations which I listen to which keep me focused depending on what work I have on. A dance station if I’m busy a bit of jazz if I’m feeling stressed music is a powerful medium.

6.       Make sure you network

Finding new business opportunities can be difficult when you’re home-based so it’s wise to broaden your network. Most towns have a networking organisation and the government business helplines can also provide details of networking events in your area. It’s good to have a reason to look business-like as working from home you can dictate your own dress code.

So there it is my tips on how to survive the home-working jungle. If you’ve recently established a new business and need some help to get it off the ground feel free to speak to me about your Business Development opportunities by calling 01625 533102.

Perception is deception…

What’s in a name?

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet “said Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet. But what really is in a name? Well in Wilmslow the difference between an apartment and a flat could start at £100k.

That’s the thing as I was once told “perception is deception” it was on the first proper date with my now husband. This always sounded peculiar to me but as I’ve got older this saying really has gained huge significance.

You can gain a lot of wisdom from speaking to people young, old, black, white any creed or religion, footballers, hairdressers etc. everyone has a piece of wisdom which is useful. That was why I loved working at Gusto in Alderley Edge and Knutsford.

Meeting and mixing with people from lots of different backgrounds gave me a significant insight into life. This was a time pre-recession (and before the smoking ban) where people were much happier and relaxed. I’m yet to find any significant data on the effects of e-cigarettes but anecdotally I was told that doctors are saying they’re 95% less damaging to your health than a cigarette.

When you walk the streets many people do smoke them but I suspect there is some reluctance to smoking them until the full facts are presented. We don’t want to be told that things are safe and further down the line find out that they’re not, we’ve been there before.

The government’s policy of raising taxes on cigarettes has worked as people have started to look for cheaper alternatives.  So back to Gusto;

When I worked as a Business Development Manager for Living Ventures I once turned George Osbourne away for a table. There was a massive queue of people waiting and there was physically no tables free anywhere. The way he approached me suggested that he was in a rush so I thought there was no point lying as he’d get more agitated than he already was.  It was just before the General Election and I’ll never forget a customer approached me afterwards and asked me;

“Do you know who that is? It’s the future Chancellor of the Exchequer!”

I knew exactly who he was, that was my job to be well informed but that didn’t mean I could magic up a table. That’s the thing even though I was only on the face of it a host there was a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make things happen as Tim Bacon (former Living Ventures Managing Director) always used to say it’s the ‘swan theory’.  Tim was great at making celebrities feel special and he built his empire up from exactly that. I’ll never forget the time that the 50% sale was on and Wayne Rooney came in for a meal. He used a 50% voucher and people didn’t stop talking about it there was even an article in a national paper (we got sent some fan-mail from his biggest fan!) But why should he pay more when everyone else is paying half price?

Many restaurants have cottoned on to the same idea and in January everyone expects to eat half price. It used to be busier than Christmas which is insane when you think about it.

Nowadays, lots of restaurants allow dogs in but at this time Tim always said “no dogs allowed”. Funny really one day Roberto Mancini former Man City manager came in with his whole family including his family dog. I spoke to them and apologised that they wouldn’t be able to have a table but they refused to leave the dog outside and so I set up a giant table outside for them and put the outside heaters on. It was a cold evening in fact I think it was winter if I remember rightly.

 The whole family ate happily outside including the dog, who I did some lamb chops for. Hilarious really when you think about it. As Orange once said in their marketing campaign “It’s good to talk”. “A problem shared is a problem halved”.  I could rattle out hundreds of other clichés but they are true. It was nice to make people feel they could talk sometimes that's all we need to feel better.

When did we stop being so caring? The pressure we put ourselves under now to succeed is unbearable. You want to do better than the generation previous but there is a whole generation of young people that this country has failed. It’s time we got back to basics. Walking our children to school rather than rushing around in expensive cars congesting the roads. Tim always used to say if you’re running late pull over make a phone call and carry on your journey. That’s the thing there’s nothing wrong with being late sometimes, safety should always come first.

I read in the Guardian on Friday that “The NHS prescribed a record number of antidepressants last year, fuelling an upward trend that has seen the number of pills given to patients more than double over the past decade” (Guardian, Friday 30 June 2017). The headline was “Antidepressant prescriptions on NHS at a record high” the whole country is stressed out and looking for someone to blame. Minimum wage staff having to deal with an irate customer who forgot to bring a carrier bag. I was told by a member of staff at a national supermarket that a woman left her entire weekly shop because she was so annoyed she had to pay for her carrier bags. It feels as though the whole country is angry and agitated but who do you blame?

This is when pack mentality kicks in and you pick someone different to yourself of course. It’s no good blaming one of your own kind that would be far too difficult. By blaming someone else we have failed to embrace our multi-culturalism in this country. People always thought I was the host “the hostess with the most-ess" but what they called me didn’t matter so long as I got the job done.

If you want to talk about your Business Development opportunities feel free to get in touch 01625 533102.