The Marketing Matters Podcast

Since our last podcast, the hype around chatbots has been growing with Microsoft and Google drawing up the battle lines with plans to integrate AI into their search algorithms.

There is no doubt that AI could prove a game changer for search. Rather than the list of urls we're used to seeing, AI could to provide information in a more natural way, presenting both opportunities and challenges for those looking to promote their businesses via search.

In this podcast we discuss what impact is this going to have on traditional Search marketing. We also consider how we think it's all going to ultimately unfold?

Recently, OpenAI launched a new version of their ChatGPT bot that can allegedly generate natural content.

As Marketers are always looking for an edge using automation, it obviously generated some interest. As well as a number of questions!

How good can the results be? Can it be useful as a starting point for writing? And what about the ethics?

Whilst we discuss this and more in our latest podcast, we also decided to test it out on our blog. You will find the results here.

I recently read an article advocating the "Renting of Christmas" - Nowadays, you can rent anything! 

It started with Software as a Service. Now you can buy pretty much anything as a service. But should you?

The decision on whether you should head down that path is not always an easy one and depends on many factors. Whilst accessing something on a simple monthly subscription may seem attractive, it can become expensive, and usually comes with strings attached.

In this episode of Marketing Matters we discuss whether it better to invest in capabilities in house or to 'rent them for a fee whenever you need them?

Yes, you can have everything as a service, and suppliers would certainly like you to, but is it the right way to go?

In our latest podcast, we look into the real world issue of tech projects (Websites, Web apps and the like), For SME's they can be a huge draw on resources and cost effectives solutions can often be elusive.

Often Having the idea is the easy part. The challenge is finding a cost effective solution that brings the idea to reality as out of the box solutions rarely deliver 100%. and going totally bespoke is usually prohibitively expensive.

In this episode we discuss how to square that circle!

In this episode, we look into the issues with planning when running an SME business and why for many people it is a continual challenge.

To fail to plan is to plan to fail
Benjamin Franklin

But

No plan survives first contact with the enemy
Much quoted by military strategists throughout history!

So why bother.

Listen to the podcast to find out!

Google Analytics, the leading measuring tool for analysing & comparing what visitors do on your website, is having a major change over the next year as it switches from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4. While GA4 is available now, the data is not retroactive, so the sooner you switch, the better.

Analytics is important but it's just another tool to help your marketing: you still need to know what questions to ask in order to benefit your business. What actions do you want people to take on your website? Where are you hoping to get them from and how can you measure how successful that is? A key improvement to GA4 makes it easier to answer these questions.

While it is true that pretty much everybody uses a search engine nowadays, there is an oversimplified idea that if your business pops up at the top of a search page, people will flock to your site and business will boom. Being top of a Google search isn't necessarily what you should be aiming for.

Start with asking yourself questions about your marketplace: what do I offer? Who am I benefitting? If you want to be effective, you need a good marketing plan that considers these things. Use of search is just one tool to help your strategy.

Rather than a major focus on keywords, which may be a very niche subject in a very broad term, make sure your site's content informs and demonstrates what do you well and, in doing so, you give yourself an organically successful SEO method.

It's great being able to be independent, running business yourself, but sometimes your skillset isn't enough, and the best choice is to get somebody else involved. 

While it may be tempting to try and do everything yourself, to save costs or provide additional revenue, there are downsides. Getting the right tools and learning how to use them can be expensive and time-consuming, and using  an external service with the tools and experience can be more cost effective.

But is there a way to work collaboratively to create a more satisfying way of operating?

In the final part of looking at tools that we use, telecom systems are at the forefront of our minds. 

In the past, internet connectivity held back VoIP (Voice over IP) systems for early adopters: it was about having the technology rather than it actually being beneficial. While our existing telecoms had served us well, it was getting long in the tooth and, with internet speeds always improving, we made the switch to cloud phone system 3CX in December 2019.

With a goal to be able to operate flexibly, even before working from home became a necessity, we have seen significant benefits and improved functionality, all at a lower cost! And, though reliability can be a risk, we never want to switch back.

Whether you like it or not, if you're running a business, you have to keep accounts. Bookkeeping and invoicing can be tedious and time consuming, but something that is entirely necessary. As a small business owner, keeping on top of finances and knowing your position is vital.

Some years ago, we switched to Xero, a cloud accounting system. While there were some initial teething issues, like with most new software, we came out the other side wondering how we ever lived without it. Here we look at the pros and cons to cloud accounting.