The Marketing Matters Podcast

In this episode, we discuss what makes a good client.

With good clients the relationship should be a mutually beneficial to both you and the client.

There is no single definitive answer to this. Generally, it's about finding the right fit between your core competences, and what your client is looking for. But , whether it's service or product-led, making sure you are targeting the right clients is crucial to a successful & sustainable business.

In putting together our new website recently, we had cause to review the relationships we have with clients, and one thing that came out of it was just how long we have been working with clients (5 years is not unusual). In a world where the focus is short term, it made us realise that THE Most important thing in marketing is to STICK AT IT.

To discuss this issue, we talk marketing with one of those clients Mathew Done, MD at Slõ Drinks.

Over the years, the same issues of digital have continually cropped up. Even now in the age of the internet, SMEs are willing to pass the responsibilities of marketing off to third party experts, but good digital marketing needs your own input as, after all, nobody knows what you want out of your business better than yourself.

For small companies, marketing responsibilities are often handled by only one individual in a secondary role. However, every role and position in your business can impact your marketing, and should therefore be involved in some aspect.

Businesses tend to focus on either marketing objectives or the tools used to deliver them. While the former should be a priority, suppliers and SMEs often target the latter. Lots of enquiries and leads are obviously a positive but it is missing the vital question, "what is my marketing trying to achieve?"

In order to recognise the value of content you produce on the Internet you need to understand exactly why you're doing it and what you aim to receive as a result. We're all used to information being freely available online but, as this costs money to produce, outlets are increasingly putting their content behind a paywall.

When in comes to small businesses, agility is key to delivering competitive advantage. However, without process, priorities may be misjudged, and customers may receive all the attention, sacrificing marketing for your business. And the only person a lack of marketing hurts is yourself.

Your website can be central to your marketing process and the single biggest tool at your disposal. Traditionally, the company responsible for your web design adds on hosting as extras without a thought. However, hosting should be the first step of your on-going marketing strategy.

Most people historically use social media to view funny images or discuss the latest cultural zeitgeist, leading to companies avoiding it. However, more recently, it is producing opportunities for B2B marketing. But why has this changed and what is the purpose of social media?

It's now been over a year since GDPR came into effect and, in this week's Marketing Matters, Duncan & David investigate how e-mail marketing has changed in the current GDPR world.