To Market, To Market…

What do you do when you’ve got a strong business, fantastic products, great stories but no idea how to take them out to customers and prospects?  That’s the situation Nigel Russell, founder of Holistic Hair, found himself in before he met SocialMediaMgr. 

Expert hairdresser and trichologist Nigel has always been very good at using his networks to gain media coverage for his hair salon and natural product range in a variety of high profile magazines.  He had set up a Facebook platform, website and blog but knew he wasn’t using them to full potential.  In short, he was stuck with a lot of great marketing ideas and no clear way of pulling them all together.

SocialMediaMgr was originally contracted to manage Holistic Hair’s Facebook page but it soon became apparent that the business needed more than just social media support.  Kerry Ensor quickly started to co-ordinate Holistic Hair’s overall marketing approach.

Stepping back to objectively examine the strengths of any business is hard to achieve for most owner managers.  So, after building a new e-commerce website for Holistic Hair to improve direct sales and revamping Nigel’s existing Facebook and LinkedIn platforms, Kerry started to work on developing a clear marketing focus for the business.

Holistic Hair’s website, blog, social media platforms (including Pinterest) and video marketing were integrated and used to communicate clear messages into specific segments of the market.  The SMMgr team was soon writing targeted e-newsletters and developing consumer promotions across multiple platforms to reach customers.

Facebook advertising was used in a geographically targeted way to break into the Australian market to increase interest and raise brand awareness over the Tasman.  ‘How to’ style video clips on hairstyling were also produced to raise Nigel Russell’s profile as a leading hair stylist and promote his products.

All this activity soon started to pay off in tangible results.

The Results

Holistic Hair now has an on-going marketing presence both on- and off-line supported by a well-understood communications strategy.

Over a period of six months the results are clear.  Revenue from website sales has increased, as has organic SEO and website traffic.  Holistic Hair now regularly communicates with and engages a growing network of customers and prospects.

“I have found SMMgr very helpful in organising my media campaigns,” said Nigel Russell.  “I have many, many ideas which I used to find difficult to pull together.  Kerry is able to listen, assess whether an idea is worth pursuing or not – then she creates a plan to put it into action.

“I now have a thriving ongoing marketing presence.  My internet traffic and resulting business has increased and most all my life has been made easier.  The SMMgr team is accommodating, focused and offer a value for money service.  Their networks of video, photography and design support are fantastic.  Overall, SMMgr offers a truly integrated approach to marketing.”

What did SMMgr do for Holistic Hair?

• Website redevelopment with in-built shopping cart
• Facebook revamp
• LinkedIn revamp
• Pinterest set up
• Video Marketing
• Customer Testimonials
• Consumer Promotions
• Referral Marketing
• Facebook Advertising
• Publicity and cross-promotion
• Content marketing (Blog articles)
• Direct marketing (regular e-newsletters)
• Social Media management (posting and engagement)

Contact us to find out how your business can benefit from an integrated marketing approach?

Most businesses know they should be using social media and online marketing as part of their business communications strategy.  Some aren’t sure what approach to take and jump right in without much planning.  A sense of frustration and boredom quickly sets in as these businesses struggle to understand why their efforts are not turning into better customer relations and increased sales.  Does that sound familiar?  It does to us…

SocialMediaMgr started out focusing purely on social media platforms at a time when SM marketing first hit New Zealand businesses.  We quickly realised that social media marketing couldn’t deliver to its potential in isolation.

Integrated on- and offline marketing is now our mantra.  We deliver strategies and campaigns that include social media – indeed, they are sometimes led by social media – but we don’t rely on any one tool to deliver the entire solution.  Time and again we see that best results are achieved with regular and consistent activity across all relevant marketing platforms.

We’ve developed a ten-step process to help businesses understand how to set up their social media platforms as an integrated part of their sales and marketing strategy:

1. Figure out your specific communication objectives, key messages and target markets
2. Choose your networking platform/s to suit – don’t feel like you have to do them all
3. Ensure your website does its job – figure out what you need it to do for your business and go from there
4. Create on-going content for your blog that is relevant, engaging and adds value to your customers.  A blog is an online magazine that (if done correctly) will drive traffic to your website, use it wisely.
5. If you have nothing to say – say nothing.  Email newsletters are important but they must add value.  Set up and maintain your database and schedule in regular newsletters (quarterly is often enough in many industries)
6. Grow your audience across your social media networks using content marketing, promotions and online cross-networking.  Be realistic about the level of uptake you expect (consumer pages tend to get much more Likes than B2B).  Consider quality vs quantity when setting goals.
7. Engage with your audience – offer regular, personable and valuable content.  A mix of curated and original works best.
8. Link back your website and/or your blog – always drive traffic to your business hub
9. Cross-promote and interact – form a network, create a newsfeed, don’t just ‘sell’
10. Remember that everything is public – protect your privacy

SocialMediaMgr was established as an on- and off-line marketing company to provide social media set up and management services for business.  That was only two years ago in 2010 when New Zealand business owners barely knew what social media was, let alone understood how they could benefit from it or how to incorporate it into the sales and marketing mix.

It was the latest and greatest marketing trend in the US, set to sweep the world and change the way we communicate.  Many thought it was a fad but we saw that this new way of marketing would soon become the norm.

A lot of time was spent explaining social media to business owners.  Now, well into 2013, companies see social media as a must-have.  Some use it with ease while others still struggle to keep up with the communication and engagement.

One thing all businesses have in common is that managers want to see their efforts and investment rewarded.  They want large, engaged audiences, increased awareness of their products and a raft of new sales leads.  Some expect social media to deliver instant results and massive numbers of fans with little effort – the magic-wand of marketing.

Unfortunately for those with that expectation, a reality check may be needed.  As time has moved on, it has become very clear that social media is not a standalone marketing tool.  It simply does not work at its best in isolation – and it requires hard work to be a success.

When integrated into an overall marketing vision with specific objectives set and focused on addressing the right audiences, social media offers an exciting new way to connect with your customers.

However, successful use of social media requires businesses to make a mind-shift.  Instead of delivering messages, it’s all about relationships.  The buzz words are all two-way: you are advised to ‘connect’ and ‘interact’ with your customers, potential clients, suppliers, associates, key influencers.  Or as a collective noun – your network.

It is about building awareness and online credibility, selecting and establishing the right platforms to reach your target audience.

If you want to successfully market your business through social media, you must be able to answer the following questions:

1. Who are you selling to?
2. What is your business all about?
3. Is your business open to changing its marketing approach?
4. Is your business prepared to share knowledge with its audiences?
5. Finally, to establish credibility you need to show what you know – don’t be your own best kept secret.