Does your company take an integrated approach to writing and sourcing your marketing content? Or is it more a case of a frenzied rush to get something down on paper every time a deadline looms? Do PR, Marketing and Digital even consult each other before posting the blog or social media update? If the answer to these questions is ‘no’ then you should be considering joining the growing number of companies with a content strategy that integrates all the relevant players and marketing channels within an organisation. And just like they did, you’ll find that an integrated approach means you are getting more for your marketing buck. Read on to find out how an integrated content strategy will help you achieve your business goals.

Consistent message

With the multiple communication channels that are available to organisations nowadays, it’s very important to put forward a consistent message to existing and potential customers.  Whether it be via a newsletter, blog, social media post or through your website, a consistent message is vital to generating and enhancing brand awareness.  Disjointed customer experiences and messages will adversely affect customers’ perceptions of you. An integrated approach to content strategy that takes account of these multiple channels will make sure that you consistently present a similar message.

Cross-promotional content

Allied to the need for a consistent message, an integrated content strategy will ensure that all customer-facing departments stay on message.  One cross-organisational team with representation from PR, Marketing and Digital will be necessary to take charge of your content strategy. In this way, departmental silos will be broken down resulting in cross-promoting content.

Personalised content

Consumers now expect to see much more targeted and personalised marketing content. In much the same way as we have come to expect when we log on to iTunes personalised content based on our previous viewing history or buying choices, so your customers will expect you to offer the same. Answering questions such as ‘what’s in it for me?’ will be critical if you want to attract and convert prospects.

You could start by considering the buyer’s journey towards that decision to buy your product or service. And so as the buyer starts their journey, they are supported with content that raises their awareness and gives them basic information. As they move along the sales funnel towards consideration and purchase, they will need to be supported with more detailed content such as product specifications or customer testimonials.

An integrated approach that involves personnel from across the organisation will make the process of developing this targeted and personalised content much easier.

Take advantage of multiple channels

Chances are your prospects, and customers are using several social media sites and channels to source information about you. Bringing together all these customer touch points within your integrated content strategy will help you to maximise your reach and enhances the chances of your message getting through. It will create an overall positive experience for what will hopefully become a long-standing satisfied customer.

Integrating your content strategy will, therefore, help your organisation to work smarter and avoid any duplication of effort. Instead, your marketing content will be clear, consistent and relevant, helping you to attract and retain more prospects and customers. And that is good for business.

Small businesses generally don’t have dedicated IT staff. Keeping up with the latest developments in IT, let alone maintaining, troubleshooting and fixing IT systems can be a real headache for the small business owner who often doesn’t have the necessary technological savviness.  So how can small businesses manage the technology in their companies? In this article we look at some possible solutions, but first we look at why it’s important for small businesses to be on top of IT management.

The risks of poor IT management

The most obvious risk to small businesses of poor IT management is downtime and the consequent loss in productivity. Costs can very quickly add up if staff are unable to access the information they need to get the job done. And if staff are unable to process a customer order because the system is down, then you risk losing customers too.

Furthermore, neglecting to make sure that you have the latest anti-virus software could result in costly malware infections. Losing private customer data to hackers, for example, could have catastrophic consequences for a small business.

But the risks don’t just relate to the maintenance and support of IT systems. What about the strategic management of IT resources? There is also a financial risk to small businesses in relation to having out-dated IT systems which may require more ongoing maintenance, than newer, faster systems. But who can make the decision to upgrade or acquire new systems? Ensuring that you are using the newest and best technology requires knowledge and expertise and a commitment of time and resources that few small businesses can afford.

IT management solutions

Many small businesses have approached IT management in an ad hoc fashion. Often the task is assigned to an untrained tech-enthusiast staff member who looks after IT on a part-time basis. In many instances this works perfectly well. However, because the person is largely untrained there is always the risk that they may overlook a crucial task resulting in compromised security or system instability.

Another solution often deployed by small businesses is to hire, often on a retainer basis, a computer service person to handle routine maintenance and to troubleshoot any problems. The disadvantage of this solution is that unscheduled or more complex issues may attract additional charges on a time and materials basis. In addition, these computer service personnel are often themselves small operators, and so their knowledge may be limited and their ability to respond quickly may sometimes be an issue.

Engaging bigger, more professional service providers is also a possible solution; however, the costs are likely to increase making it an unaffordable option for many small businesses.

Managed service providers

There is another alternative. Managed service providers (MSPs) offer various outsourced IT services including routine maintenance and help desks. MSPs provide their services remotely over the internet through shared screens and remote monitoring and management software. Costs are fixed on a monthly basis which provides the small business with that all important cost certainty. Typically services are provided through a service level agreement model agreed in advance with the small business.

Although the MSP model has a number of advantages for small businesses, it may not be the ideal solution for those companies that want a reactive service and on-site availability.

Employing an IT staff member

Of course, it is always an option to consider having an in-house IT resource. The decision on when to employ an IT technician directly is largely influenced by the number of staff and the complexity of the company’s technology. As a small business you will need to weigh up the costs of an outsourced IT resource against the costs of recruiting an IT staff member. Typically, when staff numbers reach the 50-75 mark then it becomes cost-effective to have an in-house resource.

Whatever solution you as a small business decide to employ, the important thing is to ensure that you are on top of IT management. Having the right IT management systems in place will pay dividends on your bottom line and will help to maintain a competitive edge.

Email marketing is now a well-established way for businesses to promote their goods and services in the marketplace. Despite its familiarity, many small businesses are not taking full advantage of the potential that email marketing offers. In this article we look at the reasons why and we also take a fresh look at the advantages email marketing can offer the small business owner.

Why small business are not using email marketing

For some small business owners it’s a lack of knowledge. Not all business owners are technologically savvy and setting up and maintaining an email marketing campaign often ends up in the ‘too hard’ basket.

For other business owners it is a question of time. Designing and writing a marketing campaign, let alone monitoring its impact, requires a commitment and investment of time that, because of competing demands, some business owners just never get round to.

Even those small businesses that are aware of the many companies that can take control of a company’s email marketing for a fee, are often put off by the perceived costs. Keeping operating costs as lean as possible is an overriding consideration for many business owners, but often this is at the expense of the return on investment that a successful email marketing campaign can deliver a small business.

So now that we’ve looked at some of the perceived obstacles, it’s worthwhile taking a fresh look at what email marketing can offer a small business. It may be that the perceived obstacles are not as great as you first thought.

Advantages of email marketing

Reduced costs: many small businesses still rely on physical mailings to provide exposure for their product and brand. These types of mailings usually take the form of a flyer and involve a number of costs including the design and printing and distribution costs. There is also a time lag involved between creating the mailings and potential customers receiving them. Email marketing, by comparison, cuts out much of the costs that go with a physical mailing. In addition, with an email marketing campaign, information is being received by the client or potential client as it’s been created.

More impact: the email marketing campaign lends itself to testing the waters. Unlike physical campaigns, it’s easy to send out a test email campaign and assess its response rate with a minimal time and cost investment. This type of experimentation allows you to improve your targeted marketing strategy.

Personalisation: email marketing is often more successful than generic physical mailings because it can be personalised. When clients or potential clients sign up for company newsletters or more  information, they often share additional information such as their interests or business needs which enables you to send out more targeted information that is directly relevant to that client.

Easily shared: with so much information being shared on the internet and social media, one great advantage of an email campaign is that it can be easily shared with friends, family or website readers. Your potential viewing audience can be expanded enormously with just a few shares on Facebook alone.

Email marketing may not entirely replace more traditional forms of physical marketing, but if you’re looking to refresh your current practices then it’s worthwhile including an email campaign as part of your overall strategy. You’ll find that the return on investment is well worth the effort.