Insight Marketing Services

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Insight Marketing Services’ course director, Dianne Edgar has just delivered a series of leadership and management workshops for a Bournemouth based group of social enterprises.

The program, delivered over six weeks, was

Token of appreciation from social enterprise workshop delegates

developed specifically to meet the changing needs of voluntary and social enterprises, and was supported by the Leadership & Management Advisory Service South. A series of interactive workshops covered leadership, goal setting, team building, communications and presentation skills, supported by one-to-one performance coaching with each of the delegates.

Dianne Edgar explains, “As more pressure is being put on voluntary organisations and social enterprises to deliver quality services, produce business plans and set realistic goals, commercial management and leadership skills are increasingly valuable. Effective communications and professional presentation skills can help such not-for-profits to attract more of the right type of volunteers, promote their services, and apply for relevant funding.”

“I really enjoyed working with this group, as their enthusiasm and commitment were off the scale. They now have the tools and knowledge to channel that energy, grow their enterprises, manage their time, and support and develop their teams. I am sure they will more than reach their goals. This sector is going through a very interesting stage at the moment, and I am very glad to be part of it.”

Organisations represented on this program included West Howe Community Enterprise, Life and Money Skills, the Build Self Group, and Social Enterprise Link.

“Many thanks from West Howe Community Enterprise. You were an awesome tutor and inspired us! A big well done for managing to keep us all in line! We have really enjoyed your classes and are sorry to see it come to an end!”

Building relationships and telling good news stories

The experience I-Marketing Services has gained from many years of writing and editing customer newsletters has now been applied to the electronic format, with the first e-newsletter producing a higher than average open rate.

E-newsletters avoid the cost of printing and postage, while still communicating with the target audience on a planned frequency. Selection of the database is even more critical than usual, together with regular maintenance and updating of the contact list.

Readers will respond to fresh material, well laid out, which gives them information of interest, as well as news, tips and an opportunity to respond. Like the good coffee enjoyed by the reader, a careful blend works best.

Managing Director Dianne Edgar explains, “One-off newsletters are less successful than regular communications, building up awareness and reinforcing brand identity. However, sending them out too frequently is a turn-off- getting the balance right is the tricky bit. As with paper newsletters and house journals,the material should be well written and illustrated, provide useful information and be relevant to the reader.”

“With business people accessing their emails on phones and other mobile devices, the technical side has to be thought through carefully, so that the reader experience is enhanced. The cost for the client is comparatively low, so e-newsletters are proving a very popular addition to our marketing communications services.”

I-Marketing Services Ltd has just presented a practical workshop on Twitter, covering how to integrate this tool into a marketing strategy, as well taking delegates step by step through the processes involved.

For many businesses, Twitter is a powerful mobile social network which keeps followers up to date with the people and businesses in which are interested. It helps promote PR stories, build search engine optimization, connect to a community, and answer questions in real time. Carefully used, it can help build valuable relationships with the target markets.

However, there is a danger that it could become too promotional, and lose followers. A 90% unselfish and 10% promotional mix is about right. It can also be used to engage with followers and turn around a negative experience, if the person in charge has the authority and takes action quickly.

Before embarking on a Twitter campaign, business owners were advised to set clear objectives, and allocate defined resources, including time and people.

Dianne Edgar explains,“ To be effective, businesses are recommended to consider carefully what they want Twitter to help them achieve –number of followers, number of re-tweets, traffic to their main web site, collection of testimonials, promotion of vouchers.”

“Typically, you need to allocate enough time frequently and regularly to make it worthwhile, ensure your hardware and software are optimized for this medium, give the right people support and authority, make a plan, and measure and monitor results. It’s like any other Marketing Tool, and although free, can use significant resources if not managed carefully.”

Who sells my favourite chilli?

Packed with hints and tips, one for each week of the business year, the book makes market research accessible, and the results more valuable, guiding the reader through “Market Research- the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of information relevant to marketing decisions”. By understanding the principles of market research, a business can better understand how well they’re doing in satisfying their customers, anticipating future requirements, and identifying potential new markets.

This e- book, in an easy-to-read format, is based on more than twenty years of practical market research experience. From planning and sampling, desk research and field research, through to questionnaire design and results analysis, each topic helps both the reader and the browser to make better marketing decisions.

Written by Dianne Edgar, MCIM, this e-book in PDF format also includes real life case studies, a market research quiz, a crossword, useful sources, and some relevant market research quotations. Priced at only £7.50, payable through PayPal, applying just one of the tips in this e-book can easily recoup your investment.

“The Smart Market Research e-book is particularly good for small businesses who know that understanding customer and prospect behaviour and attitudes is valuable for planning , and simply want some easy-to-follow guidance on how to make their market research more effective.”

Sally Kavanagh, MSc. Search Engine Workshops www.searchengineworkshops.co.uk

BUY NOW!

Order your copy of “SMART Market Research -52 top tips to help you understand your markets and your customers”, by phoning us on +44 (0)1425 276303 or email ideas@i-marketing.uk.com today

Marketing Generation Y

Dianne Edgar presented "marketing Generation Y"

Young Enterprise programme

Dianne Edgar has just delivered the guest speaker address to the area final and presentation evening of Young Enterprise Hampshire West and Central Area, held at Southampton Solent University, on the subject of “You – a brand with value”.

Her presentation, to Young Enterprise finalist companies from around the area, looked at the value of a maintaining and developing personal brand, as a useful summary tool, and spotlighting any “unfair” advantages over competitors. She then explained how much was known about the 9.7 million Generation Ys, [born in 1981 – 2000], including workplace and personal characteristics, feedback and rewards, and how to manage their own brands within that environment.

Of the audience, approximately half intended to go into business for themselves, while the other half would be looking for employment. The message was the same for both, but with different approaches to different target markets.

Dianne encouraged them to make a plan, organize help and expertise, consciously build their networks, and continuously develop their skills through learning. The first generation to be truly computer literate, they were ideally positioned to take advantage of the fast changing technical advances of the 21st century.

As a volunteer mentor and interview coach in Dorset’s Young Enterprise Employability Scheme for two years, Dianne is passionate about helping young people prepare for the world of work, whether running a business, or being a useful employee, or a combination of both during their working lifetime.

“I think they were somewhat surprised that we knew so much about them already, and could relate to the values and attitudes I highlighted. They will need to market these skills and attributes carefully in a very competitive global economy, to achieve their objectives. From the lively question and answer session which followed, it was plain that the Young Enterprise scheme had helped the students develop useful research, management, and analytical skills, and a practical business outlook.”

Insight Marketing Services’ lead consultant, Dianne Edgar has just helped ethical, not-for-profit co-operative, the Coastal Credit Union, based in Bournemouth, to relaunch its new web site.

In addition to writing the copy, Dianne also managed the whole project, gathering input from volunteers and members of the board, reusing existing images, and working closely with the technical team who have built the web site.

The brief was to simplify and explain more clearly Coastal’s four main messages.

Firstly, Members can help their local communities, and themselves, while keeping their own money safe, through regular saving. When that saving is also linked to a loan, for example for a car to get to work, members can take advantage of competitive interest rates, and as well as having paid off their loan, at the end of the term, they will have a little pot of money for a treat.

In the current economic climate, when the need for financial responsibility becomes even more important, local businesses and organizations were invited to become partners and introduce Workplace Savings Schemes, helping to cope with one of the biggest causes of stress at work.

Finally, the website wanted to recruit volunteers, to spread the word, help out at service and information points, become a fully elected Director, or join a subcommittee.

“I am delighted with the new web site,” commented Mike Grimsdale, Coastal Credit Union’s chief executive, who was in charge of the project. “Now when I go to meet potential partners, I can print off relevant sections of the web site, or refer them to look at it online. It is the first marketing step in a series of exciting developments for us, as we develop our range of services to match the needs of our members.”

www.coastalcreditunion.co.uk

New Year, new diary, possibly disturbingly blank?

Marketing expert Dianne Edgar, MCIM, has just presented a marketing wakeup call to the Bournemouth Business Breakfast Club meeting.

For delegates who were not sure which half of their marketing had worked, or those who had a feeling that some of their customers were more trouble than they’re worth, or even if they were just perplexed about what to do next, Dianne’s 11 top marketing tips helped them plan a way forward in 2011.

If you didn’t get the meeting, this is what you missed:

1. Look at what you spent last year, and on what

2. Work out what products or service gave you the best return on investment

3. Think about which are your most valuable customers [and least valuable] and what they have in common

4. Set realistic detailed objectives

5. Consider cross-selling opportunities

6. Set a budget , time, resources, money

7. Work out what else you need to know

8. Re-train staff so that they alert to the opportunities for up-selling

9. Make sure you are logging sources of sales enquiries accurately

10. Make a monthly plan with objectives, time, resources, money

11. Measure, review, analyse, adjust, and keep doing it!

Dianne Edgar has just delivered a training session entitled “Low Cost, High Impact Marketing and Promotion” on behalf of the Dorset Energy Advice Centre, as part of the Gearing Up For Going Green knowledge transfer sessions, held at Bournemouth University on Friday, 3 September 2010.

The training, organized by Bournemouth 2026 with support from the Borough of Poole and Bournemouth Borough Council, was designed to equip local groups and organizations to deliver a range of events during the Big Green Fortnight 2011. A key objective for the 2011 event is to make the festival more accessible to those in areas of deprivation and minority groups.

Hilary Evans, Community Strategy Manager at the Borough of Poole commented, “Thank you so much for generously sharing your expertise with us last Friday. We have already received some very positive feedback from people who found your workshops really helpful, packed with useful tips and advice for successful marketing! Delegates are now in a much better position to effectively raise the profile of their events for Big Green Fortnight 2011.

For my part, I learnt something new from each of your three workshops and found each one fascinating and entertaining!

We very much appreciate you sparing the time to support “Gearing up to Going Green”.”

Dianne explained, “This is a fascinating and highly relevant issue, and I am delighted to be involved. Marketing and promotion is not just about spending money on brochures and leaflets, it is about setting and achieving objectives on limited budgets. Delegates took away a range of ideas and ways of working which they can put into practice to make the Big Green Fortnight 2011 a resounding success.”

www.poolepartnership.info

Dianne Edgar was presented with a bouquet from Rainbow Life Chances

Dianne Edgar receiving a bouquet from the Rainbow Life Chances Project

Project in Southampton, following voluntary work with Solent Credit Union helping young people recognize their value, developing financial skills, and preparing them for the world of work, to get a good start in life. Topics covered through interactive sessions included what employers want from their staff, how different personalities make up a team, and understanding different types of behaviour.

Following a recent workshop for the voluntary sector in Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch, entitled “Marketing on a Small Budget”, delegates reported that the course was:

• Informative and thoughtful
• Interesting day sparked some ideas to take back
• Helped me gain confidence and have further understanding of marketing
• Refreshing. Have a structure to my ideas and how to use them
• Gained an overall understanding of marketing
• Building on skills and knowledge

When asked what the most useful aspects of the workshop were, they responded:

• Introduction of new concepts
• Marketing structures, tools, strategies, raising awareness
• Looking at budgets, understanding marketing and techniques
• Ways to market
• Networking, handouts, and feedback given
• Representation and information sharing ideas and networking
• Information about press releases and contacts
• Explaining jargon comparison to commercial sector
• General marketing tools and knowledge
• Learning different strategies and case studies

The majority reported that following the workshop, they would develop a structured marketing plan and strategy, and start to implement it right away.