Marketing is all about visibility. The more visibility you have, the more business you will do.

People like to do business with people they know, like and trust and, in the words of entrepreneur Jack Daly:

“Selling is the transfer of trust. People do business with people they trust, and they get to trust the people the get to know… and they get to know the people the SEE more frequently”.

So even Jack agrees… be seen, be heard – with your existing customers and your target market.

Here's how you do it...

Photo By Graeme Weatherston

Three tips for establishing a good online reputation

Two out of three New Zealanders will Google a person before meeting with them for the first time. Which begs the question, what are your potential clients and business associates finding when they Google your name?

If you are not actively managing your online reputation, it will be developing organically which, it goes without saying, is a dangerous state to find yourself in. Image by jannoon028

Intellectual Property, Auckland, New Zealand: Securing a trademark in countries like Australia, the United States, China and the United Kingdom will in future be exponentially cheaper and easier for New Zealand companies, following the Government’s decision to adopt the Madrid Protocol in September.

Intellectual property expert, Theodore Doucas of Zone IP (an intellectual property management consultancy in Wellington), said that the Trademarks Amendment Act is a major coup for the export industry.

As a signatory to the Madrid Protocol, New Zealand companies will only have to file one trademark application to secure trademark protection in more than 80 countries.

"It's not what you know, it's what you know about who you know."

According to a report in ScienceDaily, "a study of the biotech industry has revealed that opportunities which arise, and whether or not they are exploited by biotechnology entrepreneurs, depends to a large extent on how well connected is an individual business person and how well they mobilise their social network. Photo by Ambro

The volume of rubbish content on the World Wide Web is increasing and I believe it is mostly the fault of SEO consultants, and DIY marketers.

Not all DIYers and SEO experts of course, but there are a number of practitioners who are producing content simply as a vehicle to get their keywords and backlinks out there – regardless of the quality of the content.

As a result we are inundated with millions of pieces of junk writing that are cluttering the World Wide Web, a bit like the millions of plastic bags in the ocean.
Image by PopSci Blog

‘Because Y’s a crooked letter and neither you nor I can straighten it’. Remember that expression? 'Why' is a very powerful device for content marketing and copy writing. Here's why...
_{Photo by renjith krishnan}

Did you know that reliance on search engines is changing the way we think? Perhaps even, our ability to think at all...

And what does this mean for marketing?

According to a study by Betsy Sparrow at Columbia University, we are re-organising the way we remember things.

Photo by Pixomar

You already know that the Internet is a very powerful marketing medium.

After all, 93% of New Zealanders will research their buying decisions online
(that counts for business to business too).

You may also know that some companies are making a bundle of sales off their
Internet traffic, while others are getting nothing – not a sausage. Zip.

Which one are you, or are you in the middle? And, why are some companies so successful and others so dismal?

Photo By Stuart Miles

If you need to drum up business fast you have to take marketing and sales action now. However, while your choice of methodology will depend on elements like target markets and budget, there is just one effective strategy that gets results fast.

Photo By Ambro

Tobacco companies aren’t allowed to advertise, but they say that any publicity is good publicity (I beg to differ). In the case of tobacco companies and a recent New Zealand Herald article, it may actually be true.

Did tobacco companies trick the media? The use of the headline and sexy photo send a strong commercial message...

Do not be seduced by the multitude of marketing evangelists out there, or the hype around a particular channel like social media because – while all are valid and powerful – they must be used in the right context.

There are many different disciplines in marketing – SEO, content marketing, public relations, advertising, social media, loyalty programmes, direct mail etc. – and all have their evangelists and their merits, but it is critical to remember that they are all really just channels… to building a relationship with your customer.

The type of relationship depends on whether your business is with the general public (consumers) or business-to-business. While those channels we use to reach both sets of customers are the same, the way we use them differs.

Let me explain. There are two types of relationship and here's how to decide what's most appropriate...

Photo by Photostock

Writing is best done by people who care, rather than journalists who deliver content with as much vibrancy as the electronic voice of an ATM machine…

Today’s customers – both consumers and b2b decision makers – like to research their buying decisions… and those companies that provide them with good quality, objective information which helps them better their lives or business, are the companies they are most likely to buy from.

How has the Internet has changed human behaviour?

Photo by Africa

There’s a story about two men who are walking through the forest one day. Suddenly a grizzly bear comes tearing through the bush towards them, all fury, claws and fangs!

The one man glances at the other. “Quick Ken, run!”

Photo by Michael Elliott

By Laetitia Smith

Can’t see the wood for the trees? Lucky you! Especially, as it turns out, if you’re trying to get your new product or concept accepted by a sluggish market.

When the going gets tough, it’s human nature for many of us to clam up a little while clinging desperately to the familiar. In light of the recent economic downturn then, how do you effectively market a new product or concept without being hit by a brick wall of negativity and resistance?

ScienceDaily — Companies that use the popular social-media site Facebook and its fan page module to market themselves to customers can increase sales, word-of-mouth marketing and customer loyalty significantly among a subset of their customers, according to new research from Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business. The study is featured in the March issue of the Harvard Business Review.
Research for the article, "How Effective is Facebook Marketing?," was conducted by Utpal Dholakia, associate professor of management at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business, and Emily Durham, a Jones School alumna and founder of Restaurant Connections, a Houston‐based restaurant consultancy.

Photo by: Graur Codrin

I wrote this for my clients at http://www.gopher.co.nz/ - a good bunch of people with the best online directory in the country...

Feel like David going out to confront Goliath? Living in the shadow of big competitors? Heck, are other competitors plaguing you like a swarm of gnats?

No longer. The Internet is the great leveller. The ultimate equaliser. Any business can punch above – way above -- its own weight… provided they understand some secrets – little known things that can propel your business into the stratosphere!

The secret is this: If you try to compete on brand names with the bigger companies, you’re in for a hiding to nothing.

But, if you compete on benefits, well then… whose top dog now??

Photo by Luigi Diamanti

Why local business journalism mostly fails to connect with readers and how good content marketing and public relations can fill the gap by helping to inspire, motivate and lead customers through stories of triumph and human character.

Photo by: Stefano Valle

Like a regular noise or a persistent smell, people filter out almost all of the marketing they’re exposed to. Instead, the research online and they rely on the advice and referrals of people they know or trust to influence their purchasing decisions.

1. B2B purchases of products or services are rarely, if ever, impulsive or point of sale driven.

Do you remember what you were doing on 9/11, the day the Twin Towers fell? You probably do…

What's the bet you can't remember where you were the day before September 11?

That's because (says Boston College psychologist Elizabeth Kensinger) emotional experiences are more deeply 'engraved' into our memories than any other. Why is this important in marketing?