How to spend less and get more from Google AdWords

How to spend less and get more from Google AdWords

I am a huge fan of Google AdWords, and it absolutely the best advertising platform out there for businesses of all sizes and budgets.

However, because it is self-serve with a bewildering array of options to choose from when creating a campaign, a lot of advertisers find they spend a lot of money very quickly, and see less return than expected. In my experience, I would say that nine times out of ten this is because the account manager isn’t setting up their account or campaigns correctly.

In this post I will share some tips on how to spend less and earn more with your Google AdWords account.

Continue reading →

Twirling, twirling… always twirling

Twirling, twirling… always twirling

There is a line in the Spielberg/ Hanks/ Di Caprio film “Catch me if you can”, delivered by Christopher Walken that sums up how a lot of people approach marketing for me:

“Two little mice fell into a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned, but the second mouse, he struggled so hard that he eventually churned that cream into butter and he walked out.”

Look at your marketing to date. Are you struggling so hard in the belief some of your marketing simply must be paying off, or it will eventually? Are you the mouse hoping to escape the bucket through sheer willpower alone?
Continue reading →

5 examples of business blogs that write about marketing (and are a great read as well)

5 examples of business blogs that write about marketing (and are a great read as well)

I am a huge advocate of businesses having their own blog, but only when they add value for a reader and it is not used to regurgitate press releases or simply sell products.

In this post I am showcasing examples of business blogs that publish great content to build links, leads and reputation AND will teach you something about marketing. I’d recommend reading these blogs regularly!
Continue reading →

Organic marketing on Facebook? – A response

Organic marketing on Facebook? – A response

I don’t get a lot of time to read other marketing blogs, but there are a handful I’ll check back on now and then, one of those being Jim’s Marketing Blog. A recent post (here) was simply a quote of his own (no more, no less):

“Teaching people the best way to market organically with Facebook, is like teaching them the best way to butter bread, with a spoon.” — Jim Connolly

What I take away from that quote  is he doesn’t think Facebook is an effective inbound marketing tool, and can’t be used for marketing a business other than through paid advertising or promoted posts. In this post I will explain why I think he is wrong.

Continue reading →

Take back control of your reputation

Take back control of your reputation

There’s a lot of talk about the death of traditional marketing and the loss of control that comes with this. The era of intrusive marketing is at an end, the era of inbound marketing is upon us. I personally think that a lot of other blogs are being a bit too quick to jump on this horse, probably because it is fashionable and in other cases because they sell related services. However, that being said, there is no doubt the sands are starting to shift.  One area of marketing where this is especially pronounced is reputation management.

Continue reading →

5 steps to plan and execute partnership marketing

5 steps to plan and execute partnership marketing

One of our jobs as marketers is to look at how we can create added-value for our customers. What can we do for them that sets us apart from our competitors and draws customers to us, or makes them stay for longer?

Offering your customers access to exclusive 3rd party discounts they can’t find anywhere else is a popular approach, and can be very effective. It can also be a huge headache for the marketing team member tasked with setting them up and managing the relationship. Here are my tips on how to get the most from partner offers and make the process as smooth as possible.

Continue reading →