Why Hire An Interim Marketing Director?

Marketing is an absolutely crucial part of any company’s activities, so if you are running a business you need to have somebody in place who understands how the world of marketing works. If your marketing director leaves, you are a start-up company with a limited budget or you simply want to boost flagging sales, one option for you is to consider hiring an interim marketing director to keep your marketing efforts on track and even bring in some fresh ideas.


Often companies simply hire in temporary marketing directors while they are looking for someone more permanent, but in fact one of the biggest advantages of hiring someone in is the fresh perspective they are able to bring to your company. They will be aware of the latest trends and will be able to train your sales and marketing team in the most effective ways to implement these. Therefore, even if you are not looking to hire a marketing manager full time, you may still want to consider bringing someone in on a temporary basis.

There are other good reasons for hiring outside your company: If you are having trouble generating new sales leads and decide to hire an internal employee to fill the role of marketing director, they may not have enough knowledge of the wider market context or awareness of what your competitors are doing. Sometimes what you need is an entirely new approach and somebody who has been immersed in your particular company culture for a long time, however capable they are, may not be able to provide this.

Hiring an interim marketing director is also much quicker if you need to fill the role in a hurry. For example, what if your current marketing director resigns suddenly and you have a very important promotion or event coming up? Going through the process of interviews to fill such an important role can take a long time as it’s crucial to get the right person. The great thing about interims is that they are used to working in a different way – they don’t need to take time to settle into a role so instead can grasp what needs to be done quickly and get things moving.

Lastly, when it comes to the end of their time with you, your interim director can be invaluable in helping your hire a more permanent head of marketing to carry their work further. They will be able to comment on a candidate’s experience and qualifications and will know the right questions to ask in interviews in order to measure their suitability for the role. Also, because somebody who specialises in fulfilling interim marketing positions will have no interest in the full-time role themselves, they can be completely impartial and offer you solid, objective advice.

How To Market Your Online Business

The world of e-commerce is moving so fast these days that if you don’t have a strong e-commerce marketing strategy your company not be able to keep up with the many competitors out there. In the days before the internet, it used to be much simpler to market your company, but now there are so many option open to you online it can be confusing. Here are just some of the online marketing strategies you can use to get your e-commerce business noticed and increase your sales:


Email Marketing: Make sure your website includes an email registration form where visitors can sign up for product information or special promotions, for example. Ensure the form asks for relevant information so you can categorise your clients according to their priorities and preferences. Then, when it comes to sending them marketing emails you can employ a targeted approach rather than sending the same emails to everyone on your list.

Blogging: Blogging on your website is a very cheap and easy way to promote your business online, as long as you are providing the reader with relevant and useful information. If you do this, you can become established as an authority on your market sector and, hence, a reliable supplier.

Pay-Per-Click: Pay-per-click advertising services, such as Google AdWords, are rapidly becoming one of the most popular forms of e-commerce marketing. You pay each time somebody clicks on your advert and is directed to your website, so it can be a very quick way to drum up some new business. There are other equally effective marketing methods which are more slow-burning, but if you are in a hurry – say, for example you have a limited product promotion – this could be for you.

Use Social Media: The majority of online companies also now recognise the benefits of using social media such as Facebook or Twitter to draw attention to their activities. The trick when doing this is not to advertise your products too belligerently – social media is about taking part in discussions and forums, and building up an online presence in a more gradual way. You can also use your posts on these forums to build back links.

Use SEO: Search engine optimisation is important for improving your search engine rankings. You need to use the correct keywords in your headers, categories, meta descriptions etc. to boost your online presence and increase traffic to your website. It may even be worth hiring in a specialised SEO consultant to do this job for you because it’s quite a skill but it’s a key part of your online marketing strategy.

Businesses Of All Sizes: Internet Marketing Consultants Can Help You Maximise Your Potential

Does your report for this term’s sales and marketing results say “could do better”?


If so, you’re far from alone.

Even taking social media out of the equation, many business owners are overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the Internet and the constant time demands marketing their business online entails.

As a business owner, it could lead you to believe that the options for marketing your business used to be a lot simpler before the Internet came along and complicated everything. But looking on the bright side, cyberspace has given us a lot more marketing opportunities too.

Providing we know what we’re about.

Little doubt that there is potential for companies of all sizes to benefit from the extensive marketing power of the Internet, although there is by no means a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for all businesses.

This is where capabilities of your chosen Internet marketing consultants can have a significant bearing over how successful your business ultimately becomes. So it’s vital to select your advisors wisely.

You see, anyone can call themselves a ‘consultant’, whether they’ve had fifty years experience in business, or five minutes. Or more worryingly, none at all. Perhaps you’ve been put off using marketing agencies or consultancies by a bad experience in the past. Maybe you were charged too much for the consultancy seemingly doing too little. And at the end of the contract you didn’t get the results you were promised.

It’s hardly uncommon, unfortunately.

By contrast, a professional marketing consultant – one who knows his stuff inside out – will have built up a solid reputation over many years. He will have worked alongside many different businesses and will have marketing experience across a variety of industries.

Above all, he will have the credentials to prove his worth: through results generated from previous marketing campaigns and glowing testimonials from many satisfied clients.

Quite simply, the right Internet marketing consultants for your business will be able to combine the right marketing elements so that you get the right marketing mix – with guaranteed results. They will add value to your organisation and become a trusted ally to your sales team.

If you know your business could be performing better with professional help, then don’t delay – talk to your friendly Internet marketing specialists today. Normally you’ll qualify for a free marketing consultation with no-obligation to take things further. And you could come away with lots of great ideas to make your business thrive.

Company Directors: Internet Marketing Consultants Can Help With More Than Just Digital Marketing

When you think about Internet marketing consultants what comes to mind?


Oh they do stuff like building websites, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and create Pay Per Click ads on Google. Oh and they sort out your Social Media needs for you: like Facebook and Twitter.

Well, yes, they do all that.

And they can also do a whole lot more besides . . .

An Internet marketing consultant can help with things like:

Finance and Funding

A recent survey by accountancy software company Sage, revealed that out of 1000 ‘small firms’ interviewed, only 42 per cent had a business plan in place, and that ‘poor business planning’ was to blame for the majority of loan rejections within the same surveyed group.

If you are looking for finance from your bank, or seeking investment from a business angel or venture capital firm, or perhaps looking to secure grant funding for your company, Internet marketing consultants have the experience to give your finance or funding application the best chance of succeeding.

Market Research

Winners in business know what the competition is up to. They have their fingers firmly on the pulse of their particular markets and know everything they need to know about their competitors and their customers that will give them a winning edge.

Your marketing advisors can implement a range of research initiatives to ensure your company stays ahead of the pack.

Creative Marketing Ideas and Concepts

When you’re that close to a business, it’s sometimes difficult to see how you could do things differently. How you could be more effective with your marketing perhaps. Your trusted marketing partners, however, will have experience across all types of trades and industries and will be able to come up with some fresh marketing ideas that will help you win more business.

Direct Mail

Even when the latest technology dictates we spend more of our time doing digital marketing, direct mail can be a really effective route to winning new business. Your marketing consultants can create mailers and brochures designed to grab attention and get your target audience focused on you.

PR

Many companies are reporting that it’s much more difficult to get ‘free’ PR these days. But not if you know the rules of the game. Journalists are constantly on the lookout for publishable stories – as opposed to the thinly-veiled sales pitches they receive in their inboxes every day. Regular write-ups in the press and trade journals can be a wonderful way to gain more custom, because it is viewed as unbiased reporting.

Again, your trusted marketing consultancy can help your business get the publicity it deserves.

So if you’re thinking your business could be performing better with a little expert help, give your friendly online Internet marketing consultants a call and find out what they can do for your company.

Internet Marketing Companies Can Help Your Business Soar To New Heights

Internet marketing companies – they’re all pretty much alike aren’t they? They all offer the same services: Search Engine Optimisation . . . Pay Per Click . . . Social Media Marketing . . . Website design . . .


While it’s true that many Internet marketing companies do provide similar options in terms of the range of services offered, the results of their marketing efforts can vary dramatically according to the competencies of the ‘experts’ concerned. With the upshot being that you may not always feel you are getting value for money.

This can lead you to believe that throwing your budget at Internet consultancy services is a complete waste of money.

We hear it all the time in the media: “PPC doesn’t work, Social Media is too difficult to get to grips with and as for SEO – well it could take me years to get anywhere in the ‘organic’ search listings.”

None of which is true . . . providing you know what you are doing.

When looking to work with Internet marketing companies, it’s vital to weed out the ‘can dos’ from the ‘cannots.’

An expert Internet marketing company will look closely at your marketing plan, (or put one together for you if yours is out of date), and create a plan of action that will help you get where you want to be as quickly and as economically as possible.

Where the ‘can dos’ among Internet marketing companies really earn their corn is in the quality of the leads they generate. In other words, the number of qualified buyers that are sent to your website on a daily basis.

Because it doesn’t matter one jot if 500 people visit your website every single day, if none of them are in a position to buy from you. In fact, you could be wasting your valuable time trying to engage with people who have no inclination of buying from you. Ever. Higher volumes of traffic don’t necessarily indicate a greater ratio of buyer conversions.

So how can you ensure your business has the best chance of succeeding in the Internet jungle?

Your chosen Internet marketing consultant will devise precisely the right strategy to attract the kinds of people your business is aiming at. People you can convert into satisfied and loyal customers, who will stay with you for years. And they’ll tell their friends about the exceptional service they can expect from a great company like yours.

An Internet Marketing Consultant Can Send Your Business Mobile

Want to know something your competitors don’t?


Want a larger audience for your products and services?

Want to go mobile with your business advertising?

You may be aware of the quiet revolution that is mobile marketing. So why quiet?

Well, although many of us currently use mobile devices to access the Internet every single day, the potential remains relatively untapped in terms of marketing brands, goods and services.

This is great news for someone like you who can recognise the enormous advantages of mobile marketing and is prepared to take action, before the competition wakes up to this exciting phenomenon.

So apart from the relative lack of competition, what are the benefits of mobile advertising?

Huge Audience

Unlike with traditional forms of advertising such as print, TV, or radio ads, which your target audience could easily miss, millions of mobile subscribers could potentially view your marketing content every day.

Pinpoint Targeting

Whereas someone may not open an email for several days (if at all), mobile marketing means that your communication will reach your target audience exactly at the right time and date you want them to.

Multiple Marketing Strategies

Just like with Internet marketing, mobile marketing offers a host of different possibilities for reaching your target audience. You could use text messaging, click-to-call ads, mobile display, paid search advertising, organic search advertising, click-to-map ads – just a few of the many advertising options you could use to target customers.

Niche Segmentation

Mobile marketing allows you to target specific groups of people according to set criteria. This can enable companies who want to channel their products or services to a narrow group of people, to do so, thus ensuring that the advertisements are highly relevant to their audience and thereby increasing the likelihood of a positive response.

Many companies are yet to recognise the incredible reach-power and sales potential of mobile advertising, which is fantastic news for savvy business owners like you. Now is a really good time to get in on the act and steal a march on your competitors, before they know what’s hit them.

Your professional internet marketing consultant will generate a bespoke mobile marketing campaign that will put your company at the forefront of your target audience’s mind and create a buzz around your brand that gets people talking.

Is Your Website Costing You Customers?

You might have a superb business model with bags of money-making potential, but if your website isn’t up to scratch it could be costing you vital custom. Perhaps you could do with some help from an experienced Internet marketing consultant.


Although it’s considered something of a necessity for businesses these days to have a web presence, having an ugly or dysfunctional website can be worse than no website at all.

Just imagine for a moment that your website exists as a bricks and mortar shop. What if your shop front was run down, with paint peeling everywhere? You could have the most tremendous products inside, but it’s all to no avail if nobody comes through your door.

Here are several of the worst offenders:

Bad design

To a degree, design is a subjective thing defined by individual taste. It can also be dictated by the type of industry you are in. Generally speaking, the more conservative your industry, the more sober your website is expected to be, whether we like it or not.

Websites with colours that clash are a no-no, flashing images can be disturbing to some people and as for poor quality images or clip art – let’s not even go there.

Lack of quality content

Too many businesses think it’s enough to fill their website with content from a brochure say, rather than specifically-written, high quality content that will engage and involve their visitors. Is your content enticing enough? And does it contain a ‘call to action’ where you prompt your reader on what to do next?

On average, your visitors will look at four websites before making a purchasing decision. Inviting them to ask for a free quotation or consultation could be the difference between them contacting you, or a competitor.

Aiming At The Wrong Market

Your web designer should have installed an analytics programme which means you can track and monitor the visitors to your website. How often do you check the data produced? Hopefully, at regular intervals, because you could find that the keywords used by visitors who arrive at your website are not the same ones you were expecting when the website was commissioned. This is because sometimes your online market can differ from your offline market.

This valuable information can help you make sure that the keywords you use in your content remain in alignment with your goals. Also, uncovering the keywords used by your visitors can prove a great help when planning future online marketing campaigns.

If you need some help getting your website into shape, or building a new one, then try asking some Internet marketing consultants.