MarketingSalt

17/08/2022

In the English language, the words brand and design both speak to something visual.

To successfully step into becoming a brand, start with being clear on what the brand should represent, before creating any visuals – and this is possible for any size business.

CREATING THE BRAND is a STRATEGY. In essence, it’s conceptualising how every function within the business advances the way the business wants to show up and reach goals.

The visual design component is one element in brand building. Visuals can be created after clarity about the brand foundations has been reached. Creating any new visual is unfortunately not the first step.

Design is DESIGN. Designers use their artistic and technical capabilities to deliberately translate the essence of the brand strategy into the visual. This can range from logo to product packaging design for the customer perspective, to internal branding items for the business team.

The crux here is that the designer and business owner have a common understanding of where this is headed.

Every business that’s had a customer is a brand – It’s the perception that the customer has of the experience and product of that business. Close the gap between the reality of business and customer perception – This is the point where business growth rockets.


# entrepeneurhacks

02/08/2022

Messaging, Marketing and Copywriting – How to focus on the right one

Are sales stalling? New enquiries and leads aren’t coming in?

What is the first thought of many a business owner? Jip, you have it right! Marketing is not hitting the spot, it needs to be reworked.

Save some time, money and wasted effort by honestly diagnosing where the bottleneck resides.

1️⃣If articulating what the business is all about is inconsistent and uncomfortable – if you need some help - speak with a Brand Developer or Strategist.

2️⃣ If the message is buttoned down, but it’s difficult to articulate it in a way that encourages the audience to take action – engage with a copywriter.

3️⃣ If you know what to say and how to say it but aren’t making inroads into the target market – contacting a marketer is valuable.

🔥 Messaging, copywriting, and marketing are part of the same framework and act in unison to promote success.

Send a DM for more info on implementing this system into your business.

26/07/2022

Have you ever classified your current clients as specific BUYER TYPES?

Why would one do this, you ask? If your target market is defined to the ‘nth degree, but making the actual sale still proves tricky and ‘wrong types of clients’ are signed up, consider evaluating the way different buyer types impacted your business.

The topic is complicated in many ways. But having an appreciation of various buyer types, their price sensitivity level, and how they could contribute to income generation has helped me, a non-natural salesperson, minimize a lot of self-doubt and wasted time and resources when it comes to preparing proposals.

In a customer-centric world, knowing who your customer is, becomes key, particularly in the B2B sector. The stronger one's ability to focus on what potential customers desire, how they act, and what their end goal is, the more likely one is to select a client whom one can best serve and vice versa.

Some questions to get the thoughts going are: Does your business model thrive on working with a specific buyer type? Or is there space for variety? What resources are needed for different buyer types. Are you able to identify situations where other buyer types may achieve specific goals for your business? Which buyer types have you worked with and did the project suit your business and revenue goals?

1. Convenience Buyers are often in a situation where they will pay a premium for a job to be done urgently.
2. Price Buyers want the lowest price and can do without the frills. They don’t like being locked into contracts and mostly can’t be upsold or cross-sold.
3. Relationship buyers will typically buy just about everything one business offers. They don’t like to change suppliers often and have a relatively small supplier base. Top management commonly becomes involved in the relationship.
4. Value Buyers make the potential return on investment calculation and are performance and results-driven. They may change suppliers for better results, even if it means spending more.
5. This next buyer type has thrown me off balance: Mock-Price-Buyers suddenly present as price buyers towards the final part of the sales process. They like the negotiation part of making a deal. If, earlier in the buying process, one had them characterised as a relationship or value buyer, the possibility is still good that they will agree to have the work done at the original price point, or close to it.

More info: Publications by Thomas Nagle and Reed Holden

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25/03/2021

Customers weigh up a company, not a logo. They recognise a logo and associate an experience with it. Therefor a brand is not exclusively a logo or any other design element. Customers refer their friends on an experience they've had, not the way the logo looks.

Start by revisiting these 3 points. They are more than just words on your business plan.
Internal Foundation - your why's, what's and how's
Find out who else is serving your market and how
Why should a customer chose you above

16/12/2019