Does your firm have a Social Networking Policy for your employees?

Social media is truly embedded in our daily lives. Widespread use of Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin on PCs, smartphones and tablets are blurring the boundaries between home and work. For many SMEs, social media is an invaluable marketing tool that will only grow in importance over the next few years.

Despite its widespread use, few firms seem to have a social networking policy for its staff, with clear guidelines about what is acceptable and unacceptable use of social media, and which protects the employer from liability from its employees.

Richard Mullet of The Legal Partners recently gave a thought-provoking seminar, in Richmond, highlighting the importance of having a Social Networking and Smartphone Policy in a firm’s Employee Handbook.

Careers In Marketing

Whilst preparing for the Kingston Employability Festival, I came across some useful links which give students thinking about a career in marketing a great insight into the profession.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing

http://www.cim.co.uk

http://www.getin2marketing.com

The Institute of Direct Marketing

http://www.theidm.com

http://www.urthebrand.co.uk

Institute of Practitioners in Advertising

http://www.ipa.co.uk

http://www.ipa.co.uk/Content/How-can-the-IPA-help-with-your-career

http://gradvantage.blogspot.com/

Chartered Institute of Public Relations

http://www.cipr.co.uk

http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/policy-resources/careers-pr

The Market Research Society

http://www.mrs.org.uk

http://www.mrs.org.uk/careers/becoming

The Institute of Promotional Marketing

http://www.theipm.org.uk

In today’s digital world, it is sometimes easy to overlook the value of exhibitions for SMEs to build their business. Once all the elements of your digital strategy are in place, exhibitions can prove to be an efficient way of generating new business.

For the busy executive, spending two or three days at an exhibition can seem like a long time out of the office. However, a well targeted show could result in more leads in a weekend than could normally be achieved in months. Exhibitions also provide a great way of networking within the industry and keeping abreast of the latest hot topics.

The key is choosing the most appropriate show for your target audience. Where will you find your best prospects and at the right volume? Some exhibitions, such as “The London Book Fair” and “Technology for Marketing and Advertising”, will have upwards of 10,000 visitors over a two or three day period. Other exhibitions might be smaller but better at delivering you high quality leads that convert.

Define your objectives and then research the exhibitions that are relevant to your target audience. Preparation for the show will start several months in advance – there are numerous logistical and administrative details to be taken care of – and don’t forget about your pre-show marketing campaign.

Things to think about:-
Can you make appointments in advance to make the most of your time at the event?
Will your stand be effective at attracting prospective customers?
Can you demonstrate your product or service?
What marketing collateral you will have on the stand?

Building your prospect database is an important element of attending exhibitions. I find it worthwhile to rent a bar code scanner to capture all the details of visitors to your stand – this will help ensure that you have accurate information. And after the exhibition, don’t forget to follow up relentlessly your valuable new business leads.

With a carefully selected exhibition and a well executed marketing strategy, you could be delighted with your results and ROI.

Pam Gandee, Managing Director of The Richmond Marketing Consultancy, outlines some of the advantages of using an external agency for your marketing activities.

“When you are short of time, one of the easiest functions to leave until tomorrow is marketing your own business,” says Pam Gandee., from The Richmond Marketing Consultancy. “Dealing with today’s customers’ needs should naturally be your top priority. That is where using an outsourced marketing function can really help your business grow and offers a number of real benefits for smaller organizations.”

“Firstly, obtaining an independent expert viewpoint is an important advantage of an outsourced marketing unit,” continues Pam. ”Your marketing consultant can research the market, develop a realistic marketing strategy and then, if required, implement the proposed marketing plan. “

“Knowing that the day-to-day running of your marketing function is in safe hands is a relief for many small businesses. Your marketing consultant can project manage your strategy, including taking over the time consuming liaison with suppliers. They will have links with a range of high quality suppliers, such as web designers, SEO providers, photographers, printers etc. – everything required to implement your marketing strategy. Many consultants enjoy becoming a member of the team, albeit on a part-time or temporary basis”

“Keeping abreast with the latest trends in marketing can be time consuming. Knowing how to implement your marketing strategy using the most up to date tools can be daunting. Should you optimize your website? What role should online PR play? Should you write a blog? And what about Twitter and Linkedin? One further advantage of using an outsourced service from an experienced consultant is that he or she will be able to advise you on the most appropriate techniques for defining your target market, marketing objectives, resources available and budget.”

“Flexibility is a key advantage,” states Pam. “You might not need a full time marketing resource. For example, your marketing requirement might be for just one day a week or for a specific project, such as managing an annual exhibition or seminar. By using an outsourced service your business will have the flexibility to decide the level of input required and at which times of the year”.

“The fifth key benefit is cost. You can obtain the expertise of a marketing director and team, without the commitment and cost of employing any full-time employees. As your business grows, you can simply increase the level of input required from your outsourced marketing consultant. Ultimately, when your business requires the full-time input of a marketing director, it might then be beneficial to build an in-house marketing function.”

Business to business incentive schemes and extravagant corporate entertainment could fall foul of impending legislation and could result in penalties of up to ten years in jail or unlimited fines. Marketers should be aware of the implications of the new Bribery Act of 2010, which is expected to come into force in September 2010.
http://www.themarketer.co.uk/articles/legal/marketing-or-bribery/corporate-hospitality/

The Institute of Direct Marketing’s annual B2B Marketing Conference yesterday covered a broad range of subjects, under the umbrella topic “Change is good: marketing strategies for a brave new world”.

One recurring theme was the potential of social media and the use of high quality content. Research conduced by Base One (http://www.baseone.co.uk/beyond/Buyersphere_report.pdf) highlighted that blogs and twitters were not widely used in B2B marketing, but were highly influential in the buying process. This is particularly encouraging for SME’s as developing engaging content can be free – just requiring the commitment of your time. Gaining competitive advantage by quickly incorporating a social media element into your marketing strategy can be important as there is little to stop your competitors following a similar approach.