Business Networks

Business Networking in Inverness, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or where ever you live networking can be a powerful tool bringing in leads and connection into your business. But why is business networking so under-developed?

Business Networking

Life is About Growing Networks.

We all have networks, be it in life or with friends and family; they are the support net that helps us to get through everyday situations. We share our successes and troubles and support them in theirs. The connected world of social media has extended our networks the Twitter following, Facebook friends or Linkedin relationships. These connections are considered slightly different as they are not so much part of life as our real friends.

Our friends and family relationships are about love, mutual respect and support. We do not look at then from the perspective of how much can I get from them today. However, business networking seems to have a different feeling.

Business Networking or Prospect Hunting?

People change at networking events; business networking seems to bring out the best and the worst in people. These events get seen as prospect hunts or sales opportunities when they are just introductions.

There is the card collector: These are the people that make no attempt to connect with the room. They flit from person to person briefly introduce themselves then ask for your business card before moving on to collect another. You just know that on arriving at the office they are going to enter you into the database and send you emails like they know you.

Then there is the latch: This is the person that latches on and does not stop taking, they seek you out at breaks to continue the conversation.

Then the hard sell: You are greeted with a bone-crushing handshake and loud voice and introduction. “What do you do then. Ar.. Yes. I have got just the thing for you. Shall I sign you up for a dozen…

The Best Networkers

While networking is a social event, it is not a coffee or breakfast club we are there to make introductions that lead to business. There is a minority at events, people that know how to work the room and make you feel genuinely welcome. These are the people that move around with ease, somehow spending just enough time in each conversation. They don’t take or offer a card unless it seems right, they are fair with the conversation, and it all seems to have a natural balance.

If we can look at networking from that place of, “What can I give.” It will never go wrong. The video below explains how to look at networking from this direction.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=o0zJcUKt0HU%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D0

Tips from the video

1 Always look for opportunities to introduce and support people within your network, and give.

2 Be clear who is your ideal client and create something that could be passed on to them, It needs to be something useful that could be read or actioned within 5 minutes.

3 Stay in touch with your network.

The above tips could be used in face to face relationships or online relationships. When was the last time you looked at your LinkedIn profile? You can see mine here. In my opinion, Linkedin is an underused tool, but more about that on my blog.

Happy to hear your views on networking, in the comments below on the other platforms.

To your success

Paul Harvey

How to be everywhere and the importants of advert frequency

How to be everywhere

This post is about how to be everywhere and advert frequency. It is the story of how to get your brand in front of your customers all the time. You and your business everywhere.

The point is people buy from people and organisations they know and recognised. Your business needs to be seen by the people that find you relevant and want or need your products, solution or services.

The question we get asked by clients is.

“What will work for my business?”

If you want a quick answer and a solution and tips on how to be everywhere, then go to the bottom of the page. If you want some background on advertising and how it has changed, then read on.

The world of Advertising and what has changed

Over the last 20 years, advertising has seen a radical shift, opportunities have grown exponentially, but consumer behaviours have also changed. During an average day, we experience many hundreds of adverts, so how aware are you and more importantly how many adverts do you consciously notice?

The advertising continuum is the medium of possible advertising platforms and channels.  We experience the full range of advertising every day when driving or travelling on public transport. Listening to the radio, watching TV, on the phone,  letters and post,  newspapers, mobile apps, internet searching and social media. Clearly, there are more opportunities for promotion and advertising than there has ever been.

Advert Frequency
Source. www.mediadynamicsinc.com/product/americas-media-usage-ad-exposure-1945-2014/E1a68cfe34e9e1a/

Has it worked do we see more adverts?

The growth in advertising platforms has created much debated, leading to extensive research. Some marketers claim that advert exposure has risen from a few hundred in the 1940s to thousands per day.

While the platforms and range have grown, it turns out that we have become more skilled at tuning then out or turning them off.  Yes, I do fast forward the adverts when watching a recording. For my parents, the TV ads used to be a signal to put the kettle on and make a cup of tea.

 

What did the growth in advertising platforms achieve?

The table above is from a study by Media Dynamics, Inc. It shows the growth in media, the relative exposure and more importantly the noted adverts.

It is beginning to look like growth in adverting has developed an industry but not changed the market. We are exposed to a lot more advertising, but we do not consciously see it.

What has changed with the new platforms is the ability to identify the target and find matching markets and customers.

Why Advert Frequency and Consumption.

There are two forms of advertising direct enquiry and search or interrupt. Direct would have been the yellow pages, but now more likely to be a Google search.

An interrupt is advertising that appears while you are doing something else, this type of promotion makes up the majority of the advertising we see. Because you are interrupting an activity, it will require repetition and be attractive enough to draw attention, to seen by the target group.

It is the repeat that brings familiarity and builds brand awareness

The Power of Repetition and Ad frequency

how to be everywhere Those old 60s and 70s ads for soap powder where the brand name was repeated by the actor again and again. Dreadful but effective.

Now here are the stats,  back in the day that repetition was enough to cause a shift in brand recognition and market share. Consumers only needed to see an advert 5 to 6 times to have an effect.

At the time the advertising continuum was relatively small just, Radio, TV and paper/billboards  It was easy to map consumer activity between these platforms.

In the 21 century, the continuum has grown with a range of platforms, and the big factor is that everything is now dwarfed by digital, on mobile phones, tablets, in-app purchases, games consoles, etc.

What this means is that whereas once 5 to 6 contact points were needed to get consumer awareness, it is now over 20 points of contact.

What works and how be seen 20 plus times?

Be everywhere is possible because with the tools and channels you can appear to be everywhere. With a modest budget and lots of time, you can be on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube,  Twitter and appear all over the web.

Social is not the answer

The question is, do you need to be?

NO! This is not about spreading yourself or your business across multiple channels.

The secret to how to be everywhere is simple; you just have to appear to be everywhere to the right people.

Below is a video, checklist and action points for you to implement this in your business.

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The secret of how to be everywhere

Here is the checklist for how to be everywhere

1 Jump in simple and immediate:

Use the local targeting and display advertising on google or facebook. With accurate targeting, display advertising is a cost-effective tool, and your brand is seen regardless of the customer clicking the advert. Used well and directed to relevant pages it will build reputation leading to the sale.

2  The Power of Retargeting

Both Facebook and Google offer retargeting / remarketing systems. This is the real secret for how to be everywhere. Using some code on your website it allows you to reconnect with people that visited your site. Even for a few moments. This process can be tailored to connect with all or your visitors or just those that stayed for a given moment or visited particular pages. We have all experienced pair of shoes or the new must-have gadget showing up in our web browsing. That is bad remarketing done well it will support your brand and business goals.

For help with this process get it touch here  or use the action list below to do it yourself,

Action Points 

1 Check you have Google Analytics on your website.

2 Sign up for a Google AdWords account, (Ask us we may have some Free advertising vouchers) and note the ten digit number. Make sure you have a web page on your site with cookies and privacy policy.  It is a requirement when using these tools.

3 Back inside analytics under admin/ property/ product linking. Connect your AdWords and Analytics together, That Ten Digit number.

4 Still, inside Google analytics go to admin/ property/audience definitions and create the relevant groups for.  All visitors,  Last seven days or page sequence. Many options.

5 Login into Facebook and set up an advertising account, In the account, management area looks for the pixel and get that code applied to your website.

6 Start a locally targeted ad campaign in Google using three adverts to one landing page on the Display network only.  You are starting to build your audience. The budget will be dependent on your market, £5.00/ day is a good start, and a max CPC of 50p.

7 After a month you will have an audience and can start to use retargeting to keep talking to your web visitors. From their perspective, you will be everywhere.

Good Luck this is just the start of a great opportunity.

For help with this process get it touch here 

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Obsession, Inspiration and Making a Difference with Passion.

Are you making a difference with passion?

I get a lot of emails; I am on a lot of email lists. This kind of work requires me to keep up as we are in constant change. It also means I get to read some great emails from some brilliant people. I want to tell you about an email I received from Scott Oldford.

But first, are you passionate, obsessed and inspired, do you leap out of bed determined to get on with your day. I know at least one person who jumps out of bed into a cold shower because it sets the theme for the day.

Morning Routines

making a difference with passionMy normal routine is up at 7 am and writing with a pen for 30 minutes. Some of my more productive friends would call that late. For me, it is about the drive and a connection to a thing that is greater than me.

Back to Scott, from my perspective, he is a young man, in his 30s and he has the passion of youth. He has been a serial entrepreneur going from nothing to riches to nearly a million in debt and back out again in just a few years.

 

In Scott’s email he was talking obsession and passion, (hence the subject line) this was the bit that took my interest.

“Are you in true alignment with your vision and purpose.

“If you don’t know of my vision, it’s huge. Like, really big.
In order to wake up at 3:30 am every morning. In order to produce the way I do.

You have to be in true alignment with that vision and purpose. And part of all of this is ensuring that you continue to fall in love with your purpose. That doesn’t happen by mistake. You get to choose your destiny for it. If you don’t do things that remind you why you’re doing what you’re doing. You’re screwed — really screwed. You must surround yourself with things that inspire you.”

Wow, he does strike a cord what is it that inspires you in your work? If you can communicate that passion, it is infectious. I read Scott’s emails always because they make me feel good.

I am the catalyst creating change
 and making a difference with passion. making a difference with passion

The passion in my business is seeing a client move to the next level. It happens when I listen as they speak about why they do what they do. I hear that energy in the voice and together we discover how to communicate it on the page or through a video. It is seeing the result of that passion translate to engagement and sales.

The truth is when you share your passion; your customers will love you and your business because they want a piece of it.

My passion and purpose is about
moving people forward in life and
business and making a difference
in the world.

The ritual that leads to clarity

My morning ritual is for me, and the writing gives it space. By writing whatever comes into my head there is freedom, no editing straight onto the page even if it is swearing and moaning or, “I do not know what to write now and hate it ” it goes on the page.

I will express gratitude and appreciation for things, people or life and then re-affirm my 90-day goals and direction. I connect with my passion and vision for the greater future.

That is the first 30 minutes of my day and it is precious.

What does your morning look like? Are you ready to stand up and begin making a difference with passion.?

Where is the passion in your business,

Share it below now, take a moment and connect with it, now tell us about it. Let’s share some passion and feel good about it. This post is also on Linkedin share your comments there for some broader feedback.

Not Feeling it!

If you are not sure about your passion or how to connect with it, try taking time and writing. If you want to explore with some support check out the results in 90 day product, passion is part of the process.

How to get results in 90 days.