The foundation for any effective marketing plan is clear, SMART objectives. These will provide direction for all stakeholders, the ability to track performance and refocus actions to achieve the business end goals – whether these are for setting up a new small business venture, planning a small, short-term project or writing a significant long-term strategic plan. The acronym SMART has [...]
It is notoriously difficult to quantify the success of content marketing because many factors are involved. Content does not always lead to direct sales. However, there are many metrics that are useful in gauging how well your content is performing in relation to your conversion goals. In this post, we will look at how you can calculate your content marketing [...]
There are a number of ways marketers can reach consumers. With the proliferation of digital technology, the choice can be overwhelming. So, how do you decide which digital marketing channels to use? Let’s take a look. Selecting digital marketing channels doesn’t have to be complicated; the VREA framework (Validity, Reliability, Effectiveness and Applicability) can help you identify where you should [...]
In 2000, Professor Charles Hofacker published his book, ‘Internet Marketing’. To set this into context, in the year 2000 the Office for National Statistics reported that 1 in 4 households in the UK was now using the internet, having doubled since 1999. In other words, the internet was still ‘new’ and websites fairly basic. Therefore, when Hofacker published his book, [...]
In marketing, we understand that each element of our strategy should work together to complement one another in order to reach our set goals. But should we be taking a broader look into how the components within the organisation can be reviewed and realigned to achieve continued success? McKinsey's 7S model identifies seven key components within an organisation that need [...]
A planned approach to marketing helps us to set clear objectives based on the current situation a company is facing. The strategy defines how those objectives will be achieved, including the target market to focus on and how the company will be positioned. So now we need to define the tactics to make this plan happen and that’s where the [...]
Kaplan and Norton describe the Balanced Scorecard as a strategic management system emphasising that financial and non-financial measures must be part of the information system at all levels. This requires the balanced scorecard to be cascaded down from the highest levels of the organisation to the tactical and operational levels across all activities - including the marketing mix. This is [...]