Marketing tips

How does your business and local area look at the moment?

Everywhere I look I see beautiful (mainly blue) skies, blooming gardens, lush green trees, fresh produce and happy visitors.

Now’s a good time to take photos.

Not just now and then, not just a few but of everything, everywhere, whenever you can!

I'll suggest how you can use these images in a moment. 

First of all though, I really want to stress: any spare moment, when you’re taking a quick break, when you see something beautiful, wh…

What’s selling a Rolls Royce got to do with promoting your small business?

I’ll explain in a moment.

I’ve no idea whether this story is true or not, but it’s a great illustration that could help you show potential visitors that you offer exceptional value for money - whether you charge a little or a lot. 

The story goes that Rolls Royce decided to stop exhibiting at car shows and to take a stand at private jet shows instead. As advertising supremo, Rory Sutherland said, “when you’ve been look…

There's an easy way to grab attention and get potential visitors interested in what you have to offer, whether you write on a website, social media or a mailing. 

Turn your sentences around.

Here's an example of what I mean. The first version was written by someone who sells home-baked brownies: 

Our Brownies are lovingly made with local ingredients. Before selling them, I spent hours perfecting the recipe for my signature chocolate brownie – testing each one personally… I then chose flavour…

Most people scan-read whatever you write. They can't be bothered to read everything. Yet you need them to read to find out more about your business.

You need to make it easier for them.

You don't necessarily need to change what you write - just how you lay it out. You could probably shorten what you say too. 

Compare these two approaches:

First - how many of us write:

Most people write too many words, making text too long and dense, not getting to the point quickly enough. They don't start …

Remember being taught how to write essays? Your English teacher probably told you to write a heading and then an introduction before you go to the point. 

Many of us still do that but it doesn't work for marketing. Let's take the example of your website.

There are two things you need to consider before you even write a word: 

1. Most people are in a hurry or impatient: they won't spend ages hunting out information. If they don't find what they need or you don't grab their attention they won'…

'I tried it but it didn't work'

Ever felt like your marketing just isn't working the way you'd like?

It's usually for one of these reasons: 

• You're doing the wrong thing (e.g. spending too much time on social media when a mailing list would be more effective) at the wrong time (promoting something too early or late).
• Your marketing messages - what you say on your website, in mailings and social media - aren't quite right. Usually they're not targeted enough or don't stand out enough. 
• Yo…

When one of the 'kings' of the internet and social media (around 50 millions followers!), Gary Vaynerchuk suggests the future is analogue, it pays to listen. 

He's not saying that the internet, social media and AI will go away, but is predicting a massive resurgence of interest in real-world experiences. True authentic human connection and physical experiences are at a premium, and likely to grow in importance. 

The craving for humanity and genuine connection means that there's strong demand f…

How can we be the 'most human'? Why do you need to be? 

Two things are occupying many minds right now: 1) war, unrest and unstable economies; and 2) AI and its impact on just about everything.

Many of us feel powerless. And when we feel like that we become indecisive. Which can be bad for tourism businesses, because although people want what you have to offer, they just don't get round to booking or making plans.

The solution?

We have to find ways to offer something more up-lifting. Somethin…

The world feels very uncertain. Anxiety is high. The news is negative. 

Planning a holiday or short break can offer a respite, something positive to look forward to. 

We can help visitors feel better, even if only for a short time. 

During times like this, we yearn for peace, for peaceful retreats. 

What can you offer? How can you describe it so potential visitors can imagine the sense of peace and how they'll feel better? 

Would you like me to get to the point and tell you what might help you tweak your marketing, or maybe you'd prefer to read a long introduction first? 

No-one has time or patience for a long introduction. Google and other search engines don't like them either. 

At school we learnt to write an enticing introduction before we go to the main part of our essay. That doesn't work as well in marketing, unless you're an experienced copywriter. So it's time to cut it out, whether on your website or whe…