Robert Zarywacz thinks businesses who maintain their marketing will thrive

A double-dip recession would be far more interesting for the media than a sustained recovery.

This was evident on the day when the Office of National Statistics published the third quarter 2010 UK GDP figures. Many commentators had been almost rubbing their hands with glee as they predicted 0.4% growth, only to retract their words when the actual growth was double their predictions at 0.8%.

Success is 50% sentiment . . .
Unfortunately, sentiment is very powerful and can raise or reduce confidence very fast. While government cuts will inevitably mean a tough 2011, it would be very easy to talk ourselves back into recession unnecessarily.

Conversely, we could just as easily talk ourselves into recovery.

There is no logic to fickle confidence.

. . . and 50% hard work
But, as everyone in business knows, talk doesn’t run a business: hard work is needed for that.

And marketing is one area which needs to work hard for any business wanting not just to survive, but to thrive. It also tends to be one of the first activities to be cut when businesses need to reduce costs.

While cutting unnecessary costs and improving efficiency are desirable, this does not have to be at the expense of marketing, which is the fuel powering the engine of a business. There are many actions a business can take at little or no cost to keep its marketing effective.

Essential actions
> Is your marketing material current? It should be easy to update your web site, especially if you use a content management system to add or change text yourself.

> Are you using public relations? It can be as easy as picking up the phone to interest a journalist when you have a good story to tell.

> Are you publicising your successes? Many businesses sit on material that could make powerful case studies.

> Are you using social media effectively? Just changing your status once a day on LinkedIn or facebook or posting five tweets a day on twitter can help keep you in front of your customers.

Keep on marketing
Whether you have a budget to buy professional services or you manage your own marketing, this is just a small sample of many marketing activities that can generate more business.

BUSINESS ACTION
> Keep your web site up to date.
> Contact the media with interesting ideas for stories.
> Publicise your successes.
> Use social media little and often.
> Follow NDBA members on twitter, facebook and LinkedIn.

Robert Zarywacz
t: 01271 879100
e: rob@z2z.com
w: z2z.com
twitter: @robertz

Social media is the latest buzz word, but many businesses are using it as an effective communications and marketing tool.

This interactive North Devon Business Alliance taster session demonstrates how to get started on twitter and facebook to:

• tap into the growing North Devon online community.
• increase your business presence.
• boost traffic to your web site.
• sell your products and services online.

The session will be run by Kevin Woodward (@llamakevin) and Robert Zarywacz (@robertz), two of the most experienced online networkers and social media users in North Devon.

To get the best value, you will be invited to register twitter and facebook accounts in advance. You are welcome to bring your wireless laptop along to participate live in online discussion (although not essential).

LEARN HOW TO

• Use twitter and facebook.
• Exploit the power of searches.
• Create online profiles.
• Join the North Devon online community.

Participant numbers will be limited to 12. Cost is £5 for NDBA members, £10 for non-members.

Book your place now

Please call 0333 044 2038 or email info@ndba.org.uk

Download Introduction to Social Media flyer.

The session will be hosted by Graham Lofthouse (@glofthouse) at Devonshire Asset Management, 16 Silver Street, Barnstaple, EX32 8HR.

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Visit ndba.org.uk

Follow northdevon on twitter and NDevonbusiness on facebook

North Devon’s geography is at once a blessing and a challenge. It must rank as one of the most beautiful places in the world – no exaggeration – in which to live and work, but remote towns separated by long distances cause difficulties. 

Everyone knows this and the members of the North Devon Business Alliance were not the first to discuss this at our end-of-month Friday lunches. It’s also the reason why no all-embracing North Devon business organisation existed previously.

The logistics of getting people from Bideford to Lynton and from South Molton to Ilfracombe together in one place mean that few events attract representation from across the area.

Building a cohesive community

Yet North Devon needs a cohesive business community to work together, to share aims, to debate and resolve problems and to build a bigger, stronger and resilient economy that is the greater sum of its individual parts.

That’s why we decided to take action to build this community.

Using social media

Several NDBA members have been networking online for seven or more years and now use ‘social media’ extensively to find new contacts, promote their businesses and attract new enquiries.

You may think that twitter and facebook are merely for gossip or sharing holiday photos, but their owners have introduced features to make them valuable business users. In fact, facebook deliberately targeted business users to start making money. LinkedIn, originally an online CV repository, has also developed into a networking and discussion service.

NDBA is active on all these services and now aims to draw together the hundreds of existing users and encourage all North Devon businesses to use these tools to get to know each other better and to promote their businesses and the area locally, nationwide and internationally.

We need face-to-face meetings

Online networking cannot replace face-to-face meetings and NDBA sees the two complementing each other.

We will continue our monthly lunches at the Chichester Arms, Bishop’s Tawton and will be hosting other events across North Devon.

Current plans include an informal ‘TweetUp’ in Barnstaple on 10 June, introductory social media sessions to help everyone start networking online and even a conference event.

Championing North Devon

Of course, as a community, we want to provide what members want.

We aim to represent the interests of all businesses in the area and, through supporting existing businesses and encouraging start-ups, to develop the full potential of the local economy.

We’re in business in North Devon, championing business in North Devon.

We welcome every size of business, from every sector, from across the area.

If this inspires you, please join us today. Call us on 0333 044 2038 or message us on twitter at @northdevon.

We look forward to welcoming you.