Finding Your Perfect Marketing Consultants
There are a number of marketing consultants in Ipswich as well as other marketing companies that specialise in certain areas. So, if you need help with your marketing how do you know which one is right for you?
Marketing is simply getting from A to B.
What do you think of when you hear the word marketing? Many people think of it purely as advertising or promotion but in actual fact it is much more than that. The Chartered Institute of Marketing defines marketing as “the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably” but what does this actually mean in the world of small business?
What is Marketing?
Marketing is simply the process of:
- Developing an understanding of your customers so that you can gauge what products or services will be of interest to them.
- Putting a strategy together to get the right message across to attract the right customers, sell to them and then maintain their loyalty.
If you are doing your marketing correctly, it should make sales much easier.
Areas of Marketing
Marketing is actually a vast subject and there are far too many specific areas of marketing to list them all in this article but here are a few examples:
Direct Marketing – this method is where a company communicates directly with its target audience. This could be via email, post, fliers, texts etc.
Branding – this is much more than just a logo or some headed paper. Branding is a huge subject in itself and the
Bit by bit the right marketing will see your business GROW.
strategy will take into account applying a brand identity (i.e. how you wish to be perceived) throughout your entire business.
Affiliate Marketing – usually paid for, this method uses affiliates to drive traffic or customers to your website or business.
Digital/Online Marketing – another massive area which involves marketing through digital channels such as the internet. This could include websites, search engine optimisation (SEO) and social media.
Telemarketing – basically phoning people with a selling or fact finding objective. Some companies do this in house and others outsource to telemarketing agencies or call centres which often use scripts for the calls.
Advertising – can be done in a wide variety of places such as press, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, roundabouts etc.
This is just a snapshot and the methods which work best will differ between types of companies, industries and target markets.
Why Outsource?
As you’ve seen above, to do marketing well requires specialist knowledge and experience. As small business owners we often find ourselves trying to do everything from sales, delivery, making the tea, accounts etc. However, it is almost always better to stick to what you know and outsource the other bits to specialists. This will allow you to spend more time making money doing what you do best and mean that you will not be wasting time doing something that will not prove effective.
Who, How and Why?
So which of the many marketing consultants in Ipswich should you choose? Firstly you need to know what you need help with. Do you have a business plan and does it include a marketing strategy? If not, then a plan and strategy would be the best place to start. It may be that your website isn’t generating enough traffic so you need to speak to an SEO specialist or you have planned a campaign but are unsure of the best places to advertise.
Once you know what you need, look for someone with the right skills to maximise the return on your investment. It is often worth speaking to a few companies to find out if they will be a good fit for you personality wise as well as budget wise. You need to be confident that they are on the same page as you in terms of what you want to achieve.
Spartan Consultants are specialists in planning, strategy and brand development. We excel in helping you work out what you want to achieve and putting the right strategy in place to get you the results you want. We can then coach you through delivery of your plan and even provide sales training if you feel it would be useful. Contact us for a chat about how we could help you.
