I built a new website at the weekend. It only took one day.  It’s for my sideline business where I train small business owners, freelancers and self-employed people how to do their own marketing, called Marketing in One Day.

In just one day I attempt to convey to the delegates my 20+ years’ of marketing experience and knowledge. And I’m pleased to say that in just one day, I managed to build a brand new website for it.

The old website was beginning to look dated. I wanted to revamp the styling, incorporate some social media elements and also optimise it for the search engines (SEO). All these needs led in one direction only: WordPress.

I’m quite proficient in HTML and CSS, skills I gained when working at an internet consultancy during the dotcom boom (and then bust!). But things have moved on since then. Before I rebuilt this website in June 2010, I went on a WordPress training course, which was great. It taught me the basics of setting up a site and adding pages and posts. Since then, I’ve learned even more and I can now create a new website in just one day. Of course, this isn’t always the case for many businesses, but I already had all the images and text I needed. Both needed tweaks here and there, of course – reformatting the image sizes, changing some of the copy – but that didn’t take too long at all.

What took the time was getting the layout how I wanted it and choosing colours and styles. But I was amazed that I could manage to do it all in one day.

Here’s the steps to follow if you want to do the same:

1. Set up your domain name and hosting – preferably do this before you launch a new site as it can take up to 24 hours for the domain name to resolve.
2. Load WordPress onto your server and set up the database. This is easily done on most hosts, as they have a one-click install process. My own host has just introduced one-click install, but as I’d moved my domain to them less thatn 24 hours before I wanted to load WordPress, it wasn’t possible and I had to manually install it. It took a little longer than their fêted “5 minutes” !
3. Choose, purchase, download and add a theme. I chose Theme Blvd’s Barely Corporate.
4. Set up the structure of your site by adding pages and building the menu. Make sure permalinks are optimised for SEO.
5. Format the footer and add in your widgets for things like a Twitter feed, social media links or your contact details.
6. Format the look of your different pages. My own site has three page styles – one for the front page; a page with a right hand sidebar; and a full-width page. This took me the longest, trying to decide how my homepage would look, whether to use a slider or not, what to include on the slider, what colours to use, and so on.
7. Add all your content: your images and text. Make sure to proofread it all very carefully.
8. Add any plugins you want. I added things like: Mailchimp (I want to add a sign-up box later); Google and Mailchimp Analytics; duplicate post creation; and Googlecards to add my Google+ details. But you may want to add some social sharing widgets, SEO-boosting plugins, and others.
9. Test your site. Make sure all the links work, that the site renders well in different browsers and also on different devices. I deliberately chose a “responsive” theme for my site, because it’s already optimised for viewing on computers, tablets and mobiles and doesn’t need me to change anything at all.
10. Promote the site. Using Google and Bing’s webmaster tools, verify your site and upload a sitemap.
11. Backup the site and make sure you have future backup plans in place.
12. Put your site live – the exciting bit!

Well, that’s it. Never mind Marketing in One Day – this was WordPress in one day! Here are the before and after shots:

I was interviewed a while back by Momentum Careers Advice for their regular Monday interview on their blog. In an attempt to dispel the myth that marketing is all about colouring in, I hopefully give an accurate view of what marketing is about.

Below is a transcript of the interview – the original is on the Momentum Careers Advice website.

Welcome to this week’s ‘The Monday Interview’.

Ever wondered what marketing is all about?  A lot of people do.  Over the years that I’ve been involved in careers work, I’ve seen no end of clients wishing to break into this competitive career area.  And many of those who are at the very start of their career planning know little about what is actually involved in this essential business operation.

Well, luckily we have an expert on hand today to help clarify exactly what marketing is, along with providing us with some useful tips on how to get started in marketing.

Claire Kerr has been working successfully as a marketing consultant for over 20 years.  For the last 7 of these, she has been running her own consultancy www.kerrmunications.co.uk which focuses in particular on marketing communications.  In today’s interview, she tells us the good and the not-so-good points of her job, and highlights the growing importance of using social media in this fast moving industry.

Thanks, Claire, for this fabulous interview and for teaching us so much about what is really involved in marketing.  Now, repeat after me everyone:  “it’s not just colouring in”…

*****

So, briefly, what is your job?

“Currently, I’m a self-employed, freelance marketing consultant, and I have been doing this for the last 7 years.  Before that though, I held a number of roles in marketing: from marketing assistant right through many different job titles up to marketing manager.”

How did you get into it?

“I really fell into marketing by accident; it was never a design of mine.  I graduated from university in 1988, when it didn’t particularly matter what you studied and degrees were only just starting to become vocational.  My degree in politics pretty much counted for nothing, except the fact that I was clever enough to go to university!  I left not knowing what I wanted to do or how I wanted my career to pan out.  In the summer, after graduating, I saw an advert for a marketing assistant in the local paper.  It was for Canon.  They were asking for A ‘levels, not a degree, so I was unsure whether I was overqualified.  In this case, being overqualified was probably an asset, because I certainly didn’t excel in the marketing department.  I don’t even think I really knew what marketing was at that time, and in the interview I recall answering that it had “something to do with advertising”.

Describe a typical day.

“Marketing – or in particular, marketing communications, as I do – is extremely varied, so a typical day is very hard to describe.  Whether you’re working for a company “in-house” and doing its marketing, or working as an agency doing the marketing for several companies at a time, it’s probably the same though.  To give you some examples, today I researched and wrote a blog post for one client, then spent some time looking into security equipment for products on display at another client’s trade show.  I wrote some web copy for a third client, started to outline a marketing plan for a fourth client and arranged a meeting with a prospective new client.  I work for several clients at once, but even in an in-house situation, my work was as varied, encompassing: PR, advertising, direct marketing, email marketing, social media, internet/digital marketing, content marketing, events, database management, etc.”

What do you enjoy most about your job?

“I really love the variety of the work itself.  A lot of it is about researching and sourcing products and services – a market research company, or a marquee hire company or a photographer – which suits my inquisitive personality too.  I entered into the world of marketing not really knowing what it was all about, and nearly 25 years later, I’m still here, and still enjoying it.”

And the least?

“As a freelancer, I find it really hard chasing companies for payments.  It just doesn’t sit easily with me that people would try to not pay me for the work I have done for them (thankfully not the case with any of my current clients!).  But as for marketing in general, I think what I enjoy least is that it isn’t well valued in the work place.  There are very few marketing directors on the boards of companies.  If your discipline is finance or operations, and sometimes human resources, companies will have a board place for you, but rarely is the same true if you’re a marketing director.  So there is a limit to how far up the corporate ladder you can travel. That’s one of the reasons I set up on my own.”

What are the common misconceptions that people have about the work you do?

“I have a very lovely and very valued friend who has always – teasingly – said that marketing is about “colouring in”.  Others have said that it’s just about creating brochures.  While creativity and literature production *are * a part of marketing, the further up you progress, the more it is also about strategy and planning.  A company’s success is, in my opinion, hinged on its marketing plan, and so marketers ought to be more valued and respected.”

What are the main skills you need to work in marketing?

“Listening and communication skills are probably the greatest assets a marketer can have.  Marketing is all about understanding what the customer wants and delivering it to them (profitably).  If you don’t listen to your customers, you will never be able to translate what you sell into tangible benefits that they want and can relate to.  Additionally, a great deal of marketing these days takes place on the social media platforms.  This is where the communication skills come in.  Instead of the hard sell, a skilled marketer will engage in conversation and communicate with interested parties.”

Tell us a little about the benefits that come with the job.

“Marketing is pretty well paid, but it is quite difficult to get into these days – not like back in the 80s, anyway!  If you are qualified (with a marketing degree or a qualification from the Chartered Institute of Marketing or similar), then it’s easier and also better paid.  In some larger companies, with regional branches and a salesforce that needs supporting, a company car is often one of the benefits as it’s pretty much a necessity that the marketing staff work closely with the sales force.  Otherwise, benefits will depend entirely on location, type of company and type of marketing you are doing.”

What advice would you give someone wanting to break into this career?

“My first piece of advice would be to get some experience and also some relevant qualifications.  Either gain a marketing degree, or study for a further education marketing qualification (in my opinion, preferably from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, as it is well-respected as the industry body).  And also make sure you undertake some intern or paid work experience.  Experience is invaluable in marketing.

My second piece of advice would be to not even consider marketing as a career if you can’t spell or write coherently.  There is a lot of copywriting in marketing, even for internal communications, and so it pays to be articulate and to know your grammar!

Finally, you would do well to use Twitter or LinkedIn to make sure you know what’s going on in marketing in general. Join some relevant groups, follow some marketers, marketing magazines and journalists on Twitter, and keep abreast of what’s happening.  Technology and tactics move pretty quickly in the marketing world, so you will always need to be up to speed.”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

“I’m really happy doing what I’m doing.  I don’t particularly want to be the MD of a 20-strong marketing agency; nor be a board-level marketing director in a global conglomerate.  I enjoy working with my handful of clients and helping to promote them so that their businesses are successful.  My success at marketing them ensures their success, which in turn guarantees my own success.  What’s not to like about that?! “

AND JUST FOR FUN…

First in the office or last to leave?

“First in the office – I work from home.”

Tea or coffee?

“Coffee.  Currently served up by a Nespresso machine – sans George Clooney though, unfortunately.”

Staff canteen or packed lunch?

“Lovely home-cooked food (but leftovers sometimes too).”

The lift or the stairs?

“Stairs sadly.  No lift here!”

Out after work or straight home to bed?

“Straight home to … more work.  One of the disadvantages of working from home is that you can never really switch off.”

Image courtesy of Grunow.

Twelve for ‘12

Apart from completing my tax return, I usually take the time over the Christmas break to analyse my overall business strategy.  Although I’m accustomed to fine tuning my marketing tactics as I go along, I always use the pre-New Year period to assess my overall marketing strategy in some detail and to see where I need to make any changes.

As you may well be doing the same for your business, I thought I would give you a helping hand with some New Year’s marketing resolutions you can easily implement:

1. Hone your marketing strategy.  First things first, make sure your objectives are still relevant and that they are SMART.  You can’t get to where you want to be until you know where you’re going, so get this bit right before you embark on plans for the year ahead.
2. Get blogging.  Did you start a blog and then abandon it?  If so, you’re in good company – lots of companies do the same.  So this year, resolve to blog and to blog regularly.  It doesn’t have to be frequently – maybe only twice a month is enough in your business – but it needs to be regular.  Brainstorm plenty of subjects and ideas in advance, write up some pieces when you get a chance, agree a schedule for publishing the blog posts – and then stick to it!
3. Ramp up your social media presence.  Did you ever add that Facebook business page you were going to?  Did you set up a personal or business Google+ page?  Have you neglected your Twitter account?  Did you add information to your LinkedIn company page and update the status for it?  Not all the mainstream social media may be right for you, but you would do well to be out there somewhere at least!
4. Get some client love.  Ask your clients to recommend you on LinkedIn.  Use those testimonial quotes on your website, or write case studies that demonstrate how your services have helped your clients.
5. Reach out to your customers.  Implement a regular email newsletter.  You can tell them your news, link to your new blog pieces and showcase client case studies.
6. Assess your on-site SEO.  Are your keywords still relevant?  Have you even checked your Google Analytics to see what search terms visitors are using to get to your site?  Make sure your website copy is relevant for your users and includes your keywords.
7. Engage more.  Stop telling and selling and starting listening and conversing.  Social media allows us to speak one-to-one with our markets now, so use this to your advantage.  Find out more about your customers and prospects, their likes, dislikes, needs and pain points.  Then you can react accordingly with products and services that meet their needs, or promotions and offers that will encourage sales conversions.
8. Give your website a makeover.  If it hasn’t been changed for a few years, then your website may be in need of an update.  Content management is a must now, so that you can add blog posts and change your site easily yourself.  There are several content management systems available, but you can’t go far wrong with WordPress as it is the most popular platform, so is well supported and updated.  It’s also excellent for SEO, with many integral features and free plugins that improve optimisation for search and for users.  And it’s great for social media integration, for bringing in a Twitter feed or displaying wall posts from a Facebook account.
9. Make your website mobile friendly.  Mobile share of internet access in the UK is about 7% – and is growing rapidly.  Mobile access to the internet is predicted to exceed desktop usage by 2014.  Make sure you’re not putting off those 7% and get a mobile optimised site now.  [OK, so this is me giving advice I haven’t taken myself!  While my website has been changed for mobile use, it doesn’t really work how I would like it to and I need to sort it out.  So this is one resolution that’ll be on my list this year].
10. Get visual.  With more than 3 billion views every day, YouTube can’t be ignored.  You can create videos of customers giving you testimonials, or introductions to your products or services.  If you have a technical product or services, then support videos will help your customers and reduce the burden on your technical staff.
11. Create useful content.  Content marketing is a great way to show your expertise and to engage with clients and prospects.  Apart from blogging or using video and social media, consider some other ways you can create content that your audience will want to consume.  You could run a webinar series, or write and issue a white paper.  Or why not approach a magazine or popular blog with an idea for an article you could write?
12. Don’t forget your employees.  Internal marketing is just as important as external marketing.  Make sure you communicate with your staff and let them know what’s going on with the business.  PDF newsletters or emails are great for imparting information and meetings and events can encouraging feedback and engender staff loyalty and motivation.  You can even include your staff in your marketing efforts by asking them – or incentivising them – to write blog pieces for you.

Happy New Year!

Twitter has launched a new look as of today.

The simplified design will carry across all Twitter-access platforms. It is available straight away on mobile versions, and will be rolled out over the next few weeks for the web and Tweetdeck versions.

If you go to fly.twitter.com, you can check out the new look in full, but basically there are five new sections:

Home – this is the timeline, where you can see the tweets from people you follow. A major change is that media such as video and pictures are now embedded in the tweets.

Connect – this section is where you can converse. Here you will find @ mentions and and details of who has followed you, or retweeted or favourited your tweets.

Discover – this is where you can find friends and where Twitter suggests whom you might like to follow. A new feature also uses your information such as who you follow, your location, and the content of your tweets to customise content for you.

Me - this profile section is all about you and is where you can edit your details and see your own tweets and DMs.

Tweet – finally, there is a tweet button – which is self-explanatory really!

If you can’t wait for the new version to roll out to you, just download the new application for either iPhone or Android and you will automatically get the updated version for PC. I haven’t had a play as yet, so I’m off to download for Android right now and see what I think of the changes.

BTW – I love the “home” icon – it’s a birdhouse – great, consistent branding!

It’s taken a while, but Google promised us business pages, and now they’re here.

Businesses and brands can now connect with clients and customers in a similar way to how they can on Facebook. Customers and visitors can recommend a page by giving it a +1, and can add the page to a circle to “follow” its updates.

Google has been criticised for not opening pages to everyone all at once, but they promise that the roll-out will happen within the next few days, allowing anyone to create a page.

So, how do you create a page?

Firstly, you need to have a personal Google+ account, so you’ll need to create one if you don’t already have one.

Next, log in  to your account, then go to http://plus.google.com/pages/create

Now you need to choose what kind of page you want, depending on whether you’re a brand, a company, or a local retail outlet. There are also options for arts, entertainment or sports – presumably for celebrities, shows and movies, venues and sports teams – and if you don’t fit into any of those categories, then there’s always “other” to choose.

Fill in the basic information, choose from any sub-categories and agree to the Ts & Cs.

Now you want to add a profile picture – your logo would be ideal – and a tagline, which is essentially a short description of your business.

Then you can share your new page with your existing Google+ contacts, and start adding to your page with updates as you would your own personal page.

So, what are you waiting for? With Google still the most used search engine, and with Google+ pages now included in search results, your brand or company needs to have a Google+ page. And while you’re there, visit the Kerrmunications page and add it to one of your circles!

This is the third  article in a series I have written aimed at exhibitors at We Mean Business, an exhibition organised by the FSB that takes place in Croydon today.  The article has been adapted slightly from the original, so that it is meaningful for whatever exhibition you might be attending. 

So, it’s exhibition day.  Your stand is all set up and looking great.  You’ve invited all your customers and prospects to attend and have given them a compelling offer or reason to come along.  The show’s organisers have been busy promoting the event to the wider business community.  Everyone’s expecting lots of visitors and a busy day.

You may think that your promotional work is done, and all you have to do is speak to the visitors that come to your stand.  But there are still plenty of things you can be doing to promote that you are at the show and to promote your company in general.  Your efforts may act as a timely reminder to some of your contacts to attend.  And if all the exhibitors chip in and do a little event promotion, it will cause a collective buzz about the event and perhaps attract some new interest.

So, what can you do on the day – and more to the point, in the early part of the day – to promote the exhibition and your attendance at it?

1. Email
   Hopefully you will have been reminding your customers and prospects to come along, but take the opportunity to send one final email, reminding them that the show is today and why it would be of benefit to them to come along, however briefly, and see you and what you have to offer.
2. Photos
   Take a photo of your stand, first thing, and then later on during the day when there are people there. You can add the photos to Flickr, Google+ and Facebook, and tweet them too.
3. Twitter
   Considered the most immediate of all the social media platforms, Twitter can be used to great effect for a live event.  You can tweet regularly throughout the day about:- How the show is going- Visitors and companies that you’ve met

   - Fellow exhibitors

   - What you’re offering/exhibiting

   - Any special offers or competitions you’re running

   - Pictures of your stand

   Follow the show’s official Twitter account and other exhibitors’ Twitter accounts.  Retweet their interesting news and posts about the show.  Make sure you use the show’s hashtag on all your tweets, so that anyone following them will see your tweets too.  If enough of the exhibitors tweet during the day, you might jointly be able to get your event trending!

4. Video
   Make a short video of your stand, or the show, or you talking to camera or to customers and upload it to YouTube or Vimeo, then publicise the video via your other social media like Twitter and Facebook.
5. LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+
   If you have profiles or pages on any of these networks, use these in the same way as Twitter to publicise your attendance at the show.
6. Blog
   Write a short blog, or a couple, about the show and publish them, along with your photos and videos.
7. PR
   If you wrote a press release to accompany your presence at the exhibition, make sure it’s added to your website on the day of the show.

Finally – in between all this and talking to prospects and customers, and having a look around the exhibition yourself, and attending a workshop, presentation, panel event or some networking – make sure you keep all those leads nicely logged and safe, and don’t forget to grab someone from the organising committee so that you can reserve your space to do it all again next year!

Have a great show.

Other articles in this series:

Article 1 – How to plan effectively so We Mean Business is a great success for you

Article 2 – How you can promote your stand at We Mean Business so that it attracts a high number of quality visitors

A few weeks ago, LinkedIn launched a new feature for admins of company pages: the ability to add company status updates. This means that any followers of a company will see the status updates in their timelines. Updates can include links and other media too, so it’s a great way to keep your followers up to date.

You need to have set the page so that designated admins only can make updates 9rather than the option where anyone with a valid company email address can make changes). Once you’ve done that, you’ll see the status update box on your page and can take it from there.

Here’s a short video from LinkedIn that explains all you need to know.

This is a guest post from Chris “Kip” Carrier of Kip FX Design. Kip is a web geek who has been designing since he could hold crayons. He is an extrovert who loves to interact and socialise. He believes the formula to great design is creativity, imagination, temporary insanity, mania, Apple Macs and the latest design software.

Using the Correct Colour in Marketing & Design

Colours are largely overlooked when creating new marketing campaigns and visible media. Usually one of the last things to choose, they should be the first. The right colour can change your mood, release chemicals to your brain and either excite or relax you.

Hopefully you will find the information below of great use, and put it into practice when planning any new media, be it a new website, printed promotions or even newsletters.

You will notice that on this website, yellow and soft blue are used extremely well. Yellow is a feel good colour, engendering feelings of optimism and a better future; whereas the blue brings credibility and dependability. The two colours complement Claire’s business and abilities very well indeed. When you are in need of exceptional marketing, you need all of these attributes.

Black

Black is the colour associated with  luxury, power, authority and strength. It is often linked with intelligence too (think of university professors and principals). But remember, black is a serious colour and extremely emotive, it is so easy to put viewers off with too much, so this should be used in a subtle context.

White

Representing virginity and purity (wedding dresses, snow, etc.), white is a very clean and welcoming colour (hence doctors’ gowns). It is also used to show the lack of colour, or neutrality. In marketing and design, it is best used as a backing for stronger colours. The only exception I would use is in an education format; there is something inviting about the traditional blackboard!

Grey

Grey is normally associated with practicality, blandness and agelessness . The overuse of grey leads to feeling nothing, but a splash of grey will add a solidness to your product. You could bring silver into this too, which could bring in a luxurious, helpful edge.

Red

Ah, red! Overused in my opinion, and rarely used properly. People use red to draw attention, but you need to remember that it is nature’s danger colour too. The positive side to using red is in the energy it portrays, provoking feelings of movement and excitement. And since it is proven to increase the heart beat and breathing, this is a very powerful, emotive colour. Using a splash of red pays excellent dividends, but NEVER overuse it!

Pink

This is the colour of love, romance and gentleness. It is often associated with girlie products, but was historically the colour boys were dressed in, up until around 100 years ago. An extremely soothing colour, it helps to relax and soothe almost immediately, so works very well on shopping websites – and women love to shop online!

Blue

This is most people’s favourite colour, as it actually produces chemicals in the body that are calming. This is why so many businesses that need to come across as stable and dependable use it – think uniformed professions, banks and legal firms. Be careful not to use cold blues though, as these can have a negative effect; using baby blues and royal blues works best.

Green

Green is often associated with money, but not in the UK/European market, so do not fall for the American mentality here. A deep, rich green does indicate wealth though, but your own, not that of your viewers or market. The best ways to use green are in invoking luck, fertility, peace and support.

Yellow

Yellow denotes happiness, optimism and promises of better things ahead! Proven to help release seratonin, the body’s natural feel good agent, yellow is an extremely powerful colour. It is often ignored by people as a soft, wishy-washy colour, but they could not be further from the truth. Have you ever wondered why gold is worth so much? Yellow is a seldom used colour, but it should be used an awful lot more.

Orange

There is nothing calm about orange. It has a certain flamboyancy that other colours just do not acheive. It is an energetic colour oozing warmth and promises of exciting times ahead. It is heavily used as a CTA (call to action) with online and printed marketing – ‘Buy Now’, ‘Click Here’, etc. – and with good reason because this is the most ambitious colour in the spectrum.

Purple

Purple is regal and sophisticated, yet somewhat tarnished by fantasy in modern times as books on elves and warlocks have somewhat sullied the reputation of this colour. But it still signifies sophistication, prosperity and wisdom (maybe why so many wizards end up in purple capes). And most young women will select this as their favourite colour! (So think about your demographic).

Brown

Brown stands for the earth and friendship. Stability is a major part of the colour brown. What is more stable than earth itself? The one problem with this colour, is that it is so boring. I would only go near brown on organic type businesses, and I would have to use it with green as a major partner. It is worth noting though, that grey and brown go together very well, giving a very strong, stable practicality.

This is the second article in a series I am writing aimed at exhibitors at We Mean Business, an exhibition organised by the FSB that takes place in Croydon in November.  The article has been adapted slightly from the original, so that it is meaningful for whatever exhibition you might be attending. 

There’s an old adage that says, “Build it and they will come”.  Sadly, it’s not true.  They won’t come if they don’t know about it; and they won’t know about it unless you promote it.

The organisers of your exhibition will be busy promoting it in order to encourage visitors to attend, but what can you do to add to this and promote your own business and attract both existing clients and prospective customers to your stand?

Here are some ideas for you.  Of course, it may be that not all of these are relevant to you.  It will depend on your own industry and your target audience.  You know best where to “find” your existing clients and prospective customers – whether that’s on Twitter or at your local networking group.  But the more of these methods you can employ, the more likely you are to reach your audience, and reach it multiple times, giving the best possible chance for them to see your message and be enticed to visit your stand.

• Invitations.  Use your customer and prospect databases to invite your contacts to the show.  For the lowest cost, email is best.  Write to your contacts as soon as you book your stand to tell them to save the date; then send a reminder email nearer the time.  Don’t forget to include details of any special offers or promotions you’re running at the show.

• Blogging.  Write a blog piece about your presence at the exhibition, telling your readers all about what you’ll be offering or promoting.

•  Your website.  Add the show’s logo (with the organisers’ permission, of course) to your website, and link through to details about your stand.

• Public relations (PR).  If you are running a competition or making a special offer on your stand, then write and send a press release to the local papers.  Find out from the organisers which press will be attending the event and send them your release.  If applicable, offer them an interview with a senior member of staff at the show itself.  If there will be a press office at the exhibition, prepare some press packs for editors.

• Networking.  Attend any pre- or post- exhibition get-togethers and social events, plus any networking events taking place during the show.  And don’t forget to mention you’ll be exhibiting at any other business networking you go to.

• Leaflets.  Have some leaflets printed, promoting your attendance at the exhibition, and highlighting any special offers.  You can mail these to customers and prospects, or have the Royal Mail or a leafleting company to distribute them in certain postcodes if your business is local.  And don’t forget to put leaflets round at local networking events.

• Social media:
• Twitter.  Most exhibitions now have official Twitter accounts, so make sure you are following the official account for the show, as it will also be followed by prospective visitors.  You can then follow the show’s followers, and start to engage with prospective visitors and other exhibitors.  And tweet every so often about the show, saying you will be attending, using a recognisable hashtag.
• Facebook.  “Like” the show’s official Facebook page if it has one and join in the conversations on the page’s wall.  On your business page, add links to content about the show, such as your own blog pieces and news on the event’s website.
• LinkedIn.  For the larger exhibition, there may be a LinkedIn group you can join where you can post your own promotions and join the discussions.  Via your personal LinkedIn profile, promote occasionally that you will be exhibiting.
• Other social media.  If your prospects and customers can also be found on other social media such as Google+, YouTube, SlideShare, Scribd, and Flickr, for example, then create content such as videos, photos, documents, presentations and articles and post them on these social media too.

•  Other.  Check with the organisers whether there are any advertising opportunities – perhaps advertising on the website, or in a show programme, or sponsoring a leaflet, and so on.

These are the other articles in the series:

Article 1 – How to plan effectively for successful exhibitions

the image used in this blog is licenced

I’m sure you know the phrase, the cobbler’s children go the worst shod. The cobbler is so busy fixing his customers’ shoes, that he doesn’t have time to sort out his own children’s footwear. It’s such a true saying. Most places I have worked, or clients I have worked with have suffered from the same thing. When I worked for an office equipment company, we had the worst photocopier; when I worked for a facilities services company, blown fluorescent tubes took weeks to be replaced.

For me, ever since I have been self-employed, it has been the same. It’s more a case of not having enough time, though, rather than not taking my own advice. For example, I’ve only just integrated social media and a blog into this website, yet have been advising clients about doing it for many years now.

And another example has been my www.clairekerr.com website. I’ve owned the domain since 1999, and it’s always been well-indexed by the search engines. Yet, when I started up in business myself in 2004, all I did was update it to point to this domain. Since then – so for the past 7 years – it hasn’t changed. What a missed opportunity! I have a great ranking website, that is indexed well for my name and my company name, but it does nothing else.

So, finally I have deliberately set aside the time and I have updated it. There was a nice looking CV template on Themeforest that I thought really suited me. I’ve customised it with all the information I want to impart to my target audience. But more importantly than that, it is now loaded with all my relevant keywords. The site was so far off my radar previously that I hadn’t even set up Google Analytics for it!

Here’s how it looked before:

Old website: I had at least updated the photo, but other than that, it just sat there doing nothing

And here’s what it looks like now:

New website: looking nicer, and now full of relevant, hard-working keywords

I’m pleased with the look of it, and delighted about what it can now do for me in terms of SEO.

How about you; do you suffer the cobbler’s kids’ shoes effect? Are you an accountant whose books are never up to date? Or do you run an office interiors company yet work from a dated office? I’d love to know if you struggle to provide your own products or services to your own company like I do.