My blog has moved...

If you find this blog by accident, please go to: http://msquaredcorporatecommunications.wordpress.com/ where you'll find a regularly refreshed blog from Margaret Cain at M squared.

Thank you.

SMEs and micro businesses feeling optimistic

A recent Chartered Institute of Marketing 'confidence barometer' study has found that:

...SMEs (are) in a more optimistic mood than their larger counterparts. Micro and small businesses are notably more confident than medium and large organisations in their ability to meet financial and growth targets over the next 12 months, compared to the last 12 months. The research found that 45% of micro and 42% of small businesses are more confident, compared with 35% of large businesses.

How confident are you feeling about the next twelve months?

Make your 'Contact Us' webpage work harder for your business

Three lovely new clients have asked me to help them develop their web presence. When I started to analyse their websites, I found that they all share one characteristic that I'll be looking to change: their 'Contact Us/Get in Touch' page doesn't work nearly hard enough.

This page is your last chance to impress your web visitors. Don't waste it by simply posting your phone number and email. Even an enquiry form doesn't go far enough.
 
As well as providing a variety of contact options (different prospects will have different preferences for how they interact with you), why not use it to:

• Reiterate your key message - what's the most important 'take-away' you'd like them remember, the main difference that you can make to them or their business?
• Reinforce the impression you want to create of your business personality and brand
• Outline the next step in your sales process - a no-obligation friendly chat? a free initial consultation? - and encourage your prospect to take it. But be careful not to leave yourself open to giving away too much free consultancy!

And, by the way, you don't have to label it 'Contact Us': friendly, less formal alternatives might be:

• What could we do for you? 
• Say 'hello'
• Pleased to meet you
• Let's connect

It would be hard to find a website that doesn't contain a contact page. It is, after all, the main - or even only - gateway for your visitors to get in touch with you. Give it a little love and care and it will reward you. 

Please contact me at margaret@m2cc.co.uk if you'd like help with making your contact page work harder for your business. 

Seeing red

December's 'Business Life' has an interesting feature on the use of colour in negotiation scenarios: 

"The colour of your office walls could influence how good you are at negotiating. A series of studies examined negotiation behaviours in various settings, including online auction sites. In auctions the colour red can lead to more aggressive bidding and people can end up paying more. In a negotiation the person competes against the seller and red influences them to make lower offers. 

So if buyers are competing for your services, the primary colour used on websites and marketing materials should be red, but when trying to avoid a buyer's aggressive instinct, you should use a more neutral, calming colour."

Inspiration!

I was delighted to be able to support Ute Wieczorek-King in running a highly energetic workshop for solopreneurs this week in central Berkshire.

Ute, the power behind Success Network (www.successnetwork.org.uk), took a diverse group of business owners - from accountancy services to wine-tasting - through an insightful 7-point healthcheck. Ideas were shared in a dynamic and mutually supportive environment.

Consumers (still) prefer email

Despite the rise and rise of SMS, email evidently still has a part to play in mobile communications...

According to a survey by Forrester Consulting, around a third of smartphone users are likely to make a purchase after opening a promotional email (a staggering 32% to be precise), but only 9% do so if they receive an SMS.

The conclusion is that marketers should optimise their emails for smartphones.

Personal or promotional? Tweets masquerading as personal comments get the chop

Nike has had the dubious honour of becoming the first company in the UK to have a Twitter campaign banned by the Advertising Standards Authority. Wayne Rooney failed to make it clear that an apparently personal tweet was in fact a marketing communication/advert for Nike. Both player and advertiser have received a firm smack on the wrist.

While your budget may not run to footballing superstars, it’s worth remembering the distinction in your own Twitter campaigns and not try to pass off sponsored endorsements (or employees' comments) as impartial comment.

For more on this story:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jun/20/nike-twitter-campaign-banned