Marketing is a tough job no matter where you are; and as part of the Sambecketts team, Georgina Hillman is on the forefront of marketing. She sat down with us to discuss marketing, and why it’s an investment.
You talk a bit about marketing as an investment, not a cost. Why is that, specifically?
A cost to the business is something that costs money, but doesn’t give you a tangible return. So if you buy a new coffee machine for your office, you won’t make a direct return, although indirectly it might affect your performance in a favorable way! Marketing can often be seen as a cost when in fact it is exactly the opposite. Marketing your product effectively will bring in sales and a return on your investment, just the same as buying washing machines for £150 and selling them for £200 is an investment. Good marketing is the oxygen required to make sales.
How do you recommend businesses become more flexible when it comes to the Internet?
The Internet enhances your business’ ability to market itself and, therefore, produce a greater ROI. The myriad avenues to market online present many opportunities to businesses to extend the reach and potential of their brand.
What are some good methods of evaluating a marketing technology and deciding whether it’s right for your business?
It’s probably best to ask yourself whether a new technology fits your business. If you are an accountant, then Instagram probably isn’t going to work for you. On the other hand, if you are a doll maker, then it might be the killer app for sales. In the end, most of the new technologies are cost-effective enough to see how they do.
Does social media always have a place in a marketing strategy?
Always. Social media is maturing all the time, and its ability to reach the parts other media cannot reach make it an absolute essential in a modern marketing strategy. The key word is strategy, though. Be very strict on who posts what where!
What trends in online marketing should we be monitoring?
The move from desktop to mobile browsing is growing exponentially and content needs to be tailored accordingly. Real-time marketing is now gaining ground, and although this is obviously harder for smaller businesses to achieve, it cannot be ignored. And lastly, get ready for the return of
the human being as the sale clincher, adding warmth to dry analytics!
For more from Georgina and the rest of the Sambecketts team, follow them on Twitter!