In the digital age, businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to stay ahead of the curve. One such way is through strategic partnerships, particularly in the realm of marketing. But what exactly is a marketing partner?
In this blog, we will delve into the concept of a marketing partner, how it differs from a typical digital marketing agency, and how companies like CREATIVE in TiME are redefining the role of a marketing partner.
The Evolution of Marketing: From Agency to Partner
Traditionally, businesses have turned to digital marketing agencies for their sporadic marketing needs.
However, many businesses have felt let down by agencies that do not fully understand their unique needs and goals, and having ad hoc relationships with agencies brings little consistency and growth.
This is where a marketing partner comes in. A marketing partner is more than just a service provider; they are an integral part of your team. They work with you throughout the year, delivering on your digital marketing needs and ensuring your online presence grows.
This is especially the case for SMEs where the MD level leadership skills in marketing on offer from CREATIVE in TiME give you peace of mind in your strategic choice.
The Power of Auditing
Before diving into the world of digital marketing, it’s crucial to understand where you currently stand, how you are currently doing in your digital marketing.
At CREATIVE in TiME, we offer auditing services for your company’s digital marketing. This is not just an initial audit but an ongoing monthly review, providing clear status updates and recommended actions.
Regular auditing ensures that our client’s digital marketing strategies are always on point and delivering results. Auditing allows us to identify areas of improvement and opportunities for growth, setting the stage for a successful marketing strategy.
The Importance of Strategy and Planning
When you know your starting point, having a clear set of goals and a strategy around which to deliver them is crucial in marketing. Many businesses lose huge amounts of time and money by not having aligned sales and marketing efforts, so save time and ensure that all your marketing efforts are aligned with the business’s overall objectives.
At CREATIVE in TiME, we help our clients develop and implement effective digital marketing strategies that drive growth and success. We understand that a well-planned strategy is the foundation of any successful marketing effort.
The CREATIVE in TiME Difference: A Comprehensive Approach to Digital Marketing
At CREATIVE in TiME, we aim to deliver you business guidance and digital marketing that you simply won’t get from other companies. We don’t just provide digital marketing services; we offer comprehensive business management advice, strategy, and planning.
Business Planning and Strategy
We guide our clients in not only having a robust digital marketing strategy but also offering strategies and solutions in sales (B2B and B2C), digital transformation, client retention, account management, customer service, operational efficiency, business modelling, and commercial sales planning.
With CREATIVE in TiME, you have a marketing partner you can TRUST.
At CREATIVE in TiME, we understand that a successful marketing strategy is not just about creating compelling content and engaging social media posts. It’s about aligning your marketing efforts with your commercial objectives.
We provide guidance on commercial planning, helping you to identify your target market, understand your competitive landscape, and set realistic, measurable goals.
Customer / Audience Journey Planning
Understanding your customer’s journey is crucial to creating a marketing strategy that resonates with your audience.
We help you map out your customer’s journey, identifying key touchpoints and opportunities to engage and convert your audience.
Competitor Research & Analytics Audit
Knowing your competition is key to standing out in the market. We conduct thorough competitor research and analytics audits to understand your competitors’ strategies, strengths, and weaknesses.
Competitor information is invaluable in shaping your own marketing strategy and positioning your business for success.
Brand Strategy & Design
Your brand is more than just your logo; it’s the perception people have of your business. We work with you to develop a strong brand strategy and design that aligns with your business values, resonates with your target audience, and sets you apart from the competition.
Social Media Management
Social media is a powerful marketing tool. We manage your social media platforms, creating engaging content that boosts SEO and raises brand awareness. Our social media strategies are tailored to your business, ensuring that your social media presence aligns with your brand and business objectives.
Website Management
Your website is often the first point of contact potential customers have with your business. We ensure your website is always up-to-date, user-friendly, and optimised for search engines. A well-managed website can significantly improve your online visibility and convert more visitors into customers.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a critical component of any digital marketing strategy. At CREATIVE in TiME, we carry out monthly SEO tasks, both technical and content-based, on-page and off-page, to improve your website’s visibility on search engines.
This ensures that your business is easily found by potential customers, driving more organic traffic to your website.
Email Campaigns
Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to engage with your audience. We manage your email campaigns, creating personalised content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to take action.
Advertising & PPC
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising can provide a significant boost to your online visibility and lead-generation efforts. We manage your PPC campaigns, optimising your ads to ensure you get the best return on your investment.
The Value of a Marketing Partner
Having a marketing partner like CREATIVE in TiME is particularly beneficial for businesses that may not have a deep understanding of marketing. With us, businesses can access director, manager, and executive-level resources for a cost that is equivalent to hiring 1-2 marketing executives.
This provides excellent value for money and allows businesses to leverage a range of digital marketing strategies and skills without having to invest in a large marketing team and provide them with direction.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a marketing partner is a game-changer in the world of digital marketing. They offer a comprehensive range of services and bring a depth of business experience that typical digital marketing agencies often lack.
The ability to convert leads into paying customers is a make-or-break factor for businesses looking to thrive. It’s no longer enough to attract visitors to your website simply; you need to wow them with your charm, captivate their attention, and transform them into loyal customers! From the moment they land on your page, it’s essential to build that connection and foster their interest. With a little bit of nurturing and savvy, you can cultivate those leads.
But how can you achieve this conversion magic? Well, it’s all about understanding your visitors’ fundamental needs and desires and crafting an experience that keeps them coming back for more.
In this blog post, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of lead conversion and uncover the strategies businesses can employ to skyrocket their conversion rates.
Create Valuable Content
When your audience sees that you consistently deliver high-quality content that addresses their needs, they are more likely to perceive your brand as reliable and trustworthy. This increased trust can encourage them to become loyal customers and recommend your business to others, expanding your customer base and potential leads.
But what kind of valuable content is your audience looking for? Some examples are:
Catchy website copy that answers their questions
Informative materials they can revisit, like blogs and eBooks
Video content repurposed from blogs to reach more of your audience
Staying focused on creating engaging content can develop trust with your customers, resulting in beneficial, long-lasting relationships that can indirectly lead to better revenue. Be sure to communicate these value points with your content team to optimise their production of these valuable assets.
At CREATIVE in TiME, we understand that it is not plausible for a lot of businesses to be able to create this content without losing something else. By working with our digital marketing agency, you can ensure that valuable content is served to your customers without you having to spend a moment of your time worrying about it.
Build an SEO Strategy for Your Site
Investing your efforts in fine-tuning your SEO strategies is paramount for Google ranking, as high visibility on the search engine can generate many leads for your business. Five crucial SEO elements to focus on are the page title, URL, header, internal links, and page content. By continually updating and balancing these elements with Google’s updates on SEO best practices, you can rank high on search engine results and increase your overall visibility to potential customers.
CREATIVE in TiME are a digital marketing agency with a key focus on SEO and creativity. We can create an SEO strategy and implement it for your business effectively and efficiently.
Learn to Capture the Right Market
To successfully capture suitable leads for your business, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of the market you’re operating in as well as the behaviour of your target audience. By leveraging various data points such as demographics, geographic information, and socio-economic factors, you can tailor your marketing efforts to show relevant content to your audience and incentivise them to convert into leads.
Regarding demographics, consider age, gender, education level, and employment status. Understanding these characteristics will allow you to create targeted messaging that resonates with your audience’s needs and interests.
Geographic data helps you identify your target audience’s location, address, region, and even country. This information allows you to localise your marketing efforts and deliver region-specific content or promotions that are more likely to capture the attention of potential leads in those areas.
Socio-economic data provides insights into your audience’s lifestyle, social class, personality traits, and attitudes. By understanding these factors, you can create content and offers that align with their values and aspirations, making them more compelling.
Segregate your Leads to Find Quality Leads
It’s common for businesses to generate many leads every month, but not all of them may be high-quality leads. To optimise your sales efforts and avoid wasting resources, it’s best to filter through your information and prioritise those that show genuine interest in your products or services.
One way to narrow your list of potential leads is to conduct thorough research on their buying intentions and interactions with your platform. By checking their last sales activities and studying relevant data, you can identify the leads most likely to convert into paying customers and prioritise your approach accordingly.
Here are the step-by-step actions you can take to segregate leads and find quality leads:
Define your ideal customer profile
Consider demographics, psychographics, and behaviour to create a detailed profile of your ideal customer.
Implement lead-capturing methods
Use various channels and strategies such as website forms, landing pages, social media ads, or email sign-ups to capture leads.
Segment leads based on initial data
Analyse the data you collect from your lead capture methods and segment leads based on key criteria such as industry, job title, location, or specific interests. This initial segmentation allows you to narrow down your focus and prioritise leads.
Establish a lead scoring system
Develop a lead scoring system that assigns points to leads based on their characteristics and engagement with your business. Assign higher scores to leads that closely match your ideal customer profile and demonstrate strong interest or engagement.
Qualify leads through targeted messaging
Craft personalised and targeted messages for different lead segments. Tailor your marketing and sales efforts to address the specific pain points and needs of each segment.
Analyse engagement and behaviour
Identify leads showing higher levels of engagement, such as frequent website visits, email opens, or content downloads. These actions indicate a higher likelihood of becoming quality leads.
Implement lead nurturing campaigns
Develop automated lead nurturing campaigns that provide valuable content and relevant information to your leads over time.
Review and refine
Analyse conversion rates, customer feedback, and sales data to make informed decisions on refining your lead segregation strategy for continuous improvement.
Once you have identified the most promising leads, it’s essential to establish contact strategically and efficiently. By focusing on the leads that are most likely to be interested in your offerings, you can optimise your sales efforts and save time and resources on leads that are unlikely to convert.
Establish Communication With your Leads as soon as they Convert
Leads are a valuable and time-sensitive resource for your business. It’s crucial to understand that their interest is often fleeting, and any delay in nurturing them can result in them losing interest and potentially shaking hands with your competitor.
To ensure you can convert leads into lifelong customers, nurturing them promptly and effectively is essential. This means immediately responding to their enquiries and engagement, showing them that you value their interest.
You can keep leads engaged and interested in your brand by providing timely and personalised follow-ups. This involves addressing their needs and concerns, providing additional information about your products or services, and offering incentives or exclusive offers to entice them to choose your brand over your competitors. Remember, capturing and nurturing leads promptly is critical to staying ahead of the competition.
Regularly Follow-Up with your Leads
Follow-ups are essential to maintain a strong connection with your target audience, demonstrating that you value their needs and are committed to providing the services they require. By keeping the lines of communication open, you can build trust and ensure your audience has all the necessary information to make informed decisions.
In your follow-ups, emphasise the key benefits and features that make your products or services stand out. Clearly articulate how your offerings can address their pain points and solve their challenges. This personalised approach demonstrates that you understand and are equipped to meet their needs effectively.
Use Effective Communication Channels
To reach your target audience, consider using various marketing channels, including email, cold calling, and social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
With an endless array of social media platforms out there, it’s like stepping into a world full of possibilities.
Take a moment to explore the channels your prospects use to engage with your brand, whether it’s a trendy TikTok or a reliable Facebook post. By making the most of your marketing efforts in these channels, you’ll catch the wave to success and start generating quality leads.
Each forum has a unique set of features and audience, and selecting the appropriate channels can help you connect with prospective clients more effectively. The critical takeaway is to incorporate multiple channels into your marketing strategy to maximise your reach and engagement with your audience.
Highlight the Testimonials of your Happy Customer on your Site
Do not hesitate to ask satisfied customers for testimonials. A staggering 72% of consumers place their trust in businesses with such positive feedback, making it a vital tool for establishing credibility and building a solid reputation.
It’s essential to use your customer testimonials to your advantage. By showcasing the feedback and experiences of your happy customers, you can instil confidence in prospective clients, which is crucial in today’s competitive business landscape.
Ensure that your customer testimonials are visible and accessible to visitors on your website. Consider placing them strategically on pages that get the most traffic, such as the home page, pricing page, and blog page.
A compelling testimonial includes details of the specific products or services used, how they benefit the customer, and the overall outcome. Testimonials should be prominently displayed, accompanied by a compelling call-to-action, encouraging visitors to take the next step towards conversion.
When reaching out for testimonials for your website and Google Business Profile, don’t be afraid to prompt them to use certain SEO keywords (yes, these can help even in your reviews!). Remind your customers of the services or products they received from your business, asking them to refer to the specifics within the reviews. Not only does this improve your ranking, but if a customer mentions a specific product, for example, and a new customer is interested in the same product, they are more likely to be convinced to convert as it is specifically targeted at what they are looking for rather than a more general review.
Increase Your Lead Conversion Rates with CREATIVE in TiME
You can significantly boost your lead conversion rate by implementing key changes such as refining your content strategy, optimising your social media presence, and leveraging the power of influencer marketing.
However, implementing strategies and spending time on increasing your conversion rate can be daunting, but enlisting the help of CREATIVE in TiME can help take that stress away. With our expertise, we can help you create compelling content, devise data-driven strategies, and execute successful digital marketing campaigns.
We are CREATIVE in TiME. A Digital Marketing Agency with expertise in SEO ready to help you rise through the Google Ranking with our organic SEO expertise.
What other SEO company do you know that has the knowledge and expertise of a Chartered Engineer and an award-winning multi-business creator?
Fred has a background in Aerospace, rail, hydrogen fuel cell, electronics, IOT, F1, business transformation specialist. Andrea is an award-Winning Business builder, marketing guru, franchise creator. She has 20 years business experience in B2C and B2B and is a networking Queen.
“I reached out to Creative in time recently for a discovery call and WOW what a chat it was , they came back promptly with a strategy for my SEO and Marketing for a LTD company I have.
The value from the beginning was fab !
I would highly recommend speaking with the team and not sit on the fence – I only invested a little ‘time ‘ to outline what I wanted and the best thing was they kept it simple !! you truly get VALUE and INNOVATION with this team.”
Why Do You Need an SEO Company?
Having an effective SEO Strategy and delivery plan is a high reward investment for your business. Out of all of the different forms of digital marketing, SEO will provide you with the best potential long-term success with your investment as it will not disappear or stop working overnight like other forms such as paid advertising.
Do you want to improve your web and social presence, bring in more traffic, build credibility and trust with your customers? SEO is at the heart of all of these.
In a nutshell, we:
Research
Report & goal set
Content build
Page optimise
Do socials & link building
Deliver follow up reporting & analysis
Let’s look at some of this in more detail…
Our SEO strategy will involve completing detailed research into your market, industry or sector.
We will take the time to understand the Google Trends around your target clients, keyword volumes, and create an action plan for moving forwards.
We will perform a full technical SEO audit of your website and all content hosted on it to analyse where we can make short, medium and long term SEO improvements. Using specialist tools and Google Analytics we can identify improvements and deliver them for you.
Analysing your website and data helps us to understand who your customers are, what they want, and how they behave. This information is then used to improve customer experience, increase sales, and retain customers.
When optimising your SEO, we will continually research and update our knowledge to stay up to date on the trends regarding your sector and keywords. SEO is not a short term fix guarantee, it often takes months to achieve the desired results and we will always strive for the best possible outcome for your business, not the quickest fix.
What Makes Our Company Different?
We understand the people, the resources, the processes, and tools that go into making your business run smoothly and we get the struggles companies like yours to experience with the technical world of SEO.
It’s no secret that SEO companies don’t have a great name. The common complaints being that they just don’t return value. We believe that the missing link time and time again is understanding.
Understanding your business and your goals, understanding your customers and understanding your expectations. Because we spend the time in the beginning asking the ‘right’ questions, we can provide you value and achieve deliverables in record TiME.
Our customer base is predominantly in the industry sectors of Technology, Information, Manufacturing and Engineering. Just because you may not fall into one of these categories, this does not mean we can’t help you; we help clients in other sectors too!
“Andrea and the team at Creative In Time have been an absolute breathe of fresh air. Full and consistent transparency throughout the proposal process. They have shown their authority when it comes to PPC and SEO skills both technically and creatively . Creative In Time have offered support and advice for all aspects of Marketing including social media management, search engine optimisation, Google ads (PPC) and graphics/print management. We are only at the beginning of our journey with the team but have every faith that we will enjoy a long and fruitful relationship!”
Do you want help from our SEO company?Get in touch with us now to see how we can help your business with SEO or check out our selection of SEO blogs below.
I’ve been there, directing or managing a sales and marketing operation and needing marketing support to deliver. You don’t have dedicated marketing resources for what you need, or you do have marketing resources but there are aspects that you need more support with.
Then you get a warm referral from someone you know, you start talking needs and prices, and then you sign up with a marketing agency for support of some kind.
Maybe it’s putting articles out, or looking after your social media. Maybe it’s keeping your website updated with case studies. Or maybe it’s PR, or just maybe you go as far as wanting creative support and ideas.
Then, gradually, after several months, you find yourself wondering…
Is it all WORTH it?
You might find yourself feeling like marketing agencies are a waste of time if your experience is like many others! Feeling like you are either being pestered to provide all the content and ideas that you thought you were paying them for, or that you are chasing them to deliver what they said they were going to deliver!
You don’t have TIME to check up on these folks all the time to see if they are delivering what they promised. If you find you are being let down, you can find it is a bitter pill to swallow and it leaves you heavily biased against marketing agencies in the future!
What I Tell People Who Ask “Is a marketing agency worth it?”
Marketing is a widely misunderstood subject with a great many subcategories that are often even MORE misunderstood.
Marketing agencies are worth it if you find the right people to work with who understand your business AND have the skills to make a difference, PLUS have the time to do what they say.
If I tell people we focus on HELPING people with content marketing and organic SEO through blogs and web page updates, they mostly look at me as though I am talking in a foreign language.
When I tell people we are a marketing agency, they will often assume we make flyers and posters, or we do PR campaigns.
“If I have learnt anything through 20 years in Technology and Engineering companies, outsourcing is never easy.”
Whether that’s getting hundreds of engineers set up in a faraway country with an aim to save time and money on a multi-million-pound development (which is hit and miss), or trying to get people to understand you and your business so that they can market you, without you having to spoon-feed them constantly, it can be a thorny road.
I also know that employing people directly, trying to get as many competencies and skills in as few people as possible for the best price can be just as frustrating and challenging, not to mention how many people get comfy and a little lazy in their jobs past their probation period.
Determined to Be DIFFERENT…
So, having been down the road where so many companies find themselves, when my partner and I decided that we were going to launch a marketing agency and focus on helping people get found, I knew we were going to be DIFFERENT.
We were determined to be different.
With my background in industries like F1, Aerospace, H2 Fuel Cells, Rail, Electronics, IoT and Software through a career climbing from a project engineer to director overseeing sales & marketing operations, we knew what was MISSING from those I want to help.
How many marketing agencies have a chartered engineer and engineering fellow on hand to translate for you?
Add to that my partner, Andrea, who has 20 years of being a successful marketeer for her own business start-ups, running networking organisations, and has amazing communication skills which help her get over the line with businesses and allows her to easily translate technical terms in a simplistic way.
Let’s not forget about our marketing team who are highly motivated, always on top of the trends and full to the brim of innovative and inspiring ideas.
How many agencies have this kind of SUPPORT on hand?
Imagine a world where a techy oriented company can talk to a marketing agency, and for those marketing folks to GET what they do, really UNDERSTAND them, have TECHNICAL competence, and a passionate and motivated team focussed on getting you found?
Well, that’s what we’ve done with CREATIVE in TIME!
Working With Us
Does it sound too good to be true?
That’s because there aren’t many agencies like us. It works perfectly. Once you’ve explained your business and how you help your customers, we can delve into the technical depths of what you do. This ensures we can translate it into simple language for your customers to understand HOW you can help THEM, and WHY they would choose YOU!
I hate to say it but WHAT you do is of mostly no interest to your potential clients.
With over 20 years working around techy oriented companies, I always found myself being the bridge between the proper techies and the more financial and business’ type folks. I could understand both sides without being an expert in either.
I could explain the benefits of developing a bit of tech in a way a techie couldn’t, they will tell you all about what they need to do, I will tell you the benefits of what they need to do, and how much it will all cost.
So, we realised we would be the bridge for complex or techy companies that need marketing support, we have built a team of amazing marketing execs that get trained by us in what our customers do, how they help people and why they should work with them.
One Way We Are Different
There’s one more ingredient in our mix other than our techy know-how. Whilst we are extremely familiar with CORPORATE environments including CxO level folks, we are persuading those same types to allow a little more fun to be injected into their messaging and put a little less “corporate” out there.
People engage with FUN content, rather than the same old boring corporate messaging saying how amazing they are and how people should just buy their products over and over again.
So, if you want to engage with people in a fun (and not quite so corporate way), if you do techy things that are often hard to explain to people outside of your business, then you could do with some help from some honest, decent and hardworking marketing folks just like us! You’ll be glad you did!
So, you need help, advice and support with the technologies in your company and want to hire a Technology Consultant, but you’re at a loss on what to look for?
Never fear, let us take you through our five top tips for finding your technology guru.
1. Demonstrate Relevant Experience (DRE)
A technology consultant needs to demonstrate they have relevant experience and understanding of your specific needs and challenges, whether you are an SME, corporation or a non-profit organisation, you will benefit from a technology consultant who has experience in your specific challenges.
On a similar note, it’s very important to drill down into what the consultant/consultancy firm specialises in, an relatable example of this is in marketing, often “marketing” companies are actually website designers rather than a fully comprehensive marketing business. Are you speaking to people with very specific skills, or do they provide a wider range? Both are fine, but you need to understand what they are great at, and what they can signpost you to.
Whatever they excel in, does it complement the needs of your business?
Relevant experience will give you, as an employer, peace of mind that they can deliver on their promises. If they can’t, then it’s time to move on.
2. Communication
Communication between you and your technology consultant is critical for establishing a good working relationship that yields efficient and impressive results. If you don’t feel the communication is great within the first one or two contact points (email/ phone / video/ meeting), why would it work out. Being able to communicate with human beings is critical and you must not overlook it. Not only that, but the world of technology can be a daunting place for your other employees.
Your consultant must be able to communicate any technical speak in ‘layman’s terms’ to ensure clarity and reduce the chances of miscommunication. This is why it’s imperative your potential consultant will keep you up to date about any progress, set-backs, and developments.
So, do your due diligence, and see whether any of their previous clients/employers can vouch for their communication skills.
3. Innovative ideas and involvement
A technology consultant must be able to come up with solutions to rectify any tech problems you’re experiencing. A great technology consultant will look to the future and determine what will benefit your business needs moving forward.
Whether it’s improved online customer service or enhancing your digital consumer experience, it’s up to your tech consultant to provide innovative ideas.
In short, the more involved your consultant is, the more benefits you will reap.
A key aspect to understand here is that the landscape out in the “tech” space is changing constantly. Your consultant needs to be constantly researching new solutions coming to market and have experience in other companies implementation experience to guide you. Consultants that are pedalling old solutions as its all they understand should be avoided.
4. Processes and teamwork
Your technology consultant must understand what their role entails, what your role entails, and how that interacts with others in your company. This means making it clear what work is required of them within the organisation or infrastructure of your company. They must be organised and able to delegate work to team members to ensure quality control and productivity.
Efficient processes and a team that has clear process and teamwork is essential for their success and ultimately yours. As a consultancy firm, they should be able to adapt to suit your needs and overarching business goals.
5. Adaptability and a Willingness to Learn
Any technology consultant worth their salt will know their industry inside out, but that in itself isn’t enough, they also need to be willing to learn about whatever sector you’re operating in.
Combining the world of tech with your niche is critical for expanding your business’s horizons and increasing revenue.
Needless to say, this involves your consultant adopting a 360-degree perspective to your business plan.This goes a long way to ensure each and every one of your needs are addressed and looked after.
