I can solve your marketing problems — even if you don’t know what they are.

Potential new clients usually approach me with variations on the following questions. Click + to see my usual answers.

Yes, I certainly can.
Usually when I start working with a new client I’ll do a brief ‘marketing audit’ to see what they have been doing, what’s been working and where there is opportunity for improvement.
I also offer these audits as a stand alone service. Obviously it’s business and industry dependant, but I wouldn’t normally expect such a service to take more than a day or 2.
Get in touch and we can get cracking.
Great news. Clients who think they don’t do any marketing are the greatest. Usually, they are marketing their business so well, they don’t even realise they are doing it.
I can help formalise what you are doing, and improve your results. Trust me though, you already DO marketing.
No, contact me immediately. Radio and print can be hugely profitable, or a complete waste of money. I can help you make it the latter. Radio ads are among the most misguided attempts at promotional marketing I see (well, hear).
There are several issues in this question.
First, don’t agree to anything until we have spoken. Websites can (justifiably) cost an awful lot. However, the need to have an expensive site is rare, and is only really justified if it’s a very large store, or needs huge amounts of custom functionality.
My main tip for making sure the site earns its keep is to make sure it’s built under guidance from a proper strategic marketing plan (and not one written by the web designers, or their colleagues).
It is normal, in that it’s very common. It doesn’t have to be though.
The best advice I can give in these circumstances is “let me have a look”. I should be able to tell very quickly if the current spend is an investment, or a waste.
Absolutely.
In fact, I probably already know what you are doing wrong. I know this because virtually everyone makes the same mistakes when they try to use social media to promote a business. It’s usually a quick and easy fix. You should contact me now; we can be making good progress by the end of the week. .
YES, absolutely. Web designers who understand strategy are incredibly rare. Use designers and developers to make the site work, and look pretty. Use me for everything else. It is very, very rare to see a website that couldn’t be easily improved with a bit of strategic guidance. Some web design / digital marketing agencies do have in-house strategists, but they are hardly impartial, and are incredibly unlikely to recommend a service that they don’t offer. My advice is completely impartial.

I also, very frequently, hear the following statements:

“SEO doesn’t work!”

“Advertising doesn’t work!”

“Social media doesn’t work!”

“Radio advertising doesn’t work!”

“Sales copy doesn’t work!”

My answer to all of the above (after a bit of digging) is almost always the same— It would have worked; you did it wrong!

In marketing, it’s not so much about what you do, but how you do it. Just about any tactic can work if done well, as part of a strategic marketing plan. Equally, almost any tactic can fail entirely, if executed poorly.

On the bright side, I can very quickly tell you how to do it right.

Anyway, I love talking about marketing. Get in touch even if you just want to bounce some ideas around. I’m always available to chat, especially if the tea and cake is on you!

I can solve your marketing problems — even if you don’t know what they are.

Potential new clients usually approach me with variations on the following questions. Click + to see my usual answers.

“I’m spending money on marketing but I’m not really sure what works and what doesn’t, can you help?”

"We don't usually do any marketing, but think we should. We don't really know where to start. Can you help?"

"I think we need a new website. Based on the prices we are getting, it's going to be quite an investment and I'm going to need to make sure it works. Do you have any tips to make sure the site generates a lot more revenue than the old one."

“We’ve been spending money on SEO or digital marketing and although we are seeing increased traffic, conversions are disappointing. Is this normal?”

In a close second place we have "We've been trying to use social media. We are getting good engagement, but it's not really bringing in more work. Can you tell us how to use social media to generate work / leads / enquiries / money?"

And, most common of all, "I've had a new website built, but I'm not getting the great results the web designers said I would. Is there anything you can do?"

I also, very frequently, hear the following statements:

“SEO doesn’t work!”

“Advertising doesn’t work!”

“Social media doesn’t work!”

“Radio advertising doesn’t work!”

“Sales copy doesn’t work!”

My answer to all of the above (after a bit of digging) is almost always the same— It would have worked; you did it wrong!

In marketing, it’s not so much about what you do, but how you do it. Just about any tactic can work if done well, as part of a strategic marketing plan. Equally, almost any tactic can fail entirely, if executed poorly.

On the bright side, I can very quickly tell you how to do it right.

Anyway, I love talking about marketing. Get in touch even if you just want to bounce some ideas around. I’m always available to chat, especially if the tea and cake is on you!