NICHE BUSINESS
Marketing Forum
FOUR TIPS TO MAKE YOUR PRINT MARKETING MORE SUSTAINABLE BECCI HOULSTON Head of Digital at Cross Productions
THREE STEPS TO WRITING SOCIAL CONTENT When it comes to creating social media content, you never want to post for the sake of it. Like with all marketing activities, you need to bear your audience in mind. At Cross Productions, we write digital content daily and have created a step-by-step guide for writing high quality and leadgenerating content: Step 1: State your point. What message would you like to convey? Step 2: Use an audience pain point. Your target audience is always the hero in your story, with your business becoming their guide. What obstacles are they facing that you can help to resolve and create a happy ending? Think of the pain point as the villain. Step 3: So what!? How do the two previous steps link and how can you help? Having this hook to round off your post will help you build a deeper connection with your potential customers and allow them to trust in your products/services. Before you head to social media to give these steps a go, just remember: what is your post about? What’s the problem you can help with? And how can you resolve this problem and take their headache away? If you want to take your content even further, consider a more personal touch. Be relatable, speak directly to the reader and provide something for them to take away. The more relatable you are to your audience, the more likely they are to trust your brand and the more your content will resonate with them. 52 | NICHE
Making your marketing more sustainable makes sense in a world where corporate social responsibility (CSR) takes centre stage. Here are a few of our tips for making your marketing more sustainable. 1. Rethink your promotional products Promotional products are essential to many marketing campaigns. But, traditionally, most are made from single-use plastics. The good news is that many suppliers are producing eco-friendly branded merchandise alternatives. These products include recycled cotton tote bags, ball pens made from renewable resources, water bottles made from PET scraps, and notebooks filled with recycled paper. 2. Greener mailings Direct mail is still a great way to get your brand into the hands of your target audience. But is using all that paper sustainable? Yes! Switching to sustainable paper, using recycled envelopes, ensuring your mail is targeted to reduce print overruns, and printing on both sides of your postcards can ensure your mailings are kinder to the planet.
CHRIS GOODMAN Managing Director at Soar Valley Press 3. Eco-Friendly packaging According to YouGov, eight in 10 consumers are trying to reduce their plastic waste and over half are willing to pay higher prices for eco-friendly packaging. Switching to biodegradable and sustainable packaging is safe, healthy and beneficial for individuals, and improves your business’s eco-credentials. 4. Partner with an environmentally conscious printer One of the biggest myths surrounding print is that it’s not sustainable. This is not true. Many printers have worked to reduce the impact of print on the environment by printing on sustainable paper, using plant-based inks, and offsetting carbon production. Who you work with reflects on your business. Working with sustainable businesses ensures ecofriendly processes are implemented throughout your organisation and its supply chain.
MAKE MORE RETURNS FROM EVENTS REMY CLARKE
helpful in designing and production of exhibiting materials.
Director at Cymer Marketing Solutions
CAPTURE LEADS The quicker you can get the details into your CRM, the quicker you can follow up and improve your chances of converting to paid business. Using multiple digital methods, you can save the pain of deciphering illegible scribble or remembering what a prospect was interested in. FOLLOW UP Have an email template planned before the event so that you can respond as soon as possible to potential interest. With a CRM in place, you could even have a communication during the event to really ensure that you are remembered by the prospect! If you are exhibiting and don’t have your CRM connected, it’s time to get in touch with Cymer Marketing Solutions.
In-person events are starting back up and many of us are keen to start meeting face-to-face after so much time spent virtually networking and exhibiting. While it is great to be showcasing your business again, are you set up to justify the expense of exhibiting? Collecting business cards or writing down email addresses is not necessarily the most efficient way to prospect. Here are some tips: STAND OUT Invest in your exhibiting space by making it attractive and easy for passers-by to know what you are offering. Soar Valley Press are very
