Ideas into action
11 Sep 2023
Archive notice: this article originally promoted the Business Growth West Midlands launch event on 12 September 2023 at Coventry Building Society Arena. The event has passed. The launch brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs and support providers to introduce the regional service and discuss support for West Midlands businesses. Assess support against your priorities A support […]
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24 Aug 2023
Recruitment communications should help a candidate decide whether the job and business are right for them. Start with an honest account of the work, the expectations and what the employer offers. Find out why people stay Talk to employees who know the role. Ask what they value, what is difficult and what a new starter […]
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23 Aug 2023
A business with limited time and budget needs to choose where to concentrate. Focusing on a defined audience can make the offer, message and sales effort more relevant. Choose a useful focus A niche might be a type of customer, a technical requirement, a sector or a problem you solve particularly well. Check that there […]
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15 Aug 2023
As a business grows, marketing needs clear ownership. The question is which skills the business needs, what should sit inside the team and where outside support is useful. Define the work before the role List the decisions and tasks marketing needs to handle. Research, planning, design, content, digital delivery and reporting require different skills. A […]
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1 Aug 2023
When businesses combine, decisions about names, offers and communications affect customers and employees. Brand work should help people understand what is changing, what is staying and who they will be dealing with. Understand what each name represents Review the customers, reputation, offers and relationships attached to each business. Avoid assuming that one identity should immediately […]
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28 Jul 2023
A business can deliver good work and still make it difficult for buyers to understand its value. The issue is often the gap between what the team knows and what its marketing explains. Be specific about the value Describe the problem you solve, the customers you suit and what you do differently in practice. Broad […]
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24 Jul 2023
Marketing needs continuity, but time alone does not make a plan effective. The work needs a clear purpose, regular delivery and a way to learn from the response. Give the work a specific job Decide what needs to improve: awareness with a defined audience, understanding of an offer, the quality of enquiries or support for […]
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