Selling your fish in 2020: How to communicate and market your services in the new decade
The new decade is here
and with it comes an array of different marketing channels to sell products and
services. In an era where you can get almost anything at the click of button,
entrepreneurs are often left to wonder how they can stand out and what they can
do to “sell their fish” in the new decade? There are numerous different
marketing and communication channels and methods that entrepreneurs can use to
promote their products and services, but which one works best?
As Sir Richard Branson
says, entrepreneurs need to take their business to where the conversation is
happening. Chanell Kemp, reputation specialist at Reputation Matters, adds,
“Our motto at Reputation Matters is to create businesses that people want to
do business with.” Taking your business where the conversation is, is an
excellent start, but how do you determine where that is? Which channels should
you use to communicate your messages and how can entrepreneurs position
themselves in an ever-changing market? According to Kemp, there are five
crucial steps to take your business to the conversation in 2020.
Step one: Cultivate a clear vision: “A lack of a clear vision is like getting into a car
with a blindfold on,” says Kemp. You need to know what it is you want to
achieve and add as much detail as possible. Set yourself a big goal for the
year ahead and break it down into smaller stepping stones of what you need to
do each quarter in order to get to your big goal. Write down what you want to
achieve, what you stand for as well as your brand promise and make sure it
aligns with your vision.
Step two: Research: Research is the roadmap to your vision and it
provides you with the crucial data and information you need in order to reach
your goals you set out in step one, as well as defining and understanding your
target audience. “Understanding exactly what makes your specific target
audience tick, whether they are eight or 80, will enable you to know exactly
what to communicate to whom, through the most effective channel of
communication as well as the best time to do so. This means that you target
your audience according to their specific needs, as opposed to a ‘spray and pray’
approach to try and reach everyone and ending up reaching no one,” continues
Kemp.
Step three: Targeted messages: Once you know where you are going and you have
gathered the facts, you can start creating messages for each target audience.
“The way you communicate and explain something to your children differs from
the way that you communicate with your grandmother. Why should this not apply
to your marketing and communication messages as well?” says Kemp. Different
genders, age groups and cultures should ideally have messages that are targeted
at them and that speaks to them directly. As long as the brand promise remains
the same and authentic, the messages can be shaped to appeal to different
target markets.
Step four: Choosing the channels: The next step in taking your business to the
conversation is to choose the correct channel to communicate to the different
target audiences. Communication channels can include email, instant messages,
social media, telephone calls, face to face meetings, or newsletters. During
the research phase, entrepreneurs should also focus on determining which
channels are the most effective channel when communicating with the different
target audiences. “Utilising these different channels will ensure that your
target audiences feel valued and they will know that you listened to their
needs and preferences,” continues Kemp. It does not help to have a TikTok
account just for the sake of it because it’s the latest fad, but it is never
updated and your key audience hardly knows that it exists or what a hashtag is.
Step five: Build lasting relationships: In an era where computers and social media are
dominating the way we communicate, it is important to realize that we are
dealing with people. “Building interpersonal relationships, getting to know
your clients and really caring for them, will differentiate you from being just
another entrepreneur that communicates to the crowds. In order to really bring
your business to the conversation, you need to listen to your customers.
Listening is just as important as using the correct communication channels.
Give your customers the opportunity to give you feedback, in turn closing the
communication loop and building lasting relationships,” concludes Kemp.
For more information on Reputation Matters and to
measure your reputation, contact research@reputationmatters.co.za or visit www.reputationmatters.co.za.
Follow Reputation Matters on Facebook (@yourreputationmatters) or Twitter
(@ReputationIsKey).
###
Media Contact:
Chanell Kemp
chanell@reputationmatters.co.za
+27 81 331 0353
Reputation mentorship matters
Reputation
Matters, who has dominated the reputation research space with their customised
reputation research tool, the Repudometer®, is excited about their new
mentorship service offering.
“It’s our
vision to be Africa’s go-to reputation specialists that help businesses to
become the business that people want to do business with,” says Regine le Roux,
founder and managing director of Reputation Matters.
“In order
for us to get that right, we are empowering companies to build their own
capacity within the reputation management space,” adds le Roux.
“Our core
focus remains reputation research using our proprietary tool, the Repudometer®.
With the reputation mentorship programme, we’ll be taking it a step further by
helping our clients to keep the momentum going by implementing the
recommendations to close the gaps identified in the research.
“We are
also targeting entrepreneurs to empower them to build reputable businesses that
people want to do business with right from the outset of their entrepreneurial
journey,” explains le Roux.
Reputation
management is much more than public relations and clever marketing, it’s about
understanding your whole business and how it contributes to how you are being
perceived.
Here are
three reasons you should consider reputation mentorship:
- Empowering yourself
with a new way of looking at your business and getting to grips with
reputation management. It’s about getting the basics in place and, even more
importantly, getting them right. The consistency of your actions contributes to
your reputation.
- Managing a reputation is simple, but it is not always easy. Reputation management is often
confused with public relations or limited to building a strong online presence.
It’s just as important to deliver on all the promises that your sales team and
ad campaigns make. There are many different components that make up your
company’s reputation, and the organisation needs to understand these
principles. Managing a reputation isn’t something that can be outsourced. It’s
about combining the best of both: Empowering someone within the
organisation and linking them up with an external expert to act as mentor. The
latter will typically have exposure to many different businesses and
industries, acting as a soundboard and guide throughout the mentorship journey.
- Mentorship helps you to take control of your own reputation. As an insider to your organisation,
you are best positioned to manage the company’s reputation. A reputation mentor
will help you to craft the best strategy and communication framework to
maximise your engagement with different stakeholders while at the same time
building your company’s reputation.
A
reputation takes time to build. The Reputation Matters mentorship course has
been developed to follow your own pace. There are eight modules focussing on
different areas of the business. Each module starts with a webinar and
participants will receive a workbook with very practical exercises to complete.
“We want to empower companies to take their reputations to
the next level, thereby amplifying their growth and success and, ultimately,
boosting South Africa’s economy!”
concludes le Roux.
For more
information about Reputation Matters’ mentorship programme and an
exciting new launch offer
mail: mentorship@reputationmatters.co.za or visit www.reputationmatters.co.za.
Follow Reputation Matters on Facebook (@yourreputationmatters) or Twitter
(@ReputationIsKey).
###
Three reputation targets you should be setting for 2020
When talking about an organisation’s targets, many are quick to focus their attention on setting financial goals for the year ahead. While setting financial targets is important, keep in mind that having a healthy reputation will positively influence your bottom line. Setting tangible, timebound and measurable targets to grow and manage your company’s reputation is vital to thriving in a challenging economy.
Chris Bischoff, senior stakeholder liaison at Reputation Matters, outlines three important considerations when setting targets that will take your company’s reputation to new heights in 2020:
- Purpose and Profit: While a healthy cashflow and profitability is key for any business, it is just as important to leave a positive influence on the people and environment around it. “We are living in a day and age where consumers are not just concerned about the value of the product or service, but also about the value that a business has within society,” says Bischoff. “Our market research has found that the younger generations specifically, the Millenials and Generation Z, want to be connected with a purpose and therefore will favour brands and companies that have a positive impact in society or on the environment.”
- Find your A Team: Human capital is one of the most important tangible assets that an organisation can have. “Your company’s employees are your core brand ambassadors and play a crucial role to foster your business’ reputation,” says Bischoff. “Their engagement with external stakeholders should leave an impression that represents your company’s values and team’s credibility. It is largely up to your employees to instil a high level of confidence with your stakeholders so that they trust that they are associated with the right brand.
- Measure and manage: How do you know that your stakeholders have confidence in your team, or that they feel proud to be associated with your brand through social or environmental purpose? “Building businesses that people want to do business with is what we do. Be it through reputation research or our newly launched mentorship program.,” explains Bischoff. “Once you establish a baseline score for these business elements that contribute to your reputation, you are able to measure improvement over time, especially after implementing a plan to improve your reputation.”
Reputation Matters uses its proprietary reputation research tool to measure reputation and put percentages to each business element. To extend its reputation management scope, Reputation Matters is excited about its new product offering, its reputation mentorship programme, which has been designed to provide ongoing reputation management support for companies wanting to be armed with the tools to proactively manage their reputations.
For more information about Reputation Matters, visit www.reputationmatters.co.za. Follow Reputation Matters on Facebook (@yourreputationmatters) or Twitter (@ReputationIsKey).
###
Released by Reputation Matters
Reputation mentorship matters
Reputation Matters launches reputation mentorship programme.
Reputation Matters, who has dominated the reputation research space with their customised reputation research tool, the Repudometer®, is excited about their new service offering that they will be launching in January 2020.
“Measuring and understanding your reputation isn’t always enough. We have realised that there is a massive need for ongoing reputation management support, especially for entrepreneurs and people who are new to the communication field,” says Regine le Roux founder and managing director of Reputation Matters. “Very often it is assumed that reputation management is very pricey and something that is only relevant for large corporate organisations,” continues le Roux.
“It is especially important for new business owners to build and foster their companies’ reputations right from the start. Often it is assumed that having a social media presence is sufficient. It is, however, everything about your business that impacts how you are perceived that has an effect on your reputation.”
But why is reputation management so important? “People want to do business with companies that have a good reputation. We have evidence that there is a correlation between a good reputation and bottom line,” adds le Roux.
“Reputation management is much more than just having cool social media pages, SEO and a creative website,” explains Regine. “A large portion of your budget may be going to quirky marketing gimmicks, but if you don’t have your reputation building blocks in place, you’ll be wasting a lot of time and money.
“With our hands-on approach, our programme will help you to focus on the whole business and how you as an entrepreneur (or even a large organisation) can build a positive reputation for your business right from the start. You will be empowered with a very comprehensive understanding of how to look after your reputation, identify your blind spots and leverage off your strengths,” says le Roux.
Communicators, or in fact anyone in the organisation that has a keen interest in reputation management, will also benefit from the mentorship programme. “We have often seen that after a company has invested significantly in a research project, they don’t implement the recommendations.
Research is crucial; unfortunately, without implementing the recommendations, your reputation will not grow and improve. With the new mentorship programme, we aim to empower the client with the knowledge to roll out the recommendations themselves. We will mentor you on how to build your own communication policies, strategies, and plans, and provide you with templates to make your job easier. In this way we aim to foster a longer-term relationship with the client instead of just an annual engagement,” concludes le Roux.
For more information about Reputation Matters’ mentorship programme and an exciting new launch offer mail: research@reputationmatters.co.za or visit www.reputationmatters.co.za. Follow Reputation Matters on Facebook (@yourreputationmatters) or Twitter (@ReputationIsKey).
###
Cape Town Calls for e-Waste Collection
The e-Waste Alliance in the Western Cape are calling all households and businesses in and around Pinelands to drop off their e-waste on Wednesday, 01 September at Jeffares & Green Consulting Engineers in Pinelands between 08:00 and 17:00.
The e-Waste Alliance in proud partnership with the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) Western Cape Branch and Jeffares & Green Consulting Engineers will be hosting its first public e-waste collection and information event on 01 September 2010 to celebrate spring day.
FET College Innovates in Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development
Is an education institution deemed successful based on the quantity of students who complete their studies and graduate?
Waste Management Training: Midrand 08 – 09 September 2010
One of the main functions of local government in South Africa is to remove and dispose of waste in a responsible manner. However, this sphere of government in general has faced many challenges mainly related to issues of service delivery.
