CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?

The prospect of a PR crisis can be daunting to business owners, particularly SMEs who are unlikely to have a crisis management plan in place.

Some business owners think it won’t happen to them. But a crisis can sneak up and strike when you are least expecting it. Best advice is be prepared!

Consider all the potential crisis situations e.g., a financial issue, product recall, personnel grievance, a natural disaster etc and work out a responsive plan for each scenario. So, when a crisis does happen, the business can take control and respond in a timely manner.

Golden rule: Avoiding the ‘no comment’

Depending on the nature and scale of the crisis, it is often the local or national media that jump on the story first.

One of the most important things to avoid is the ‘no comment’ response because if you refuse to speak to the media, it can come across as evading the issue which implies guilt.

Dealing with the press when you are under pressure can be quite a challenge even for an experienced spokesperson. A careless comment or offhand remark can easily be misinterpreted and end up making the situation worse.

So, while still gathering the facts and deciding on the company position, the best option is to issue the media with a short holding statement. This avoids the ‘no comment’ and buys more time until a more detailed response can be developed.

The impact of social media

The emergence of social media can make a crisis increasingly difficult to control.

Negative views and opinions shared online can be damaging and very difficult to counter. Although all the major platforms have reporting mechanisms to get posts taken down, this rarely happens quickly unless the content is libellous or breaks specific guidelines. Decisions need to be made on whether individual posts should be responded to, ignored, or hidden from view, and if the holding statement can be used as a way of response. It’s not easy and decisions will need to be made on a day to day or even hour by hour basis as the crisis develops.

It’s not just about the media

Undoubtedly the media can play a vital role in how the crisis is portrayed to the outside world. But it’s important to remember that crisis management is not solely a media relations exercise.

It’s vital to look at the bigger picture by identifying key stakeholders and working out the most effective way to communicate with those groups to keep them informed as the crisis unfolds.

This will probably include the traditional print, online and broadcast media but may also incorporate a mix of social media, newsletters, events, videos, briefings and other communication channels.

A crisis can have a spiral effect on a business and negatively affect so many areas of the operations. If not managed correctly, customers may stop buying your product or service; trade customers might delist your brands; employee morale may collapse and it may become difficult to recruit; investors may lose business confidence. That’s why it is so important to be honest, open, and transparent and to keep the communication flowing with all stakeholders.

On a positive note …

Remember, every crisis presents an opportunity.

Although it’s easy to see think about the negatives, good management should ensure that the operation is in a better place after the crisis than it was before. Instead of thinking of a crisis as a disaster, use the take aways from the situation to make the business stronger and better.

For further advice on crisis news management, please contact Jane Newick 07907 566773

Using an email funnel to boost sales  

What’s the first thing you check when you log on to your pc morning, noon, or night? Your email, right? 

Email marketing is still the top form of business communication, despite the impact of apps and social media, because it’s a cost effective way to build relationships with potential customers.  

Statistics tell us that the ROI on email marketing is a staggering 44 to 1. So, the chances are if you’re not seeing great results from your efforts, you’re probably doing it wrong!

If you want to find out how to turn your email marketing around by using email funnels then please read on. 

What is an email funnel?

An email funnel involves coaxing prospective customers along the buying journey until they end up purchasing something from you.

The process

It all starts with collecting as many email addresses as you can from your ideal target prospects. 

Then you can start to entice prospective buyers with a sequence of nurturing emails that piques their interest and convinces them they need your product. 

Then when the prospect is ready to buy, you will be front of mind which makes landing a sale a lot easier.

The three stages of the email sales funnel

Putting email marketing into action

Are you excited yet about the prospect of use email funnels to boost your customer engagement and sales?

Now, all you need is a mailing list…

If you are responsible for creating content for the company website, you will be oh-so familiar with the challenge of writing regular blog posts.

You may start the week with good intentions, but things don’t always go according to plan.

Time constraints, a lack of original ideas and frustration at the time it takes to write anything of value, can hamper efforts to produce quality content that adds value for the reader.

Perhaps it’s reached a stage where you are living in fear of your manager noticing that the blog has not been updated since Jan 2023, or worse still, Jan 2022!

Don’t despair, help is on hand…

If you are someone who doesn’t naturally enjoy writing or you are constantly pushed for time, here are our top seven hacks for blogging success:

1. Get yourself organised

This might sound obvious, but the key to success is all in the prep.

Creating a structure to work from is all important and there are plenty of free blog planners available online to help with that.

Set time aside to plan ahead and determine things like key topics for the next six months; brainstorm ideas with colleagues from across the business; identify significant dates; set goals; and decide how to promote the blog via other platforms. It will soon pay off with a focus for moving forward and more control over the outcome.

2. Refreshing existing content

It’s not always necessary to write fresh content from scratch each time a new post is needed. It’s worth looking back through the archives to find material that can be updated and reused.

For example, are there any new developments or advice on a topic you’ve already written about?

Use new images or videos, additional quotes from key personnel and updated project info to refresh the material and create a new angle or hook so the post can be republished.

3. Repurposing materials

Another way to make the job easier is to present existing material in a new format, thereby expanding its reach and lifespan.

Let’s be clear. We’re not talking about copying and pasting material from one platform to the next. Content must be tailored for different channels as each platform has its own audience and what works on one may not be appropriate for another.

It’s likely, for example, that a script created for a video or podcast which follows a logical structure can be turned into a blog post without too much editing.

Or a white paper or ‘ think piece’ written for a conference or infographic created for social media can be distilled down into bite size content for a blog.

4. Re-think the format

The prospect of pulling together at least 500-750 words for a SEO friendly blog post can seem quite daunting when up against the clock. So why not approach it in another way.

Think about the alternatives to long form copy such as lists, Q&As, FAQs, short news items which still provide benefit and fill a gap in the blogging calendar as long as the content adds value for the reader.

5. For days when you are on a roll…

Do you get days when the words just seem to flow? You’re on a roll and nothing can stop you?

That’s the time to knuckle down and pull a few posts together to store on file to use as and when you need them. Make it easier by researching a chosen topic and creating several posts, each one focusing on a different angle. These can be linked together as part of a series and will help market positioning over time.

6. Invite guest bloggers

Take the pressure off and add a new perspective by inviting guest authors to contribute to your blog. Choose credible experts, industry names, key customers or suppliers etc who are well
known in the sector.

Pick a topic or let the contributor choose their own and provide some guidelines such as deadline, word count, preferred images, or video clips etc. to simplify the process.

7. Use external help

If all else fails seek external help!

Why not let Wordbox manage the blogging for you?

We have over 20 years of experience in the food and drink industry, so we have a lot of knowledge to draw on. We offer various blog packages for SMEs, with differing price points according to the volume of content provided.

Call today to find out how we can help get your blogging back on track

GO BARBIE!

Food and beverage companies are tapping into the Barbie craze by cooking up fun, tasty treats – anything goes as long as it’s pink, pink and more pink.

Welcome to Barbie World!

There are lots of ‘Barbie’ collaborations out there, from Burger King’s Barbie Combo with pink burger and donut shake, Barbie pasta from Pastifica Di Martino and Pinkberry Barbie Land Berry Pink frozen yogurt, to name just a few.

Here are four reasons why joining forces with a like-minded brand that shares a similar customer profile offers great scope for marketeers:

Access to new customers

One of the biggest benefits of partnership marketing is the access it gives to another brand’s audience. It’s much easier and quicker to tap into because the partner has done the heavy lifting by already establishing the relationship.

Better conversion rates

A consumer buying tickets for a theatre show might show ‘strong buyer intent’ to purchase a pre event meal at a local restaurant given the right incentive – a theatre company and a restaurant brand have great synergy for collaborating.

Because a meal is part of the ‘buyer flow,’ the conversion rate of any promotion is likely to be a lot higher than it would have been otherwise.

Adding value

Choose marketing partners wisely and you can add real value to your customer experience. This in turn can help build brand loyalty for your business. Say you are selling professional coffee machines to the healthcare sector.

You might decide to partner with a reputable coffee supplier with an innovative solution for that particular market. Introducing a company that can solve specific challenges will add value – your customers will thank you.

The ‘halo’ effect

AKA judging a brand by the company it keeps!

If you have positive impressions of a specific brand, they are likely to influence your perceptions of any brand associated with it. So, by choosing the right partner you can leverage this halo effect to lift the perception and value of your brand.

Not every joint marketing campaign needs to be complicated and sometimes a collaboration can be as simple as sharing a piece of content which can then be cross promoted by both parties.

Strategic partnerships are not always accessible to start ups and smaller businesses, but they are definitely something to aim for as the business grows.

Let us know your thoughts.

Are you a thought leader?

Do you know what the term ‘thought leadership’ means or how a thought leader can be used to best advantage in your marketing activities?

Creating a thought leader profile is a tactic used to build credibility for an individual or business, so they become recognised as the ‘go to’ industry expert. Becoming a known authority on a subject is a way to differentiate the business from competitors and is therefore advantageous commercially. Aside of that, achieving industry recognition opens doors to lots of opportunities such as speaker slots; brand partnerships; media work etc which can all be integrated into a marketing campaign to great effect.

Who can become a thought leader?

There are a few pre-requisites: Obviously, expert knowledge on a given subject and involvement in the industry to stay up to date with what’s going on.

A thought leader needs to be credible and trustworthy and any claims he/she makes about experience or knowledge should be backed up with tangible results or evidence.

What type of content should I create?

Sharing unbiased, educational content (without promoting a company’s own products or services) on a regular basis will demonstrate expertise in that area and over time, the business or individual concerned will be considered an ‘industry expert.’

A good understanding of customers and their needs is essential and a keyword search is a useful starting point to highlight common topics that customers are talking about online. Audiences will appreciate expert advice and opinion as it may help make informed decisions about the very issues they are experiencing.

Plus, technical knowledge, market insight, current events, market trends, research, insight, personal anecdotes, opinion and industry hot topics are great content ideas when targeted for specific audiences.

How can I get the information out to my audience?

The whole range of communication tools are available, and content can be adapted for each channel for maximum impact and reach.

• Contributed content
• Events
• Conferences
• Exhibitions
• White Papers
• Speaker opportunities
• Infographics
• Social media
• Webinars
• Print and
• Broadcast media.
• Newsletters
• Podcasts
• Websites
• Ebooks

Thought leadership is a great strategy that every marketer should be thinking about as a way to showcase industry expertise whilst expanding reach and building brand loyalty.

Big congratulations to Ian Kissick – Formative Coffee who is the new SCA UK Chapter Barista Champion 2023  following two days of incredible competition at Cimbali UK – Commercial Coffee Machines HQ.

Also a fabulous result for runner up, Zoe Williams from Clifton Coffee Roasters, an amazing achievement given it was Zoe’s first time of entering the SCA competition series.

Brilliant results for Ian and Zoe, well done to both!

Follow this link to catch up with footage of the event – UK Barista Championships