MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS
Using trends to get your business
o the ground
Keeping up with the latest developments in your industry will improve your marketing approach, but what do
you need to look out for? Matthew Long, account manager at Work PR, finds out
When it comes to your
marketing strategy and
engaging with potential
customers, it’s important
to keep an eye on the latest industry
developments, so your messaging and
approach can be tailored to reflect what’s
currently trending.
Of course, providing customers
with an array of product choices is
undoubtedly important, but failing
to modernise marketing strategies
can prevent businesses from reaching
customers and letting them know what
they have to offer.
Keeping up with the latest
developments in your industry will
improve your marketing approach, but
what do you need to look out for?
Hot topics
Capturing attention for your business
requires engagement, whether it’s from
people in your industry, prospects or
customers. To achieve a response, you
need to produce content about current
issues which is relevant, interesting and
compelling.
Finding out what topics are being
discussed in the media by your
competitors, suppliers and buyers will
help generate ideas you can use for
creating material.
First, think about what your business
does and identify its core areas, then
collate a list of keywords and phrases
that define them; for example, “roofing
and cladding” or “current roofing
trends in the UK”. Various free tools are
available online, like Google AdWords
and Ubersuggest, which generate
keyword suggestions to help get the best
results from marketing campaigns.
Specific search terms relating to
your business’ products or services will
prompt media articles and competitors’
blogs to appear in results when searching
online.
Articles in trade magazines and
websites targeting your industry
also provide an invaluable source
of information, which can present
opportunities for you to offer your
opinion or expertise.
News alerts
Keeping ahead of your competitors in
terms of the content you produce will
help your business stand out from the
crowd, which is why it’s wise to respond
to news as it breaks – before others do.
You can subscribe to email bulletins
from your preferred trade media
platforms or get custom alerts using your
key search terms by signing up to online
tools, such as Google Alerts or Talkwater
Alerts.
To avoid clogging up your inbox with
irrelevant emails, do some research to
make sure you only receive updates that
are significant and useful. Otherwise,
you’re likely to ignore or overlook items
that may be newsworthy and helpful for
content creation.
Once you get into the habit of tracking
industry news, trends and other updates,
you’ll find it easier to recognise topics
you can comment on. Deciding how
to present your insights is your next
consideration.
Create content
Knowing who your target audience is,
what they need from your business, and
where they go to find information, will
help determine where you place your
content and the approach you use.
If you’re looking to raise the profile
of your business within your industry,
providing expert commentary such as
guest articles, news interviews and event
talks are all effective ways to position
yourself as an expert or ‘thought-leader’
in your field.
Commenting on trends that come
up regularly in your industry can keep
your audience up-to-speed in key areas
and sharing content consistently will
stimulate interaction.
Encouraging sales from existing and
prospective customers can be achieved
through a steady stream of content
that can be posted on your business’
website or social media channels, or in
publications that buyers are likely to
read – both online and in print.
The plethora of platforms enabling
you to get your message out there means
you can demonstrate your knowledge
in a variety of formats, including blogs,
case studies, whitepaper and
demonstrational videos.
Keep going
Talking about topics and
issues that are current and
significant will not only
show that you have your
finger on the pulse of your
industry, but it will also show
that you care about what matters to
your customers.
Whilst having to think of what to
say and how to broadcast it may seem
overwhelming, creating content as part
of an ongoing marketing strategy really
is worth the effort. If you need help,
there are resources available online or
PR agencies that specialise in producing
quality content.
Whatever you do, stick with it and in
time you’ll notice the results through an
increase in enquiries and sales.
w www.workpr.co.uk
Matthew Long:
“Knowing who
your target
audience is,
what they
need from
your business,
and where
they go to find
information,
will help
determine
where you
place your
content and
the approach
you use”
16 www.rcimag.co.uk August 2020
/www.workpr.co.uk
/www.rcimag.co.uk
