Marketing - The Joined Up Approach

Having a joined up approach for your marketing efforts has never been so important. Lines between the offline and online worlds are becoming progressively blurry. The overlap between paid, earned and owned media is increasing to the point of total union.

If your efforts aren't already aligned, cracks in your approach are going to become more and more apparent. You'll also be missing out on the massive opportunity presented to catapult you campaigns to new audiences - gaining reach simply by presenting your offering in an omnipresent manner.

Do you 'LIKE' your job applicants?

Recruitment is always a tricky business. Inviting someone you've only met a few times to the inner sanctum of your business. Trusting them to deliver for your customers, no matter how thorough your recruitment process, can still be a leap of faith.

Your start-up… on a shoe string

Starting your own business doesn't have to be an expensive experience. Given a little up front planning and online research, and outside of the legal requirements, you'll find that you can get the bare essentials in place without it costing you the earth.

Obviously every business is different. You may need office space, a shop front, marketing tools or storage space. You may not. But here are a few ideas on how you can get vital resources in place for no more than the change in your pocket.

How to use social to promote your business… and still have time left to run it.

A few years ago it was scary and new, but nowadays social media is very much part of the furniture. All sorts of businesses are using social media to promote their business. Done successfully you can end up with a hugely interactive audience all baying for your attention. But growing your social audience and managing all interactions with them can end up becoming a full time job. So how can you manage your social channels, stay sane AND still have time left over to run your business?

Small Business Saturday UK is coming

For me, one of the most exciting developments in the small business world this year has to be the introduction of Small Business Saturday UK.

Up to now, this day of focus and celebration has been held in the US on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Its aims are to get people to shop with their local businesses and to help support their local communities. And it's proved an astounding success with small businesses in the US raking in almost £3.5 billion in sales last year. And now it's our turn!

Here are my thoughts on why Small Business Saturday UK so important and details on how you can get involved...

Get it right. Principle 1: Invest

If you're working on a website - either improving what you already have or building one from scratch - you'll know that it can be an expensive project. It's one that often requires a significant investment of time and money. Spend more money and you'll save yourself some time. Devote more of your time on things and you'll save some money. But if you're going to do a web project properly you're going to have to invest one or the other.

With that in mind, you're going to want to get it right. The last thing you need at go live is a product that doesn't work. An eCommerce site that doesn't convert. A blog or research site with zero engagement.

So what can be done to protect your investment? The following mini-series will take you through the principles I try and live by. I hope they prove as useful to you as I have found them and I welcome any feedback you have on my own personal approach.

What's your Startup Story?

Every business has a story, but what is yours? Using the new My Startup Story web app you can now compare your startup's journey and share it with the world.

This beautiful interactive allows you to compare your business's employee and revenue growth against web giants such as Facebook, eBay and Match.com. Your startup's growth is plotted on your own personal graph, which you can then share with all of your Twitter followers. Get started by clicking on the image below...