Working together to grow Regional NSW

The Central West Business Summit will bring together business leaders and industry experts from across Regional NSW. It is a great opportunity for businesses to identify opportunities, and provides an ideal platform to canvas current challenges and network with like-minded businesses. It is also a time to appreciate our region, and discuss more ways we can grow and develop Regional NSW.

Regional growth and development is a collective task, with businesses now looking at more efficient ways to maintain sustainability and position themselves as industry leaders in the marketplace. The business environment has also changed so fundamentally, that there is a need for us to change the way we find and ultimately attract more customers and clients to our business.

“Businesses need to be focusing on ways they can capitalise on current opportunities and minimise risks facing their business.” Pulse HR’s Workforce Specialist, Tamara James said.

Opportunities such as Digital Marketing, Government Growth Grants and Workforce Evolution are just some of the topics that will be discussed at the Central West Business Summit.

“We will also be providing the opportunity for businesses to register for sessions after the Event to learn more about funding opportunities such as AusIndustry’s Entrepreneur’s Infrastructure Program and more!” Event Coordinator, Dannielle Jenkins added.

As a region, Central West NSW presents many great opportunities for business and investment. With lower overheads and living costs, there is greater opportunity for businesses to secure and maintain sustainability. Regional communities also tend to be more digitally connected communities, as this is how we access products and services.

“It’s time to think globally but act locally – the Summit is about appreciating Central West NSW as a region and the fantastic businesses we boast.” Dannielle continued to say.

The Business Enterprise Centre will also be discussing doing business in turbulent times, which will address shared challenges that Central West businesses face and ways of overcoming them.

“There is a great cross-section of topics, and we want to make sure the day is inspiring, motivational and of tangible value. All Event Partners are united in the fact that we need to ensure we are developing confident businesses that achieve growth targets, employ more people and therefore contribute to the economic vibrancy of our communities.” Tamara concluded.

Tickets are selling fast – make sure you don’t miss out! Register now at www.centralwestbusinesssummit.com.au

Unique opportunity for Central West business owners!

There is a rare, and very exciting opportunity for business owners in regional NSW coming in May. The Central West Business Summit.

Presented by Canowindra-based marketing & business consultancy Adloyalty and local workforce specialists, Pulse HR, the Summit presents a unique opportunity for businesses, and one not to be missed!

Adloyalty and PulseHR have been working closely with businesses throughout the Central West, which has uncovered shared issues and pressure points for our region’s businesses.

“It is our shared goal to address these challenges to ensure that we, as a collective, are developing confident businesses that achieve growth targets, employ more people and therefore contribute to the economic vibrancy of our communities.” Director of Adloyalty, Caddie Marshall said.

The Summit, which will start at 9.30am on Tuesday 19^th May at the Orange Ex-Services Club, is a must attend event for Business Owners, Managers, Executives and BDM’s in Central West NSW.  

“We have secured Michael Pascoe as a Keynote Speaker, who will be delivering a Post-Budget review in terms of what it means for business and how businesses in regional NSW can leverage key opportunities. Michael will also be hosting our Panel Discussion, which presents a fantastic opportunity for businesses to have those burning questions answered by business experts.” Caddie continued to say.

Other hot topics that will be discussed at the Summit include Business Growth Strategies, the Australian Dollar, Digital Marketing and Doing Business in Turbulent times.

Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased through the website www.centralwestbusinesssummit.com.au. 

If you would like to be a part of the Summit, there are opportunities available for businesses to partner with the Event. Please visit the website for more information.

Meet you at the Top!!

Building strategic partnerships key to business success

The current business environment has never been more competitive. We all need to look at smarter, more efficient ways to grow our business. In fact, the business environment has changed so fundamentally, that there is a need for us to change the way we find and ultimately attract more customers and clients to our business.

Building strategic partnerships is an effective way of attracting more clients and an integral step to growing your business. It provides you with new leads, increases your business profile and boosts your reputation within your industry sector. More importantly it delivers business ambassadors who recommend and sell your talents on your behalf.

This week, we will be looking at different ways you can build strategic partnerships to help deliver long term benefit to your business.

Networking Events

Attending networking events is an excellent way to make new connections with like-minded people and an essential step to building those long term, valuable relationships.

Adloyalty, in partnership with PulseHR are hosting the Central West Business Summit on the 19^th May 2015 which will provide businesses throughout the Central West with the ideal platform to canvas opportunities and challenges. 

This Event will also provide businesses with the ability to network with complementary businesses and potential clients, whilst having access to renowned business experts and speakers.

“Our Keynote Speaker is Michael Pascoe, who brings with him a wealth of experience within the financial and business growth sector. It is a fantastic opportunity for businesses, as Michael will also be providing a Post-Budget Review.” Director of Adloyalty, Caddie Marshall said.

For more information, please visit www.centralwestbusinesssummit.com.au

Industry Associations and Groups

It is important to build relationships with those who work in a similar field in order to generate potential leads, clients and referrals. We recommend looking for businesses or associations with common goals so you can provide them with a solution to enable them to achieve that goal sooner. An example of this is Renweld, an engineering consortium based in Orange NSW who have come together with the shared goal of showcasing the region’s capabilities in order to win larger projects in the Central West.

Journalists and Media

The media are major industry influencers, and need to be a part of your overall alliance strategy. To gain media coverage of your business, it is important to develop and maintain a professional relationship with journalists and there are several ways you can build relationships with journalists, we recommend the following:

• Do some research on their work – find out what makes them tick
• Add them to your email database and start sending them relevant content such as your company newsletter and latest news
• Follow them on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter and comment/like their posts to start the conversation
• Get to know the reporters at your local media outlets such as newspaper and TV
• Go the extra mile and ALWAYS meet their deadlines
• Stay relevant and most importantly, topical

Adloyalty are a full-service marketing agency based in Central West NSW. If you need help developing strategic partnerships, visit our website or give us a call on 6344 1931 today!

It's 3/4 review time - Is it time to think about your strategic position?

March is 3/4 review time and everyone is busy preparing their budget for the new financial year,  Whilst you're looking at your targets and and analysing whether you've hit them, you need to think about your strategic position in the market place.

Have you thought about where you want your business to be in 3, 5 or even 10 years-time? 

Do you need framework to help guide you through your next set of challenges? 

Do you want to define your Unique Selling Proposition?

A Strategic Plan looks at all elements of your business to determine what is possible, and then narrows it down to the things it is actually GREAT at doing.

“Successful businesses are those that are able to identify what they can be great at, as opposed to trying to achieve greatness in all areas – it’s about focusing on one single area and growing from there.” Director of Adloyalty, Caddie Marshall said.

Adloyalty work with businesses to define their guiding principle, values and vision, helping to translate this vision into shared objectives and an achievable implementation plan for the future.

“We are a firm believer in a 360 degree, ‘whole of business’ approach. Your strategic plan must guide your business throughout its life in all circumstances, irrespective of changes in its goals strategies or people. It must be visionary, simple, confident and most importantly shared.” Caddie said.

As a business preparing yourself for the future, you need to look at the following:

Determine where you’re at:

This involves looking at your current market position, analysing your pressure points, your core business and most importantly, your capacity to deliver.

“The most important factor we ask our clients to look at is their internal talent and capacity. Having the right team behind your business is absolutely crucial, and an essential step to defining your guiding principle.” Caddie continued to say.

When establishing a Strategic Plan, no matter what size your business is, you need to measure and evaluate true capacity. If you do not have the internal capacity or have limited capacity to develop that internal talent, then you need to really look at where you’re at, and how you can get to where you want to be.

Identify where you want to be and what’s standing in your way

When initiating your planning you need to focus on where you want your business to be in 2 years-time. Then think about why you currently can’t achieve that goal. Is it market conditions? Is it capacity? Is it cash flow? Is it simply awareness of your business? Identifying where you want to be will help to set the direction of the business, clearly defining the guiding principle and vision. From here, you can identify priorities and set a clear implementation plan with success metrics to ensure you know when you’re winning.

Activate your team

The greatest asset to any business is their team. It is important that your team are involved throughout your strategic planning process to ensure you’re building the culture that you want and sharing your vision with your whole team.

“Shared values and working towards a common goal is vital to businesses, no matter how big or small. Values should be more than a poster on the wall – they need to be deeply embedded in the business, its actions and its decisions.” Caddie continued to say.

If you need to revisit your current strategic plan or are looking for guidance on initial steps in the process, give Caddie Marshall and her team at Adloyalty call today 6344 1931 or visit our website www.adloyalty.com.au 

Navigating the Digital Landscape

Digital is not a phase we are all going through, it’s a trend that is taking businesses by storm and those who don’t embrace it will miss out. It is no longer a question of should we embrace digital, it’s when will we embrace it?

Many of our clients are confused by the whole idea of digital marketing, so we have decided to provide a "Digital Roadmap" of sorts, starting at the top. 

Websites

Websites aren’t new. In fact, they have been around for over 20 years (if my research is correct). A website is your online identity, and when integrated with social media & other digital activity, can define your online brand.

A website is your digital shopfront, with people more likely to go online and research your business before they make a purchase or interact with your brand. Think about your own shopping behavior and how it has changed from even just 12 months ago.

One of the biggest mistakes we see is assuming people will be able to find your website. Unless you’re promoting it, or utilizing the right tools, they just won’t.

You need to be asking your website designer (or yourself) the following questions to ensure your receiving bank for your digital buck:

• Do I have Google Analytics installed?

• Is SEO built into every page on my website?

• Is my website taking advantage of keywords?

• Am I integrating all my social media platforms?

• What links can I take advantage of to ensure my website is ranking high?

You should also be ensuring that your website is mobile responsive!

What we mean by this is, can your website be easily accessed from a mobile phone? Yes, it loads on a mobile phone, but how easy is it to navigate? Do you have to pinch the screen to view the content? Yes? Then it’s not mobile responsive. See some examples below.

Apps

Apps have revolutionized the way we access content on a day to day basis. When sitting down to write this I thought – “Do I even use apps?” – in short…yes. I use them every day, without even thinking about it. I use apps for my banking, social media, the weather, searching online….heck I even downloaded a torch app to find my way through my handbag!

Now I’m not saying every business needs an app, because they don’t. Apps are meant to be an add-on or an enhancement to an existing online platform such as a website. The whole idea is so your app exists on someone’s phone and they don’t need to go looking for you online, like they need to do with a website. They are also handy to directly target your audience through the use of push notifications and updates.

Before you invest money into an app, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the purpose for your app?

• Is it going to be helpful for customers?

• Is it going to improve your customers experience & access to your products/services?

• And an obvious one....will you customers use it?

Content Marketing

You may have heard this word floating around, and basically content marketing is the art of communicating to your customers and prospects without selling! It is all about creating and distributing valuable and relevant content utilising videos, articles, infographics, webinars and blogs. We would always recommend that content marketing frames your marketing strategy in terms of ‘themes.’ This allows for a consistent communication to your audience as well as positioning your business as subject matter experts!

Direct Marketing

This isn't a new concept either – think catalogues and sales flyers. It has now simply been replicated online through the use of email, which also isn’t new.

89% of people say that email marketing is their primary channel for lead generation, and we would have to agree. If done correctly, email marketing can deliver the greatest return on investment.

If you want to learn how to utilize direct marketing, contact us today!

Social Media

The majority of businesses are on social media now right……right?? It is the most cost-effective way to build ongoing relationships with your customers online, whilst also increasing brand awareness. It allows you to communicate directly with your audience and ultimately generate new leads. It is the modern word of mouth.

There are so many options when it comes to social media – Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin…………. You don’t need to be on all of them!! Spend the time to understand which platform your customers are using and click here to read more about each individual platform.

2015 is time to embrace Digital

Digital technology is rapidly transforming businesses and empowering customers like never before. We no longer need to leave our home to catch up with friends, buy groceries or book a holiday. It is transforming how customers discover, buy and engage with brands. I read a statistic that said there are now more devices connected to the internet than there are people on the planet, so now is the time to embrace digital – if not your competition will.

So what is digital marketing?

Digital marketing applies platforms such as social networks, websites, e-marketing, apps & smartphones. Speaking of smartphones, in 2008, it was predicted that mobile will take over fixed internet access by 2014. Looking at the mobile phone I had in 2008, I would have thought this prediction was a little outrageous, but here we are.

Most small businesses are overwhelmed by digital marketing, and struggle to truly leverage the digital landscape to meet the expectations of their customers. Our clients have questions like what platform should I be using? How many hours a day should I spend utilising digital marketing? What content should I be promoting? How do I measure if it’s effective?

Now, I’m not saying that the way we utilising digital marketing is gospel (although we do achieve fantastic results for our clients)!! However, we have learnt many tricks along the way through experience as well as constant research.

Content is key

It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about a website, an app or social media 
– the right content is so important!! Make sure you’re providing and sharing valuable content with your audience, and measuring what content your audience is loving. 

With regard to your website, lots of valuable content will help your SEO, and position your website as a valuable resource for your customers. On social media, people want to feel a part of the community and the brand they follow. If you continuously post a sales message, you will lose them. We like to follow the 80/20 rule – Share 80% of engaging content, and 20% including a sales message.

Be mobile friendly

The number of searches made via a mobile phone is growing at a much faster rate than desktop searches. In fact, 80% of internet searches are done on a smartphone! If you’re website isn’t mobile friendly, your missing out on sales!

A study has shown that consumers who do local searches on their smartphone are more likely to take action. In this digital age, customers expect to be able to access and consume information readily. Make sure you create a fast, user-friendly version of your site for mobile viewers. If you aren't sure what we mean, grab your phone and check out www.adloyalty.com.au.

Email isn't dead

As a small business, e-marketing can offer the highest ROI (when done correctly of course). By properly we mean don’t overload your audience’s inbox and make sure you share valuable content – remember our content rule!! Free tools such as Mailchimp are fantastic, and allow you to design your own template, provide links to your website and social media as well as analyse opens and clicks!

Analyse your data

You may have heard the word data getting around, and they’re not talking 
about your internet data. It is now even easier to measure your marketing efforts with the utilisation of tools such as Google Analytics & social media insights. Make sure you’re looking at how many people are visiting your website, and most importantly your bounce rate. It is also important to analyse your social media effort through your insights. Pay attention to your reach, and experiment with posting at different times of the day. It's all trial and error, but hey, it's free!!

Need help embracing Digital Marketing? Sign up now for a Digital Health Check!!

New Year's Resolutions for Business Owners

We have all set those New Year's resolutions that by the 2nd of January, we have long forgotten. SO, we don't want to talk about exercising more, or quitting caffeine (are you crazy)!!?? We want to make sure your business gets off to the best start this year, and with that comes a few tips that we have found helpful for our own business growth.

Invest in digital!!

If you haven’t already, you need to invest in digital media, and by that we mean online. Platforms like websites, social media, cloud technology and email marketing aren’t going anywhere and neither will your business if you ignore them. We don’t just mean invest your money in digital, but invest your time. There’s no point being present if you’re not active. Make sure you commit to fully utilising all digital solutions available for your business. Don’t have the time? Give us a call, or check out our list of digital services! 

Engage with your customers

If you read our blogs you will notice that we have mentioned this point before, but that’s because it’s important. If you want to be memorable, you need to leave a positive impression. In a world of social media, an unhappy customer can share their opinion with the masses that may negatively impact your business. That’s why it’s more important than ever to create an excellent experience for your customers to help develop a valued relationship. Walt Disney said it best – “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”

Stay nimble

Recently, we have seen a decline in the mega-retailers, with more and more people recognising the importance of shopping local. Small businesses need to remain nimble, particular in how they compete from a price and customer service point of view. This includes identifying your point of difference and showcasing this throughout your marketing and branding as well as delivering a personalised experience that the mega-retailers can’t touch.

Resourcing is important

You may not be achieving everything you want to achieve because you are trying to do too much yourself. Sound like you? Many of our clients talk about lack of resourcing as a limitation to growth, so you’re not alone. We know it’s difficult to find good employees, but a great worker can significantly help you grow your business. Examine your operation for routine tasks that take too much of your time, and look for areas of business growth you need outside expertise to achieve.

And one of ours - Don’t forget to keep learning

There are only so many hours in the day, and if you’re like us, you’re 

so caught up in the doing. This year, we have promised ourselves that we will dedicate time to ongoing learning and researching – whether that be reading articles or attending conferences and workshops – your business depends on your brain, so make sure you are continually expanding it. Psst. Don't forget to check out some of our FREE events!!