​Pre world wide web, it was a sales maxim that you should make contact with, be in front of your sales potentials every 90 days - three months (or less).  Is this still relevant in today’s world of digital marketing and social media?
Certainly it is now possible to blog, post, email inexpensively and relatively quickly, and digital analytics can tell you with what impact your message is being received. Our expectations around communications have changed immensely over the last two decades; we no longer wait for the post to bring us into contact with others; we expect responses to be almost immediate.
Frequency
So while it’s easier to make and keep contact, how often should we be in front of ‘our people’ ?
If your business is B2C, then quite probably the answer is far more often than every 90 days. In fact, for some (younger) markets you may need to be employing a daily presence in social media feeds.
For B2B businesses, the timing can be anything up to 90 days depending on your industry, what resources you can put to the comms, and whether there is any seasonality impacting purchase decisions. (Seasons are three months!)
Quality over quantity
We would suggest of more importance though, is the value of what you have to say. To keep in touch just for the sake of being in touch can have a negative response. If your contacts (be they existing clients, prospective clients, influencers) feel bombarded, and/or question the value of the information you are sending them, they will likely hit the delete button or unsubscribe to be lost potentially forever! Or in the case of printed communications, file them in the bin unread.
So quality over quantity but regularly.
Make it easy for yourself
Make it an objective to take note of industry comment, success stories, learnings that are relevant to your contacts. Ask your team to do likewise – set up a Google docs or similar where ideas can be pooled, have it as an agenda item for your staff meetings. This way when it’s time to write your newsletter - digital or printed - or social media posts, you aren’t on the back foot and it won’t take you another 90 days to get something out there.

​If you’d like to learn more, get in touch. We’ve got more ideas on how you can keep your business in front. 

Have you ever considered publishing your communications online?  At Kite Communications we have been working with Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers to digitally publish its magazine.  You can check out the latest autumn issue, click here.   Below we highlight some advantages of digital publishing for you to consider the next time you create your magazine, newsletter, or book.
 
Save time and money
Digital magazines are relatively straight-forward to upload if you already have artwork created for a print version. Additionally, some online magazines let you load content straight into their software so you can do away with artwork design costs, not be limited by set page amounts, or layout restrictions as you create your print and digital magazine at the same time.  As an added bonus, if you only publish your publication online, you can save on printing, postage and storage costs.
 
Learn more about your readers
Many online publishing platforms have statistics that come with them.  The depth of this information can vary on what (if anything) you pay to use it.  You can measure statistics such as click-throughs from links, the length of time spent on a page, and some software will also have heat tracking so you can see how a mouse was used across each page.  Tracking how a reader engages with your magazine online provides the opportunity to fine tune future publications.
 
Interactive media increases engagement
With the ability to include video, sound, and interactive links within your publication (offered by some online publishers) you are increasing the opportunity for your reader to be engaged right there within your magazine.  They don’t need to click and go somewhere else online so you can get your message across clearly and quickly, and increase the amount of time a potential customer is viewing your brand.
 
Get people on the go
A quality online publisher will convert your magazine so it is easily readable across mobile devices thus creating accessibility to your magazine that you may not have had before.  For those stuck in the daily commute, busy execs with time between meetings, mums and dads on the go with littlies; now the majority of people have their ipad, tablet, or phone with them so they can read your publication as it suits.
 
Global reach
If your subscribers move to another location, they can maintain their loyalty with a simple click as you notify them with an email that your magazine is live.  A regular email is also a great way to share other news at the same time.  Plus, the power of Google means once online, your magazine is searchable by everyone. 
 
Here are a couple of online publishing platforms to check out, and if you would like to discuss how to get your magazine online simply get in touch here.
 
Issuu.com
Mirabel’s Digital Studio
ZMags.com
Yudu
Joomag
Flip PDF professional
Adobe digital publishing suite

Written by Kathleen Boyd

The days of the free organic search proving fruitful for your business are coming to a close, as more and more people take up the offer of paid advertising to have their business on the first page of a Google search.  This is not to say that organic search engine optimisation is redundant and won’t help; it is still important and every little bit will help when targeting your audience. 
 
Read more to discover some simple steps you can take to help boost your business ranking:

1. Search for your company name online, you won’t need to check your own website so use an advanced filter to remove it from your search results.  Eg. type in “business name – site:yoursite@yourdomain.co.nz” this will give you search results for your business less content found on your website.
2. Go through the search results and make sure any listings for your business are correct, if there are outdated details contact the organisation behind the incorrect listing and request a change, or change yourself if it is a directory listing you manage.
3. Social media is a great way to get your business ranking, so if you haven’t set up your Google My Business, Facebook, Slideshare, or LinkedIn business page do this, it will appear near the top of the Google results. 
4. Look at other online directories that you can use to list your business, for example Yellow, Finda, Yelp, Chamber of Commerce, industry specific directories etc, and list your business with them.
5. Google has made getting your business details online easy with Google My Business. This is a one stop dashboard for listings, search, Google+, YouTube, Maps and more.  It is vitally important to have this business listing.

Having your business ranking on the first page of Google isn’t a one-off process - unless you are paying for advertising, and even then there are no guarantees.  Organic searches change constantly and you need to carefully consider your search engine optimisation techniques, including keyword phrases, and then monitor how these are performing.
 
If you need help with listing your business online, get in touch with us today.

Written by Kathleen Boyd

We’ve recently had this conversation with a client who was keen to get media coverage for their business and wanted to be clear how to best achieve this. There’s no real hard and fast but some things to consider:

Why a media release?

• Preparing your media release allows you to present the key information in a way that you feel comfortable with.
• You can frame it so the messaging is in line with your brand or business values.
• You can proof it and ensure all the details are correct.
• You can distribute it to multiple media agencies (if this is appropriate) as the ‘story’ is yours. This can be a disadvantage so you should be strategic with this decision.
• While there are no guarantees the media release will get picked up, there are ways to write it to enhance your chances. (Kite can help you there.)
• Many media outlets won’t run a media release straight as supplied; they may re-intro or broaden the content out by talking to others for an alternative view. You have no control over this.
• Many journalists are time poor and always under pressure to meet deadline. A well written media release can be attractive as it does all (or most) of the work for them.

Pitching your story idea to a journalist

• You will need to piqué the interest of the journalist, so the idea needs to be framed in an arresting way to make them want to add it to their ‘to do’ list.
• You may care to provide one media outlet with exclusivity to make your pitch more effective.
• You will need to provide quality information to make pulling the story together as straight forward as possible (such as contact names, email and phone details for interviews / information gathering).
• You are very unlikely to be allowed to see the article before it runs. You may be allowed to check it for factual accuracy but will have no input into ‘how’ it is written.
• Other media may pick up on the story and recreate it or do their own take but journalists like to have the ‘scoop’ so it’s likely they’ll want another angle; be prepared with a variation or new on the original.

Either way, being prepared is the key. (In both instances, have some visual /photo ideas that are arresting and appealing to accompany the story idea.)
​
If you have a story you want covered, give us a call 06 875 0393 or email and we’ll explore the best option with you.
And once, your article is ‘out there’, make the most of it through your social media platforms….. and that’s another story.

Written by Dale Cowie

Many businesses in New Zealand find it most cost effective to manage their own marketing communications.  Different factors can impact on this choice, such as your level of creativity, the audience you are targeting, your budget, the size of the campaign, and the communications tools you need.  A marketing professional can add value to your business in a variety of ways depending on your objectives.

Things to consider when deciding if the time is right for outside marketing help:

1. Starting out
If you are a new business it may be more cost effective in the long-term to hire a professional to ensure you have everything covered.  Eg.

• Branding – colours, logo
• Digital presence – website, social media
• Launch campaign – direct marketing collateral, newsletters, flyers, brochure
• Media coverage – the story you want to tell through editorial or advertising.

2. Diversion from your core business
If you find you’re spending more time marketing your business than making sales then look at contracting a marketing professional to handle this side, so you can get back to what you are good at.

3. When your budget exceeds your marketing effort
If you’re spending or anticipate spending a large amount of money on your marketing campaign you want to minimise the risk – nothing can be 100 percent, if you feel uncertain of your capabilities, look to hire a professional.

The types of marketing professionals you may need include:

Marketing communications or advertising agency
To take a big picture overview of all your marketing communications.  They will advise, strategise, and carry out the delivery of your marketing.  They can also advise on editorial or advertising opportunities.  A good marketing communications company will have contacts with online and offline publications.

Graphic designer
To help with logo creation, advertisement creation, branding to give your marketing communications a polished look.

Copywriter
To assist with text or copy for advertisements, media and other campaigns, they will ensure your message is succinct and clearly communicated.  Some copywriters specialise in website copy.

Digital marketer
To plan and strategise your online communications, they will make the link between your on and offline presence, messages, and branding.

Website designer and developer
Sometimes this may be one and the same person, separately the website design will create a concept that ties in with your branding and the developer will build your website.

How to choose your marketing expert:

These four steps can help with your choice when looking to employ a marketing professional.

1.  Look at your business goals
What marketing objectives will help achieve your business goals?  For many businesses this directly correlates to sales.  Research the companies in your area, or go national to ensure the professional you choose will help meet your business goals and make a list.

2.  Determine the skill set required
Are you after someone that can create a campaign, help with a rebrand, brand your new business, get you online, write copy, liaise with newspapers, or design advertisements?  Once you have looked at your business goals and marketing objectives you will be able to narrow down the type of marketing professional you need, add these to your list.

3.  Review your budget
Your budget may dictate the level of support you need.  Do you need a specialist, what level of expertise is required to meet your objectives, can you hire an employee? 

4.  Research and meet
Review your list and make time to check out the website and social media profiles of those on it.  Do any sit particularly well with you, or not?  Fine tune your list to make a shortlist of three that you can then set up a face-to-face or phone meeting with.

The services offered by a marketing professional will directly impact how you achieve your goals.  As with any business investment, a marketing professional will add value to your business as you grow.  To get in touch with an expert contact Kite Communications.

Have you ever been caught off-guard either in talking to a key influencer or a journalist, and asked something you know about, but can’t quite communicate effectively? You end up stumbling over a few ahhhs and umms and then launch into a rather long-winded explanation. The result is that you don’t come across at your best and your key messages are lost. It becomes an opportunity wasted.
​
How can you learn from this? It really comes down to being prepared and doing a little practice. Being ready to respond to issues facing your business means having small messages or soundbites in the back of your mind. Knowing what the issues are that face your business is a good start and from there you can create key messages around these issues. Turning these into succinct, short and powerful key messages, are turning them into little sound bites.  

STEP ONE: IDENTIFY YOUR ISSUES

In one marketing communications job I had many years ago they had an issues register that was looked at once a week and discussed with all concerned. You can take this approach further to create a spreadsheet that not only notes issues, but also projects, which you have on the go.

STEP TWO: CREATE THE SOUNDBITE

From here you can develop three concise key messages that will form the backbone of your soundbites, of your FAQs and media releases. When I say concise, I really mean it! Keep these short, I know it’s often really hard to do but it can directly affect your media pick up. If these key messages are too long, they get lost.
Here’s some interesting facts to think about:

• The average length of a print soundbite is 27 words
• The average length of a soundbite is nine seconds – about the size of a tweet
• The average number of key messages reported is three
• The average length of a TV news story is one minute and thirty seconds.

This doesn’t give you much time to tell your story, or to get your messages across. The consequence of this is the need to keep your messages short and memorable. Once you think you’ve got your soundbites to a manageable length it’s time to practice.

STEP THREE: CREATE PERFECT CONDITIONS BY PRACTICING  

The best ways I have found to practice are to start in front of the mirror, where you can see yourself delivering the message. If you’re tripping over your tongue while at the mirror stage, your message still needs some simplifying. The final stage is to rope in a colleague and have some mock interview practice. This forces you to be put on the spot and you can clearly see what messages are working, what isn’t and what hasn’t stuck in your memory.

It sounds like a bit of work and it is. But it’s also a very valuable safety net. How you’re perceived in the media can have lasting effects. Take your foot out of your mouth and move it in front of you. Pull the key messages from your expert knowledge and take charge of the conversation, leaving a journalist, or business contact knowing in no uncertain terms, where your business stands on the issue in question.

Now you’re all ready for action – get started by making that issues list and tackling each issue one at a time. And we're here to lend you a hand if you'd like it.

Looking for a way to differentiate yourself from others in your industry?  Consider your personal branding online.  Social media can be a great way to develop your reputation.  

Start by doing a Google search on your name, you can get specific and put your country down for a more accurate result.  Like the results?

Ideally you will see a list of your social profiles; LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, as well as your website, blog, and any images. All of these are core elements of your online presence and personal branding.

Objectives
Consider what you want people to see when they search for you and what your business objectives are.  If you want to appear different to your competitors, work on making your personal brand appealing; if you want more blog followers and to showcase your knowledge, write compelling articles; if you are wanting different employment opportunities, build your LinkedIn profile.

Profiles
Have a list of all your social profiles and set aside time for each of these; depending on your objectives this could be daily, weekly, or monthly.  Include quick links to all of these in your bookmarks for easy access when you have content to share.

Make sure you review your privacy settings, you may not want the world to see all of your Facebook posts, but you may want some key items visible.

Position yourself
Who are you, what do you do, and what do you stand for?  You may have already done this for your business, now it is time to consider a positioning statement for yourself.  This is what will help you stand out from your competitors, it will answer the "why me" when people are considering using your services, connecting with you, or buying products from you. 

Secure your name online
Though you may not consider Instagram, Snapchat or LinkedIn for you, you never know what the future will bring.  Secure your own, and your business name on each social media platform - just in case.  You do not need to be using them all, or even promoting them if they are not of use to your business right now.  Knowem? has a great database of social networks and online platforms that you can quickly search to see what is available for your name.

Get yourself out there
For those social media platforms that you do use, the key, once you have a profile, is to engage your audience, make an impact, and grow your personal brand within the communities.  Being active gives your profile more exposure and in some cases, helps boost search rankings, both within the platforms and on Google.  

If you would like assistance with setting up your social profiles, or training in how to use these, get in touch with Kite today.

By Kathleen Boyd

As part of your overall marketing strategy knowing your target audience is key, as this will help shape your message.  A target audience is not just 'men and women between 18 and 35', you need to get specific.  

Consider what your target audience likes, narrow down the age gap and the gender, think about where you are servicing; local, national, or global.  Online and offline are equally important, find out where your next customer is coming from.

One of the most efficient ways to determine your audience is to ask your clients and receive first hand information.  Ask new clients one important question:

How did you find us?

Some businesses have a new client form.  If you haven't already, include this question on it and provide a range of options for selection, eg. Yellow Pages, Yellow Online, Google Search, social media promotion, newspaper or radio advertisement, referral.  

Another option is to compile a short (three to five question) survey that you can share with both new and existing clients.  Ensure you have a purpose in mind when you are preparing this.  It may be to determine your most effective marketing channels, or find out how your business was found, or why someone chose to work with you.

Over time you will you have compiled a list of valuable data that can the be analysed and put to use to refine your business marketing.

If you would like guidance on refining your target audience to better ensure your marketing efforts are received by the right people, get in touch with Kite today.

By Kathleen Boyd