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Content marketing: ten steps to success
When it comes to content marketing, do you have a plan? One that you stick to? Or is your approach to content creation somewhat haphazard? If it is, you could be missing out. You might be getting by,...
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Four simple ways to improve your presentations
Do you love giving presentations? I thought not; most people don't.Here are four simple techniques that boost two key things - your confidence and your chances of success. They are:First...
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Revealed: 13 marketing secrets of the most successful small firms
When it comes to marketing, it's tempting to think that successful small businesses know something that you don't; they have discovered that one elusive marketing miracle at the end of the rainbow.But...
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How to make your customers the heroes on social media
I was pretty despondent when I walked through the door of my parents' home. I was 17 years old and had just had my first driving lesson. I thought driving was going to be a breeze; but inevitably I had...
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Ace your next presentation - tell a story!
A key skill for marketing professionals is being able to create presentations that stick. Whether you are looking to win more budget internally or to pitch a new client - by harnessing the power of...
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How your business could benefit from working with a charity
In a world where we are becoming increasingly isolated and where chats on social media are taking the place of face-to-face conversations, the search for a human connection is increasingly important....
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Why pop-up shops are not just for start-ups
The UK has seen a 110% increase in independent stores in the past five years, according to recent research published by EE and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).And what's...
View ArticleMy top five eCommerce Books to read over Christmas 2015
Chloe Thomas, eCommerce expert, has been turning her mind to good reads for the Christmas break. She shares her top picks here.One of the biggest challenges in eCommerce is finding the right materials...
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Five ways to leverage winning an award
One of the tried and tested ways to establish your business in your sector is to win an award. An industry accolade is an independent evaluation of your firm and a public recognition of your worth -...
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How to prepare for a successful TEDx talk
TED talks and the independently organised TEDx talks are hugely popular with both speakers and their audiences. An opportunity to speak at such an event is on the bucket list for many people, so when I...
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What can a Katy Perry lyric teach you about customer communication?
My daughter was listening to the song Firework by Katy Perry the other day.The first line says: "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?"And I thought: "No, I don't actually". So I stopped listening.Then,...
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The ten best blogs of 2015
2015 seems to have flown by; we've certainly been busy here at Donut HQ covering small business news, publishing expert blogs and adding to our ever-expanding library of marketing resources for small...
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How to target your perfect clientele
When you are setting up a new business, one of the biggest challenges is finding your target audience and making them aware of what you have to offer. This can be daunting but, by following this...
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The power of promotional marketing for start-ups
So you've decided to start a business and join over 4.9 million other small businesses in the UK. You've got an amazing company name and you've bought the website domain. You've a great idea for a...
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Nothing up my sleeves - why effective SEO doesn't involve trickery
There's a new strategy in town. It's turning the SEO tables, causing established giants to fall by the wayside as smaller competitors make their mark in search rankings.It's powerful; it promises to...
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Is your customer service up to scratch on social media?
The stakes have never been higher when it comes to customer service; 46% of shoppers in the UK under 25 use social media to comment on their customer experience.Amazon's Jeff Bezos describes a brand as...
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Why every small business should be using email marketing
Running a small business is hard work. But just because you have a small team, and you won't be buying a TV spot during this year's Champions League Final, doesn't mean that you shouldn't be investing...
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Seven ways to find new prospects - and win them over
One of the hardest things about running your own business is ensuring that the right people know about you and can be persuaded to part with their cash. Here are seven ways to find and grow your...
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11 ways to make your next presentation a sure-fire success
People ask me loads of questions about presentations. So here are 11 FAQs and answers that can help you transform your presentations.Q1: How do I engage audiences immediately?By doing something...
View ArticlePodcast: online lessons from 2015 and where to go from here
The most successful ecommerce retailers are always learning. But what did we learn in 2015 that can help us move forward in 2016?The industry has grown up. We turned a corner in 2015. It’s no longer...
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Like it or not - social media sites are starting to look very similar
Twitter recently made the decision to replace its Favorite button with a Like button giving users a new way to show their appreciation for Tweets.Of course, Facebook has been using this feature for...
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How to boost the profit from your existing customer base
Many business owners assume marketing is all about lead generation; pulling in new enquiries and gaining new customers.But this is not the whole picture. Marketing is actually about getting more...
View ArticlePodcast: expert online marketing tips for 2016
What are the best marketing methods to use in 2016 if you want to boost your online sales results?In this podcast, I talk to four experts to get their tips on the best marketing strategies for...
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Move over millennials, Generation Z is here
The millennials are growing up. Young people born in the eighties and nineties have been seen as the first generation to adapt to the "new age". However, these consumers are now entering their thirties...
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The fine art of putting up your prices
It happens to us all at some time or other; you realise that your expertise and experience is worth far more than the prices you're charging. Or maybe you’ve absorbed so many increased costs in order...
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Why practice makes perfect when it comes to communication
When a fan once said to violinist Fritz Kreisler "I'd give my whole life to play as beautifully as you just did," Fritz answered, "I did."He didn't just read about the theory of music every day; he...
View ArticlePodcast: the key to ecommerce success in 2016
Want to improve your ecommerce sales in 2016 but don’t know where to start?In my latest podcast, I have gathered together four experts to discover the key to ecommerce success for 2016.Ernest Capbert...
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Getting the most out of Instagram
With over 300 million users (70% outside the US), Instagram is fast becoming a top social media platform that small businesses cannot afford to ignore. Here are my top tips to boost your following and...
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What can pop-up marketing do for your small business?
It's hard to overstate the importance of brand recognition, but how do you go about building it? And how do you do it on a tight budget?One simple tactic for start-ups and small firms is pop-up...
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Five key design elements of an online shop
Ecommerce is getting more competitive. If a visitor comes to your online shop and doesn't like the look of it or finds something that doesn't work, they'll be just a click away from one of your...
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Social media lessons for start-ups
It can be easy to fall into the trap of using social media for your brand in an ad-hoc way, especially when you are starting out. But setting standards for tone and branding on social media sites can...
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How to build trust in your online brand
Trust is an essential component in the success of any business. It's key to converting a prospect into a lead and turning a lead into a satisfied customer. When you are operating an online-only...
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What's next for Twitter?
Twitter turns ten this week, but it continues to suffer a difficult year, with share prices plummeting, key executives jumping ship and new user growth stalling for the first time in its ten-year...
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How can small business leaders make the most of their brand?
A strong brand drives growth but many marketers complain that business leaders don't understand what branding actually means for their business - and research backs this up.The recent Brand Experience...
View ArticlePodcast: Dominic Irons talks to Chloe Thomas about his successful online...
In this podcast, Chloe Thomas talks to Dominic Irons, owner of Bureau Direct an award-winning mail order stationery retailer.A focus on design, great products and excellent customer communication has...
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How online images can dramatically improve customer engagement
The way businesses and customers interact is changing - and graphics, photographs and videos are making a bigger impact on consumers than ever.If you are launching a campaign, looking to strengthen...
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What Usain Bolt can teach you about getting ahead of your competitors
To beat your competition, you just have to be 1% better than everyone else.Don't believe me? Usain Bolt's nearest competitor was just 1% behind him in terms of time, yet no-one remembers who came...
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Does your small business need marketing automation?
Do we need it? Will it cost a lot of money? Do we have enough time? These are the questions swirling around the heads of marketers when it comes to marketing automation.Everyone’s talking about it but...
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Why you're never too small to have a brand
If you have competitors and you take money for your products or services, then you are a brand.But lots of the pub and food brands that we work with say that they are not a brand. They say "we're not...
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Build your following on Instagram
Instagram is a powerful tool for connecting with your audience; by harnessing the power of visual content, you can increase engagement and get really creative with your marketing activities.There is so...
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Are you hitting the right note with your sales proposals?
It's not easy to get people to do what you want. And it's even harder if you aren't there to do it.This happens when you send someone a proposal or a business plan. They'll read it at their leisure,...
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Two free tools to help you write better headlines
Do you struggle to come up with compelling headlines for your blog posts or subject lines for your marketing emails? Me too.The good news is that new online tools can help you review and improve your...
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How to use Snapchat to promote your business
Snapchat started life as an app for people to share photos with their friends - perfect for silly snaps of your night on the town.Over the past few months, however, it has experienced a surge in...
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Confessions of a direct mail junkie
I'm a direct mail junkie (please excuse the pun!). I cut my teeth on direct mail 33 years ago and since then I've generated some £10 million of sales from direct mail for businesses big and small.Now...
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Top tips for live streaming on Periscope, Facebook Live and Blab
Unless you've spent the past year hiding under a rock, you'll be no stranger to the live streaming phenomenon.Increasingly, businesses are starting to harness the power of this informal, off-the-cuff...
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Do you need a new approach to selling?
Today, you'll make lots of sales. You might be selling:Products or services to your customers;A proposal to a new prospect;The idea to your children that it's time to go to bed. Right now.But, despite...
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The sound of marketing
In marketing a great deal of time and money is spent on communicating; after all marketing is about connecting to audiences and "speaking" to them about your company, product or service.Anyone with...
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12 ways to reduce your fears of public speaking
Speaking in public - even about the business you love - is a widely held fear. So how do you turn that fear into confidence?1. Speak in public whenever you get a chanceIt doesn't matter whether you...
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Why your lapsed customers could be your best bet
In your rush to recruit new customers, it's all too easy to overlook the most cost-effective marketing campaign of all - getting back in touch with your lapsed customers.If you need proof that this...
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It's all about the brand
Brand is to business what location is to property.With property, they say that the most important factor is location; with your business it's your brand. The value of your brand is phenomenal. When...
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