Learning at the Focus on Food 2016 Conference

Sometimes we’re so focused on the day-to-day that we forget to take time to ask ourselves questions about our businesses:

Where are we going?

What should we do next?

How do we get there?

If you work within the food, hospitality or tourism sectors of Northern Ireland the Focus on Food 2016 conference in Belfast was a great opportunity to ask those questions and think about the future.

Lessons

Although the conference was centered on a specific set of industries it’s easy to use the lessons learned when working in other sectors as well.

Lynsey Holywood of Ulster University noted that successful “food tourism” is achieved by creating “authentic, memorable and engaging experiences”.

Holywood also highlighted that a food industry disrupter, like AirBnB in the hospitality sector, is not far away. It is predicted that soon, amongst other things, we will be able to hire incredible chefs and cooks for the night or even eat in their own homes!

These two points can easily be expanded onto other industries and it’s clear that in 2016 we can’t rest on our laurels. We have to constantly ask ourselves questions, challenge our businesses and strive to move forward because disrupters are everywhere.

Likewise, we also have to create something authentic, engaging and valuable for our customers. Ewan Venters, Fortnum & Mason CEO, continued with this theme as he highlighted two key points to consider when marketing any brand, service or product:

Creating a shift in perception takes time

Creating memories leave a lasting impression and creates (social) content

Another interesting point came via Damien Donnelly as he highlighted that one third of all restaurant bookings now come directly from Google alone!

Digital Point of View

The above are just a small number of the many valuable points raised on the day and from a digital marketing point of view, in any industry, this means really striving to create incredible content and campaigns.

It also means businesses have to get themselves on Google in the correct way because if they aren’t doing it, one of their competitors is.

Finally, in todays saturated marketplace experience really is everything but that memorable experience could be a simple video on Facebook with a friendly face and a local voice behind it.

It could also be as simple as monitoring customer reviews and searching for new ways to improve.

As Ewan Venters noted, improving and shifting perceptions takes time but taking a moment to think is the start everyone needs.

Simple Local SEO in Northern Ireland

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is crucial in the digital age.

Everyone uses Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter and more to search for local products, services or information in their area. Northern Ireland is no different.

Are they finding you, or a competitor?

Local SEO is about providing the information local customers really want.

You need to make sure your information is present, correct and consistent on all of these channels.

Research has shown that up to 34% of desktop searches and 50% of local mobile searches result in a store visit within 24 hours.

Customers are looking for information that they will then act upon.

Basic Information is Key

Getting the basics right is key to local SEO success.

Think about what your customers want to know when they search for you online.

Generally, local people want to know to your address, opening hours, key products and services and contact information.

It’s that simple.

Depending on your business you could also add information regarding important upcoming events and special offers or discounts.

Google My Business

As we’ve mentioned before, in Northern Ireland, the rest of the UK and Europe, Google is king of the search world so this must be taken into consideration when looking at your local SEO.

To get the ball rolling, visit the “Google My Business” site to begin your optimisation journey.

After that it is worthwhile to revisit all of your social channels and ensure key business facts (address, opening hours etc.) are front and centre.

Want to take things a step further? Say hello. 

Use Events & Holidays as a Platform for your Business

In a world of repetitive, boring marketing, be agile and use big events or holidays as a platform to say something different about your business!

Valentine’s Surprises

At the end of every week the good folk at Search Engine Watch discuss five interesting stories in the world of search.

Last week they highlighted the Bing report on a huge surge in Valentine’s Day search traffic.

According to Bing results - Valentine’s Day is the 4th largest spending holiday on the calendar after Christmas, back to school and Mother’s Day.

They noticed steady growth from early January onwards and also highlighted that even single people are getting in on the Valentine’s Day act!

11% of singletons organised or attended a “singles” event with friends on February 14th.

What does this mean for Northern Ireland businesses?

For businesses like florists, pharmacies (selling beauty products) and confectionary stores this might be old news but the rest of us should take note.

All consumer brands and businesses should be aware of the heightened shopper activity around Valentine’s Day.

According to Bing up to 10% of us treat ourselves during the holiday – and that could be any sort of purchase.

Use this heightened activity as a chance to say something different about your brand or business.

Even if you’re considered a traditionally “boring” business you could use the event or holiday as a time to promote a softer image or message.

Be Agile!

The key takeaway from Bing’s research is to be agile, try new things and take advantage of increased demand!

Use big events like Super Bowl 50 or Valentine’s Day to target people in a different way. 

Why Should You Use Email Marketing for your Business?

Email is Everywhere

In the age of Internet 2.0, social media and mobile apps, email marketing might look old fashioned and redundant but the reality is the opposite.

Despite all the advances in digital communication and online marketing, email is still considered the steady workhorse because it’s a cheap and reliable method of getting your message out there.

Up to 82% of businesses, in all sorts of markets, use email so if you or your businesses aren’t you need to consider, why not?

What Should You Send Out?

If you do decide to undertake an email marketing campaign you need to do two things to begin:

Start collecting your customers email addresses

Start thinking about what interests them and what you’ll actually send them

61% of online adults use email every day and almost half of them access emails on a mobile device. Keep this in mind when creating your campaign. It has to be attractive, easy to read and concise on even the smallest of screens.

Engaged Mailing Lists

When you do begin collecting customer email addresses try to do so in a positive fashion. The average email open rate hovers around 20% but if you focus on only collecting the addresses of those most interest it can rise to as high as 50%!

100 engaged interested customer addresses are far better than 1000 uninterested customers that just as quickly might unsubscribe. Don’t get bogged down in the vanity of numbers.

Finally, try to focus on those people that might be interested in hearing more about your products, services or events on a regular basis. 

Search Engines are Answer Machines

"Just Google It"

We’ve all said it.

What we actually mean is “Just ask Google” and we’re all searching for answers to our every day questions:

Where are the best walks in Northern Ireland?

What are cheap healthy food recipes?

How can I invest my money?

Think of the questions your customers might ask and then consider how well your website answers them.

Search engines will direct the searcher to the best answer. Is that you?

In thinking this way you can start to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your website and begin the process of improving things until you provide Google, and other engines, with the best possible answers for your target customers.

Why Should You Care About SEO?

The number of people going online grows every day and they are constantly searching for the products, services, information and entertainment they want and need.

39 million people from the UK used Google alone in 2014 to search for what they wanted. In the same year 64% of all web traffic came from search engines.

6 out of every 10 visitors to your website is a big number. Are you providing them with the right answers to their search questions?

Search Search Search

What are people actually looking for online?

Well, as it turns out, we’re looking for absolutely everything. For example, over 40,000 people searched for “healthy recipes” in the UK in the last month alone.

No matter what your niche, there will be search traffic (although it could be tiny!)

Content-wise people are looking for answers and this could be great product pictures and descriptions, an in-depth explanation of your services or maybe just helpful tips within your niche.

Think about what your customer is asking on a search engine, then set about creating the best answers.

Digital Marketing for Northern Ireland Businesses

Don’t Be Scared of Online

I’ve spoken to a few businesses around the country that worry that by increasing their efforts online things might suffer offline – in the "real world".

This couldn’t be further from the truth and I’d love to see more local businesses out there truly grasp the power of their own website, social media channels and email marketing.

This can be done alongside your efforts in your store or business. It just takes a little time, organisation and effort.

A Year in Digital

Just before Christmas I spoke to one business in Ballymena who were starting to see the rewards of a little hard work online.

In January 2015 (exactly one year ago!) they decided to use their website as more than just a static shop window. They begin to add tens, if not hundreds of products, to their website and slowly built up a reliable online shop within their own niche.

As the months passed they started to see great online traffic slowly filter through to their website and even noticed funny trends.

These trends included a bad day in the shop, due to horrible weather, being replaced by a great day online with people buying from the comfort of their own (warm & dry!) home. Their shop and website were now complimenting each other.

They did all this without taking their eye off the ball offline in their store.

Start Today!

This doesn’t just apply to shops or businesses selling a product on a shelf.

Everyone including service-based businesses, restaurants, cafes, gyms and hairdressers should look to slowly build up a great online side to their business!

Get the ball rolling...

• Take a look at your website and ask yourself “Does the content on here answer my average customer’s questions?”

• Start asking your customers for their email address to send them exclusive offers and up-to-date information on your business