Digital Attention in Northern Ireland

Social media is everywhere nowadays. In the last ten years we have seen the rise and growth of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and countless other channels.

If you’re unsure about how this directly affects you from a business standpoint it might be worth considering Gary Vaynerchuk’s “Attention argument”.

Eyes & Ears

Vaynerchuk, in countless blogs and videos, repeatedly highlights that smart businesses market their product or service wherever mass attention exists.

For all of us in 2016, this means social media.

In just the UK alone Facebook has 30 million users, Twitter 15 million and Instagram 14 million.

If you can sell worldwide, most likely through an e-commerce site, and you want to expand this out to a global scale the numbers become even more incredible.

This is where the general public now focuses its attention and that means this is where we need to market our messages.

What to Focus on?

Another way to consider this is by using public road roundabouts as an example.

Every week I drive past roundabouts that feature a business advertisement or billboard stuck in the middle.

In some cases this could be connected to charity or local sponsorships and that is fine.

From a business point of view it makes no sense.

People fly past roundabouts and pay zero attention to this platform for a message, so why waste time and money advertising there?

Think about where you market your business nowadays; think about the general public attention connected to whichever platform you’re using and then think about if it’s really worth it.

Moving Forward

Moving forward isn’t hard.

Now that you know where the collective public attention is focused, you can begin to tailor messages about your business or product for specific channels.

Go where the attention is. Then try to engage with potential customers in a fun, original or creative way.

If you want to talk more about digital attention, get in touch.

Northern Ireland Tourism Workshops

Tourism is projected to become a billion pound industry in Northern Ireland by 2020.

Whilst that might be the case, there is still plenty of work yet to be done and recently myself and my colleague Jason Powell, of Powell Destination Marketing, had the pleasure of teaming up to host a tourism marketing workshop in Portrush on the north coast.

We set-up shop in the Magherabuoy House Hotel, just off the incredible Causeway Coastal Route, and started our workshop designed specifically for local bed & breakfast and self-catering traders.

Focus on Tourism

Jason started the day with a focus set firmly on the principles of tourism marketing.

With so much support now readily available via Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland it’s important to utilise what’s already out there including the regular opportunities e-zines and in-depth market research.

These two massive organisations have undertaken all of the research needed so we don’t have to. 

Instead, we have to focus on creating engaging products and messages for our target customer profiles like the Culturally Curious or Great Escapers.

A Great Escaper wants a holiday linked back to nature in someway so why not package your bed and breakfast rooms with a local walking or hiking trail?

The research tells us this is exactly what they want so now we have to get the message out there!

Focus on Digital

The next step is all about getting these specific messages and products in front of potential travellers.

Nowadays it is essential to do this is via digital channels online and the second half of the workshop allowed me to focus on all things digital whilst also relating back to Jason’s talk earlier in the day.

We focused on using digital signposts to drive people back to your website where direct bookings or enquiries are most likely to happen.

These digital signposts include, but aren’t limited to, popular social media channels, search engines and email marketing.

Puzzle Pieces

It was a great day and the feedback has been very positive.

At Counter Digital and Powell Destination Marketing we try to keep things simple when it comes to tourism marketing.

Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland hand us the puzzle pieces; it’s just about us putting them together in the right order and getting out there online!

For more information on tourism workshops click here.

Effective Digital Marketing at Ballymena Chamber

Recently I was asked to speak on Effective Digital Marketing at the Ballymena Chamber of Commerce.

It was a fun morning hosted by Jackie Logan of Naked PR and also featured brief talks by Diamond Recruitment Group and Q Radio Network.

It was great to get a chance to actually discuss digital marketing with local businesses and hear what they really thought about the challenges of 2016 and beyond.

Signposts to Success

The key theme of my talk was how to proactively direct people or customers to your website.

The reality is that the digital market place is saturated. Reports vary but it’s estimated that there are around 1 billion websites online now.

This is an unfathomable number and competition is everywhere so how do you direct people to your site specifically?

With Counter Digital I focus on providing digital signposts back to client websites.

These signposts come in all shapes and sizes but I focus primarily on social media, email marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO).

As discussed with the chamber, everything is designed to direct people back to a website where the real magic happens.

Your website is where you have complete control over your brand but building it is just the first step.

Think about your signposts and ask yourself – how will people get to my site?

Speak to Me

With the digital landscape constantly shifting and evolving sometimes it’s worthwhile thinking about a talk or workshop to recap and refocus.

If you’re interested in hosting a workshop or talk focused on digital marketing and would like me to speak, get in touch.

Connecting Online and Offline Marketing in Northern Ireland

The rapid evolution of digital (online) marketing can make it daunting but the reality is that the goal remains the same – getting a message out there and in front of customers.

In some cases this can only happen after successfully connecting your online and offline marketing.

The two should never exist as separate entities.

Real World to Digital

I recently worked with a Northern Ireland gym and they had one key aim – increase footfall and class participation.

We started to make members more aware of upcoming classes and timetables.

We filtered this message through various social channels but we had to connect with our offline marketing to really achieve results.

We did this by collecting the email addresses of customers who entered the gym every day.

Every customer was asked two things:

What was their email address?

What did they most want to know about their gym?

We were then able to use the growing list of email addresses and customer feedback comments to create online email marketing campaigns that really worked and added value for both the gym and their members.

Digital in Real-Time

Similar to a gym, a hotel is the perfect place to showcase the connection between online and offline marketing.

There are opportunities everywhere in a hotel to collect the information that’s all around you.

We successfully did this, via opinion cards in the bar and restaurant, and then used the data collected to inform and direct our new digital marketing campaigns.

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It won’t be as easy in every sector but connecting the dots between online and offline can really benefit your digital marketing here in Northern Ireland.

Digital in Northern Ireland: From Top to Bottom

Recently I attended the Deloitte TMT Predictions 2016 at James Street South in Belfast and then a week later spoke at a Journey to Market event in Coleraine.

On one side we had high-level research, predictions and discussions concerning the evolution of digital and on the other, traders simply wanting to use whatever channel works best for them in the here and now.

Deloitte TMT Predictions

It was interesting going from top to bottom in Northern Ireland digital marketing and Deloitte produced an incredible report, for the fifteenth year in a row, with countless predictions but there were a few that stood out.

One notable point was that we are quickly entering the dawn of the gigabit Internet age. This means lighting fast internet (faster than fiber optic) will soon be widely available.

Another interesting point was the rise in people owning smartphones but never actually using the device to make calls. This group is known as “data exclusive” and is primarily composed of younger generations.

A final point, specifically on marketing and advertising, was that brands and businesses should focus more efforts on search engines as they are now and will continue to be the modern day equivalent of the Yellow Pages.

Interesting stuff – but is it of any use?

Journey to Market

Real world execution is the only way the research becomes valuable and that’s why I was delighted to be asked to speak at the recent Journey to Market workshop held by Causeway Coast and Glens council.

This was a chance to talk to traders about their digital needs whilst also remembering the points from the week before.

The traders, focusing on consumers, want to get their product or service out there and in front of eyes and ears as quickly as possible.

 With the growth of ultra-fast Internet it is clear that our attention (eyes and ears) will focus more and more on digital channels and right now traders should primarily focus on Facebook and Google.

Also, if we think back to the “data exclusive” group and the gigabit Internet age, traders need to ensure their websites are fully responsive and optimised for mobile use. 

Bringing a Farm Online

Last summer we had the pleasure of working with Valdale Farm as they embarked on a new venture – producing natural raw milk.

Valdale Farm is a local Northern Ireland diary farm based just outside of Ballymena in County Antrim.

While they have produced pasteurised diary products for decades they recently decided to enter the natural market and needed some help spreading this message online.

Route to Market

There were various aims and targets set out at the beginning of this project with a massive focus placed on providing interested customers with the correct information and the right message.

Also, for a variety of reasons Valdale decided against exploring a social media route to market so ranking highly on Google (and Bing) was our key priority.

The product can only be purchased on site at the farm so it was extremely important that potential customers knew exactly where they could purchase raw milk in Northern Ireland.

Customer Focused Content

With very  clear aims we set to work and viewed search engines as answer machines and considered what sort of questions potential Valdale Farm customers might ask.

Where can I buy raw milk in Northern Ireland?

Is raw milk safe?

Why drink raw milk?

With this customer focused approach we set about creating relevant content that would both help customers and boost search engine rankings.

Amongst other actions we also ensured that title tags, descriptions, headings and image tags were all optimised for the best results possible.

Ranking on Google in Northern Ireland

With this organised approach we achieved the results wanted.

Valdale Farm now ranks on the first search page for “Northern Ireland raw milk” and “Raw milk in Northern Ireland” on both Google and Bing.

This means that Valdale Farm are now getting their message in front of customers actively seeking out their product!

If you want to know how this could apply to your business get in touch.

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.