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Author archives: Stuart Nimmo

Building authority on your subject matter…

31 October 2021 Stuart Nimmo Books Marketing Professional Publishing Publishing

One of the major principles underlying marketing and a sales process is “know like trust”.

For some professions and trades, when intangibles are at the heart of what you deliver, when it is about culture, the way things work, demonstrating and unpacking what is essential to gain traction with potential customers. Seeing is believing, even the written word provides this too.

One interesting concept which we are seeing more examples of, is where subject specialists use a book as the means to demonstrate their knowledge. In turn builds the trust on a subject with their audience, as it provides creditability through being a “produced” piece.

Some of our recent projects have utilise this as a point of providing leverage.

In an age where flash, almost retro buy it now graphics and corny imagery are now making a comeback, for look at this, wow isn’t this brilliant etc. The very opposite stands ground for delivering re-assurance and security of being. Trust is built on values and being grounded. So the nature of certain things need gravitas to aid the progression with a customer audience. 

We are seeing photographers committing projects to print, to provide longevity, to drive the story telling of their work in a specific manner. The progression of the subject or development of the concept. When online means provides the ability to jump around, miss the finesse of the story telling, print provides a structured manner to deliver it in. After all an artists’ portfolio is compiled in such a way to build, inform and tell the story. 

One of the books we’ve recently printed has been a niche market sector customer service guide, illustrating the challenges and the way to overcome, alongside social and political environment which present within this given community. Being able to tell the story in a manner which was narrative and unpack the why and how behind the concept, is to build the trust in the author as a subject matter specialist. 

I am well aware of other management consultants using this process to enhance their leverage with their prospective client base. A well-presented paperback book carefully arrived with a prospective client has a point of value about it. Whether it is self-published, published with a large publishing house or even a self-commissioned as a marketing tool. 

Equally we have fulfilled and mailed on behalf of an author how used her book as a social media content tool. Getting people to engage with her on social media to receive a physical copy of the book. Of course the journey involved here doesn’t just involve the give-away copies, as nothing is free. Careful use of social and electronic media, then prompts the recipients for feedback or reviews, which then boost the profile of the book in the relevant online searches.

It is fair to say, the age of the physical printed edition, is far from dead. It provides the opportunity to build trust, gain respect or likes from your audience. Where we can hardly remember what we saw on the social media the day before. A book remains on a desk, side table, kitchen counter for some time, increasing the awareness or knowledge of you.

Want to see Stuart delivering this topic….

Positioning

25 October 2021 Stuart Nimmo Marketing Our ethos Print based marketing

What’s this all about? Well in marketing terms, it’s where you exist in the market you operate in. Equally where you pitch your product or service to your clients. We as printers recognise that we are a valuable tool in your marketing communications arsenal. We like to make sure that you use your materials wisely.

Understanding where you and your business is at is highly important to help you to move forward. The last 2 years have seen markets shift monumentally with the advent of how digital tools are used not just in marketing but in the delivery of content and knowledge.

A recent conversation with one of our clients in the personal fitness business was highly enlightening about the issue of market positioning. Why? Personal Trainers have seen the digital tools which they used during the lockdown, now take the lead for convenience with certain sectors of their customer base. The added issue is that it has price point dropped due to lower delivery costs and retention concepts used during the COVID lockdowns.

So, when running your business, you look at your costs both direct and indirect which informs your price point together with your margin. When you are professionally established and have an offering that is delivered at that level there is a significant challenge in the 4 P’s of marketing (Price / Place / Promotion / Product).

So, looking at this PT, if the usual position in the market is swamped with low price offering, then the long-term goal is to deliver in a different place, as the business is geared up for a certain standard of delivery, it probably is easier to apply to a higher market and focus on a higher return for a slightly upgraded serviced product, rather than a downgrade.

How to make this work, we would suggest, that researching the local area, to identify where the potential higher value clients could be. This could be using LinkedIn to find local businesses and individuals within those businesses, supplementing this with other online searches, would also help. Why identify individuals? Being targeted and direct reaps a higher level of response and engagement.

The essential part of the pitch is recognising the potential clients’ challenges and pain points. Addressing them in clear messages. Consideration of the customer journey of what will trigger and support potential actions is essential. Online content will probably be less critical, as it will be a point of confirmation rather than an initial starting point. A possible starting point perhaps should be a bespoke, personalised piece of mail. I almost said direct mail, but this needs to be the level above a piece of DM, it needs to demonstrate a personal approach, attentive pitch. Clever use of some relevant online content, such as a white paper or a planning tool or other want to have exclusive online content, on a hidden URL, which is only accessed from the personal mail. This can then be used as a point of confirmation of a “bite”.

Building a more strategic approach to a higher value client acquisition is all about the customer journey. The tools you use will need to be highly focussed, tailorable and demonstrate true value add, from an intangible point. Materialistic add-ons won’t necessarily create the right bite, but referral and value add proposition from knowledge, empathy and the right service level will create value for both PT and their client.

This example also looks at the marketing strategy moving from being multi-channel, where all guns ablaze at the same time, to a strategic omnichannel, progressive approach.

So why does this matter to a print professional?
• Ensuring your marketing works, matters to us, we want your print to perform, even if it is a limited edition.
• The right triggers can transform your customer journey.
• Skimping on marketing mix tools does not help you.
• We want to see our customers achieve more, even if it is with fewer clients, but clients that have a higher retention rate and value.

Why procrastinate?

3 October 2021 Stuart Nimmo Direct Mail Marketing Print based marketing Print in the marketing toolbox

We all know the facts, customers like being treated as privileged individuals, yet we scatter-gun generic marketing messages hoping they bite.

So why not be savvier?
Communication is best when it is one to one. Communication is best when it is direct and meaningful. So how come so many are just following the flock when being different makes you stand out.

We’ve recently done a select mailing for an event. Being able to have a catchy line which linked to the mailing aided us to get more time with recipients than an online campaign. You’ve heard us before but here’s a refresher on why direct mail is so good…

• A leader in response rates – yes how much physical mail do people get, therefore it attracts more time and attention with the recipient. Can you remember what you saw on whatever social media channel yesterday?

• Highly personalized, with digital print technology, we can add more personalisation than just names and locations, you can make it highly relevant to the individual in many different ways.

• Opened and read, with creative physical mail running alongside so many other channels, it is a refreshing experience for the receiver.

• Creative, lumpy mail creates a buzz, interest which stimulates more of the senses. Doing something which is out of the ordinary size or colour wise, also grabs attention.

• Tangible (physical) – it’s kinaesthetic one of the key learning methods, after all, marketing is teaching your audience about a product or service

• Versatile – seasonal, in shape, in format, in whatever manner you need it to be.

• Familiar everyone loves receiving a piece of creative engaging post.

• Simple to do – HAD-Print are a skilled practitioner with making your requirements fit within Royal Mail’s distribution channels – we take the hassle out of a mailing.

• Trust-building with too many scams being online, the real-world physical item adds kudos to your message about being taken seriously.

• Cost-effective, whether it is using bulk mail rates, specifying to fit within a certain mailing band, a lot can be achieved within the standard letter and up to 100gms

• Highly trackable – whether through delivery or engagement. There are many ways of tracking and monitoring engagement with direct mail. Clever use of short links, QR codes can make this monitorable in a compliant way.

• Highly targeted, we stated social can be a little scattergun in its approach. With careful use of datasets, and demographics targeting can be achieved to the relevant audience.

• A complement to digital marketing, it can link up, feed into and even be used as an engagement tool back. Exclusive offers belong in the club as they say, why not make Direct Mail part of the club USP?

• Data-driven – if you run a CRM, make sure you set triggers to fire crafted physical communications, or Direct Mail to trigger subsequent online progressive actions.

If you need case study material for any of these, have a chat with us. We have worked with some great clients over the years and also have brilliant case studies from peer colleagues around the globe!



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