Tag: Events

Categories
2017 Blogs

Why Local Marketing Remains Relevant Despite the Online Marketplace

Building Foundations Locally Before Casting the Net Wider

When a new business starts up, one of the first calls to action is often to begin developing an online presence. After all, a website can technically provide access to anyone from around the world. Without it, outreach was restricted to a 10-mile vicinity. For many new and small businesses, It appears the logical choice when deciding on where to market the business. However, neglecting local marketing can and has proven to be the downfall of various companies. One high-profile example would be the supermarket chain, Tesco. With aspirations to expand their operations across the globe, the spotlight was pulled away from the core of their business.

As the company channelled its efforts into ventures in the US, competitors back in Britain regained ground on Tesco. Having invested upwards of £1.5billion into the venture, they eventually pulled the plug to re-focus its operations in the UK. While blaming their troubles wholly on the US venture would be inaccurate, but a combination of that and other serious issues led to customers staying away from its superstores. It is true that the target market is significantly smaller locally. However, those repeat customers form the foundations of any small business, so even with the rise of the online marketplace, local marketing must still be respected.

What is Local Marketing? 

Local marketing is commonly associated with knocking on doors, handing out flyers and standing outside shop fronts with signs. This is true in essence. Although in the age we live in, this approach is ineffective for your budget and your time. Digital technology has great potential for small businesses to access their local community without the need for time-consuming and expensive traditional techniques. In the past, communities used to gather in village halls and public houses. Now they have Facebook groups and Twitter feeds. Word-of-mouth has always held great value for businesses. Therefore, local marketing techniques must adapt to cultural trends to establish and nurture that trust.

If a customer is looking for a plumber, electrician or mechanic, the chances of them first going to the phonebook are far lower than in the past 10 years. The process is made simpler by going online, searching for the service they require, followed by their location. This will throw up tens of thousands of results to their query. If the first link that pops up is adorned by five stars and positive reviews, it is unlikely that the customer will look elsewhere. Local marketing now exists in a physical and digital space. So, nurturing techniques for both is crucial for any business to create a solid foundation of contacts.

Local Marketing Online

So, assuming your target audience is particularly ‘tech savvy’, the first thing you will be looking to do is to ensure your business is first for their search query. This is where having a website and ensuring onsite SEO is optimised will be crucial. Emphasising keywords on the page and optimising the design helps to show the search engine your website is worth ranking. Afterwards, improving the ranking further works much in the same way as word-out-mouth recommendations. Creating rich content which others link to or encouraging existing clients to feature you is excellent for demonstrating that your site is trustworthy.

Delving into SEO can get murky, especially if you are a sole trader as it can begin to eat away at your time. If this is the case, then a technique which is valuable for any small business is to employ a review system. These are integral to create trust, and there are various providers out there to help. One of the key problems when searching for products or services online is that you can never be completely sure who you are sending your money to. Amazon and eBay sellers thrive on their reviews. These demonstrate to potential customers who are unsure that their offer is not ‘too good to be true’.

Event Marketing and How Not to Waste Your Time and Money

Marketing is not restricted to sitting behind a desk all day, however. Getting out and about remains incredibly important for developing a reputation. Networking events are often the instinctive reaction in this setting. However, the value gained from giving up a morning to meet with businesses which may not even be relevant can be draining for both your and your business. Use the internet to gauge events such as these as well as exhibitions and trade shows in the local area. These bring potential clients and partners together and also offers the opportunity to show the face behind the business. In the same way that a web order may be swayed by the design of a site, a face-to-face customer may easily be convinced by the individual they could be working with. Exhibiting with panel and pole display boards are an excellent way of creating a professional first impression.

Begin any tactic with a well-thought through strategy. One which allows you to allocate your time to local marketing as well as to your business. Making your marketing strategy a success will require constant tweaking and testing to perfect. Whether it’s an event you wish you attend or a goal for your website, ensure the target is constantly in front of you. Local marketing is effective for your business when done correctly, but can become a horrible time-sink which can drain your effectiveness rapidly.

The Potential of Local Marketing

As we’ve discussed, the aim of local marketing is to create a presence within the surrounding community. Word-of-mouth is an incredibly valuable asset for any business, therefore local marketing serves to get that form of communication flowing. Whether it’s the quality of the product, the efficiency of the service or the friendliness of the staff, this is what the business should be shouting about. The way we consume information, however, has changed. Phone calls and leaflets are quickly passed off as spam and a nuisance, which is where local marketing is adapting. A positive reputation in the local community will provide the lifeblood for any small business and as a result provides solid foundations for future growth.

Local Marketing - Display Boards
Local Marketing – Display Boards

Rap Industries design and manufacture office partitions and exhibition stands in Peterborough, UK. Established over 40 years’ ago, we have worked with clients in local and wider communities to create tailored solutions. For further information on the services we provide, either call 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

Categories
2016 Blogs

Why Exhibiting is a Valuable Experience for ANYONE

Exhibiting Is Not Confined to Major Trade Shows

When we talk about trade shows, the obvious image which pops to mind are the corporate trade shows hosted in sprawling halls and crammed with companies both big and small. These types of events have generated a bit of a bad reputation in recent years for being a waste of money. Admittedly, this is the case for some. However, exhibiting is not just about throwing your budget at a stylish exhibition stand just to feel good and pat yourself on the back for a day. Exhibitions come in all shapes and sizes and some of the most valuable do not require an ego-boosting and overly expensive display stand.

Think Small:

For smaller businesses in particular, with stricter budgets and more tangible goals in sight, it is important to note that there are such things as exhibitions which are not your stereotypical trade show. Look locally for craft fayres, gatherings of local businesses and networking opportunities. While trade shows are prone to becoming a ‘who has got the biggest and best stand competition’, smaller events are geared towards making sales and creating partnerships which will last beyond the evening meal. In a smaller setting, you have more time to interact and ultimately, everyone has the same goal; they want their business to grow.

Larger events can become a bit of a frenzy without careful planning, which is another area where businesses are prone to leaking potential revenue. If you are just starting out with this whole networking and building relationships business, then starting small is always the way to go if you want to learn and actually make it a success. Plenty of new exhibitors make the mistake of reading a few guides, looking at a few photos and then deciding they’re ready to throw themselves in at the deep end. Is it any wonder then that some exhibitors walk away from these events disgruntled and complaining that they wasted their time?

Build on Success:

If trade shows and exhibitions are your ideal location, then you need to learn how to find value in the little things first. Fayres and conferences might not bring in that multi-million-pound deal, but they provide the opportunity to hone your sales patter and get genuine feedback from people who are not just going to palm you away. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that you do not need to invest thousands for a high-spec exhibition stand which you end up using once or twice a year. Display boards and banner stands are just as effective in smaller situations and at a fraction of the cost.

Often with large exhibitions, while they may be relevant to your industry, that does not guarantee that everyone will hold something in common. It is true that thousands of people may be in attendance, but if only a small percentage (and there is no way to get an exact number) who attend are interested in your products and services, then the opportunity to see a return on your investment is severely diminished. Smaller events are often much more focused and assuming you pick out the right one, that percentage of interest parties is likely to be significantly higher. While you may not find that big fish you were hoping for, there is far more potential to make smaller and more frequent gains. Combine this with a cheaper investment and this kind of exhibition experience is more likely to be worth your time and money.

Time is Equally as Valuable as your Budget:

As any small business owner can appreciate, while the budget is always a factor in decisions such as these, time is often more valuable. Large exhibition stands can take weeks or even months of preparation and that can consume valuable hours, days and weeks of your time preparing for an event which you may not even see a return on. As much as fayres and local events still require preparation, they allow you to maximise your efforts in other areas while still committing enough time and effort towards the event.

Afterwards, if your approach has been a success, then it can be picked up and implemented with a new event in the upcoming months. A few adaptations with what you have learned here and there and before you know it, exhibitions are not quite as time consuming as you had originally thought. As an added benefit, you will not even need a new display. Banner stands and display boards are designed to last and their compact design means they can be neatly tucked away in a storage cupboard until they are needed again.

Be Smart and Exhibitions Can Be an Extremely Worthwhile Venture

If you were to attend a large exhibition and ask what their key to success would be, chances are their response would be something along the lines of ‘try and try again’. Much of the disillusionment associated with exhibitions stems from new attendees with only a hint of what they are supposed to be doing seeing all their effort return very little in the ways of results. Top exhibitors have been doing this for years and will continue to do so for many more to come as they have been able to understand what is required to make the experience a success. Rather than throwing all of your eggs into one basket; start out small and learn how to schedule events such as these. The returns may not provide a huge boost for your income, but they can open up new opportunities and avenues for your business to grow.

At Rap Industries, we have been working with clients both big and small for over 40 years, so we have gathered invaluable experience in how clients make their exhibition a success. If you are looking at a more cost-effective display stand for your exhibit, then have a look at the Large Display Boards or visit our site for a wider collection. Alternatively, you can get in touch by calling 01733 394941 or send an e-mail to sales@rapind.com.

Exhibition Stand at Tradeshow

Categories
2016 Blogs

Origins of British Manufacturer

The Roots of British Manufacturing and How It Lost its Crown…

From the dawn of the industrial revolution, for over 100 years Britain was the beacon of industrialisation which so many would follow. In the period around the 1760s, streamlined production grew exponentially after the introduction of steam power and the advent of the power of coal. These discoveries combined with a developing nation led to a golden age for British technology as innovation and imagination bloomed. What followed was Britain’s rise as a powerhouse of industry until the 1900s, but considering the force it once was, it is a wonder why Britain has slipped to being only the 8th largest manufacturer today.

Britain’s breakthrough into the industrial scene stemmed from a wealth of scientific talent, inquisitive inventors and craftsmen who were able to bring their ideas to life using steam power. With that came the opportunity for automation and machinery which allowed for production of goods on a grand scale. Textiles in particular were a major beneficiary, as while a garment before would have to be handmade, with the advent of machinery, production time was significantly reduced. Lancashire’s cotton mills were for a long period Britain’s largest export with a common phrase at the time being; “Britain’s bread hangs by Lancashire’s thread”.

The dominance of the industry by Britain would continue throughout the Victorian era until the first world war when it began to loosen its grip and with competitors on the horizon. The period between 1914-1918 signalled the beginning of Britain’s decline on the global stage. Despite lasting for four years, the focus of manufacturers drastically switched to support the war effort, leaving major contracts with countries around the world available for their competitors. The United States was the main beneficiary as by remaining neutral until 1917 saw many US manufacturers picking up what British manufacturers had left behind. The war would reinvigorate the US economy but left Britain reeling for many years to come.

British manufacturing was further crippled in 1929 following the Wall Street Crash which sent ripples across the world and hardly gave room for Britons to regain the ground they had lost during the First World War. Fast forward to 1938 and history repeated itself as manufacturers turned to contribute to the war effort, leaving the country burdened with debts which it is still paying off to this day. To compound matters, Germany made a remarkable recovery following the war, leaving Britain with the image of the ‘sick man of Europe’ as it attempted to switch from Empire to Europe in order to reinvigorate trade expansion.

The manufacturing industry since then has been playing catch up, attempting to reclaim former glories and its crown as the world’s leading industrial scene. Many Prime Ministers and political parties have come and gone with the promise of returning Britain to the top of the tree, but all of these have been ambitious to say the least. Nationalisation during the tenure of Harold Wilson between 1964 and 1970 for the most part failed and financial crises in the ensuing years further aggravated matters. After this inaugural show of political intervention, governments have primarily taken increasing responsibility in reinvigorating the industry as it struggled during the years of Margaret Thatcher (1979-90) before being built back up again by the governments of Tony Blair (1997-07) and Gordon Brown (2007-10).

This brings us back to today, during a period where British manufacturing appears to still be trying to find a new identity and establish itself on the global stage once again. As investment shifts from efficiency into research and quality, British manufacturers are developing a reputation for creative, innovative and imaginative products once again like it had done hundreds of years ago.

#MadeInBritain #BritishManufacturers #RapIndustries

Categories
2016 Blogs

What Is On the Cutting Edge of British Manufacturing?

The Pioneering Companies Leading the Charge for British Manufacturing

British manufacturers have historically been regarded as forerunners in innovative technology and it is established companies adopting the same model who are leading the way for the current growth in the industry. As the focus shifts away from sheer volume manufacturing in Britain, companies are finding success in producing high quality and reliable products. In particular, the aerospace and car making industries have enjoyed sustained growth even during the recession due to the demand for the quality, high tech goods which roll out of their factory doors. Car manufacturing in particular appeared doomed after Rover collapsed a decade ago, however a shift towards producing low volume, yet high quality cars has garnered success.

Over the past five years, output amongst the car industry has grown by 40% while the aerospace industry has grown by an exponential 60%. In comparison, the clothes and petrochemical industries have seen a decline of over 20%. Increasing investment in engineering resources and the manufacturing process has increased output while also streamlining the production process. In fact, innovation in the car manufacturing industry in particular has led to the pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline to collaborate with McLaren to improve its overall manufacturing output in an attempt to combat falling growth.

It is companies such as McLaren who are setting the example that many other British manufacturers are now attempting to follow. While the amount of investment certainly is not viable for many small and medium manufacturers, the ideals set in place offer a good guideline about what British manufacturing needs to aim for in order to excel in the current economic climate. The focus on technology has led to success such as in the electronics sector which manufactures some of the most innovative computer products on the planet. In fact, there is a growing wealth of small and medium manufacturers in Britain that provide components across the UK’s supply chains.

Technology in these industries aim to improve efficiency, reliability and affordability and it is something that all British manufacturers can aspire towards. This is an approach adopted here at Rap Industries with investment in state of the art printing facilities to ensure every graphic is completely unique and makes the best impact possible when our clients take them to exhibitions, trade shows or even when they display them in their office. In the future, the hones will be on investing more in the manufacturing process in order to streamline it and ensure each product is still shipped at the highest possible quality.


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