Marketing & Communications Services

Would your business welcome more technology, new tactics, alternative thinking and fresh creative to your brand, website or social media presence? Perhaps you already have some in-house marketing support or perhaps you have the ideas but not the know-how or resources to follow them through. We know that keeping ahead of this sector’s rapidly changing landscape can be a challenge, but can help you maximise your company’s potential.

Here at Controlaccount, we can support across all marketing channels and every sector from strategy to branding, PR to digital marketing campaigns and copywriting to creative solutions giving you the edge over your competitors as well as engaging with your audience on every level. We will work with you to understand your brand personality (or help you create one) and the best channels to begin a conversation with your customers. Our services are flexible and bespoke to your business’ exact needs.

For more information on how we may be able to help you, please contact us today.

What is Marketing?

Marketing is a broad term used to describe the activities of promotion of a product or service, brand awareness and audience and customer communications to increase recognition and sales. Essentially, it is getting your brand, product or service out to your target customer base through content. Good marketing does not just increase sales but should have a 360-degree approach and demonstrate your values and encourage customer loyalty.

There are multiple marketing channels available – not all will be suitable to your business; an experienced marketer or a brand consulting agency will be able to advise on positioning your brand, the disciplines that should be used, platforms to be present on and deliver a strategy that meets your goals and budget.

The right type of marketing and brand management, aimed at the right audience, at the right time will have a substantial impact on your sales and is an important part of any business.

Types of Marketing

There are dozens of different brand marketing channels available to a business looking to engage with its target audience. And dependant on your customer base, product or service – any number of these might be suitable. Here we list the most common marketing strategy channels available:

Print – Often referred to as ‘traditional marketing’, print marketing refers to brochures, flyers, direct mail, bus stop signs, external signage as well as magazine and newspaper advertising

Digital Marketing– This channel has become the most prevalent in marketing as brands recognise that more of our time is spent online. Digital marketing services capture customers online and drive them to your website or retargets services or products to them at a later date. Most companies now boast a website which acts as a ‘shop window’ for their product or service. And most savvy companies will no doubt have some analytics in place to capture visitor trends, pages most visited, time spent on site and time of day. Analytics can also tell you where that visitor came onto the site, from where and at what time of day.

SEO / SEM – An abbreviation for Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Management, this is the activity of making sure that your business can be found through organic searches. In order to stand out in a busy online marketplace, your website needs to contain specific elements such as keywords, backlinks, page titles and tags to help search engines find your website and present in as high up the rankings as possible. It is not a layman task and this service is carried out by SEO specialists.

Pay Per Click – When marketers talk about Pay Per Click, or PPC – they usually mean Google AdWords but can be talking about Social media advertising too – which works the same way. Google AdWords is the purchase of ‘real estate’ on the first pages of Google results where brands ‘bid’ for space. This means that the top bidders will be shown at the top (and bottom) of search engine results and when clicked, the brand will be charged for that ‘click’. There are many different campaign options here which include text search ads, Google shopping channels, retargeting, and remarketing. By the time, you’ve finished reading this, Google will have probably invented another. It’s a clever marketing tactic and again, one in which a specialist is best placed to manage – although training is available and can be managed by non-marketers, a seasoned practitioner will get you results quicker and for less budget than those that manage it themselves.

Online Advertising – This is where brands purchase advertising space on a third party’s website. This could be MPUs (mid page unit), leaderboards (horizontal adverts near the top of a website). These online ads gather impressions (the amount of times they are displayed) and usually have a monthly cost based on traffic that the site accumulates.

Content Marketing – this could be blogs, webinars, white papers – any ‘free’ information that will capture your audience, nurture their interest and then drive traffic to your website.

Social Media Marketing – Not all social media channels are the same and it may be that not all are suitable for your brand. If you are B2C, then Facebook and Instagram might be best for you. For B2B, LinkedIn and Twitter are best. Again, you’ll need a strategy – what to post and when (knowing when your customers are online). Social media marketing is ‘social’ so its not so much about selling but engaging and having a conversation.

Video Marketing – videos are great for getting Search Engine to notice you. Whether it be a tutorial, talking head or a sales pitch, a video hosted online is a great way to attract engagement.

Sales Promotion – Do you know your BOGOFs from your 2-4-1s? Sales promotion is the activity of increasing sales through incentives such as buy one get one free (BOGOF) or Buy Two, Pay for One (2-4-1), vouchers, coupons, discounts, samples, freebies, competitions – this list is endless, but all do the same – generate a sale or increase loyalty.

Email Marketing – One of the most utilised and best performing tactics out there for both B2B and B2C markets. There are specific platforms that can help you create engaging campaigns and manage results easily but again, for an in-depth understanding and well executed campaign, a specialist marketer can help you here. For b2b marketing lists, visit our sister company, identeco

Ambient Marketing – Sometimes referred to as Experiential Marketing, this allows people to create a connection with your brand following an intercalation. Examples of this could be an event, an exhibition, a pop-up store or a sampling session.

Telemarketing – an oldie, but a goodie. Traditional call campaigns to your target sector are still an effective route to sales conversions – as well as a great way to get feedback on your product/service. Yes, they can take time, but they are fairly inexpensive. All you need is a telesales list, and you are good to go. Not got a telesales list? Speak to identeco

How do I get started?

Controlaccount is an expert in the above marketing channels and will work with you to prepare a marketing plan and brand strategy that meets your budget and aligns with your business goals. We can manage every aspect of your marketing. For an initial consultation, get in touch today or call 01527 388388.