There are three types of marketing that, if you get them right, are really going to fast-track your business success in 2013.

Content Marketing, Social Media Sharing, and Remarketing are three areas that can increase your sales and where you can still be the first in your marketplace to get it right. That will give you great power over your competition.

Great Content Marketing is going to sit at the centre of successful sustainable marketing activity in 2013. That’s because without great content you’re not going to get good traffic from the search engines, and there’s little for customers to discuss about you on social media (which also affects your search traffic). Plus, good content builds customers warmth towards you – it defines your brand and keeps them coming back again and again.

So what is Content? It might be a blog, it might be a video, or pictures of your latest photo-shoot, or even an infographic. Essentially content is anything people can consume online – written, visual, or audio.

If you really want to take it to top-of-the-class content – get your customers to create it for you! Ask them to write blog posts for you, review your products, or post videos of them using them.

Creating content isn’t easy, but this next tip for 2013 is.

Social Media Sharing Buttons. These are the little buttons you find on a blog or product page that invite the visitor to share the page on Twitter or Facebook etc. Once you’ve added them to your page templates, that’s it, the job is done.

So why should you add them? Well, if you want to win in the search engine rankings war in 2013 you need people talking about your site and your products on social media. That means you need to make it easy for them to do so. Visitors are more likely to talk about you and your products online if there’s a button on that product page telling them to.

Both the above tips are about driving more traffic to your website, the third top marketing tactic for 2013 is all about improving your conversion rate. Remarketing enables you to show ads to people who’ve already visited your website – reminding them to come back and buy from you.

You simply need to add a piece of code to all the pages of your website, and then create the targeting rules and the ads. To do all this you can use Google Adwords, and you pay for the advertising on a cost per click basis.

A few things to be careful of – with your targeting make sure you exclude those people who did buy, limit how long after their last visit they’ll see your ads, and set a maximum number of times they see your ad each day.

And finally, a little bonus tip – test out selling your products on Amazon and eBay. That’s where many consumers are spending their online shopping time – so if you’re not there, you’re probably missing out!

Chloë Thomas is author of eCommerce MasterPlan, and owns indiumonline (an online marketing agency) based in Kidlington. You can get eCommerce MasterPlan at all good bookshops, on Amazon.co.uk, and direct from www.eCommerceMasterPlan.com

The survey found that 58% of small businesses are now willing to invest in their businesses, confident about the future and that investment will result in growth. Many are beginning to see sales pick up and a small return in consumer confidence.

Yet 61% of the businesses were refused a loan from a bank and will be using their own money to invest. 43% will use their savings, while 19% will borrow money from friends and family.

The survey found, however, that while businesses want to invest, they are wary about taking on new staff. 34% said they would now rather spend money on marketing, while 43% said they would now invest in improving their ability to trade online, saying that it was now easier to sell products over the internet.

The survey also found that 48% said they would be investing in hiring freelancers to undertake the work, saying that they only pay for services as they needed them

The survey was backed up by Freelancer.co.uk’s own growth figures, revealing that UK small businesses spending on freelancers has increased by 134% in the last few months.

“The Olympics may have given the UK economy a shot in the arm, but this survey shows that
small businesses believe that growth is now sustainable” said Matt Barrie, Freelancer.co.uk’s CEO.

“Small businesses are not only confident about the future, but they already seeing signs that consumers are confident too. More small businesses are hiring freelancers online, confident that their investment will pay off.”

“UK business are using sites like Freelancer.co.uk to carry out business across the world, undertaking data research, marketing, programming and rebranding,” he said.

Case studies:

Armstrong Security – Olympics security:

Gill Armstrong – a business that outsourced marketing needs and ended up providing 150 guards during the Olympics.

Gill was made redundant as a security officer and set up her own security businesses in Birmingham. Marketing her company digitally was crucial to its success, but local companies cost too much, so she hired a freelancer through Freelancer.com.  Such was the success that she had to supply 150 guards during the Olympics.

SEO was important to the success of her company, but as a start up she couldn’t afford the £5000 that a local company costed.

“Freelancer helped me achieve link building and digital marketing goals for Armstrong Security for less than a quarter of the price asked by local companies and professionals,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to afford to go digital without outsourcing to a freelancer.”

“With a very tight budget to market my services, Freelancer actually offered me the solution I as looking for…it also helped me learn most of the SEO from professionals I hired and now I have acquired very valuable SEO skills that I constantly use to stay ahead of competition”.

Gill made more than what she used to earn on her previous job in just 6 months. The Olympics led to increased business opportunities, with requests for the provision of security guards, stewards and bodyguards – Gill had to recruit 150 people to cope with demand during the period.

Mike Channing: Tuckbox

Mike was made redundant for the second time in this recession recently. (First by Zed Media where he worked on media planning and buying including the original Compare the Meerkat campaign) then he switched to BUPA.

He has subsequently decided to go self employed and start his own business and it will launch in the next week or so. Has a wife and three young kids, never had own business.

He used Freelancer for the design, ecommerce web development, photo editing and is going to run some research and other projects through the site. In his words he was “surprised” (read sceptical) when someone told him he could get the design and development done for under £1k via the site. He has now almost completed it for about £900. The site when it launches looks visually appealing and will be called British Tuckbox (selling British goods to expats with a yearning for Heinz, Cadbury’s etc).

Background

Webby award-winning Freelancer.co.uk is the largest outsourcing marketplace in the world. ThroughFreelancer.co.uk, businesses connect with independent service providers and freelancers. Freelancer.co.uk connects more than four million professionals from all over the world. Through our website, employers can hire freelancers to do work in areas such as software, writing, data entry and design right through to engineering and the sciences, sales & marketing and accounting & legal services. Jobs start at £20, and the average job is under £150, making Freelancer.co.uk extremely cost effective for small businesses and entrepreneurs, which often need a wide variety of jobs to be done, but cannot justify the expense of hiring full time.

Launching four of the first business apps for Windows 8, Sage will help pioneer how businesses can benefit from Windows 8 and next generation mobility through shared R&D and product roadmaps to deliver immersive data and applications on demand.

• In the UK, Sage 50 Accounts Pulse has been designed to deliver top-line financial information to Owner Managers and company Directors, who need to monitor customers, suppliers, cash flow and profit and loss. With no need for accounts experience and a friendly interface, the app gives users greater financial control and insight
• In Spain, Sage eFactura Online is an invoicing solution that will help users increase productivity by managing invoices, companies and customers, wherever they are
• In Germany, Sage Mobile Salary Calculator helps you determine your net salary and enables users to simulate salary developments or simply keeps track of net wages and deductions
• In France, Sage 100 business mobile is an app that provides the key data dashboard coming from Sage 100, in real time, anytime, anywhere.

“At Sage, we are focused on giving our customers the freedom, confidence and control they need to achieve their business ambitions,” explained Álvaro Ramírez, CEO of Sage Europe. “Our technology agenda has always been driven by innovation that responds to customer needs and we believe Windows 8 has the potential to transform how businesses can search and share data and enjoy unprecedented value from Connected Computing. These apps not only allow existing customers, but also new users in a wider variety of roles, to access the data they need in an easy, meaningful way, whenever and wherever they choose, enabling them to do their job even better and to efficiently manage their business.”

Jay Paulus, director of product marketing, SMB, Windows, Microsoft Corp. added, “We are confident that Sage’s business software and services will help extend next-generation mobility to small and midsize businesses across the world. Sage’s innovative and intuitive apps are a great example for how businesses can benefit from Windows 8.”

Professional Services write off as much as 4.2 % of all transactions while Utilities only write of 1.8 per cent. The Health Care sector is among the hardest hit both in absolute and relative terms with a 3.4 per cent write off, up 20 per cent from previous year. However, some industry sectors are being hit harder than others in recessionary Europe as the EPI 2012 Industry White Paper from Intrum Justitia reports. One worrying development spotlighted in the survey is the level of late and non payment impacting the Health Care industry. Write offs have risen to an average 3.4% in the health care industry in 2012 compared to just 1.8% in 2008.

“Our survey shows that it’s not consumers who are the latest to pay their bills to the Health Care sector, but the governments themselves. On average the public pay within 40 days and public entities wait as long as 65 days. One would expect that governments and public entities set a better example  ” says Lars Wollung, CEO and President of Intrum Justitia

The EPI 2012 White Paper reveals how slow or lax the health care industry is when it comes to getting paid for services and products delivered. For example, the Intrum Justitia survey shows that 45% of invoices are not paid within 30 days. Although the survey showed more respondents were handing over their late payments for collection by a professional partner, the industry as a whole was still waiting an average 105 days after the invoice due date before resorting to such action. The problem is that all the evidence shows that the longer one waits to seek payment, the chances of success decrease fast over time.

”Although the picture painted in our report may seem grim there are measures companies can take to protect themselves. There is a lot that can be done to help the businesses in boosting Europe. We see that businesses that know their customers and implement efficient credit policies get paid earlier and have to write off a smaller percentage off sales, Lars Wollung concludes.

About the European Payment Index 2012 Industry White Paper

The survey was conducted simultaneously in 28 countries earlier in 2012. The survey was conducted in written form and almost 8,000 companies responded. This is the seventh year that Intrum Justitia has run the survey.

Intrum Justitia is Europe’s leading Credit Management Services (CMS) group, offering comprehensive credit management services, including Purchased Debt, designed to measurably improve clients’ cash flows and long-term profitability. Founded in 1923, Intrum Justitia has some 3,300 employees in 20 markets. Consolidated revenues amounted to SEK 4 billion in 2011. Intrum Justitia AB is listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm since 2002. For further information, please visit www.intrum.com

One-third (33%) of respondents said their own business is better than it was a year ago – up from 26% in January. Another 33% expect their business will grow by more than 10% this year.

“Small business owners risk everything to pursue their dreams and are willing to do what it takes to make it,” said Maria Veltre, Managing Director, Citi Small Business. “Their personal sacrifices, passion and ability to adapt have positioned them to capitalize on improving business conditions.”

NECESSITY: THE MOTHER OF REINVENTION
A majority of respondents (53%) say they have reinvented their business “to stay afloat or competitive.” This strategy is reinforced in the current competitive climate that 38% of respondents describe as “extremely intense.”

“Small business owners are especially adept at reinvention – whether because of obstacles or new visions for growth,” Veltre said. “Change is never easy, but neither is starting and running a business.  We see our small business clients embracing change and reinventing themselves to secure a rewarding future.”

As part of the reinvention process, small business owners say they focused on overhauling the products or services they offered (47%).  This was followed by adjusting their infrastructure, such as technology or staffing (24%) and beefing up their sales and marketing (18%). A small amount (7%) said they reduced pricing and took less profit. Only 3% relocated.

If small business owners aren’t reinventing their business, they stay sharp and evolve to keep up with the competition. The following steps were cited as ways they kept business thriving:
- 88% kept updated and knowledgeable about their field
- 70% increased face time with customers
- 67% updated/upgraded computer systems
- 52% increased their use of the internet and social media
- 51% built a network of suppliers and partner companies

Regarding the steps they plan to take during the remainder of 2012:
- 65% expect to increase marketing
- 56% will work to get better pricing on expenses
- 52% expect to work even longer hours
- 50% will introduce new products or services
- 49% will use social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, to market their business.

“Small business owners should consider these steps as a check list for growth and survival,” said Veltre. “Never one to sit idle, a small business owner continually invests in change in order to stay relevant.”

Part of that reinvention comes from spending, as proven by 38% of respondents who increased the amount they spent on capital investments like computer, inventory and facilities over the past 12 months. Their top two sources of funding have been revenue and profits (75%) and personal savings (62%).

PERSONAL SACRIFICE EARNS APPRECIATION FROM EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY

The past few years have taken a personal toll on small business owners: 63% say the major challenge they face owning or running a business was personal stress and being accountable for everyone and everything, second only to the general state of the economy (66%).

Despite overall optimism, small business owners report making significant sacrifices to keep their businesses going and growing over the past few years. Not only did 78% take less profit to support the business at some point in the past, 66% did so to pay employees rather than reduce staff.  A significant majority (70%) also say they worked more hours than usual, often sacrificing family time and missing vacations.

In addition to using their own money to help their business survive (69%), the majority of small business owners (54%) say they have gone without a paycheck. Looking back over the history of their businesses, almost one-quarter (23%) have gone without pay for one year or more.

Specifically, 80% of small business owners believe their employees appreciate the sacrifices they made to keep their businesses operating. Demonstrating true commitment, employees showed thanks by their own investment in the success of the company:
- More than one-third (38%) of owners say their employees worked additional hours without pay;
- Another 18% credit their employees with voluntarily missed or delayed paychecks.

To show their own appreciation of employees, small business owners offer additional time off (78%), a bonus (74%) or a raise (70%).

Customers, too, appreciate the stress and sacrifice of running a company. Almost seven in ten (69%) survey respondents say their customers recognize and appreciate their sacrifices. Even more (87%) say they have been thanked by customers.

“The level of appreciation shown to small business owners by employees and customers is uplifting,” said Veltre. “We encourage everyone to thank their favorite small business owner. Small business is a highly personal undertaking; to the small business owner a simple, personal gesture of appreciation goes a long way.”

About the Survey
This Citibank survey was conducted via telephone May 1, 2012 – May 18, 2012 by Abt SRBI Research and Public Affairs among a national random sample of 750 small business owners/operators, age 18 and older throughout the United States. Oversample interviews were conducted in New York (200 interviews) and California (200 interviews) markets. The margin of error for the national sample is approximately +/- 3.58% and +/- 6.93% for New York and California over samples.  Surveys are subject to other error sources as well, including sampling coverage error, recording error, and respondent error.

“As the British public increasingly prefers to pay by card, small businesses that accept card payments are seeing the effects on their revenue. For some sectors, such as taxis, card payments are becoming the norm, and we expect to see more taxis adopt card payment solutions over the next year,” explains Clive Kahn, CEO of CardSave.

This belief is backed up by a recent YouGov poll that revealed 62 per cent of people carry £20 or less in cash on them, while 93 per cent carry at least one card. The average card transaction at small merchants in Q1 2012 was £64.13, down five per cent on 2011.

“Consumers feel increasingly comfortable putting smaller transactions on card in situation where previously they would have used cash,” says Kahn.

Kahn comments: “In the recent past the option to pay by card was a luxury, but Britain is swiftly moving towards becoming a cashless society and there is now strong customer demand for card payment technologies. Our Small Business Payments Index indicates that business owners with card payment facilities can significantly increase their total business revenue.

“Nearly a quarter of shoppers will walk out of a store if they don’t accept card, and while some will return having withdrawn cash, others will swiftly take their business elsewhere. Small businesses, which are already struggling to maintain their position alongside high street chains need to take cards if they are to remain competitive.” Kahn concludes.

Stefan Engeseth, author of the new book Sharkonomics, argues that taking market share from market leaders is about being aware, creating presence and punching above your weight. By applying the behavioural traits of the shark, Engeseth has created a number of highly practical business strategies which include striking unpredictably, developing a sensory system, hunting in packs and how to locate blind spots. The more competitive your marketplace, the more effective Sharkonomics can be. After all sharks have been evolving for over 420 million years and are still very much the leaders in their space.

Why Sharkonomics? 
Quite simply, nature is smarter than the likes of Stanford, Harvard, MIT, McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Bain, IBM, Apple and all of the other Fortune 500 companies. In nature, sharks have to move to survive. But in business most market leaders remain static, because they are stuck in history – and eventually they become shark food. Sharks don’t perform by producing endless Power Points; they bite into market share. Sharkonomics will reveal how the logos of market leaders will have more chunks taken out of them than a seal after a shark picnic.

It’s not just about attack
! Sharkonomics also includes tactics for companies to defend themselves against attack. It is important to state that Sharkonomics is inspired by nature, but Engeseth’s intention is not to spread fear in any form-except perhaps in boardrooms!

Stefan Engeseth, the author of Sharkonomics, dived with sharks in South Africa as part of his research for the book!

Take a bite of this new book at www.Sharkonomics.com

For more information, videos and book samples go to www.Sharkonomics.com.

This is the first time exhibitors’ at the Home + Housewares Show, which runs from March 10 to 13, will see their cutting-edge innovations receive recognition through the IHA Innovation Awards. The finalists will be judged by a panel of industry experts and news media with the winners to be announced on Saturday, March 10 at 4:30pm in the Innovation Theater.

Claesson Koivisto Rune has created a contemporary glass and steel design for the Blueair Sense to deliver an out-of-the-box experience beyond giving users unbeaten removal of airborne pollutants for improved health and wellbeing. Designed to blend seamlessly into any home or office environment, Blueair’s latest air purifier will be available in an enticing color palette and boasts a unique tempered glass top with interactive motion sensitive controls.

Blueair air purifiers have won multiple awards for their superior performance in removing allergens, asthma triggers, viruses, bacteria and other airborne pollutants from the air people breathe at home or in the workplace. Independent tests show that Blueair air purifiers are best in the world when it comes to cleaning more indoor air faster than any other air purifier.

Believing clean air is a human right, Blueair works hard to help raise public awareness about the potential health hazards of indoor air pollution, which can be up to 100 times more polluted than the air outside.

“We see the Blueair Sense as the forerunner in launching a revolution in our homes and workplaces in the same way household refrigerators changed the way people ate and helped them live more healthy lives,” said Herman Pihlträd, Blueair chief executive.

Acknowledging the honor of being chosen as a finalist in the IHA’s Innovation Awards, Mr. Pihlträd said the Blueair Sense not only is “highly efficient at cleaning indoor air of airborne pollution, but also has incredibly cool looks that will blend naturally into any living or working environment.”