Keep Calm and Carry On

Welcome to the latest edition of our Bright Light Marketing Newsletter.
In these turbulent times the old message of Keep Calm and Carry On seems particularly relevant and as such we have featured some really practical marketing advice which businesses can implement cost effectively and easily.

This month we include a surprising feature on Social Networking and discuss how this very modern way of communicating can actually bring you direct business. We are also delighted to showcase some of our exciting new clients and to let you see the diverse range of businesses we are currently working with. And last but not least we want to tell you about one of the best ways of talking to your customers, the E-Newsletter.

So yes, there’s a lot in the world we can’t do much about something we can all do is keep working hard to successfully grow our business both now and in the future.

Yours, Fiona, Janice and Fiona

Are you getting your share of the Twitter Pie?

In our January newsletter we mentioned Twitter and Facebook and highlighted it in our March news as one of the key trends for 2010.  It is easy to be cynical about social networking as something that is for the kids or for people who have too much time on their hands.  However small to large companies across the UK are finding that it is a valuable marketing tool that can raise awareness of your company, draw traffic to your website and actually bring you business.  Still cynical?  Well you are not alone so we thought we would show through live examples how social networking can be a targeted and cost effective marketing tool for your business.

Firstly we have to practice what we preach.  Bright Light Marketing has been using social media seriously as part of our marketing communications since January.  Since then approx 15% of traffic to our website is from Twitter and 5% from Facebook and our web sessions have increased on a monthly basis.  In addition as a direct result of being on Twitter we have made a new partnership with a PR colleague who we are currently working with on three projects which has brought in additional business.  Finally we have also won a contract as the client found us on Twitter proving that you can actually convert awareness of your company fairly quickly to actual business.

We also work with the Tontine Hotel on their Facebook and Twitter account.  Since they have been using social networking as a marketing tool traffic to their website has significantly increased month on month with an increase in new customers looking at their site.  In addition a Scottish Travel agency has linked with their site and this itself is drawing 100 user sessions to the www.tontinehotel.com site each month.  Finally again partnerships have been made with other local accommodation providers in the area on Twitter and one local and breakfast had lunch at the Tontine as a result of Twitter and then tweeted how they had enjoyed it to their followers.

Another self catering client who is using Facebook can attribute over & of sales to the Facebook page and particularly uses it for last minute bookings and also to get feedback from customers on her product.  She also finds it a great way of getting customers to refer friends and family to her and finds that the viral effect just happens with a little work from herself in keeping the page up to date.

Bright Light Marketing believe that social networking can work for any company like any marketing you need to know who your customers are and from there choose the best social networking tool for your clients.  For some it will be Facebook, others Twitter and for others another tool like LinkedIn.  Bright Light Marketing are working with clients on social networking in many sectors including retail and tourism.  To find out how Bright Light Marketing can raise your profile contact Fiona Drane on 01750 505053/ Email fiona.drane@brightlightmarketing.co.uk.

Variety is the spice of life

We’re not one’s to name drop but ……. we just wanted to let you know about some of the exciting new clients we are currently working with. It’s been a very busy start to the year and we are marketing some really interesting and highly original new projects.
 
Here are just a few of the very varied businesses we are proud to be working with.

Classic Camper Holidays from their Scottish Borders base are renting out classic VW Campervans and the response to the press campaign to name one of the vans has been superb. Bookings and enquiries are coming in fast for this lovely new business venture.
www.classic-camper-holidays.co.uk

We are delighted to be working with Cavens Country House Hotel near Dumfries to assist them with their marketing over the coming months. Cavens is a wonderful country house hotel with stunning views of the Solway.
www.cavens.com

Legally Yours
We are currently working with commercial lawyers Davidson Chalmers to raise  awareness of the company in the Scottish Borders. We are implementing an advertorial campaign in the local press to introduce their unique Borders presence and specialist legal advice to Borders business community.
www.davidsonchalmers.com

Brand New
We are currently developing new brand identities for a Food company and an IT company, we will showcase both of these in the next edition of our Newsletter.

Cobblers of Melrose are celebrating their tenth birthday this month and to mark this special milestone we have helped them develop their first ever customer e-newsletter.  We have also been working successfully on a social networking campaign with Cobblers which has already translated into direct business for them. 
www.cobblersofmelrose.co.uk

We have been working with Galloway Cycling Holidays to develop a campaign which promotes a Great Scottish Escape to cyclists in London as well as a brand new Coast to Coast cycling tour right across the South of Scotland.
www.gallowaycycling.co.uk

A First for the UK
We are also very excited to be working with a tourism product which will be the very first of it’s type in the whole of the UK. Watch this space for more information …..or visit our news page.

Very Good News

Your existing customers are the most valuable source of business both through repeat business and referrals. On average it costs 5 times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an existing one and E-newsletters are an extremely effective way of keeping  customers coming back and in growing new business too.

E-newsletters can be used for any type of business and Bright Light Marketing have generated some superb results for many of our existing clients.

So how do E-newsletters improve customer communications?

• E-newsletters are fast and instant, so you can send them more regularly than paper ones and can be very specific with current offers and deals, some of our clients have seen instant bookings when offering a targeted last minute offer.

• Great for communicating something new or special to your customers.  This might be a new product you have added to your range, it might be showing your refurbishment or simply telling them about a cancellation.

• You can segment your database and create smaller customer lists based on their interests. Then send more relevant and targeted messages and images to them. They'll be more likely to respond as you are offering them something they are interested in and less likely to ask to be taken off your mailing list.
 
• Customers can ‘reply’ to the e-newsletter, whether it is to change their email address, unsubscribe, ask for more information, all enabling a two way communication process.

• E-newsletters are easy to forward to other people, so your loyal customers can give their friends – potential new customers – a risk-free look at your business. These potential new customers can be interested enough to sign up for your mailing list when you put a "subscribe" button on your web site. And through regular communication, you can turn these potential customers into additional loyal customers.

• Many e-newsletters offer reporting tools to show just who read, clicked through and actioned your newsletter. This enables you to learn more about your customers, their interests, which articles are of most appealing, which customers have changed emails and measure effectiveness of the e-newsletter through website traffic.

• Save on paper and postage, is more cost effective than a direct mail piece.

• Branded to match the identity of your business, continuing to raise awareness of your business to new and potential customers.

Bright Light Marketing offers simple solutions to your e-newsletter needs.  We will assist with management of your database, creating and writing the communications, image management and sending the e-newsletters out to your existing and potential customers.  For more information email Fiona MacKinnon or telephone 01750 505052.

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