The first event of its kind, the Business 2012 Show promises to be big.  With an expected 40,000 delegates and speakers including Sir Richard Branson and Lord Sugar, the Business 2012 Show was too good for us to miss.

The show will be held at the O2 Arena over 3 days on 18^th to 20^th March.  There will be 200 workshops and 200 seminars for businesses of all sizes – alongside which will be some very large exhibitors (with large announcements) including Google, Microsoft, and Nokia.

Our stand will be at the centre of the show (Stand C20) and we will be talking to delegates about all things marketing.  If you want to increase your growth whilst taking your marketing to the next level, come and see us.

How often do you buy business software without trying it or even seeing it first?

Never?

Well, there seems to be one type of software that all too often remains untested until after it’s been purchased: content management systems.

Just to be clear, a content management system (or CMS) is the generic term used for the admin software that a business owner or their staff members can use to update the content of their website.  Using a CMS, a non technical person can log into the software, change and add web text or images, upload files, write blog posts and generally keep the website up to date.

However, what I find interesting is that almost without exception, the people I speak to tell me they didn’t trail their CMS before they bought it as part of their new website.

If you have had a new website developed with a CMS included, is that true for you too? Read more

Of all the marketing and communication tools that have grown in popularity in recent years, social media stands out above all others.  Businesses are now heavily using Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn to name a few.

So does that mean social media is the right choice for your business?

Well, not necessarily. Read more

How do you find out what really motivates your market and your customers?  Do you commission market research? Do you pay for costly marketing consultants?

Well maybe, but that wouldn’t be my first approach. Instead, I would first try Google Adwords.

Not the answer you were expecting? Read more

I was listening to a speech recently and the presenter asked the question of the audience, ‘why are you in business today?’  The audience answered with perhaps some expected responses which generally fell into the categories of ‘to make a profit’ and ‘to be financially secure’.

The presenter then argued that actually, the reason we should be in business today is to be in business tomorrow. His point being that the greatest and ultimately most profitable businesses don’t just focus on making profits. Instead, they focus on building a business that stands for something that their customers can buy into.  In other words, building a business with a purpose first then supplying products or services that demonstrate that purpose.

This might not be a ground breaking insight into marketing and business strategy, but it did remind me of a video I watched a little while ago that made a similar point in a very simple way.

So, today’s video is another great example from the TED library. Simon Sinek speaks about the simple difference between businesses that build a following and those that sell products or services.