30Apr

Read all about it

Question: Would you rather read a story based on fact than some hyped up piece of advertising posing to be editorial?

No one wants to waste their time absorbing themselves into an article, to half way through realise it’s all about the cold hard sell at the end.

So what will work better?  Well, here it is… People will buy from you because the TRUST you – so tell them the TRUTH.

No one expects a business to run without problems, because quite simply, without problems our businesses would never improve and grow because we would not learn.

05Feb

What is Branding?

What is branding?  Why is branding important?  What should a good brand achieve for your business?  What is the basis for creating a strong brand?
Brand is the name, term, design, symbol, logo, slogan, or any other feature that identifies one seller's product or service as distinct from those of other sellers.

14Jan

Your Marketing Plan Check List!

Your Marketing Plan Checklist - Make Your New Year Business Plan a Success
Often over-looked, but should never be under estimated, is the power of marketing in any business.  
There are many facets to a successful business plan, but we are here to tell you that Marketing strategies and budgets should be considered as one of the most important parts of your plan!

04Dec

Marketing Christmas

Marketing Christmas
So we are now well in to the first week of December and already Christmas has been around for a few weeks, in many cases starting as early as October.
So are you feeling saturated by Christmas campaigns already?  Fed up of the Christmas cheer before it has even begun to smell like the 25th December?  Or do you think that clever marketing requires you to jump on the Christmas band wagon as soon as the first day of spring in order to gain maximum exposure?

08Nov

The Importance of Service

A Powerful Marketing Tool

So you have a marketing plan, a marketing department, a marketing budget and all that goes with it, but what about the service you offer to your customers?  You might think market your business well, but we are here to tell you that what you deliver and how you deliver it, your service standards, are in fact an integral part of your marketing strategy.  Service can make a big different to not only how you are perceived, but whether in fact you are given the business from a potential customer, over a competitor.
Strategies in marketing and sales will greatly help in attracting new customers for your business but it is amazing consumer service that keeps people coming back for more. People typically would want to do business with people that they trust and have had a good experience with. Consequently you have to ensure that your customers will continue to buy from you by offering them great quality consumer service.

08Oct

How to Write a Good Press Release

What is a press release?

A press release is written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something newsworthy.   Typically, the aim is to attract favourable media attention to the company, event or products that are being marketed.  A press release provides reporters with a summary of information needed to develop a full news story.

 

How should a press release be pitched?

Before you write a word, remember:-
The reporter isn't interested in helping you make money or driving visitors to your business.   He or she is looking for a story that will be interesting to their readers and pleasing to the editor.  An editor doesn’t want to hear a sales pitch, they don’t want a blatant advertisement for your business, they want an interesting story, so keep things objective!  Inform, don’t promote!

02Sep

Let's Get Back to Basics.....

What is Marketing?

The Chartered Institute of Marketing define marketing as “The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably”.
What does that mean?

• Marketing is about meeting the needs and wants of customers
• Marketing is a business-wide function – it is not something that operates alone from other business activities
• Marketing is about understanding customers and finding ways to provide products or services which customers demand
• Marketing is about effectively making your customers aware of your products and services and creating or fulfilling their desire for them
• Marketing is an essential part of the process of turning your products and services in to profit!

25Mar

Garnish Marketing takes up Sponsorship position at Redcliffe Dolphins

Sponsorship for local marketing company

North Brisbane-based marketing consultancy, Garnish Marketing, is investing in sponsorship of the Redcliffe Dolphins Rugby League Club. The sponsorship includes purchasing uniforms for the club and investing additional sponsorship to the club. Garnish Marketing Director, Angie Hammond, thinks that it is important with the increasing rates of obesity and heart disease in Australia, that investing in sports for young people is as important as ever. “Promoting healthy, active lifestyles and giving young people the opportunity to participate in sport is very important to me. Garnish Marketing have really taken off in the last year, gaining several national and international clients. We really felt it was time to start giving back to the community who have supported us as we’ve grown as a business. We have many clients based in and around the Redcliffe area so in many ways we have personal ties to the players of the Dolphins and their families and friends.” Garnish Marketing specialises in small and medium business marketing with services available in creating and developing branding, websites, social media, public relations through a planned and proven marketing strategy. Angie’s husband, Kevin Hammond, is also a coach of the under 15 premier team and says the club is very grateful for the sponsorship. “The costs involved with putting on these sports can be excessive- especially for basic things like uniforms and sports equipment. Being provided with these items makes it easier for the boys to play and we’re all very grateful for the sponsorship Garnish Marketing has provided us with.” For more information about Garnish Marketing visit www.garnish.com.au
24Feb

Search Engine Optimisation

Search Engine Optimisation and How Your Business Can Benefit

The other day I burnt my finger. In my agony the very first thing I did was jump onto Google and search “first aid for burns”. No sooner had I finished typing the phrase into Google and there was my answer. It kind of struck me at that exact point in time how much I’d come to rely on Google for providing me with information in my everyday life. Such random questions that filled my head during the day were a mere 0.09 seconds away from being answered. So it only makes sense that when a potential client is looking for a marketing consultancy they are going to ask Google “marketing consultants Brisbane”- and hopefully find my business.
08Apr

Planning and why it is the key to success

You’re in Business, Congratulations!

Here’s the thing – so are thousands of other companies.

You are pushing a product range or service – so are thousands of other companies.

You have a specific target market – so do thousands of other companies.

What makes you think your target market will notice you over your competitor (or not even your competitor). I’ll re-phrase.

What makes you think that your target market is going to allocate an amount out of their budget to spend with you?

Your likely answer: “Because they need us”

28Mar

What is a Call to Action?

We talk about a Call to action; basically it is how you are grabbing the potential client and convincing them to buy from you.

When you write your call to action, add in a feature or two of your service – to ensure that they are aware that they will have a good experience dealing with your company.

Add in contact details and ensure that the desired method of communication (whether it be face to face, telephone, email or web contact) is spelt out.

22Mar

Are you currently advertising for a new Marketing team Member?

So you want to hire a full time marketing person? Really?

This information may help you to decide if an employee is the best solution for your business.

Garnish Marketing is a Brisbane based Marketing Consultancy with experience in your industry.

Garnish Marketing has been in operation since 2006, we successfully market small to medium sized businesses across a variety of industries. We offer a range of services encompassing Research, Planning, Campaign Development, the set up of Systems and Marketing Material, all Graphic Design, SEO Services, Lead Generation and Database Building, Continuous Marketing Assistance and Measuring and Reporting.

We also offer a Mentoring Service to companies who have Sales Staff and or Marketing Administrators who need a little guidance or inspiration with the development of new campaigns and how to manage the influx of work an effective campaign generates.

The Role that you need filling quite possibly calls for a number of the skills sets that exist within our team. So we have some food for thought for you.

Instead of “employing” a person to whom you are then deemed responsible for, why not consider “outsourcing” the work to Garnish Marketing?

Need a Full Time Marketing Person - Really???

 
We have done some sums to help you to make your decision. 
 
Wages
Car
super annuation
Desk space (utlities bills) and computer
phone
 
 
Hours in a week 
Hours spent on Lunch
Hours spent in toilet beautifying self
Hours spent on personal Facebook profile
Hours spent trying to look busy (last hour of the day usually)
Actual amount of work you might get out of a Full time employee at a push.
 
27 hours a week
Annual hourly count where they actually work
$82,350 per year
Hourly rate
plus you have to pay them for sick leave, maternity, workplace health and safety insurance and you have to provide a desk, amenities, computer, phone, car etc etc etc….
 
 
Garnish Offer
10 hours a week
You pay for 10 solid hours a week
You get 10 Solid hours a week
You do not pay super, holiday, sick, maternity, insurance
You do not have to give us a desk - we work offsite
We actually care about growing your business because we see it as a way to grow ours. 
We are accountable - as we measure what we do for you and provide reports every month
You do not have to buy us a car or phone - we have those
 
Yearly Investment
 
You will be surprised at how much a professional company can do in 10 hours over a full time Marketing Employee. 
 
We have account managers, graphic designers and Copy writers who all COLLECTIVELY work on your project so you get a team opposed to one person. 
 
We only ask that you trial us for 3 months and give us 2 weeks notice if you want to end the project. 
22Feb

Know Your Target Market

Who is your preferred target market?

It’s important to know this because you need to make sure that your marketing is “talking” directly to them.

You should know who your product or service is directed at.

  • Domestic (residential) or Commercial (business to business) market
  • Wholesale or retail market
  • What the average age range of your customers is (if it is important)
  • Where most of your customers live
  • What type of publications they read
  • If they work
  • What they do for fun
22Feb

Social Media, Why, Where and How

Setting Up Social Media Profiles

There are a number of different social media avenues available on the Internet these days, we have chosen a few to talk about so you know which does what and how you go about setting up the profiles.

Facebook

Facebook Marketing Solutions helps people to connect on both a personal and business level. Build relationships and get to know people virtually. You can even meet up with the people you meet at events that are posted on Facebook. Facebook is a great way to promote your product or service to a group of people who are interested in you as a person.

It is recommended not to just sell on Facebook - use it as an expression tool, but obviously if it is for business use - express things relevant to business and that do not sell your business or any others in a negative light.

The most basic question is – How do you set up an account on Facebook?

  • How to set up a basic Facebook account