Benham Publishing Businesss Magazines December 2013 | Page 6

SponsoredFeature

Regular
communication –
the key to success
When times get difficult, the first business activity to suffer a budget cut, or in some cases a
complete cut, is often communication; any type of marketing, advertising or promotion that
ensures you have a highly visible presence with your target audiences. While it might deliver
a quick win, the longer-term result can create your own downfall: clients and potential
clients fail to hear from you or see you, they believe your business may be in trouble, they
don’t call, and guess what? You run the risk of going out of business…

Maximise the value of your
communication
With slightly fewer dark clouds on the horizon,
many individuals and businesses will be looking
to the New Year with renewed confidence and
potentially renewed interest in what you have to
sell. So how can you be sure that they’ll choose
your business? And how will you get your
communications back up to speed, or even
started, without breaking the bank?
For many the answer may simply be a
reactivation of a plan they have mothballed –
although in light of the changed business
environment a review is always wise. For others,
it may require a complete communication restart. Whichever category you fall into, here are
some top tips to help you get the most out of
your communication spend.
Jane Ducarreaux, Director
Artizan Communications Limited
01920 466678 – 07738 017313
www.artizan-on-line.com

1 Remember the 7 ‘P’s. The Army has a great
phrase: “Proper planning and preparation
prevents p*** poor performance.” Blunt, but
to the point. Know exactly what it is you are
trying to achieve and stay focused.
2 Be clear about your messages and your
target audiences. Know what you are trying
to say. Know who you are trying to say it to –
and then ensure your communication is
direct, appropriate to each audience and
has a clear call to action.

6

INSPIRE

3 Harness your skills. We can’t all be designers,
writers, photographers, strategists. Success lies
in playing to your strengths. The most
effective use of your time may be to discuss
what you want with an outside resource and
use their experience to come up with a plan
and, if necessary, implement it for you.
4 Be budget conscious and budget realistic.
If you don’t have the budget of Apple, don’t
expect to have communications that look
and feel like Apple. Be realistic about what
your business is and what you want to
convey, and allocate a considered budget
to f չ