Networking boosts brand exposure, builds your contact list, connects you with industry big wigs, aids in lead generation and provides you with a support network of like-minded people around you. You don’t need us to tell you the benefits of networking at this point. What you might need though is our guidance on what you should and shouldn’t do to be the person in demand at these types of shindig. 

Nobody wants to be the one left shuffling in a corner, picking the label off a lukewarm beer bottle before eventually leaving with a pocket full of business cards, all of which have your own name and contact details all over them… 

To avoid being that person, check out our list of networking dos and don’ts: 

DO rehearse a bit of blurb about yourself beforehand

Don’t waltz in and start reading off a script but do having a short spiel ready to go, in the back of your mind, about who you are and what you do will set you off on the right foot. Ending up tongue-tied and red-faced at the first hurdle isn’t a good look on anybody. 

DO have some strong conversation-starters up your sleeve

Awkward silences and small talk aren’t exactly the most alluring tactics either so keep some conversation topic ideas in the back of your mind too. Maybe tell them about a fantastic book you read recently, or ask them if they have any great podcast recommendations for you to try. If other attendees in the room can see people are engaged in conversation with you, they’ll want to strike up a dialogue with you too. Just avoid topics which revolve around the weather or politics – save those for the family dinner table. 

DO make an effort with your appearance

We’re asking you to keep a lot of things stored in the back of your mind here but one thing you can box off before you even arrive is what you look like and most importantly, how great you feel. When you feel good about how you’re presenting on the outside, this then permeates through to the inside and radiates back out in your personality and confidence levels. First impressions are worth their weight in gold when it comes to business so just make sure yours is conveying the right message about you. 

DO be genuine, authentic and listen to what people have to say

Whilst it’s great having plenty of interesting things to say about yourself, it’s also essential that you remember to listen to everybody else too. Not just listen to respond either – genuinely take interest in what they’re saying, ask questions, be curious and get to know them better because you never know where the conversation might lead. 

Now, moving onto some things you absolutely should not do at a business networking event: 

DO NOT use the free bar as a crutch for any nerves or anxiety

Putting yourself out there and socialising with a whole group of strangers is not for the fainthearted – granted – but the solution doesn’t lie at the bottom of a fifth glass of flat Prosecco. Enjoy a tipple or two if you like, to loosen those tense spots and calm the nerves, but stay focused and keep a clear head.

DO NOT going in with the hard sell approach

Networking isn’t a plan of attack or a chance for you to steal the limelight. Instead, see it as an opportunity to spread your wings, expand your horizons,  mingle, see what’s on the table… Whatever cliche analogy you want to choose, just remember to take the softly-softly approach here because the hard sell will only see you scowled out the back door. 

DO NOT forget your business cards

It’s easily done – you leave your business cards by the front door and end up scribbling your email address on the back of an old petrol station receipt. Stay polished and professional by keeping a stock of well-designed business cards in your pocket so you can share your contact details readily and without kerfuffle. 

Do you have any of your own tips on how to quash those networking nerves, spark more engaging dialogues and make sure you stand out from the crowd? Leave them in the comments or come and share them with us over on social media.

The post How to Be the Person in Demand at Networking Events appeared first on My Digital Wirral.

However, there could be a better method than influencer marketing. Brand advocacy is something similar but differs in a couple of ways from influencer marketing. 

What is a brand advocate? 

Brand advocates, unlike influencers, are genuine users or customers of your business. A relationship with an influencer is a clear transaction. You pay them and they promote your business. With a brand advocate, it isn’t necessarily about the money.  

Brand advocates are already customers of your business who are happy to tell others about their experience.  

How can brand advocates benefit your business? 

Brand advocates and influencers are effective marketing tools because they offer personalised recommendations to others. People are far more likely to use a product or service if it has been recommended to them by someone trustworthy.  

However, we’ve got to the point where even influencers are seen with a certain level of scepticism. We all know how it works now and so the recommendation will always feel a bit less than genuine.  

With brand advocates, as these are already customers with real experiences, the recommendation holds a bit more weight.  

Where can you find a brand advocate? 

Customer details 

The first stop to find a brand advocate is to dive into your customer data. If you have salespeople, you should speak with them to find customers who are especially happy with the service and then contact them yourself to ask for a review.  

Customer reviews 

If someone leaves glowing feedback about your business, it could be worth approaching them over a brand advocate deal. In some cases you can even find customers with negative reviews, resolve them and hopefully turn them into happy customers.  

Social media 

It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on your social media accounts to try and identify potential brand partners. Is there someone who regularly interacts with your posts or shares them a lot? Perhaps they would be willing to help you promote your business a little more. 

How do you approach a potential brand advocate? 

The first step is to make a personal connection. If you’ve found them on social media, spend some time responding to their messages or send them a direct message thanking them for the support.  

Sometimes an upfront email is best. Make sure you say you’re grateful for the support or customer reviews and ask them how they feel about becoming a brand advocate. 

Even if a brand advocate is happy to give you a shoutout on Twitter, it’s nice to offer them something in return for their time. Perhaps a freebie or a discount on future purchases could be a way to say thank you. 

When to use brand advocates 

If you have a couple of interested people on board, the next step is to integrate them into your marketing. Ways you can get the most out of your brand advocates include: 

Deals and discounts 

If you are running a discount on purchases, reach out to your brand advocates to let them know and ask them to share it with people they know or on social media. This will benefit the brand advocate because they can get some money off and it will also benefit those they share it with. 

Free samples 

If you sell products, give your brand advocates a freebie which they will hopefully share their experiences over social media or on a blog or Youtube channel if they have one.  

Working with a brand advocate doesn’t have to be overly complicated but it’s important not to ask for too much. You can’t expect them to spend too much time promoting your business for you but every little shoutout or retweet helps. 

Have you ever used a brand advocate or influencer marketing? What was your experience like? Let us know your thoughts below.  

The post What Are Brand Advocates and How Can They Help Your Business?  appeared first on My Digital Wirral.

Assess the Reasons Why People Leave

If you are experiencing high staff turnover of remote workers, it’s a good idea to sit down and draw up some reasons why that could be.

You might not even be looking for just one problem. The problem could be with the way the business is run, how remote workers are managed or simply that the worker in question isn’t suited to remote work.

Common problems with remote teams include lack of guidance, loneliness, poor communication or poor work-life balance (flexible hours can sometimes feel like all-hours).

A good method to fix this is to assess your own process of hiring remote workers and see if there’s any room for improvement. Do new remote workers get all the information they need? Do they know who to turn to if they have questions? Or are they just left in the dark?

Next, look at how you manage your team. When was the last time you spoke to your remote workers beyond email? When was the last time your team got together over a video call?

On the other hand, are you expecting daily video chats? Do employees look unmotivated or overwhelmed if you’re expecting them to constantly be online and available for a call?

It might be worth directly asking employees or even sending out an anonymous survey to your remote workers for some honest feedback. No one will have a better idea of how the team feels than the team itself.

Keeping Employees Happy and Informed

Remote work is a great incentive for many people. However, after a while the novelty can start to wear off. It might not be enough to simply let employees work from home.

Set Flexible Hours

It’s tempting to set the same working hours for your remote workers as you would in an office. However, this can sometimes take away the benefits of remote working. Instead, many businesses are finding flexible working hours much more beneficial. This allows employees to choose the time of day to work that suits them best and it allows them to fit in personal errands throughout the day.

Lots of business owners struggle to trust their employees when it comes to remote working and your employees will definitely notice if this is the case. Ruling with an iron fist is a sure way to lose staff.

Communicate and Find a Balance

Communication is key to any office, remote or otherwise but it can be difficult to find a balance with remote workers. As the boss, it’s your responsibility to prioritise communication across the team. Most businesses will set up a weekly video call with the team which helps get everyone on the same page.

This is a great way for employees to feel up-to-date with all the latest business news and helps them feel less isolated from the team.

Offer Personal Support

One downside of remote offices is that all the communication quickly becomes about the business and nothing else. Employees end up missing out on the general chit-chat of office life. It’s also hard to tell if one of your workers is struggling or dealing with personal issues.

It might be worth spending some time each week to reach out to all your remote workers to ask them how things are going and whether they need help with anything.

Are You Hiring People Who Are a Good Fit for Remote Work?

Remote work is simply not for everyone. Some people love it, some people hate it. Some people struggle with the loneliness of remote work and end up leaving.

When hiring new people, it’s definitely worth spending some time getting to know candidates and assessing whether they’d be well suited to remote work. If you want to reduce turnover, this is an important step in the recruitment process.

Have you struggled with remote worker retention? What strategies would you recommend to keep remote workers happy? Leave your thoughts below.

The post Hiring and Retaining Remote Workers appeared first on My Digital Wirral.

When scrolling through Facebook you’ll probably see hundreds of businesses offering clever content marketing pieces to engage their customers; from colouring sheets to live webinars, businesses are now more prepared than ever to add value for their customers and build a connection with them.

Responsive and adaptive marketing is the key to their success, so let’s take a look at some of the content marketing themes your business should be considering right now. We’ve conducted some trend analysis on Pinterest, which is a great way to get inspired by content marketing success stories.

Below are some of the key themes Pinterest has highlighted based on huge increases in search traffic, so let’s review what they are, and how you can utilise them for your marketing.

Escapism and Optimism

The pandemic will be played out in stages, and right now we’re starting to see the first signs that things will eventually get back to normal. Even though we’re facing the unpleasant reality of a ‘second wave’, many people are hopeful that a vaccine is on the horizon and governments are slowly starting to lift restrictions.

Trends indicate that people are looking to find escapism in lockdown, and generally ways to entertain themselves and their family without going out. Rather than resigning to the couch, people are experimenting with new skills, self-development, self-care and challenges.

They’re also planning ahead, trying to understand what they need to prepare for when the next stage arrives. Facemask sewing tutorials, guides to getting their business ready and queries about homeschooling are all trending as people weigh up their options.

So what marketing content should your business be making to make the most of these trends? Here’s some ideas.

Design a home workout or meal plan

If you’re a business who is in any way affiliated with food or health, this is a great idea. Design a graphic or a downloadable PDF that has workouts or meals planned day by day – you could even include a shopping list and a discount code for your website.

Come up with a beauty guide

Beauty businesses may suffer the longest in this pandemic, as salons aren’t expected to open until at least the 4th July. In the meantime, you’ll need to pivot your business. Create an at-home maintenance guide and support it with video tutorials. Start stocking your favourite products and ship them to customers in specially designed ‘bundle’ deals for each beauty concern. For example, you could create a manicure kit or a ‘back-to-work beauty blitz’ package.

Set a challenge for your followers

People are bored, there’s no doubt about it! A structured challenge will be a welcome relief to anyone at this stage, and creating a challenge is something almost any business in any industry should be able to do. Sell sewing supplies? Start a 30-day skill challenge! Sell books? Challenge your followers to share a different favourite book every day. Sell web development services? Offer a 7-day ‘Learn something new’ tutorial, where users need to share their results at the end!

There really is no limit to the options you can explore with this idea.

Offer a free resource you normally keep secret!

Did you notice Hilton shared it’s famous cookie recipe to all recently? Wagamama’s even created a full video tutorial about how to cook their katsu curry from scratch.

You might worry that these things are invaluable brand assets that shouldn’t be shared, just in case they lose their value, but the fact is you’re helping to cement the iconic status of one of your customer’s favourite products that will be likely to go viral – after all, people love a secret!

Don’t worry, people aren’t going to start making everything at home, we can guarantee that when all this is over, people will be delighted to pay you to do it for them!

Recovery and Rebound

In a few months time, when the lockdown is lifted and we all start returning to work, we anticipate that content will need to start focusing on helping people prepare for recovery. Businesses who create this kind of content will notice readers are eager to get hold of it and share it.

Content for this phase of the pandemic will need to be helpful, highly informative and reliable. People will be looking for advice they can trust and assurances from their favourite brands. Here are some ideas we’ve put together that might help:

Set up a virtual support group

Perhaps you offer a service that people can’t engage with so easily during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe you run a HR firm or an education service. Why not offer an exclusive Facebook group for your clients to sign up to in exchange for tailored knowledge and advice? Or you could host a weekly Zoom networking event where people could ask an expert their burning questions.

Clients will appreciate the extra care and attention they receive during these troubling times, and you might find even after lockdown this offers new opportunities for your business.

Offer a ‘Boost’

A boost can come in many forms, but in essence it’s something designed to get your customers going again. If you’re a restaurant you might offer a special voucher designed to encourage people out, or if you sell stationery you might offer a ‘back to school’ pack.

Incentivize your offering even further with complimentary digital downloads, you could collaborate with another business to offer educational eBooks, or send business customers free PPE. Give your customers the equipment and skills they need to stimulate their recovery. It can only benefit you in the long run.

Just make sure whatever you do, it’s designed to be safe. Customers are going to be hyper-conscious about ensuring businesses are keeping them safe and not putting profits before health.

Share your post-pandemic process

Information is key. As soon as you know, keep your customers informed. List opening times in an easy to access way on your website or app. Share lots of photos on social media to show off your safety precautions – make customers feel at ease!

You might even create a video that shows the proper process for visiting your shop safely.

At this point you may still want to market towards the vulnerable who are still in lockdown, so sharing information that shows how you are going the extra mile for these people will always go down well.

Do you have your digital marketing plan in place ready for lockdown to be eased? Make sure you follow us on Twitter to be the first to know about any new articles, we’ll be publishing lots of helpful digital advice for Wirral businesses, so stay tuned!

The post How To Market Your Business During and After COVID-19 appeared first on My Digital Wirral.

A fine example of real PMA deterrent is when your order book is empty and the workload runs dry. When this happens, it can be hard finding the motivation to bounce out of bed every morning with a go-get-‘em attitude. That said, there is a silver lining in this situation if you look hard enough.

With little or no deadlines to be chasing, you’re left with a whole load of unwelcome free time and a choice to be made. You can either wallow in worry and just hope to come out the other side, or you can use the opportunity to your advantage by investing some time into upskilling yourself.

In this article, we show you a few simple ways you can go about upskilling to ensure that you’re spending your downtime more wisely.

First though, let’s explain exactly what we mean by ‘upskilling’…

What is upskilling?

Upskilling is the active attempt at expanding your abilities through training and acquiring new skills. Literally, it involves educating yourself in something new so that you can add additional tools to your offering. Theoretically, it’s the ideal way to stay ahead of the competition and avoid standing still in a marketplace that is constantly evolving.

How does one go about this so-called upskilling?

Here are ten great ways you can upskill yourself when you’re left with a little too much spare time for your liking…

Practice makes perfect

Finish something you started or brush up on loose knowledge by getting some valuable practice time in.

Take an online training course

There’s plenty of them out there – all you need to do is find one that suits your budget and preferred way of learning.

Head back into the classroom

If you’re more of a hands-on learner, consider looking for a face-to-face class rather than an online course. You can also hire a training room with a group of other people.

Attend a seminar or workshop

This is a great way to sink your teeth into something new and learn from those with personal experience.

Lose yourself in YouTube tutorials

Alternatively, become your own teacher by delving into the plethora of tutorials and how-to videos available online.

Shadow somebody more senior

If there’s somebody above you who possesses the skills you’re after, ask them if you can shadow them for a while to absorb their knowledge in practice.

Willingly subject yourself to a management course

The rules and recommendations around business management are changing all the time – it’s in your favour to make sure you stay up to date.

Invest in your general wellbeing

Working on your physical health, meditating, doing some yoga or simply taking a well-earned break is a valid way to improve yourself professionally. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

Review your sustainability practices

All businesses today need to show some sort of responsibility to becoming more sustainable. Now is the ideal time to address this if you’ve been letting it slip down your priority list.

Revaluate your outsource connections

Perhaps you’re not happy with your freelance web designer, or you’ve been meaning to change your accountant for a while… Now is the perfect time and while it might not be a direct upskill of your own, it will certainly upskill your business.

How do you approach having more free time when the order book is empty? Are there any skills you’d like to work on given the luxury of more spare time? Let us know in the comments or by using social media.

The post Upskilling: How To Spend Time Wisely When Work Runs Dry appeared first on My Digital Wirral.

There’s absolutely nothing standing in between a conversation between you and them anymore. Except, of course, where the challenge of time zones comes into play…

This isn’t so much of a problem when it’s a friend or family member and you can send them a whole procession of alarm clock emojis until they wake up. However, when it comes to your business clients, you’re forced to play it much cooler than that which, at times, can prove a bit problematic.

Trying to communicate across timezones can be tricky at the best of times (pun intended) but where maintaining professional relationships and trying to conduct a project are involved, it’s a whole other ball game.

In this blog post, we offer some pearls of wisdom on how you can best manage your communication with clients in different countries or continents. As – when managed well – there is no reason why geographical distance needs to have any real negative impact on relationship-building or rapport.

Be willing to work some unsociable hours 

That’s the trouble with working between timezones, it won’t always align nicely with your social calendar or sleep schedule. In order to find a happy medium where both parties can participate at a reasonable hour, you’ll need to stay flexible and willing to operate outside of Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. Showing willing to do this from the start should earn you some extra brownie points too.

Make time for ‘face-to-face’ conversation

Phone calls are foolproof, emails are efficient and instant messages are even better but if you want to build a strong relationship between you and your overseas client, you’re going to need some face-to-face time.

We’re not suggesting you hop on a long-haul flight every time you need a brief signing off but make use of things like video conferencing and video calls regularly to bolster the connection and feeling of familiarity.

Set up some shared digital project management tools

Using an online task management tool like Trello or Monday means that anybody with permitted access can log in at any time to see where various parts of the project are up to. So, while you’re sleeping soundly, your client can look to see what has been ticked off the to-do list that day and respond ready for you in the morning.

Have a multilingual member of staff at arm’s reach

This doesn’t need to be a full-time employee but having somebody qualified in translation available at short notice is a great service to offer to international clients who speak another language. This can just be something you outsource as and when you require it, or if you feel a language barrier is holding your communication back in some way.

Leave some room in your budget for travel

These days, pretty much everything can be done remotely with the right software and technology but there’s still a lot to be said for real life interaction. If you are going to commit to chasing custom across the continents, we recommend setting aside a bit of cash for travel so that face-to-face meetings are an option, even if they aren’t a prerequisite.

Are you a small business owner with a client base around the world? Let us know how you keep communication in check by joining the conversation on social media.

The post Managing Communication With Clients in Different Timezones appeared first on My Digital Wirral.

The best method is to come up with multiple options and use a domain name search to find those that are available, from there you can test your favourites using the tips we’ve provided below. It’s essential to avoid these common mistakes, or else you might have a few expensive regrets later down the line:

It’s too specific

While a domain name should ideally be specific to you, your brand or industry, you can also be too specific. An example of this is for an eCommerce store to put the name of a product in the domain name or for a travel blog to list a particular country in the domain.

If the time comes when your business expands and you want to focus on different things, your domain could feel outdated, irrelevant and confusing.

It’s way too long

Short and snappy domains are often better. Think of the big brands out there, almost all of them have one or two words at the most (e.g. Google, Facebook, Netflix, Spotify.)

If your domain name is too long, it’ll be difficult to remember and easy to misspell. The last thing you want is to tell people about your website and for them to struggle to find it. Or worse, find a similar website that ends up being a competitor.

It spells out another word when joined up

A domain name with two or more words can cause an easy-to-miss mistake. When the words are joined up in the URL, they could inadvertently spell out another word between them.

The best-case scenario is that it spells out a word that causes confusion. The worst case is that it spells out something inappropriate or offensive. Always check what your domain looks like with the words joined up.

It isn’t relevant to your business

This can often become an issue if you change your business’ direction after purchasing a domain. Imagine buying a website domain called ‘Only-Pens’, but later deciding you’re really missing out on the pencil market…

When you’re choosing a domain, make sure that it’s relevant to your brand or industry. Ideally, if you can get a keyword in there that’s related to what you’re offering, this is even better.

This will help your website appear more relevant in the search engines when people are searching for your keyword.

The extension isn’t the best choice for you

A common problem people find is that they can’t find the .com domain that they want, but the .biz or .net is available so they choose that instead. This can lead to a couple of problems.

First of all, if you’re picking a similar name to an established brand that has the .com, they may try to force you to shut your website down one day. Or they may try to buy your extension of the domain which puts you back at square one.

The other problem is that other extensions can be difficult to remember if you’re telling people. People generally expect a .com or .co.uk extension and are less likely to remember .biz. They may automatically look for the .com version when searching for your website and end up on another website.

Make it as easy as possible to find your website

Some of these issues can be rectified. However, if your domain choice makes it difficult for users to find your website, this could be one too many hurdles for a customer to jump over. People generally won’t spend too much time searching for a website. If it’s difficult for them, they’ll go elsewhere. Remember, convenience is king!

Once you’ve found your perfect domain name, it’ll be time to start looking for the ideal platform to host your website, so don’t forget to check out our guide!

Have you seen any domain mistakes from other businesses? What other tips would you give? Share your thoughts below.

The post Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Domain Name appeared first on My Digital Wirral.

So what can you do to ensure you’re maintaining adequate self-care and a healthy, happy mind when at home?

Here’s a few ideas we’ve pulled together!

Wake up on time and get ready

It’s important to add structure to your day, and the beginning is the most important part. Getting up on time and getting yourself together, even if you’re not going out, can help to put you in the right mindset.

Staying in your PJs can make it too tempting to just go back to bed or cosy up if your day isn’t going to plan, but if you’re dressed you’re ready no matter what the day throws at you. It’s a big effort that can be gotten out of the way first thing. 

Another great tip is to make your bed. The fact that you have achieved something already so early on can have an extremely positive effect on the rest of your day.

Motivate your colleagues online

Socialising is more important than you think – even if you’re an introvert you can benefit from a quick chat online every now and then. Use an online chat program like Skype, Teams or Slack to check in with colleagues and have virtual coffee breaks. You might just come up with an idea to reinvigorate business!

Assign yourself a to do list

As soon as you sit at your desk in the morning, spend ten minutes writing out your to-do list. Don’t be vague, the best method can actually be to set yourself a lot of tasks at varying difficulties. 

For example, easy, small maintenance tasks like ‘Take a Vitamin’ or ‘Drink a Glass of Water’ can be ticked off quite quickly, but the more of them you do, the more you’ll feel a sense of achievement that can give you the energy and motivation to tackle bigger tasks. 

It’s a great method as when you’re feeling blue or tired, there are still things you can do to be productive.

Prep healthy lunches

Making lunches can seem a real chore if you’re used to popping the supermarket or local eatery for something convenient. Prep a couple of days at a time – not too far in advance or your fresh food might become unappetising. 

You can even make your lunches as simple or extravagant as you like. You can find lots of inspiration over on the Doctor’s Kitchen website, or you can make things really easy by just portioning out healthy snacks like fruit, veg, hummus and nuts. 

Either way, make sure it’s balanced – bad foods can really make your energy dip!

Take daily walks and exercise

Ensure you get outside every day when working from home, the sunlight will do you a lot of good, and stretching your legs will help to blow away the cobwebs. Go for a longer walk at lunchtime, or take a ten minute walk on a break in the work day if you need a quick refresh.

Challenge yourself with some exercise goals too; when your desk is a short walk from your bed, you’re missing out on a lot of the movement you’d otherwise get in the office. Don’t let those muscles melt away! Something as simple as a ten minute routine will do wonders.

Create space for you and other household members

Working home alone can have particular challenges, but working home with a family or children can be its own realm of potential stress. That’s why it’s essential to designate a working space and make clear boundaries so you don’t end up getting under each other’s feet at home.

If you have young children who are off school, use sites like Pinterest and Youtube to keep them motivated and learning throughout the day, both offer plenty of free resources you can download. 

Create a boredom box too, place in it activity sheets, colouring kits, craft kits and pre-portioned healthy snacks. 

And of course, never underestimate the power of giving your kids headphones. The sounds from their tech can easily make your working environment difficult.

Schedule time to speak to relatives and friends

When you’re working from home it can be easy for some of us to go days without contacting our loved ones, without even realising it!

Take advantage of tech, organise a family Zoom meeting or play games online with your friends. You can even teach an older relative to use a piece of technology like Facebook Portal, so they can chat to you easily. 

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How are you finding working from home? Let us know if you have any great tips to share!

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