SHARE
I am very lucky to work as a Brand & Marketing Strategist for a number of small businesses in Sydney - XYZ, The Learning Community and Website in a Weekend. All my work is focussed on telling the right story to the right people on the right platforms to get the right action. And I feel very blessed as I absolutely love what I do.
Reputation
How to develop great staff to build your business
6 ways to develop awesome staff through coaching “Driven, enthusiastic team members will be your best asset.” - Richard Branson Ask any successful entrepreneur about the key foundation on which they built their business and great people will always be at the top of the list. Having great people on staff is common to all successful organisations. Smart leaders know that great staff are ...
Can you hook people in with your brand story? if not, you’re in trouble.
I tell stories for a living. And sometimes I get to tell great ones! My kids laugh when I say I tell stories for a job. They laugh even more when I say I help other people tell their stories. I get it, it’s funny. They get my stories for free every night and are curious how I can make a living telling other people’s stories. Why would someone pay me to tell a story? But that is what I do...
4 reasons why charging by the hour is self sabotage
I received an email the other day with this title 4 reasons why charging by the hour is self sabotage At first glance I thought, "OK, I get it, I understand why not charging the hour can be a good idea." Then I thought about all those projects I provided a fixed price quote for and went way, way, way over budget. Surely it's not always profitable to issue a fixed price especially where the...
Do you believe the harder you work the luckier you get? or is it a half-truth?
You've heard this quote before. "THE HARDER YOU WORK, THE LUCKIER YOU GET." Do you believe it? I do, in part. Because it's only part of the truth. Sure, if you want something in life, work hard for it. We all know that. The world is filled with successful people who have worked harder than those around them. Successful people are not simply lucky. They work hard. Don't believe the...
Do you need a christmas miracle? here’s a different kind of miracle that will guarantee your success in 2014.
Mark Enman posted a request for Christmas cards on his social media page, hoping for a few extra cards to be sent to his parents this year. He wanted to help revive the Christmas spirit that his family had lost over the past few years. Mark’s parents, Don and Bev, have been in care in recent years due to illness. The change in family dynamics had been difficult, especially at Christmas as fam...
Facebook are you my friend or my foe? will facebook’s new changes make it harder for you to grow your organisation?
“Sometimes I just want to scream and punch facebook in the face!” I laughed and snorted my coffee. We were in a local cafe and one of my client’s was frustrated after reading about Facebook’s new changes. After we laughed a little more and the frustration settled, my client earnestly asked, “What are we going to do?” I replied, “Pretty much what we have always done. We cont...
Top 5 Copywriting Tips and Hints
Do you write as part of your job? Do you wish your writing had more influence and resulted in people buying, joining, sharing, or donating? I understand writing to influence can be difficult. It’s hard to even get noticed amidst the clutter. In order to stay sharp I have a few mentors that are more-advanced copywriters and marketers than myself. They provide me with ideas, inspiration and m...
A few tips on how to end the year well. Don’t just get things done.
I saw a hand written sign out front a local shop yesterday that said, "14 days until Christmas!". I panicked. Just 2 weeks left and I had a mountain of things to do to finish the year well. Then I paused and asked myself a question, "Actually, what would make a good finish to the year for me and my business? Is it just getting things done or something else?" My answer was a bit of both. S...
Two questions you have to answer if you want your brand to have a future
I am a little embarrassed to be pointing out the boringly obvious, but I feel I need to. I need to because every week I come across far too many businesses and nonprofit organizations that just don’t do this. It’s not that they don’t do this well, they don't do it at all! So do it? Do you have a compelling answer to these two crucial customer questions? What can this do for me? What ca...
Hi Kevin. Thanks for the question
here are just a few of my thoughts on why I open email newsletters and then read them
I know who the email is from. They have already established a relationship with me.
They have proved to me that they have something worthwhile and valuable to say. They are an authority in their field and their content is usually pretty good.
The subject line / heading engages me. It either solves a problem I have or rouses curiosity and interest.
Email marketing (newsletters) is really about follow up, relationship building and nurture so regularity is important. Once a week or fortnight is good. More than that I get annoyed and delete. Less than that I assume it's irrelevant and I forget what they are on about. Hubspot's research of over 1 billion marketing emails proves this point. In fact to minimize unsubscribes once a week is best.
Not overly salesy. I don't want to be sold to repeatedly in my own inbox which I view as the most personal form of all my digital communications - it is akin to SMS.
Lead magnets are good to get me to sign up in the first place but not for ongoing communication. It becomes annoying with yet another attachment to download and file and never read.
The emails I like have a casual feel like I am getting an email from a friend.
I have a stack of other points but my list is becoming too long.
Regards
Darryn
The most powerful marketing tool in business today
Whether you like it or not marketing is a crucial task for all businesses and nonprofits. No matter what your organization does or sells, you really must get a handle on how to raise the profile of your cause. And more so, you really need to know how to influence your key customers and hoped-for customers to join, donate, buy, share and so on - whatever you need them to do in order to advance y...
5 Steps to Get Your Ideas Out of the Shower and Into the World
Everyone Has Ideas “Everyone who's ever taken a shower has an idea. But it's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference.” (Nolan Bushnell) We all have ideas. Especially when we’re having a shower or walking the dog. But only a few people turn their ideas into reality. So how do we give birth to an idea and bring it to life? And ho...
Do you break the 80/20 Rule in Social media?
The 80/20 Formula Small business expert Steven D. Strauss, author of The Small Business Bible, suggests following the social media 80/20 rule to establish a meaningful connection with customers. 80% of your content should address your customers problems & interests 20% should be about your company and what you do. The 70/20/10 Formula Others suggest a 70/20/10 formula (in particular r...
The Number One Activity To Get People Talking About Your Brand
Do you want people to talk about your brand? Of course you do. Whether you’re a for-profit or a for-purpose you know this is exactly what you want and need. When people talk, people act. And that’s exactly the goal of any business or marketing plan; to get people to act - to buy, promote, join, donate. There are 2 ways to get people to talk. Do something stupid Do something great Let’...
How We Raised $11,585 in 7 Days for a Nonprofit Using Facebook and Email
Last week I was invited to work on a nonprofit project to raise $50 000 in 50 days. The funds were being sought to make a documentary about an inspiring Australian who over 40 years has had a major impact on Australian society. When the organisers contacted me they were 6 days in and had raised approximately $3 000 toward their goal. They went down the crowdfunding road and had started a pozible ...
If I only had two words, what would I say? An example of the power of restricting your ideas.
Restrictions are good. I used to not like limitations. I preferred open-ended uninhibited idea generation where any idea had validity and possibility. But I have grown to appreciate restriction. Restrictions push us to think with more focus by placing a frame around our ideas. That frame can be a limited time-frame or a physically limited space within which our idea will be communicated. For ex...
The best business book you'll read this year
I’ve just finished reading one of the best books on business I’ve read for a long time. Why is it so good? If I had to give you one reason it would be because it’s different than the rest. Not different - bad. Different - good. Very good in fact. The book is called Rework by Fried & Hansson. Its subtitle and promise “change the way you work forever” is certainly what it offers. I...
PAY IT FORWARD & BE A CONNECTOR How my business partners built 10 years of continuous work with no website or logo.
Warning: This is not rocket science. It’s one of the simplest tasks you will do today. But there is a warning - THIS ACTIVITY WILL ACTUALLY GET RESULTS, SO PROCEED AT YOUR OWN WILL. So here it is: One of the most helpful things you could do for a friend, a colleague, or someone you’ve done business with is to introduce them to your network or even better - to specific people you think would b...
Is there a difference between a branding and a marketing agency?
Thanks for asking this great question: I believe there is a difference between a branding agency and a marketing agency but there shouldn't be. My take on branding is the complete ecosystem of a business - its visual assets, communications, customer experiences, online presence, and so on, that shape customer perception. My take on marketing is the planned activity undertaken by an organisation in order to influence customer behavior. They actually go hand in hand. Like two scissor blades you need both to cut. So I link branding and marketing together for good reason. Branding is about customer perception, marketing is about customer behaviour. Perception influences behaviour. I am actually in the midst of writing a book on branding & marketing. Thanks again for asking an insightful question. Regards, Darryn
How to develop great staff to build your business
6 ways to develop awesome staff through coaching “Driven, enthusiastic team members will be your best asset.” - Richard Branson Ask any successful entrepreneur about the key foundation on which they built their business and great people will always be at the top of the list. Having great people on staff is common to all successful organisations. Smart leaders know that great staff are ...
Can you hook people in with your brand story? if not, you’re in trouble.
I tell stories for a living. And sometimes I get to tell great ones! My kids laugh when I say I tell stories for a job. They laugh even more when I say I help other people tell their stories. I get it, it’s funny. They get my stories for free every night and are curious how I can make a living telling other people’s stories. Why would someone pay me to tell a story? But that is what I do...
4 reasons why charging by the hour is self sabotage
I received an email the other day with this title 4 reasons why charging by the hour is self sabotage At first glance I thought, "OK, I get it, I understand why not charging the hour can be a good idea." Then I thought about all those projects I provided a fixed price quote for and went way, way, way over budget. Surely it's not always profitable to issue a fixed price especially where the...
Do you believe the harder you work the luckier you get? or is it a half-truth?
You've heard this quote before. "THE HARDER YOU WORK, THE LUCKIER YOU GET." Do you believe it? I do, in part. Because it's only part of the truth. Sure, if you want something in life, work hard for it. We all know that. The world is filled with successful people who have worked harder than those around them. Successful people are not simply lucky. They work hard. Don't believe the...
Do you need a christmas miracle? here’s a different kind of miracle that will guarantee your success in 2014.
Mark Enman posted a request for Christmas cards on his social media page, hoping for a few extra cards to be sent to his parents this year. He wanted to help revive the Christmas spirit that his family had lost over the past few years. Mark’s parents, Don and Bev, have been in care in recent years due to illness. The change in family dynamics had been difficult, especially at Christmas as fam...
Facebook are you my friend or my foe? will facebook’s new changes make it harder for you to grow your organisation?
“Sometimes I just want to scream and punch facebook in the face!” I laughed and snorted my coffee. We were in a local cafe and one of my client’s was frustrated after reading about Facebook’s new changes. After we laughed a little more and the frustration settled, my client earnestly asked, “What are we going to do?” I replied, “Pretty much what we have always done. We cont...
Top 5 Copywriting Tips and Hints
Do you write as part of your job? Do you wish your writing had more influence and resulted in people buying, joining, sharing, or donating? I understand writing to influence can be difficult. It’s hard to even get noticed amidst the clutter. In order to stay sharp I have a few mentors that are more-advanced copywriters and marketers than myself. They provide me with ideas, inspiration and m...
A few tips on how to end the year well. Don’t just get things done.
I saw a hand written sign out front a local shop yesterday that said, "14 days until Christmas!". I panicked. Just 2 weeks left and I had a mountain of things to do to finish the year well. Then I paused and asked myself a question, "Actually, what would make a good finish to the year for me and my business? Is it just getting things done or something else?" My answer was a bit of both. S...
Two questions you have to answer if you want your brand to have a future
I am a little embarrassed to be pointing out the boringly obvious, but I feel I need to. I need to because every week I come across far too many businesses and nonprofit organizations that just don’t do this. It’s not that they don’t do this well, they don't do it at all! So do it? Do you have a compelling answer to these two crucial customer questions? What can this do for me? What ca...
The most powerful marketing tool in business today
Whether you like it or not marketing is a crucial task for all businesses and nonprofits. No matter what your organization does or sells, you really must get a handle on how to raise the profile of your cause. And more so, you really need to know how to influence your key customers and hoped-for customers to join, donate, buy, share and so on - whatever you need them to do in order to advance y...
5 Steps to Get Your Ideas Out of the Shower and Into the World
Everyone Has Ideas “Everyone who's ever taken a shower has an idea. But it's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference.” (Nolan Bushnell) We all have ideas. Especially when we’re having a shower or walking the dog. But only a few people turn their ideas into reality. So how do we give birth to an idea and bring it to life? And ho...
Do you break the 80/20 Rule in Social media?
The 80/20 Formula Small business expert Steven D. Strauss, author of The Small Business Bible, suggests following the social media 80/20 rule to establish a meaningful connection with customers. 80% of your content should address your customers problems & interests 20% should be about your company and what you do. The 70/20/10 Formula Others suggest a 70/20/10 formula (in particular r...
The Number One Activity To Get People Talking About Your Brand
Do you want people to talk about your brand? Of course you do. Whether you’re a for-profit or a for-purpose you know this is exactly what you want and need. When people talk, people act. And that’s exactly the goal of any business or marketing plan; to get people to act - to buy, promote, join, donate. There are 2 ways to get people to talk. Do something stupid Do something great Let’...
How We Raised $11,585 in 7 Days for a Nonprofit Using Facebook and Email
Last week I was invited to work on a nonprofit project to raise $50 000 in 50 days. The funds were being sought to make a documentary about an inspiring Australian who over 40 years has had a major impact on Australian society. When the organisers contacted me they were 6 days in and had raised approximately $3 000 toward their goal. They went down the crowdfunding road and had started a pozible ...
If I only had two words, what would I say? An example of the power of restricting your ideas.
Restrictions are good. I used to not like limitations. I preferred open-ended uninhibited idea generation where any idea had validity and possibility. But I have grown to appreciate restriction. Restrictions push us to think with more focus by placing a frame around our ideas. That frame can be a limited time-frame or a physically limited space within which our idea will be communicated. For ex...
The best business book you'll read this year
I’ve just finished reading one of the best books on business I’ve read for a long time. Why is it so good? If I had to give you one reason it would be because it’s different than the rest. Not different - bad. Different - good. Very good in fact. The book is called Rework by Fried & Hansson. Its subtitle and promise “change the way you work forever” is certainly what it offers. I...
PAY IT FORWARD & BE A CONNECTOR How my business partners built 10 years of continuous work with no website or logo.
Warning: This is not rocket science. It’s one of the simplest tasks you will do today. But there is a warning - THIS ACTIVITY WILL ACTUALLY GET RESULTS, SO PROCEED AT YOUR OWN WILL. So here it is: One of the most helpful things you could do for a friend, a colleague, or someone you’ve done business with is to introduce them to your network or even better - to specific people you think would b...
Hi Kevin. Thanks for the question
here are just a few of my thoughts on why I open email newsletters and then read them
I know who the email is from. They have already established a relationship with me.
They have proved to me that they have something worthwhile and valuable to say. They are an authority in their field and their content is usually pretty good.
The subject line / heading engages me. It either solves a problem I have or rouses curiosity and interest.
Email marketing (newsletters) is really about follow up, relationship building and nurture so regularity is important. Once a week or fortnight is good. More than that I get annoyed and delete. Less than that I assume it's irrelevant and I forget what they are on about. Hubspot's research of over 1 billion marketing emails proves this point. In fact to minimize unsubscribes once a week is best.
Not overly salesy. I don't want to be sold to repeatedly in my own inbox which I view as the most personal form of all my digital communications - it is akin to SMS.
Lead magnets are good to get me to sign up in the first place but not for ongoing communication. It becomes annoying with yet another attachment to download and file and never read.
The emails I like have a casual feel like I am getting an email from a friend.
I have a stack of other points but my list is becoming too long.
Regards
Darryn
Is there a difference between a branding and a marketing agency?
Thanks for asking this great question: I believe there is a difference between a branding agency and a marketing agency but there shouldn't be. My take on branding is the complete ecosystem of a business - its visual assets, communications, customer experiences, online presence, and so on, that shape customer perception. My take on marketing is the planned activity undertaken by an organisation in order to influence customer behavior. They actually go hand in hand. Like two scissor blades you need both to cut. So I link branding and marketing together for good reason. Branding is about customer perception, marketing is about customer behaviour. Perception influences behaviour. I am actually in the midst of writing a book on branding & marketing. Thanks again for asking an insightful question. Regards, Darryn
TOPICS FOLLOWED
Online Business 9334 FOLLOWERS
Sales and Marketing 8726 FOLLOWERS
Human Resources 6734 FOLLOWERS
Finance and Accounting 8220 FOLLOWERS
Startup 6865 FOLLOWERS
Business Management 11128 FOLLOWERS
Ecommerce 7544 FOLLOWERS
Selling Online 7606 FOLLOWERS
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) 7589 FOLLOWERS
Social Media 7685 FOLLOWERS
Web Design 7521 FOLLOWERS
Web Development 7569 FOLLOWERS
Web Hosting 7424 FOLLOWERS
Customer Acquisition 6942 FOLLOWERS
Integrating Online and Offline 6889 FOLLOWERS
Graphic Design 6870 FOLLOWERS
Video Production 6852 FOLLOWERS
Advertising 6999 FOLLOWERS
Copywriting and Content Marketing 6953 FOLLOWERS
Branding 7012 FOLLOWERS
Offline and Direct Marketing 6904 FOLLOWERS
Market Research 6907 FOLLOWERS
Digital Marketing 7065 FOLLOWERS
Public Relations (PR) 6906 FOLLOWERS
Recruitment 5446 FOLLOWERS
Leadership 5507 FOLLOWERS
Team Management 5485 FOLLOWERS
Outsourcing 5479 FOLLOWERS
Succession Planning 5441 FOLLOWERS
Training and Development 5495 FOLLOWERS
Career Planning 5426 FOLLOWERS
Superannuation 5562 FOLLOWERS
Investor Funding and Capital 6423 FOLLOWERS
Lean Startup Methodology 6453 FOLLOWERS
Assembling Mentors, Advisors and Board Members 6469 FOLLOWERS
Founders and Co-founders 6455 FOLLOWERS
Product Development 6456 FOLLOWERS
Startup Branding and PR 6490 FOLLOWERS
First 100 Days 6456 FOLLOWERS
Bootstrapping 6422 FOLLOWERS
Research and Innovation 6461 FOLLOWERS
Measuring Startup Success 6455 FOLLOWERS
Customer Retention 7369 FOLLOWERS
Importing 7261 FOLLOWERS
Business Growth 7383 FOLLOWERS
Market Trend 7335 FOLLOWERS
Business Partnership 7341 FOLLOWERS
Lifestyle and Health 7354 FOLLOWERS
Risk Management 7319 FOLLOWERS
Franchising 7266 FOLLOWERS
Business Coaching 7384 FOLLOWERS
Business Planning 7412 FOLLOWERS
New Business Ideas 6520 FOLLOWERS