'Fresh' UK Marketing News from theMarketingblog

Important question for local business owners - are you making enough online sales? / Neil Brewster

I was sitting talking about marketing and websites with a local business owner yesterday (who makes some cool stuff but is not making enough online sales) discussing how to use your website to get more customers. A pretty common theme lately, something everybody seems to want. Anyhow, it prompted me to write this post:

Running a business is not easy. We may be lucky enough to have loyal existing customers, but unless we make sure we have a steady flow of new prospects and new clients we will constantly be in trouble, or always have that nagging feeling in the back of our minds of when we might get into trouble.

Keeping your website up to date is not easy and SEO even harder. Maybe you have just pushed it all to one side and tried to forget about it, the common thinking being that it is too difficult, too expensive and you just really don’t get what you need to do.

You’re not alone, hence I decided to put together 10 steps you can do yourself which will help you on the way:

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Edwin Mast-Ingle writes ... New lifestyle snaps the crackle and pop of the cereal industry

I use my writing to change perceptions in this world: Edwin Mast-Ingle

The battle ground for a healthier lifestyle, particularly the prevention of obesity and diabetes, is likely to be fought in hitherto uncharted territory. The combatants are the giant conglomerates of the breakfast cereal industry versus proponents of a radically new lifestyle advocating a high fat and protein menu that eliminates carbohydrates and sugars to prevent both the ailments led by two authors – one in the United States and the other in South Africa.

The stakes are high on either side. The global breakfast cereals market, valued at $32.5-billion in 2012, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4% for the next several years, reaching $43.2-billion in 2019, according to a new market report from Transparency Market Research in the US. With sales up 43 percent in the past five years, the dry cereal business has been one of the fastest-growing segments of the food industry...figures that seem to be matched by the rising obesity and diabetes trends.

www.mi5.co.za

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Irn-Bru has released an impassioned and cinematic advert to celebrate the arrival of the Commonwealth Games

Irn-Bru Commonwealth Games Advert Soft Drink

Irn-Bru has released an impassioned and cinematic advert to celebrate the arrival of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The video, called IRN In Our Blood, features a good-humored narrative talking about Scotland’s attitudes to sport and it’s status as perennial underdogs, two elements why belie the passion Scotland has for sport and its sporting heroes.

Created by the Leigh Agency, the 1-minute long advert is a rally cry to all Scots in the build up to the Games to back their country and join a long history of impassioned Scottish people in supporting the Games in Scotland.

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What will we learn from the IMRG International Trading Passports?

We take a look at the first IMRG Passport, which will examine the key considerations of a prospective merchant in seeking to successfully sell to customers in the United Kingdom.

The global e-commerce landscape is constantly evolving, and for the aspiring cross-border entrepreneur, new and exciting opportunities abound. Truly, the borderless nature of the internet brings with it unrivalled and never-before-seen prospects; a fertile terrain upon which to sow the seeds of growth.

The United Kingdom is seen as a very desirable destination in which to 'set up shop', and seek to appeal to these hungry consumers.

The purpose of this passport is to detail and examine the key considerations of a prospective merchant in seeking to successfully sell to customers in the United Kingdom, a country ranked by the World Bank as one of the top European destinations in which to set up and operate a business.

To be one of the first to receive the Passport, register for #IMRGConnect now.

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Adyoulike integrates across publishers seamlessly to deliver brand content

Adyoulike Reports 250 Percent Turnover Growth

Julien Verdier, CEO of Adyoulike,

Native advertising platform Adyoulike today reported global turnover growth of 250 percent in its half-yearly figures for 2014, keeping it on target for $10m revenue this year.

The business’s European growth has led the way. The first half of 2014 also saw Adyoulike run more than 400 native advertising campaigns in Europe for leading brands including L’Oreal, Coca-Cola and BMW, compared to the 300 campaigns it ran during the entirety of 2013.

Adyoulike integrates across publishers seamlessly to deliver brand content in the heart of editorial content and user experience.