I was incredibly lucky last week to join my friend and client Olivia from AiQ Consulting at the Marketing Live event in London.

Olivia and I worked together at Serco so we've known each other a long time now, but don't get to see each other as often as we'd like. For me as a freelance consultant, to spend a whole day chatting marketing and hanging around with Olivia was lovely. It also helped that she was looking at specific things, such as merchandise and email systems, that meant I could have an insight into her needs and what people were showing at the exhibition.

So, what did we learn?

• The sales funnel has changed! From a funnel to a weird bulbous balloon thingy. I've tried to find an example of this online but I can't find anything, so I don't know how widespread this idea is. However, it's obvious that the way that people receive marketing and sales messages is changing, and being aware of this is really important.
• Video is everything. Ugh, video video video... it's true though, alongside images, video is a powerful tool in your marketing kit.
• Automation and personalisation are a big focus, but there's still a point to mass emails and advertising.
• GDPR has everyone worried. GDPR is like a slippery fish that you think you've got a handle on and then BOOF... it turns out that you failed the quiz you did on GDPR that you were so sure you'd complete. GDPR jail for me and Olivia!​​

It's always nice to start the new year with a spring in your step, and now I'm happy to say that things have got even springier here at Jenni Collins Marketing! I've joined up with ClarityCX to pool our skills and offer a brand new service for small businesses everywhere - customer focused marketing.

If you're looking to improve your relationships with potential and existing customers, or are having trouble finding interesting and engaging content for your social media posts, this is the service for you!
 
ClarityCX provides the Customer Experience consultancy, measuring, discovering and improving the entire customer journey. Using surveys, feedback strategies and pulse checks of your customers, they can not only identify the root cause of non-returning customers but also build on the positive experiences of your loyal advocates in order to increase spend and bring in new business.
 
We can then create social media posts and blogs to promote your great feedback, and feed them into a marketing strategy to build your business and increase sales. Whether you require digital marketing, copywriting or social media strategy, you can find it all in once place, working in partnership with the survey results we collect.
 
And what's even better, we offer a selection of services with clear, structured pricing so you can pick and choose what suits your business. 
 
Whether you wish to attract or retain business, there’s no doubt that personal recommendations and word of mouth are some of the most powerful marketing currencies. Now you can build on them and improve both your customer experience AND your marketing!

Contact me today for more information, including the price structure
 

GDPR is coming! GDPR is coming! Batten down the hatches! Sit in the corner and wail! Rock silently in utter terror!

I think the above is the recognised approach to small businesses when they find out about the new EU GDPR regulations... and I know that there are still quite a few businesses that have no idea that it is coming, judging by the reactions of some of my clients.

I am not a specialist, and as there are so many big words and techie speak related to these data and privacy laws and regulations I really don't want to be. However, I have battled by way through it today. I've analysed my data flows, I've recognised my responsibilities, I've sorted out the data I hold and I've written a Data Policy and a Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy is available here, and if you really want to see my data policy you can request it from me. 

If you are a business that holds data, GDPR applies to you and is enforceable from May 2018. It's really worth having a look at and analysing your responsibilities and processes to ensure compliance.

There are lots of people out there offering services to clean data, sort out your processes and much more, including some really interesting seminars, so give it a Google and find out what it's all about!

I've popped some useful information below that might be helpful.
​
What is GDPR?
GDPR is General Data Protection Regulation, and thanks to lovely Wikipedia, we know that...
"The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) is a regulation by which the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission intend to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union (EU). It also addresses the export of personal data outside the EU. The GDPR aims primarily to give control back to citizens and residents over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international businessby unifying the regulation within the EU.[1]

It becomes enforceable from 25 May 2018 after a two-year transition period and, unlike a directive, it does not require national governments to pass any enabling legislation, and is thus directly binding and applicable.[3]" 

Further information
I found a great checklist which is a really useful https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/resources-and-support/data-protection-self-assessment/data-processors/

Here is the basic information regarding GDPR that you need to know https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/

And also a good summary from IT Pro www.itpro.co.uk/it-legislation/27814/what-is-gdpr-everything-you-need-to-know-8

It’s been so long since I’ve written a blog so I thought I would do a little update! I promise to be a more regular blogger in 2018. 
 
I thought I had had a quiet year this year, workwise. I feel like I’ve had more free time, more interests outside of work and I haven’t been as productive as I could have been. I’ve also had a few disappointments, which is not unusual as a self-employed person dealing with contracts, jobs and clients.
 
However, checking through my invoices this week has found that I’m on track (OK, it could all go wrong in the next three months) to have my best ever year for turnover. So, what went right? As ever, my clients are some of the most wonderful ever and I’m always so happy that I get to deal with such lovely people every day. I’ve had some good one-off projects that have not only been a learning experience, but also given me the opportunity to reconnect with former colleagues.
 
Perhaps it’s my ‘other’ work that has led me to feel that my main job hasn’t been quite so busy. I started a podcast this year – POW Podcast UK - with my writing partner in crime, Marc. It’s been great fun talking about how we deal with productivity and procrastination, chiefly when we are writing our novel but also while we are doing our day jobs. When you’re self-employed it’s easy to get distracted and put things off as the only person you have to answer to you is you. Well, also angry clients, but you tend to get things done by that stage.
 
Perhaps I am subconsciously learning from my podcast me, by being a more productive marketing me, without even realising that I’m working smarter.
 
We may never know. Although if this blog is a product of a more productive marketing me I may ask for my money back as it is clearly me writing nonsense to get some words on a page. Ha!
 
Listen to my fabulous podcast here on itunes, soundcast, acast and our blog.

Although I have been freelancing for five years now, a recent look through my website (to see how long it was since I last wrote a blog) found that it’s been almost exactly three years since my first blog on jennicollinsmarketing.com. Happy Birthday Blog!

I have been very quiet on the website lately. Summer holidays always stretch the time I have to spend on my own marketing, although this year I managed it a lot better by a) organizing proper childcare and not just winging it and b) taking two proper holidays where I couldn’t have done any work even if I’d wanted to.
 
We can take September as a settling in period, but it’s October now and I really should have written a blog. For my clients, generally, we aim to blog one to two times a month, depending on the type of business they have and how big their budget is.
 
There is another reason I’ve been busy, as I’ve started a podcast with the marvelously talented Marc Godfrey. We talk about writing and procrastination, and how to stop procrastinating to do more writing – you can find us at  https://powpodcastuk.blogspot.co.uk and you can give us a listen on iTunes.
 
It’s been really exciting to put this together and find just how motivating it is to share a space to talk about our work. I have definitely written more, both with Marc and on my own projects, by having the podcast as a ‘management meeting’ to use as a deadline or a starting point for different ideas and strategies. We also drink all the way through a recording, which is another bonus.
 
If you think you could benefit from meeting likeminded souls to give your business a boost, you could consider going to a networking event. A group such as Inspiration Space, in Newbury which has been set up to create connections between local people who work predominantly alone as either entrepreneurs, home based workers, or who are self employed. Increasing local connections and finding people to talk to about your company can really motivate you and Inspiration Space, in particular, has been a great way for me to meet business owners in a similar situation for a catch up about how we run our companies and what we’re up to.
 
It’s been enlightening to see just how effective you can be by sharing ideas and also having a set point in time and method for discussing your work. I have done something similar to clients but I have never actually been able to get the benefits myself in such a pronounced way. Although my writing and marketing has not extended to my blog, until now, it’s had a great effect on my day-to-day working practices.
 
So what am I saying? If you’re struggling with motivation with your marketing, find someone to talk to about your ideas, your strategies, and your results. This really helps you stick to your plans. You don’t have to do a podcast, but there are lots of great networking groups out there. Marketing meetings are something I offer as a service which you can read more about here if you feel like it’s something that your business could benefit from.