posted on February 25, 2025 by

The Importance of Hiring Outside Marketing Support for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

The Importance of Hiring Outside Marketing Support for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) play a crucial role in the economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and fostering competition. However, one of the biggest challenges that SMBs face is the lack of resources, knowledge, and capabilities when it comes to marketing. Many SMBs operate with limited budgets and do not have dedicated in-house marketing teams to help them promote their products or services effectively. In such cases, hiring outside marketing support can be a game-changer for these businesses looking to grow their sales and revenue.

The Need for Marketing Support

For SMBs ranging from sole traders to those employing 10 to 50 employees with a turnover of £1 m to £8 m, investing in marketing support is crucial for several reasons:

1. Expertise and Experience

Most SMBs do not have the luxury of hiring experienced marketers or specialists due to budget constraints. By hiring outside marketing support, SMBs can tap into the expertise and experience of professionals who understand the intricacies of marketing strategies, trends, and best practices. These experts can provide valuable insights and guidance to help SMBs create effective marketing campaigns tailored to their specific needs and target audience.

2. Cost-Effectiveness

Outsourcing marketing services can be a cost-effective solution for SMBs compared to hiring and training an in-house team. Outsourced marketing agencies often offer flexible pricing models, allowing SMBs to scale their marketing efforts based on their budget and requirements. This cost-effective approach enables SMBs to access a wide range of marketing services without the overhead costs associated with hiring full-time employees.

3. Strategic Planning and Execution

Marketing is not just about creating eye-catching advertisements or social media posts; it requires strategic planning and execution to drive meaningful results. Outsourced marketing agencies can help SMBs develop comprehensive marketing strategies aligned with their business goals and objectives. From market research and competitor analysis to campaign implementation and performance tracking, outsourcing marketing support ensures that SMBs have a well-defined roadmap to achieve their sales and revenue targets.

4. Access to Cutting-Edge Tools and Technologies

In today’s digital age, marketing is heavily reliant on technology and data analytics to measure performance and optimize campaigns. SMBs often lack the resources to invest in expensive marketing tools and technologies. By partnering with a marketing agency, SMBs can leverage the latest tools and technologies to streamline their marketing efforts, track key performance indicators, and make data-driven decisions to improve ROI.

5. Focus on Core Business Activities

Running a business involves wearing multiple hats, from managing operations and finances to customer service and product development. Outsourcing marketing support allows SMBs to focus on their core business activities while leaving the marketing strategies and tactics to the experts. This division of labor enables SMBs to allocate their time and resources more efficiently, ultimately leading to increased productivity and profitability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, hiring outside marketing support is a strategic investment for small and medium-sized businesses looking to accelerate their growth and increase sales and revenue. By partnering with experienced marketing professionals, SMBs can benefit from expertise, cost-effective solutions, strategic planning, access to cutting-edge technologies, and the ability to focus on core business activities. As the business landscape becomes increasingly competitive, outsourcing marketing support is not just a luxury but a necessity for SMBs to stay ahead of the curve and achieve long-term success.

-Ends-

Filed Under: Getting Customers, Lead Generation, Marketing Support
posted on February 13, 2024 by

The Day I Interviewed Steve Wright

By Richard Boyd

So sorry to read that Steve Wright has died at such a relatively young age of 69.

I interviewed him in the summer of 1993 when he brought his afternoon show and his ‘posse’ to sunny Southport when I was a journalist on the Lancashire Evening Post (now Lancashire Post) at the time.

Like so many people, I grew up listening to his show pretty much every day. His BBC1 show used to get millions of listeners.

He would say some things that presenters and DJs wouldn’t get away with in this age – especially someone on the BBC – poking fun at some pop stars, particularly ‘Prince’ and his ‘you need therapy’ catchphrase amongst many others, but he was naturally funny and there was no malice to him. His show was legendary.

I remember trying to ask him some serious questions at the start of the interview but he and his team started cracking jokes amongst themselves and it turned into chaos pretty quickly.

(As a side note, I took a young lady that I was interested in along to the interview in order to try to impress her but it didn’t improve my chances. She didn’t return my calls after that!). RIP Steve. 

Richard Boyd, Owner of Red Flame Marketing

Filed Under: Miscellaneous
posted on June 14, 2021 by

Essential Stats and Data on Cash Usage and Spending Habits Around the World

https://upgradedpoints.com/credit-cards/a-cashless-reality/

The article in the link above has lots of valuable information such as:

  • Worldwide stats showing how COVID-19 has affected spending – the UK alone saw a 60% drop in cash usage and a 42% drop in ATM withdrawals in 2020.
  • How fintech trends and technologies such as hyper-personalisation and AI are driving our spending habits.
  • Predictions for a cashless future and who will get there first (Finland, China and the UK are all quickly moving towards becoming cashless societies)
  • Useful statistics, data sources, and other data-driven insights showing us how the world is moving away from cash.
Filed Under: Guest Blog
posted on October 14, 2020 by

Staying Safe on UK Roads This Winter

Great article on how to stay safe on UK roads this winter.

https://www.hendycarstore.co.uk/staying-safe-on-uk-roads-this-winter/

Filed Under: Uncategorized
posted on March 5, 2020 by

5 Key Reasons Why Small Businesses Can’t Succeed in 2020 without SEO

Why Businesses Can't Succeed Without Doing SEO | Red Flame Marketing | Search Engine Optimisation

It’s 2020 and ecommerce shops are walking over every business in the industry. The reason why they are doing this is because building a strong online brand that customers will love and trust is what Google is all about.

This will leave small businesses in the back if they don’t start building an online strategy for success. The truth is, small businesses have limited finances and resources to pay for expensive ads to have Google push them higher on the search page results and in front of the potential customers. So, how can they catch up in the game. The answer is with SEO.

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process of optimising the website to rank higher on the search page results organically.

This means that with a powerful SEO strategy and optimising the website (on-page SEO) as well as building references from authoritative sites (off-page SEO) any business will have the chance to rank high. Even small business.  And here are 5 key reasons why small business desperately need SEO to succeed.

1.  Organic Web Traffic is the Most Important and Profitable Traffic

Lately, paid ads on social media as well on Google seem to have occupied the central spots on the screen when we get the search results for what we are looking for. However, how convincing are they? Statistically, the majority of people will skip the paid ad and check out the top organic positions of the results. That is why ending up among the top positions is utterly important. By being there, it means that your website provides relevant info or answers for the things they were searching for. And that is why they are most likely to click on the link.

On the other hand, the paid ad is carefully written and powerful set of words that target the audience for what the audience wants to see and offer them something they need. Still, the fact that this is a paid advertisement throws a great deal of doubt in the eyes of the audience since of course the ad will say that the company is the best and offer the most quality service or products.

2. Trustworthy and Reliable Website

The second reason is tightly connected to the first one. What happens when you have a strong SEO strategy is organically ranking to the first ten positions (the first page) of Google Search Page Results which leads to building a trustworthy and reliable brand of your website. Plus, an SEO optimised website is fully functional, easy to navigate and creates engaging and pleasant user experience. Once the customer completes a purchase from the website and is satisfied with the whole shopping experience, they will return again and again – which is how a trustworthy and reliable website is made.

3. Local SEO for Small Businesses Targets the Audience More Precisely

When you come to think about it, if you are a small business competing with huge businesses online you will probably be walked over and end up on irrelevant. After all, the huge companies have the money and the team to work out every single detail and because of that, they have a head start.

However, if your small business has an SEO strategy that is designed to impact locally, then you have the chance to get to your targeted audience and offer the right service and products for them. Local SEO not only means better target but also increased engagement, traffic and eventually conversions.

By locally optimising the strategy, your small business gets the chance to offer its services to an audience from a specific town, city, region or country. This is done in a way that the content is optimised to include geographical search terms and local listings are filled out that help you become visible to relevant locations and business sectors.

4. Long-Term Results

SEO is not a one time thing. It takes time to give results but the best of all is that these results are also long-term. There are so called “SEO specialists” who manage to achieve great results in a very short time but unfortunately, the formula for success is always against Google rules. This is called Black Hat SEO and even though you can see your website at the top position on Google, you will eventually be noticed by Google and penalised. Worst case scenario, your website might even be banned.

Turning to White Hat SEO, which is the total opposite of Black Hat SEO, you can rest assured that the results will come with quality work on the website and off-page and these results will last.

5. SEO is Cheap

All things considered, SEO is cheap. It is certainly cheaper than paid ads on social media or Google. Plus, the credibility your brand receives with a good strategic SEO plan pays off every single penny that is spent. The bottom line is that your business will have return of investment in the long run and keep the results and great ranking even longer.

-Ends-

Filed Under: Uncategorized
posted on October 26, 2017 by

GDPR – What’s That All About, Then?

Here’s a guest blog from John Miller, of Smarter Technologies, based in Heywood, about GDPR and a series of seminars aimed at helping businesses understand and comply with this new legislation that comes into effect in 2018: 

I know that the introduction of the GDPR has made many organisations view it as more of a threat than an opportunity. Many organisations focus on the heavy penalties and the overall effort. However, I believe that organisations will gain a competitive advantage in being fully GDPR compliant. With many data breaches in the last few years, customers have become more concerned about the handling of their personal information than ever before. By complying with the GDPR, your organisation is safeguarding personal information and building relationships with customers based on transparency and trust – now that has to be good for your customers and for your organisation, doesn’t it?

Our 2 hour seminar will help you, as you take your first steps towards compliance by sharing practical insights about implementing a data security based approach in line with the GDPR. You will learn about:

  • Why you have to comply with the GDPR and what might happen if you don’t.
  • The GDPR’s direct effect on your business and the transition timelines.
  • The steps to take in preparing for compliance.
  • The technical and organisational measures your business will need to adopt to comply with the Regulation.
  • A key assessment toolkit you can use to help you to achieve compliance.

The seminar will be held at The Birch Hotel, Heywood with easy access to the M60, M62 and M66 on:

  • Wednesday, 27th September 2017, 14:00 to 16:15 – SOLD OUT
  • Wednesday, 25th October 2017, 14:00 to 16:15
  • Wednesday, 29th November 2017, 14:00 to 16:15

Tickets are £15.00

Contact us on 0345 319 4887 to book or book online with Eventbrite.

I hope to see you there.

jm_sig

Filed Under: IT
posted on January 16, 2017 by

Don’t Call Me Frank

It’s always great when clients say nice things about you.

Here’s one client that took to video to say a few words about how we’ve helped him grow his business.

Don’t call me Frank, though, eh?

Click here to watch the short video testimonial.

Filed Under: Client Testimonials, Marketing Support
posted on May 9, 2016 by

Have You Tried Google Apps For Work?

It’s not that well known in the UK, but we love it.

What are we talking about? Google Apps For Work.

It has so many benefits – for businesses of all sizes.

From working better and more efficiently with colleagues, to saving on the cost of licences for MS Office and the ‘obligatory’ server for your emails or documents, to integrating a whole host of other applications to make your working life and business run and perform better, we think it’s the next ‘garlic bread’. Did we mention it makes protecting your data – such as information about your customers – easier too?

Check out all the benefits and features .

 

Filed Under: Marketing Support Tagged With: , , ,
posted on April 2, 2016 by

17 Reasons To Send A Press Release

Have you ever thought of using press releases to promote your business to your customers and prospects?

 

Using press releases is a form of PR or public relations.

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations says: “Public relations is about reputation – the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you.”


It adds: “Public Relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour.


“It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.”

 

So, why should YOU send a press release?

 

Here’s 17 reasons to do so:

 

  1. Media coverage from a press release can drive valuable traffic to your website
  2. It can position your company and its products and services in the minds of your customers and potential new customers more easily than traditional advertising (or online advertising)
  3. It is much cheaper than advertising
  4. It helps to build your brand
  5. You can say things in a press release that you can’t say in an advertisement
  6. Appearing in a local newspaper, business magazine or trade publication (or even on radio or television) gives your business massive credibility amongst your customers and potential new customers
  7. It can help to position you, a member of staff, or your company as ‘the expert’ in your field and give you a competitive advantage. Likewise, it can showcase your products as the ‘best in the market’
  8. It can help generate sales enquiries and new customers
  9. It can help your business get more coverage online
  10. You can use the content of a press release for 1 or more posts on social media
  11. Brainstorming ideas for news stories can highlight successes internally within a business (and even make staff feel better)
  12. A press release can help to create goodwill between your company and your customers, potential new customers, employees, shareholders, and even suppliers
  13. It can help to protect your corporate reputation in case of negative media coverage
  14. It can help to influence buying behaviour of your customers and potential new customers
  15. It can help your company to earn understanding and support from customers, potential new customers, employees, suppliers and even shareholders
  16. It can help tell the world what your business is good at, how your products and services can help your customers and why customers and potential customers should buy from you rather than your competitors (but you have to careful how you do this!)
  17. The content of a press release in a news stories in a newspaper, magazine or online is viewed as far more credible (i.e. true) than anything you can say in an advertisement

 

 

Filed Under: Public Relations Tagged With:
posted on December 19, 2015 by

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!

We’d like to wish our clients, partners, suppliers and business contacts a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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