Articles in the Category 'By Bryony Thomas'
Babies and books…
A short note from Bryony explaining why we are currently not taking on any new consulting work, and why the blog is quieter than usual. Read more »
Published on 15 March 2012
Detox your marketing… events
Three classic mistakes made by small businesses when exhibiting at an event and how to avoid them. Read more »
Published on 21 February 2012
Detox your marketing… social media
Three toxic social media techniques that are more likely to have people clicking 'unfollow' than generating you great word of mouth. Read more »
Published on 25 January 2012
De-tox your marketing… email
Three toxic email marketing techniques to avoid if you want to draw people into a sales conversation with your small business. Read more »
Published on 17 January 2012
Don’t make marketing your New Year’s resolution
A call to business owners not to make marketing a short-lived promise in 2012. Taking a yo-yo diet approach to marketing your small business will not achieve long term sales results. Read more »
Published on 11 January 2012
Top 10 Small Business Marketing Tips of 2011
From how to guides to real life marketing experiments, this year's Top 10 Tips from Clear Thought gives loads of advice on making the most of your marketing efforts. Read more »
Published on 3 January 2012
Are non-paying customers worth anything?
Can it ever be worth giving away a good product for nothing? Here are five reasons to consider a creating a completely free version of your online offering. Read more »
Published on 14 September 2011
How to win more new business with a gateway product
Developing a powerful gateway product, as part of a product ladder, is a powerful way to increase sales and long term customer loyalty for your small business. Read more »
Published on 1 September 2011
Marketing my small business… over to you
An invitation to feature in a series of interviews with small business owners on what marketing really means to them, out there, in the real world. Read more »
Published on 16 August 2011
DO sweat the small stuff
Your small business brand is made up of all the little things that come together to form a picture. Paying attention to the small stuff can make a big difference. Read more »
Published on 9 August 2011
It’s not luck, it’s good marketing
It's often said that sales is about timing. If you're lucky enough to land on the right desk, at the right time, you'll be considered for that whopping new contract. But, what if luck has nothing to do with it. Read more »
Published on 1 August 2011
Social media marketing has four key tasks…
It may seem like there's a dizzying amount to learn about social media marketing for your small business. But, there are only really four tasks you need to master. Read more »
Published on 27 July 2011
How to generate awareness for your small business
There are two critical ingredients to getting noticed. They are 'frequency' and 'impact' - you need both in your marketing if you're going to get people to pay attention and remember your small business. Read more »
Published on 20 July 2011
How welcoming is your small business?
A customer has paid you some money. A profitable customer has paid you enough money to cover how much you spent on acquiring and fulfilling their business. Here are three tips to keeping more of the latter. Read more »
Published on 13 July 2011
Collaborative marketing can help your budget go further
Three ideas for joint marketing activities that can help your small business marketing budget go further, and some tips on choosing who to work with. Read more »
Published on 4 July 2011
How did you find your current clients?
Looking at your existing clients and reviewing how you came to be working with them is a great way to get a quick idea of which of your new business activities is working for you. Read more »
Published on 22 June 2011
Content Marketing Ideas… YZ
The last two ideas under letters Y and Z - taken from our 26-page guide, with over 120 ideas to get you started with your own interesting and relevant marketing content Read more »
Published on 17 June 2011
20 common profit leaks in small businesses
Putting your hard-earned cash into new marketing activities or generating new leads can often be less effective than plugging one of these 20 common profit leaks. Read more »
Published on 15 June 2011
Content Marketing Ideas… VWX
Three more ideas, under letters V, W, and X - taken from our 26-page guide, with over 120 ideas to get you started with your own interesting and relevant marketing content. Read more »
Published on 10 June 2011
10 ways to find interesting people in social media
Social media is a two-way street. To get the most from it you need to find interesting people and businesses to listen to and engage with. Here are 10 ways to find some. Read more »
Published on 7 June 2011
Content Marketing Ideas… STU
Three more ideas, under letters S, T, and U - taken from our 26-page guide with over 120 ideas to get you started with your own interesting and relevant marketing content. Read more »
Published on 3 June 2011
10 ways to get found in social media
Are you talking to the ether? Social media is powerful if people want to engage with you. First step - let them find you. Here are 10 simple ways to get found in social media. Read more »
Published on 2 June 2011
Content Marketing Ideas… PQR
Three more ideas under letters P, Q, and R - taken from our 26-page guide with over 120 ideas to get you started with your own interesting and relevant marketing content. Read more »
Published on 27 May 2011
Buyers are not your enemy
Marketing that delivers long term sales results is marketing that gets to the heart of how real people really buy things. Dropping the dehumanising language of traditional marketing could be a great first step. Read more »
Published on 24 May 2011
Content Marketing Ideas… MNO
Three more ideas under letters M, N, and O - taken from our 26-page guide with over 120 ideas to get you started with your own interesting and relevant marketing content. Read more »
Published on 20 May 2011
How long does small business marketing take?
A quick run-down of 7 smart small business marketing techniques you can undertake from your desk, and how long they typically take. Read more »
Published on 17 May 2011
Content Marketing Ideas… JKL
Three more ideas under letters J, K, and L - taken from our 26-page guide with over 120 ideas to get you started with your own interesting and relevant marketing content. Read more »
Published on 11 May 2011
Finding the cheaper alternative when marketing your small business
We can't all afford sexy advertising campaigns, but we do all need to get the word out. If you're a small business with a modest marketing budget, here are some lost cost marketing ideas that get great results. Read more »
Published on 6 May 2011
Content Marketing Ideas… GHI
Three ideas under letters G, H, and I - taken from our 26-page guide with over 120 ideas to get you started with your own interesting and relevant marketing content. Read more »
Published on 28 April 2011
Content Marketing Ideas… DEF
Three ideas under letters D, E, and F - taken from our 26-page guide with over 120 ideas to get you started with your own interesting and relevant marketing content. Read more »
Published on 20 April 2011
Five lessons from a local exhibition
There are some simple ways to make the investment you put into exhibiting your small business at a show go that bit further. Here are just five tips from our own experience. Read more »
Published on 18 April 2011
Content Marketing Ideas… ABC
Three ideas under letters A, B, and C - taken from our 26-page guide with over 120 ideas to get you started with your own interesting and relevant marketing content. Read more »
Published on 14 April 2011
The buying decision – it’s a Quick Step not a Power Walk
People very rarely power their way through a considered buying decision. They take two step forwards, one step back - often for up to six months. Your marketing needs to keep them dancing all the way through to a sale. Read more »
Published on 13 April 2011
Are you sacrificing relevance for convenience?
Social media marketing automation can save you hours and make getting the word out very simple - but do too much of it and you risk representing your small business as a robot. Read more »
Published on 4 April 2011
What’s in a name?
Is your company name holding you back? Take a look at the pros and cons of the three main approaches to choosing a company name. And, some key considerations to bear in mind. Read more »
Published on 29 March 2011
How to structure a marketing budget
Whether you're spending one hundred or one million on your marketing, having a structured approach to budgeting will help you to plan better, maintain momentum, and respond to change. Read more »
Published on 14 March 2011
Pricing experiment – was it worth it?
What did we learn from running a ~ pay what you think it's worth ~ workshop for small businesses? From making money to testing concepts - find out what we learnt. Read more »
Published on 10 March 2011
Is local marketing a good technique for small businesses?
Local marketing can be simple or highly sophisticated, and isn't only relevant to geographically defined businesses. Take a look at these 7 powerful local techniques perfect for small business marketing. Read more »
Published on 1 March 2011
Three clients we won through Linkedin
People can be sceptical about the value of social networking for business. So, here are three examples where we've secured excellent small business marketing clients through leads on Linkedin. Read more »
Published on 15 February 2011
Getting to the person behind the profile
As business communications become more social, and with the old adage 'people buy from people' holding true - how do you show a little personality in your business communications? Read more »
Published on 31 January 2011
Pay us what you think it’s worth – a pricing experiment
For our next workshop event, we're asking delegates to pay us what they think it's worth. Come along to a full day's hands-on marketing planning for a fiver! Why are we doing it and are we crazy? Read more »
Published on 20 January 2011
Who do you connect with on Linkedin?
Do you have specific criteria for people you choose to connect with on Linkedin? By choosing only to connect with people with whom I have a genuine professional relationship - am I maintaining my integrity or missing out on great new people? Read more »
Published on 18 January 2011
How to balance the personal and professional on Twitter
Think before you Tweet. If you wouldn't feel comfortable for your most important client to see it, don't say it. Some thoughts on balancing the personal and professional on Twitter. Read more »
Published on 9 January 2011
Plan ahead to keep your marketing content current
Keeping your marketing content fresh and up-to-date is essential for marketing effectiveness. Here's a list of thought starters for every month of 2011. Read more »
Published on 4 January 2011
To ask for permission or not to ask for permission – the perennial email marketing question
To ask, or not to ask, for permission before sending your email newsletter is a perennial marketing question. This post takes a look at the pros and cons of both approaches. Read more »
Published on 22 December 2010
Reduce, re-use, recycle – a philosophy for small business marketing
Get more for your small business marketing budget. Reduce - say less more often. Re-use - ways to get more from a piece of content. Recycle - the end of a campaign mindset. Read more »
Published on 1 December 2010
How long should a blog post be?
An effective blog as part of your small business marketing should be... 1) Long enough to say something interesting and relevant. 2) Long enough to signpost people to a next step. 3) Not so long that people can't read it whilst having a cup of tea.rn Read more »
Published on 19 November 2010
Why marketing is a load of rubbish
What you mean to say is not always what people hear. What might make perfect sense in a room of discipline experts will often sound like gobbledygook to the rest of the world. Read more »
Published on 4 November 2010
Why keep marketing when you’re already busy?
Break the cycle of feast and famine in your business by maintaining marketing momentum whatever your workload. Essential marketing advice for growing businesses. Read more »
Published on 28 October 2010
It’s not you, it’s them (usually)
If you put yourself up to scrutiny, you will uncover a few of the world's nasty people. Learn to separate constructive feedback from cruelty... because it will happen. Read more »
Published on 4 October 2010
Three great ways to use the back of your business card
How hard does your business card work for you? It is a tool - put it to use! This article gives you three great ideas for making effective use of the reverse of your business card. Read more »
Published on 1 October 2010
What should you include in a professional profile?
A short article with practical advice on writing and re-using compelling professional profiles for key members of your team. Essential marketing advice for small businesses. Read more »
Published on 7 September 2010
What makes a good business blog?
Coming up with interesting blog ideas week in, week out, can be a challenge. Here are some handy hints to generate blog ideas to keep your social media marketing topped up with great content. Essential marketing advice for small businesses. Read more »
Published on 1 September 2010
Squeeze every penny from every marketing pound
For every paid marketing activity, there are tens of free activities you can add to make your spend go further. With a bit of discipline and elbow grease you can make every marketing penny go much further for your business. Read more »
Published on 9 August 2010
Getting the most from business networking (3/3)
This is the final part in the blog series looking at getting the most from business networking. Bryony talks about the follow up activities you should undertake after you have attended an event, to ensure that you make the most of the contacts you have made. Read more »
Published on 5 August 2010
Getting the most from business networking (1/3)
This is the first in a three part series that looks at how to make the most of your business networking. Part one looks at the things you should do prior to an event, to make sure you get the most from your time. Read more »
Published on 3 August 2010
Tech Startup School – Autumn 2010
A unique series of events that aims to help aspiring and early-stage technology entrepreneurs start or grow their own tech businesses. Read more »
Published on 15 July 2010
How much should you pay a marketing consultant?
How much your business should spend on a marketing consultant will depend on how much you already know and what you want them to do. This article talks you through what you get for your money and what questions to ask to make sure you get best value. Read more »
Published on 7 July 2010
Three reasons NOT to blog
A piece looking at three reasons why some businesses choose not blog, which goes on to discuss and dispel the myths behind those reasons. Read more »
Published on 21 June 2010
Coordination equals colours; Integration means business
An article that looks at the crucial difference between coordinated and integrated marketing, showing how small businesses need to run campaigns that support the whole sales funnel. Lead generation is a waste of money if sales can't or won't follow them up. Read more »
Published on 1 June 2010
Three ways we use Twitter as a business tool
As an integral part of social media, Twitter can be used for many strategic functions. Described as a fantastic tool for doing business, it's one to put on your 'to do' list for 2010. This blog details how the Clear Thought team do it, why they do it, and why you should do it too. Read more »
Published on 5 May 2010
How to use public relations to support every stage of the sales funnel
A short article giving really practical advice for making powerful use of public relations coverage to help generate actual sales. Looking at things you can do with PR at every stage of the sales funnel. Essential advice for marketing small businesses. Read more »
Published on 28 April 2010
10 signs that you could do with strategic marketing advice
10 signs that your small business could do with some strategic marketing advice. Essential marketing advice for small businesses. Read more »
Published on 5 April 2010
Key types of marketing content – tips and definitions
Quick definitions of typical types of marketing content used in thought leadership campaigns, with practical advice as to how to use them. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 14 March 2010
Book Review ‘The Manager’s Book of Checklists’
Bry's Business Book of the Month is "The Manager's Book of Checklists" by Derek Rowntree. She explains how this book means that you'll never need to start with a blank sheet of paper. Perfect for small business marketers. Read more »
Published on 22 February 2010
Mind your Meta Data – how hidden web copy impacts social media success
An article that explains how the meta data, hidden copy, on your website is used in social media. With practical advice for making your site social media friendly. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 16 February 2010
Content marketing – why you need to ask permission
In this article Bryony Thomas explains why marketers need to ask permission before they share their marketing content with people. Not only because it is the law, but because it is polite and it will help you meet your marketing objectives. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 28 January 2010
10 marketing resolutions for the new decade
10 promises that every small business should make themselves to make marketing pay in the 21st Century. From marketing measurement to mastering social media. Read more »
Published on 6 January 2010
One piece of content, 20 ways to use it
If you've gone to the trouble of preparing some marketing content, like an article, paper or presentation - here are 20 ways that you can put it to work. A list to have to hand in every small business that want to make marketing pay. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 11 December 2009
What are your social media rules?
In this Blog, Bryony Thomas shares her own rules for keeping social media authentic and manageable. How to you keep the professional, professional and the personal, personal? Read more »
Published on 20 November 2009
10 ways in which marketing is like exercise
We all know that to loose weight takes time and patience, the same is true of marketing. It takes time for your marketing efforts to gain momentum, give up too soon and you'll have wasted effort. Expect results too soon and you'll be disappointed. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 12 November 2009
B2B Social Media: Be There, Be Relevant, Be Proven
Looking at the impact of social media on business-to-business decision making, this article gives you 30 ideas for increasing lead conversion using social media techniques. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 17 October 2009
The Jamie Oliver approach to marketing
This article compares the way that marketers like to feed sales people with leads based on life-time-value to Jamie Oliver's crusade to get kids eating healthy food. Do you need to wean your sales team off a metaphorical diet of chips and turkey twizzlers. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 2 October 2009
22 Sept: Harnessing the power of the internet
Details of a BEN event on 22nd September 2010 looking at harnessing the power of the internet. Read more »
Published on 2 September 2009
Treat your website like a member of the team
In this article, Bryony Thomas sets out how a change of mindset to seeing your website as an employee rather than a one-off project increases your chances of digital marketing success. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 24 August 2009
A reflection on our first year in business
Published on 5 August 2009
So, if you’re not an agency… what are you?
Outlining the Clear Thought business model, where we work on the client's team to equip them with the marketing strategies, suppliers, skills and set-up that they need to become bigger businesses. Quite different from a marketing agency. Read more »
Published on 23 July 2009
What shape is your marketing budget?
This article gives you practical advice as to how to structure your marketing budget across the sales funnel for better justification of spend and decision-making. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 9 July 2009
A typical thought leadership campaign
This article outlines the typical components of a thought leadership, or content marketing, campaign. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 3 June 2009
Making marketing pay
An excerpt from a talk given by Bryony Thomas looking at how marketers can shift perceptions of the marketing department as the being money spenders to being recognised as the money makers. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 27 March 2009
So, you want to be a rule breaker?
Thoughts on why design conventions make your life easier, particularly in an online setting. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 11 February 2009
Ads I’m loving at the moment
Bryony tell you why she's enjoying the Meerkat and Audi origami ad campaigns at the moment. Read more »
Published on 13 January 2009
Kicking off 2009 in style
2009 kicked off well for Clear Thought Consulting;exciting consultancy projects, a business push on the SPAN front, CIM students to inspire, partnerships forging with local marketing specialists and plans afoot for Bristol networking. Read more »
Published on 8 January 2009
No risk, no point…
Why marketing to the lowest common denominator is a waste of time and money. Effective marketing often means taking risks. Read more »
Published on 3 December 2008
Capitalising on marketing moments
This article gives practical advice on preparing for that unknown event that you know is going to happen. Tips for marketers to be prepared to jump into action when opportunities arise. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 19 November 2008
Really good design should go completely un-noticed
A short musing on how really brilliant design often goes un-noticed - it just feels right. Have you ever noticed the carpet pile running in the same direction? No? But does a tidy room feel better? Yes? Read on. Read more »
Published on 10 November 2008
What’s more important to marketing success – science or creativity?
This article looks at the careful balance between science and art in truly excellent marketing. Read more »
Published on 5 November 2008
Necessity, the mother of invention?
Will tough economic times force people to think more creatively? Read more »
Published on 4 November 2008
Move over short copy
A short musing on the relative roles of long and short copy in contemporary marketing practice. Read more »
Published on 3 November 2008
What to say when – managing marketing content through the sales funnel
An article that looks at the tone and detail required at each stage of decision-making, allowing marketers to develop appropriate content to support each step of the sales process. Essential marketing advice for any small business. Read more »
Published on 29 October 2008
