Marketing Meanders: The Marketing Podcast for Marketers and Small Business Owners

Join us for the second of a three-part discussion of learning marketing with student Daniel Honey.   This time, we discuss specialisations in marketing, Daniel's interest in pursuing marketing consultancy, the soft skills that need to be developed in a career, and how the COVID pandemic affected Daniel's A-level studies and beyond.  Whether you're a student, educator, or marketing professional, th...

We're back!! We've gone right back to the beginning, what learning marketing is all about. In Part 1 of 3 we are thrilled to speak with Daniel Honey, a marketing student from Oxford Brookes University. Join us as we explore Daniel's journey from studying architecture to finding his passion in marketing. We delve into the importance of practical application in education, the challenges of entering...

This time on Marketing Meanders, Sally and Sam discuss the soft skills of marketing. What do marketers need to enable them to be successful in the workplace beyond technicla abilities? Well, we've identified five including communication, creativity, interpersonal skills, adaptability, and analytical skills. See if you agree with us in part one.

In part two of our exploration of email marketing with Chris Barnett from 1973 Limited , we delve into the technical aspects of email marketing, focusing on email design, optimisation, and audience engagement. Topics include the effective use of animated GIFs, the importance of editorial planning for newsletters, and the role of dynamic content. The discussion also covers the significance of analy...

In this two-part episode, Sally, and Sam are joined by Chris Barnett, founder of 1973 Limited , who delivers a tour de force in email marketing. Chris shares his background and the origin story of his company, which he started with his friend Dave Black. Initially focusing on web development, the company gradually shifted to email marketing, earning a strong reputation in the field. Key topics inc...

Sally and Sam are back with part two of their discussion of marketing agencies. This time we explore the nature of work agencies can take on, what you need to consider when writing a tender for agencies or a brief, how you can define and measure the success of an agency working relationship, and we give some examples of agencies providing additional value you'd not anticipated...

We're excited to make our return after a lengthy hiatus! We've been busy with various personal and professional commitments over the last few months, but we're back with a dive on the topic of why businesses might choose to work with marketing agencies. In Part One, we'll cover the symptoms for why your business might actually need an agency, such as lack of time, the need for specialised skills,...

It's a pub in a provincial town, 5:55pm. Two middle-aged professional looking types nurse a couple of drinks, small talking about nothing in particular. Suddenly, one of them clicks their finger and stares intently at the other. 'Hang on. I've got a great idea for a business!' This is the start of a mini series of Marketing Meanders, but it has no name, yet. That's the point really, we are develop...

In this Mini Meander, Sam shares his experience with email marketing and discusses its effectiveness. He recounts receiving a mis-targeted chaser email that had a slightly terse tone, which made him question the negative effects of mass email campaigns on brand reputation. Sam advocates for a more targeted approach, comparing it to networking events where personalisation and value are key. He also...

We dive into part two of our discussion on tone of voice. This time we explore the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on tone of voice, emphasising the need for clear instructions to ensure desired outcomes. Sally shares her experience as a former marketing director, focussing on the importance of tailoring messaging to maintain a strong relationship with the audience. Timestamps AI and Tone o...

In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss the importance of tone of voice in branding and marketing. They emphasise the need for a consistent and appropriate tone of voice that resonates with the target audience. They share their experiences and challenges in finding the right tone of voice, especially when marketing to different segments. They also discuss the impact of tone of voice on various comm...

This time, Sally and Sam discuss the impact of AI on copywriting and the need for marketers to upskill themselves beyond their specialism.  They also stress the importance of communication, collaboration, and a generalist understanding of all aspects of marketing. They explore the need for balance and experimentation in marketing, while also being mindful of the resources and time available. So, p...

In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss the importance of having a clear marketing strategy and aligning new ideas with it. They caution against overloading the marketing plan with too many new ideas and suggest going back to the overarching strategy to ensure that new ideas align with it. Have you thought of balancing your approach to innovation, and involving other departments in the decision-mak...

This week, Sally and Sam conclude their discussion with Lynn McBain, a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University as they continue to discuss the student marketing experience.  Listen to find out more about how students and businesses alike can benefit from university marketing courses. (0:28) Live-client exercises (3:55) Student placements (10:32) Student feedback (12:38) AI and Marketing Connect with...

This week, Sally and Sam are joined by Lynn McBain, a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University to discuss Marketing and the student experience. Listen to find out more about how students and businesses alike can benefit from university marketing courses. (0:42) Student expectations of marketing (6:08) The generalist marketer in modern marketing (15:27) Dealing with deadlines (18:41) Learning skills f...

This week, Sally and Sam conclude their discussion on LinkedIn and it's uses as a marketing platform with paid campaigns. Join this meander as Sally continues asking the questions that we all have about LinkedIn and listen on for Sam's top tips for running paid LinkedIn campaigns. (0:20) The issue with relying solely on LinkedIn campaigns (3:36) Sam's top LinkedIn advice (9:40) Consistency within...

This week, Sally and Sam discuss LinkedIn campaigns, how to get the most out of them and confront the common concerns that businesses may have when using them for the first time. (1:44) Is LinkedIn advertising difficult? (8:05) Using your CRM with LinkedIn campaigns (9:57) Targeting your audience (12:29) LinkedIn Campaigns for Smaller B2B (18:02) The importance of LinkedIn groups We'd love to hear...

In part two of their discussion on Micro-Segmentation and Granularity, Sally and Sam discuss the difficulty of personalizing a brand for a large customer base, and the importance of alignment within businesses to facilitate customer segmentation. (1:19) Segmenting Large Customer Bases (5:55) Alignment and Internal Insight (9:22) Brand Establishment (12:40) Identifying Micro-Segments (17:53) Using...

In this episode of Marketing Meanders, Sally and Sam discuss how to move from segmented messages to personalization and micro-segmentation, with considerations for data privacy, customer data and website infrastructure, as well as discussions on the importance of evaluating the return on investment when segmenting customer lists. (1:40) Improving Personalisation and Micro-segmentation (3:51) Why y...

In this episode of the podcast, Sam Birkett and Sally Green delve into eight common reasons why many marketing campaigns fail. The two also discuss how to identify when a campaign is not going to be successful and the measures that can be taken to make changes to turn it around. (0:15) Looking at the Bigger Picture (4:16) Understanding the Customer Journey (8:52) Marketing Metrics and Gauging Perf...

In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss the concept of imperfect marketing campaigns, exploring how to turn a potential catastrophe into a successful campaign and the importance of setting up a good system for dealing with potential issues. (0:44) - Understanding where imperfections arise (8:58) - Imperfections in Modern Marketing (14:31) - Budgeting and its Effect on Imperfect Marketing (16:55) -...

This week, Sally and Sam explore how you can identify and manage stakeholders, from managing expectations to achieving goals that are targeted to stakeholders at every level. (0:05) What is Stakeholder Management? (7:15) Managing Stakeholder Expectations (9:39) The Importance of Listening (17:10) Communication and Alignment We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us...

We are all faced with the risk of failure, however through manageable goals and an understanding that failure does not necessarily mean disaster, can we avoid unnecessary distress? This week, join Sam for a Mini Meander exploring the importance of acceptance in the face of failure.  We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod , message us on Facebook...

How and why should you consider creating a podcast? This week, Sally and Sam are joined by podcast producer and founder of Story Ninety-Four, Matt Eastland Jones to discuss the power of podcasting and the benefits that podcasting can have for your business. Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation about Podcasting with Matt Eastland-Jones (0:18) Can you do podcasting cheaply? (3:30) Building confiden...

With the new year quickly approaching, how can you make the best use of this time to finish up your campaigns for this year and prepare for the next? This week Sally and Sam explore marketing at the year-end and how marketers can get the most out of the holiday season. (01:13) - Making the most of the end of the year (08:00) - Planning for the holiday season (16:12) - Working with your finance tea...