Two Babies and a Business

Christina and Peter develop a quick and easy way for you to organize your thinking around the gaps in your marketing team. Think first about the day to day operational gaps, think next about gaps that may become present when introducing a new marketing campaign or marketing project and then think next about the timeline on those gaps. All organizations have at least one - and filling all those gap...

Your resourcing for your next big marketing project or marketing campaign starts with understanding your current team. Christina and Peter both share examples of their own successes and failures in this - and remind people that good teams (and good marriages) put honest communication at the forefront of every discussion. So get ready to have honest conversations with your marketing team to best un...

Christina and Peter reflect on current and past clients as they asked themselves this key question. Understanding where your business and industry are is an important first step in understanding what resourcing compliment you need moving forward. Learn how the CIPR team starts to assess capacity and why they resassess their capacity often.

Christina and Peter share more about the CIPR evolution as they begin to coach listeners through prioritizing resourcing to get your marketing strategy to come to life. There is no silver bullet - but there probably is a mix that is exactly right for your business right now.

Influencers are content creators - they should be considered as a part of your paid media budgets as you are creating your marketing budget. Learn from influencer and expert Jasmin Shannon (Lemons for Days) as she uses past experiences to give advice to marketing managers and business owners when they start to think about engaging an influencer in their marketing campaigns.

Christina and Peter uncover the hidden marketing costs that you might encounter throughout the year - from setup fees to incremental costs on tools and more. Peter gives the number you can put into your budget to ensure you are covering these expenses without having to pull money from other places.

Reviewing the data is so important and ensure you are watching what is working and what isn't. View your marketing budget holistically and don't be afraid to make changes if you need to - Peter and Christina remind us when it is best to make changes and how to use data to inform your marketing strategy year-round.

Peter throws out the numbers you've been waiting for - what should your monthly spend be for marketing? Christina and Peter dive into the importance of your monthly marketing spend especially when you want to stand out and get noticed.

Christina and Peter dive into why it is important to consider tools, websites, and marketing strategies as 'big projects' that need a separate investment. These lay the foundation for your marketing tactics moving forward and do require a separate spend outside of your annual marketing budget.

There are certain marketing tactics that you should ensure you have a healthy budget for. Learn why and learn what tactics can shift and be reprioritized when something unexpected is thrown your way.

Christina and Peter share great examples of businesses and organizations that missed the boat when considering marketing trends. In most cases, they become expensive mistakes. Tune in and learn how you can ensure you aren't distracted by shiny objects but you are still investing in the right marketing tactics to reach your target audience.

Christina and Peter dive deep into growth - their marketing and communications agency has experienced many different phases of growth over the years and one thing they know is that a marketing budget has to closely align with the current stage you are in so that lead generation and brand reputation remain strong for your business.

Easier said than done - ensuring your marketing budget falls under investments as opposed to costs. Christina admits that this has been a journey for her - and Peter reminds listeners that if you are following all the steps of building your budget this becomes easy.

Have you ever been stumped when someone asks you what your marketing budget is? Christina and Peter debunk this question and give you your answer. It is not as hard as you think it is - especially if you are aligning it with your business objectives.

Christina and Peter are extra passionate about the subject of marketing operational costs - why? Because they have experienced valleys when they didn't consider operational implications and peaks when they tuned up their business and started making marketing work with the operational allowance they had.

The sales funnel can be intimidating but the quicker you are able to dive into your data and wrap your head around the amount of money you are investing into each sale is integral. Christina and Peter provide a few easy questions you can ask so that you can start to make sense of your marketing data.

Christina and Peter waste no time sharing their own marketing numbers and tips from getting the word out about their own marketing agency. Tactics, strategy, and target audiences are constantly evolving as they continue to learn more about their sales funnel and the prospect journey.

Cailin Murphy, CIPR's Content Manager, joins Peter and Christina to talk about all things on social media. Social media should be a part of your overarching marketing strategy - it is a tactic that needs careful thought, collaboration, and the right mix of content. Hear Cailin chat through the 2021 trends and how certain clients are maximizing their social presence.

Christina and Peter wrap up this series on marketing strategy with the important cautions of your next steps. With your marketing strategy in hand you are set up for success but make sure you are clear on your marketing budget, your marketing resources, and leave time for setting up all those tactics, tools, and campaigns.

Peter and Christina dive into the importance of referrals and reviews - and how the right follows up can mean the creation of a community of champions. If marketing tactics and campaigns are the ties between your sales and marketing teams - then these components of your marketing strategy are your tie between operations and marketing.

Christina loves talking tactics - she reminds Peter and listeners what the difference between a tactic, a campaign, and a tool. Learn why it is important to leverage multiple tactics in your campaign and how you can start to make decisions about what marketing tactics and tools are best for you.

Who hasn't been in a situation where they don't know what to do next after their marketing strategy has been completed? That's where a tactical plan comes in. The CIPR team never completes a strategy without a tactical plan. Learn how they approach their marketing tactical plans on this episode.

Christina knows a thing or two about campaigns. And - while campaigns seem big, hairy, and intangible they are the best place to start as you think through what tactics and personas are best to achieve your marketing goals.

Learn why Peter is definitely not your target persona for an outdoor advertising campaign - and explore how budgets are shifting from traditional marketing and sales tactics to digital but remember both should be on the table as you work through your marketing strategy.

Value propositions should become brand statements. Christina and Peter discuss how your value proposition should be direct - and communicate why you are better than your competition. Don't be aspirational but don't be shy about telling your differentiator.