So, for a one-week only, exclusive insight into the life of Steve Cross Marketing (aka Sprechen Ltd), this week we are mainly:

- Finishing off setting live two new client websites, one for an international firm, and one for a startup . Both now have lovely new content management systems that allow them to update the site themselves, and have lots of fun new features to play with.

- Representing clients at stakeholder meetings as their ‘internal’ marketing department – we love a bit of white label marketing.

- Filming, or rather re-filming a product video for the launch of a client’s new tool, which is exclusive in their market place, and also capturing some shots of their training, for their new website introductory video.

- Meeting with a nightclub to see how creative, engaging video can be used to help support their SEO strategy.

- Creating two new e-shot templates and set up the e-marketing system for two SMEs.

- Working on some new scripts for a client’s intranet system, to help make their business practices more effective.

- Getting used to (and playing a lot with) Protools MP9, the new company replacement for Adobe Audition, which I fell back in love with at Radio 1. This will be used for creating some new podcasts, and for our work with the BBC.

- Oh, and avoiding Valentines Day – and everything red. After months of creating Valentines stuff for clients, we’re staying well away…and grumbling lots.

Few of these stand out or even make me want to reply, so I’ve penned some tips which will be useful for when you’re writing to firms.

- Avoid the common line of ‘for my course, I have to….’.
There’s a distinct difference between ‘having’ to do something or ‘wanting’ to do it. If you have to do something, you won’t make the most of the opportunity and will just ‘take’ from others.

If you are passionate about what you do that will transfer into the way you perform, the lengths you’ll go to achieve something and how much you’ll make of each opportunity.

- You can offer something as well as take it
Work experience is the chance to learn about the commercial world, but more importantly to try out the practical skills which you’ve learnt.

So tell us what you can bring to the company. Although you might think you don’t have anything to offer professionals who do it every day, you have experience of life, work and communications from a different perspective.

If we’re going to invest a week, a fortnight, or even an hour with you, then tell us what we’ll get out of it too. Dale Carnegie and Stephen Covey were big advocates of offering value to people if you wanted something from them. It works.

- Juggling Plates
Multi-skilled people will offer extra things to their employers, and the same in work experience. At the moment, there’s still lots of PR people missing social media, HTML/CSS and audio visual editing skills.

Agencies of all sizes will appreciate your input, and especially the smaller boutique ones, where these tasks are often outsourced because of lack of skill.

Traditional agencies, who have not grown up or yet mastered these new skills will also really see some value from your input. That makes you a much more attractive candidate.

We should all be masters of the written word and in persuasive communication, so make sure you prove your skills with an outstanding email, letter or tweet.

So many people helped me through the last ten years of working in radio, journalism, broadcasting, PR and marketing that I’m determined to see where I can help other passionate, dedicated young people.

What you need to understand is that work experience placements are now just as highly competitive as trying to get a full-time job.

Kayla Philips, 19, from the Fulflood area of the city, who is in the 2nd year of her Media Production degree at the University of Winchester, has joined Steve Cross Marketing Ltd, based in Sussex Street, as the first dedicated Media Producer.

She has already created a number of projects for industry-leading European clients and many local Hampshire companies.

Steve Cross, Managing Director, comments: “I learnt so much through the work experience opportunities given to me when I was at school, college and university and the chances that successful business people kindly opened up.”

“It’s great to grow the business in a way that supports local people and gives relevant experience to young people looking to break into a difficult job market.”

Focussed on creating and maintaining digital marketing tools that help growing businesses talk, the company has grown from 1 to 13 clients in just under two years, providing outsourced marketing across Europe.

Kayla added: “I’m immensely passionate about using creative video to help business communicate and seeing how companies can benefit by placing them on their websites, e-mails and Facebook pages. It’s fantastic to be able to do this throughout university and gain real life work experience which will be very useful in the future.”

You can find out further information and download free social media, video and marketing tips on this blog.

What are the five things?

It’s important to ensure you know exactly what you stand for, which ideally helps you achieve your business goals.

If you’re not sure what they are, think about all of your competition and see how you differ. Think why people choose to do business with you, talk to you or spend time with you.

Are those points the same five things that you want and help you achieve your business goals, short, medium and long-term

Then really break it down. Do you emails communicate in the same way as your Twitter messages? Does your website talk in the same style as your press releases? Do the same things come across in person?

See if you can create that consistency in all of your communications. We all like to communicate with people we understand, and consistency is the first step.

Maybe it’s something to do with the excellent motivation of Simon from GetFit121.com or the various good friends I have, but I’m incredibly excited about prospects this year.

Last year was full of exciting adventures, opportunities and experiences to help people’s marketing move forward, using new technologies, or even just injecting the passion and drive into people to help them communicate more effectively.

This year, I’m quite determined to work even harder for people who give us the opportunity to help them with their marketing, deliver even more creative tools and ensure that dealing with a marketing firm is an immensely enjoyable experience.

This blog will be utilised for providing even more practical, useful and sharable tips that will help you improve your own communications.

If we’re honest, we’re all terrible at marketing ourselves, and we all get jealous when we see people get ahead. A lot of that comes down to your approach and how you choose to talk. This is where I am really passionate about helping you see results, and make a big difference to your business.

Good luck!

Not by the quality of the service, not by the range of products, or themed rooms galore, but by the interest the store had created.

Watching people walk around the department store with video cameras, taking pictures of the various displays and just coming in to use their special toilets or buy something to get the coveted gold and green bag to take home is massively powering.

When you’re thinking about your business reputation, what are you setting out to create? What kind of power do you want your business to have?

Harrods has a hundred years of history behind it, but in 100 years time, will you have done enough to create the reputation that brings in crowds of fans from global destinations, just to share in an experience that involves – well, a shop.

Jumping on every bandwagon to analyse its effectiveness is a good idea, by trialling something to see if it works is part of being open minded and discovering the next big opportunity.

But I spent some time on Friday talking to someone about making their website more effective, and the man in question stated that he didn’t really need any improvements – that the site was fine, he was making enough money and that any improvement probably wasn’t worth the effort.

And I have to say, sometimes, things just work. Creating a new feed, some fantastic videos or a new style website just might not make a difference at all to his business and there might be priorities in other parts of the business that deserve investment and time.

Whatever new tool or network you try though, it’s absolutely vital to include your key marketing points. The message may adapt to the audience but never let the tool dictate the message.

So many times you can just do something very small indeed to ‘go the extra mile’ and that makes the difference between achievement and failure.

Multiplied several, or many, times a day, and you can create a reality that you didn’t think was even possible.

I’ve dealt with so many suppliers who can’t see past just financial goals, to see that making a customers day or doing a little extra could actually be worth five or ten times the cost you put in.

If you take a look outside your own world, and try to understand things from other people’s perspectives, that insight could hopefully guide you to make the right decision.

Ultimately, we’re all wrapped up in our own reality – people in general are quite selfish – but when you think beyond that, consider how powerful you could be.

Happy Monday!

I’m still not sure making it public on the blog is the right thing, but I’d like it to motivate people who could be in a similar situation. I’m not entirely sure it will interest many of you, but I hope it can reach at least one person.

So, why am I in business?

Young Carers

Over the past two years, I’ve spent between 3-8hrs a week doing work with a local charity, Winchester Young Carers. I urge everyone to find out more about it, because it’s an incredibly important part of my life.

When I had a job, I consistently had this battle which would squeeze my time with the project- which is ten times more important than any profit-making activity. It continually annoyed me that I’d have to cancel and not fulfil my commitments here doing something worthwhile, and was a major catalyst in me leaving my old post.

Now, it’s my number one priority, I’m proud to say I let nothing come in the way and I have clients who respect and understand this aspect of my life. That time being immature and supporting others gives me a great opportunity to realise exactly how lucky I really am and learn from people, who despite half my age, are 100 times more worldly and rounded individuals than I could ever be.

Don’t stifle growth

People I’ve worked with in the past have been purely motivated by money and have never given me the opportunity to grow my skills or show what I’m capable of. Walking away from that, I see how much it changes you as a person. I’ve had to re-learn a lot and realise that I can aim for whatever I want, and if I work hard, I will achieve it. The last  job I left wasn’t anything to do with money, it was because no-one trusted me, let me grow or achieve.

Being involved in so many organisations now, I’m listening and learning, watching how people are motivated, studying what works, the reactions and seeing how the ethos of an organisation makes it such a good or bad place to be. That’s what excites me and interests me about being involved in people’s companies. I just hope I can put that to good use one day.

I will always treat customers right.

I’m grateful to be in such a position as I am today. I’m here because every customer has given me the opportunity to do so, and I’m completely in debt to everyone who has given me the chance to show what I can do and begin to build something unique.

That trust and faith is what keeps me going into the small hours – I want to achieve everything I’ve set out to do and let no-one down, because it’s hugely important to me that I keep to my word. You will always get 110% out of me because I’m thankful for what you give me.

I call a huge amount of customers ‘mate’ on the phone, and am so informal with everyone else – because I’ve found that great business works on great friendship. I grew up being taught to be ultra respectful to clients because my employers were scared of doing anything that could lose them a contract.

What I’ve realised is that I don’t want to be fearful of anyone, I just want to surround myself with good, honest people. Being me, saying when I’ve done something wrong or showing my personal side enables the openness which produces fantastic ideas, creates opportunities and makes my work fun. That internal change from being fearful to friends of customers makes everything so much easier.

Listening to yourself

I can’t begin to count the amount of people who said I couldn’t do this, that I should just get a safe job and not rock the boat. The people who said I couldn’t set up a business in my twenties or achieve anything in a recession, and the ones who said I’d never succeed are the people I’m glad I listened to.

These reference points, both personal and professional, get me up in the morning with a point to prove. They are the points that make me go jogging at 5am to be the best person I can all day long, to eat healthily and succeed.

Success, like money, is only comparative to who you judge yourself by – so in most senses, I don’t think I’ve achieved 5% of what I’m capable of – and I’ve yet to prove these people wrong. But I’ll work damn hard to make sure I do.

Summary

I’ve always worked hard, I spent all my college and university years doing so, and I’ve done so ever since. 60 hour weeks were the norm, striving to get ahead. Now I have the ability to do that whilst having as much fun as possible and I’ll grab that with both hands.

I’m fascinated to see how my work makes a difference to clients, how I can learn and apply so many different skills each day, and make a difference to as many people’s lives as possible. I have everything I want yet I’m still driven to be better, do more and attempt to achieve so much.

Life, definitely short, is supposed to be fun – and if you’re really passionate about everything you do, then I think that makes for a great life.

Placing, or embedding, a video that you’ve uploaded to YouTube onto your website helps boost your listing higher by a reportedly 8 times.

68% of the top Internet retailers already use video to help sell products online, and 52% of people take action after watching one.

Get more people seeing your brand

As the second most visited search engine after Google, by uploading your video with good ‘tags’, titles and descriptions, your brand can easily be found by even more people.

With the right descriptions and tags using your usual keywords, you could also appear on the suggested links on the right hand side – so people watching other videos could stumble across your business too.

Get more people clicking onto your website

Having a page on YouTube, called a channel, also helps your website listings. You can brand this with your own colours, logos and fonts, and most importantly include a description of your business within the profile, and a good in-bound link for your web address.

These videos can then be copied to your Facebook page and linked from a few messages on Twitter to boost their awareness – thus getting even better value from the time you invest in making your video.

No excuses

Don’t be scared off by trying to create a fantastically polished, professional production. The same benefits above apply, whether you’re filming in full HD or using your smartphone camera phone.

The most important concept is to get going – create something of interest that people are likely to be searching on, which will help your business aims and ambitions.