Category Archives: Sales and marketing

Achieving Craft Perfection Through Swann Morton and Stanley Knife Blades

The world of work is always varied; and accuracy can never be overstated. In trades such as the craft industry, this takes up even more relevance. There are few things worse than knowing that you have wasted your time on a piece of work; only for it to go to waste thanks to the poor quality of cutting tools like knives. Stanley knife blades and Swann Morton knives can ensure you are able to obtain the essential precision for carrying out hobby craft tasks.

Keeping your blades sharp is so important in industries that include the production of card making, model making and artwork. Anything other than the best knife tools will result in the creation of a product that is severely lacking in quality.

Recognized Reputation

Craft industry professionals and those interested in craft that may be working on projects for sectors such as card production and model making; will see the obvious value in these sentiments – Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades have been helping them to achieve great results in their work for many years.

The benefits of using knife blades from established manufacturers are obvious. They have a reputation that has been founded through years of dedicated work; which has enabled them to guarantee quality assurance. Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades are excellent examples of this.

The Cost of Inaccuracy

Achieving consistency and a quality finish is so important in craft production. It is a profession that requires serious care; and thorough and comprehensive attention is vital. For example; a card maker whose products evidence inaccuracy when cutting features would see their business sales substantially drop.

Inaccurate features on craft products can leave customers feeling extremely dissatisfied; and resultantly sales of their products would be significantly affected. The knife chosen by the craft artist making the card can be the difference between achieving success and failure in their business.

Experience Pays

Here at Knifepoint we stock products by a whole host of manufacturers; ensuring that you will always be able to find the knives and knife blades that are best suited to you. We manufacture our own knives as well; further evidencing the professional versatility of our products.

With many years of valued experience in the manufacture of knives; we continue to be a leader of knife supply within the area and further afield. Our quality and dedication towards what we do is just one of the many reasons that our customers continue to come back to us.

Both Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades can be used in the production of a whole host of materials; including paper, card and plastics. Blades can be bought in packs; and are often made to be easily swapped around; ensuring only the highest quality of work is being undertaken when using them.

Swann Morton Providers Keep Sharp Eye on News

Chief Scout in the UK – Bear Grylls – has suggested that it is important to encourage children to use knives from an early age. The man behind recent reality TV survival show ‘The Island’ cause serious controversy with his comments; telling the Radio Times that children should learn ‘how to embrace and manage risk’. He also inferred that parents should assume more responsibility for educating their kids on knife safety.

Grylls has previously been seen helming the global TV success show ‘Bear Grylls: Born Survivor’; which sees him pit his wits against the most daunting elements in the world to teach audiences how to survive in extreme survival situations. The national press has taken real interest in this latest story; with The Telegraph and The Independent sharing their views on his controversial comments.

TV Superstar

The popularity Grylls commands in the UK means that any comments that he makes are analyzed to the extreme. Mixed with his laid back attitude; many have responded negatively; resulting in the received response.

One of the standout quotes from those latest comments included Grylls suggestion that handling a knife as a child could be ‘empowering’; if done under the appropriate constraints: “Sometimes in life we get cut,” he was quoted as saying. “My six-year-old recently cut himself on a knife, and came in with blood pouring everywhere, but, you know what? He’s not cut himself again. He learned how to handle a knife.”

Some of the UK media felt that this was an insensitive and ill-informed view on the situation. Grylls has also said, however, that knives must be treated with the utmost respect and that children are taught how to use them properly: “When I say to budding adventurers, ‘Listen – a blunt penknife is a dangerous knife. Make sure it’s really sharp’ – the kids’ faces light up. Like all kids, they want a mega-sharp penknife – great, but teach them to respect it and use it properly,” he said.

Swann Morton Knives

The topic is certainly up for debate; but we at Knife Point are glad to simply stick to delivering the best possible knives for both new and existing customers. As a company; we deliver both our own specifically-tailored knife blades; and also branded knives from established industry businesses such as Swann Morton.

Our experience and dedication is the key. As leaders of knife production in the industry for decades; we have worked tirelessly to deliver only the highest levels of customer satisfaction for many years. We achieve this through the application of our care and attention; ensuring that customers come to us for their knife needs time and time again.

Trimming Knife Blades Manufacturers Learn From History

We live and breathe knives here at Knife-Point. Manufacture of knife products – and news related to them – is of huge interest to us. We have been in the industry for over 3 decades; so our history is intertwined with knife development over time. News surrounding knife history is something we are particularly interest in; and so this story really resonated with us:

At a Canvey museum in Western Esplanade; a historical piece of WW1 memorabilia was recently stolen. The theft took place on Monday 5^th May – the most recent bank holiday weekend. The item concerned is a trench knife/dagger; which was taken from a display case within the museum.

Producing Products for Our Ever-Expanding Customer Base

The knife is a great example of how knives have played their part throughout history; albeit in a different way to the ones that we have on offer at Knife-Point. Technological advances now mean that knives are now produced in a different way to the time of the First World War; but the hard work and dedication that would have been applied back then remain just as important now; and we understand that. By staying true to the factors that have enabled us to become a leader within the industry; we are able to produce fantastic products – such as our trimming knife blades – for our extensive and constantly expanding customer base.

With all this considered; it is easy to see why such value is placed on the theft of the knife in Western Esplanade. With so much history attached to the stolen knife; it is easy to understand the view of someone like Allan Reed; who is a volunteer at the museum. He was quick to play up the significance of the occurrence in the aftermath of the event.

Only the Best Service

Police are still searching for the knife; and PC Lisa-Ann Gore of Essex police told The Enquirer: “The museum would like to get the piece back as it is very important to them. It is also a weapon and we would like to get it back in safe hands. I would urge anyone with any information to contact me as soon as possible.”

That information may include knowledge of the incident itself; or someone finding themselves being offered the knife to buy. The case continues to develop.

We have a number of ideals that we adhere to here at Knife-Point during the production and delivery of a whole host of knife products – including our trimming knife blades. High quality product delivery, only the best service and competitive pricing are all factors that help us to stay ahead of the competition. You can view our products at www.knife-point.com.

5 things you must do to have a successful website!

As a Sheffield based marketing agency, we are aware that there are lots of small to medium sized businesses out there that don’t have much of a web presence. We’ve put together 5 simple but very important things you need to do to have a successful website.

Make your website mobile-compatible

Sadly, lots of small to medium sized businesses websites are not compatible with mobile devices. People are moving away from their desktops at a rapid pace, preferring to browse the internet on the go on tablets and smart phones. If your website isn’t suitable for these devices, for example, not optimised for smaller screens, you and your business are missing out on a huge audience.

Be active on social media

As we know, social media marketing is powerful tool to market your business. By not embracing social media, you are not only falling behind your competitors, but also missing out on a huge captive audience. Your social media accounts also need to be connected to your website!

Have an email link and contact number on your homepage

It is absolutely necessary to have an email link on the home page of your website for consumers to contact your business. Email is a really convenient way of getting in touch, and without a visible email address, you may be missing out on inquiries, questions from potential customers and even sales.

It is also incredibly important to have a phone number listed on your homepage. Some questions are better answered by phone, and some people prefer to speak to an actual person as opposed to emailing.

Generating phone calls via your homepage makes customers feel comfortable, while not listing a phone number may make people question your legitimacy.

Have an inquiry form built into your website

A form-fill option on your website is a great way to allow consumers to request information. Information inquiry forms should be built into your site, connected to a CRM, an email system, and an ecommerce system. That way, the lead is not just being collected, it’s also being prepared for the business owner to communicate with and generate business via that lead.

Make sure your website is search engine optimised

What’s the point of having a website if no one can actually find it? When people visit a website, a lot of them will have found it through search engines (hopefully!) Key words are essential for being discovered on search engines. This includes keyword research and creation, on-site search engine optimisation and off-site link building. These are all important elements for driving traffic to your website; they will make your site search engine friendly, improve your website’s rankings and allow your business to gain exposure.

As a web marketing agency based in Sheffield, we know how important it is to have these points in place. If you are worried that your website isn’t working for you as well as it could do, or you are missing any of the above, don’t panic – we can help.

Contact us by telephone on 0114 383 0711, email chris@sevencreative.co.uk, or click here to fill out the contact form on our website.

Social media successes and failures

Social media marketing can be a fantastic tool for promoting your business online and marketing your brand. Done properly, social media can generate a buzz that has the power to be seen by thousands if not millions of people. On the other hand, a post that goes bottoms up has the potential to be seen globally.

Here at Seven Creative, we’ve put together a few of our favourite social media successes and fails for you amusement. Enjoy!

Social media successes

Honda’s upside down approach to social media paid off in a big way when they offered $500 to the most active Pinners on the social scrapbooking site Pinterest to take a 24 hour break from the site to promote the new CRV. Ingeniously, they called the break a ‘Pintermission’ and then asked the winners to create a board about all the activities they enjoyed on their day off. Honda reached more than 5.5 million followers of the chosen Pinterest users with this campaign.

We love the chocolate Facebook thumbs up created by Cadbury too. And no, not just because it looks delicious! Constructed as a Thank you to their fans, a real time video feed of the construction process drove massive fan engagement and resulted in a huge quarter of a million people actively involved in the campaign. They also gained an extra 40,000 fans! I wonder how many more they would have gained if they’d promoted a competition to win the giant choccy hand??!

Social media mega-fails

McDonalds dropped a real clanger with their social media activity which resulted in their campaign being terminated within just two hours. Using the hashtag #McDStories, Twitter users were ‘supposed’ to share heart warming anecdotes about their McDonalds experience. Instead, tweets about food poisoning, fingernails found in burgers and chicken nugget horror stories went viral. Well, we could have predicted that!

American Apparel’s Hurricane Sandy promotion backfired spectacularly after it offered customers 20% in an email stating “In case you’re bored during the storm, 20% off everything for the next 36 hours.” In reality, those 36 hours turned out to be devastating, with more than 130 deaths, 4 million with no power and billions in damage. American Apparrel apologised saying the campaign came from a good place. Too late, damage done!

Australia’s SellItOnline.com said that it would donate money to Tasmania’s bush fire crisis, but only if people liked its Facebook page. Understandably, an angry fan responded, “Don’t take advantage of this situation. If you’re for real, donate through the right sources. Don’t manipulate social media for your own benefit.” Another wrote, “F*** off with your opportunist marketing trying to take advantage of other people’s tradegy. If you were a decent company you’d just be putting a message up saying you were donating x amount and earning some kudos.” Mmm you’ve got to see their point……

If you’re struggling with social media, and would like some advice on setting up and or managing your businesses social media accounts, Seven Creative can help. We offer a social media set up service, social media management packages, and even regular social media workshops in Sheffield. Contact us on 0114 383 0711, email chris@sevencreative.co.uk or contact us through our website.

SEO and Social Media workshop success for Seven Creative!

Thursday 7^th February marked an important date in the Seven Creative calendar. We held our very first search engine optimisation and social media workshops at The Workstation in Sheffield!

It was a pleasure to help lots of new people and some familiar faces get to grips with Search Engine Optimisation and Social Media. With a full day of 30 minute slots, we certainly had our work cut out for us!

The staff at Seven Creative spent the day helping local business people learn more about using the internet to boost their businesses. We are proud to say that the event was a huge success and we’ve received some very positive feedback.

Simon Platt, a utility broker from Sheffield, said “It’s not often you get any kind of advise nowadays without having to delve deep! I really liked their approach.”

Karen Bird of Kurly Bird Event Management attended the workshop with her sister Sarah Green from Fable, the Sheffield based Epilepsy charity. Karen said, “Both Sarah and I came away with lots of ideas and found the time really productive.”

Among the many visitors that dropped in throughout the day was Daryl Williams, founder of GlassBox Photography. Daryl said, “It was a really helpful session. I’ve come away with plenty to think about and the skills to be able to make changes to my website to win the war against Google!”

We were really kept on our toes as a wide variety of different businesses came through the door. Joy Harrison of Murphy’s, a company specialising in natural products made from essential oils and herbs for horses and riders, filled our last slot of the day. Joy said “It was so nice to be pointed in the right direction. I love working on my website and teaching myself marketing, but it sometimes feel like it’s an awful lot to do. I really appreciate Seven Creative’s help!”

We will be holding regular workshops throughout the year on a variety of topics including search engine optimisation, social media and blogging, and will keep you posted regarding dates and times here on the blog, our Facebook page and via our email newsletters. We also offer social media management packages and SEO packages, which are perfect for those who don’t have the time to do it themselves.

For more information, contact Chris at the Seven Creative office on 0114 383 0711 or contact us via our website.

Build your business with a blog

Here at Seven Creative web and marketing agency, we know how important it is to have a great website and a strong presence online. According to a recent study, over 50% of consumers use the internet as a first port of call to find out more about a new business or service.

So, you have a great website – what next?

Seven Creative think that a great way to make the most of your website and boost your online presence is to start a company blog. And we’re not alone; numerous businesses across the world are reaping the benefits of blogging. Connecting your blog to your website can do wonders for its traffic flow, as well as many other benefits that we’ll discuss here.

How can a blog help your business?

Become an expert in your field

By writing about subjects that are relevant to your industry, you can become an expert in your field. It’s not difficult to come up with subjects for your blog posts, especially when you’re working in your industry on a daily basis.

New products, services, industry news gathered from a quick Google search, product development, case studies; these can all spark the beginnings of a great post. By demonstrating industry knowledge, you can establish your professional credibility and expertise!

Build relationships with customers

Having a blog is a great way to engage with existing customers and potential clients. It goes without saying that building relationships with customers is a must for the development of a successful business. Even if your company is based online and you never meet your customers face to face, informative and interesting blog articles are a great way of communicating, building dialogue and providing a platform for customers to contact you.

Blogs and search engine optimisation

Aside from the above benefits, blogs can also be used as a tool to drive traffic to your main website by boosting the search engine optimisation. Remember, not only are you writing informative articles to attract people’s attention and engage them with valuable content, if you make sure that your articles are rich in key words and popular search terms, your blog can increase your SEO efforts too.

If you would like a blog for your business, but don’t have the time to dedicate to it, or the skills to set it up yourself, Seven Creative web and marketing agency can help. We have set up blogs for a number of clients in a wide variety of industries. And if you’re stuck for original, interesting content, we can take care of that too. We can even write the articles for you, as frequently as you like! For more information, contact Chris at the Seven Creative office on 0114 383 0711 or contact us via our website.

Popular viral marketing campaigns

There have been many popular viral marketing campaigns in the last few years. Here at Seven Creative towers, we’ve been giggling away at the new Bodyform advert. OK, so there are more women in our office than men, but even Chris managed a guilty smile and a few words of praise for its originality.

The Bodyform video is actually a response to a post on the Bodyform Facebook page. Many are of the opinion that it’s a set up (including us) but whether real or not, the response by Bodyform is pure genius.

A man called Richard (supposedly) writes a long post on Facebook accusing Bodyform’s depiction of periods as a joy filled action packed week as being misleading. Incidentally, his own girl friend has been known to turn into ‘the little girl from the exorcist with added venom and extra 360 degree head spin.’ The video response is a faux apology by the CEO of Bodyform (allegedly) laced with sarcasm and humour that will leave both men and women chuckling.

The Blair Witch

We can’t talk about viral marketing campaigns without mentioning this one. Using a cheap guerrilla campaign, a film was released onto the internet about a group of American teenagers that had vanished, and the so called recovered footage of the spooky events that followed. The film was a huge success, and the mystery and rumours that surrounded the developing story were exacerbated by the simple fact that no one was quite sure if the story was true.

Old Spice: The man your man could smell like

This one was definitely for the girls, despite being all about the men’s fragrance and toiletry range Old Spice. What was particularly impressive about this advert was that in less than a minute, Old Spice had re-branded itself from an old fashioned granddaddy scent (my Granddad has worn Old Spice for as long as I can remember), to a brand suitable and trendy enough for the 18-25 demographic.

It was so funny that you couldn’t have a conversation with a group of lads at the time without one of the random, nonsensical quotes being dropped in. The Old Spice guy then went a step further by answering questions on Twitter, including conversations with the king of Twitter himself, Ashton Kutcher.

Threshers Viral E-mail

Sometimes the best viral marketing campaigns are those born out of pure accident. When Theshers offered its suppliers a 40% discount on wine and champagne, the mass market caught wind of the deal. Subsequently, the voucher appeared on blogs and social media channels, and suddenly everyone had an email in their inbox promising cheep booze.

Well, who could say no to that? No one it seemed, as queues formed outside stores and the website crashed under the strain. A spokesperson for Threshers admitted “It was never intended to get this big.” But no one could deny that it was great publicity of the company, and it certainly got them noticed.

If you would like advice on getting your business noticed, Seven Creative can help. From email marketing to social media, we can take your businesses’ marketing strategy to the next level. Call the team at Seven Creative today on 0114 383 0711 or visit our website for more information.

Business to Business Content Marketing

According to the latest report by Holger Schulze for Optify, content marketing is becoming more popular. A massive 83.5% of business to business marketers are said to be increasing their content marketing production over the next year.

The 2012 B2B Content Marketing Trends Survey also found that of the members of the B2B Technology Marketing Community on LinkedIn, the top 3 goals through content marketing are Lead Generation (68%), Thought Leadership/ Market Education (50%) and Brand Awareness (39%).

Content Marketing Tactics

Business to business marketers uses a variety of tactics to achieve their content marketing goals. According to the 2012 B2B Content Marketing Trends Survey, the most popular content tactics are as follows:

Case studies (62%)
Whitepapers and e-books (61%)
Press releases (58%)
Newsletters (55%)
Blogging (51%)

Content is King

In addition to the statistics above, B2B marketers claim that successful content starts with compelling story telling, originality and customised content, followed by well edited copy and professional writing.

Social Networking

The study also found that social media platforms are an important part of content marketing. Among B2B marketers, LinkedIn is the favourite social media platform, followed closely by Twitter and Facebook.

Yes, we do keep going on about it, but as the above research shows, interesting and compelling content will boost the effectiveness of your marketing. Seven Creative are able to produce a high standard of content on your behalf to be used in blogs, newsletter and social media (to name a few). We can even manage these channels for you if you wish.

For more information about how we can take your content marketing to the next level, contact Seven Creative today. There’s proof it works, so don’t get left behind!

Business Adviser Tano Rebora asks: ‘Are you pricing yourself to failure?’

Our blog’s guest business writer Tano Rebora of Icon Business Solutions, shares more of his advice!

Tano Rebora, Icon Business Solutions Ltd.

This week, Tano asks, ‘Are you pricing yourself to failure?’

Recently talking with one of our clients brought to mind one of the thorniest subjects ever associated with sales, that of ‘discounting’. Now sure, every client wants the best deal that they can get but why is it always on price?

If your offering is all that it is cracked up to be and you have been in business for a while then, surely, your pricing is appropriate, isn’t it? Or is it?

It may be that your competition has crept up on you. Then what is your differentiator? Does your product now reflect your client sectors requirements at the level that it did?

Who, exactly, are your clients? Is the sales force being aimed at the correct client profile?

If the answer to any of the above is a resounding no, then it may be time to refocus on who your ‘ideal’ client is and what, exactly, makes your product or service so distinctly different.

In this case, however, analysis brought us to a different conclusion.

In order to be at most service to your clients the sales force, whoever few or many these may be, must have knowledge of the businesses that they serve and be prepared to put in the effort to understand what the real issues that these clients face. What they need and want.

Without this effort and the expertise necessary to develop this relationship and the product then the offering will be a “so what?” and be subject to the competitive “me too and cheaper”.

In our opinion, so many businesses suffer eroding profit margins and customer base without analysing the why.

Make time – gather the appropriate information and review in light of the above. You’ll be surprised by what you will find and what a difference this will make to the health of your business.

Tano Rebora, Icon Business Solutions Ltd.