Get my advice on PR campaigns

Spend Valentine’s Day with Agent Pete! In a hotel room!

In a recent, possibly rigged, and probably fictitious survey over 90 percent of the world’s women said they’d rather spend Valentine’s Day with Secret Agent Marketing’s dashing PR executive Agent Pete than any other man on the planet.

That’s a tall order, but there is hope. Someone has had the forethought to book a conference suite in Swindon and put out a couple of hundred chairs, to give as many girls (and boys) as possible the opportunity to spend the official day of romance with the heartthrob.

Agent Pete will be one of the keynote speakers at Swindon Chamber of Commerce’s first Sales & Marketing Forum. He’ll be sharing his thoughts on PR, and telling delegates: “Don’t Look a Gift Horse Burger in the Mouth.”

Secrets of the marketing world blown

Agents Pete and Louisa from Secret Agent Marketing

The secrets of the marketing world will be blown as industry experts and Wiltshire Business Support Service join forces to help small businesses get to grips with their own marketing.

Marketing for Beginners will explain how marketing is more than just newspaper ads and glossy brochures; and how marketing should be a business investment, not an expense

Peter and Louisa Davison from Secret Agent Marketing will help attendees to work out who their customers are, how to speak their language, and how to give them what they need.

Louisa said: “The workshop will be super-practical, and each delegate will leave with a basic realistic, workable marketing plan, while peer-to-peer learning will allow attendees to try out their ideas on other workshop delegates.”

Peter said: “We´re delighted to have been invited to join forces with Wiltshire Business Support Service. Together, we can offer the wealth of our experience and an incredibly low cost to small businesses and start-ups.

This workshop will be held on Tuesday, September 18, from 10am to 4pm at Wessex Chambers of Commerce, Pentagon House, 52 Castle Street, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 8AU.

Attendance costs £80 and each business will leave with a basic marketing plan.

Wiltshire Business Support Service exists to provide business owners with real, practical help and support. Funded by Wiltshire Council, the service is the ultimate advice and networking resource for anyone starting up or running a small business. All advice is free, confidential and impartial.

For more information, or to book a place, log on to www.wessexchambers.org.uk/events

How does social media fit into your marketing strategy?

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+… How do they fit into your marketing strategy? Do they fit in at all? Is social media something you think you should be using, but you don’t know where to start?

Agent Pete will be explaining the basics at Marlborough Profit Club on Wednesday, June 27. The session is run by business coach Nigel Scott and will be held at 1 The Green, Marlborough – home of web and video experts Mole Productions – from 1.45pm.

Non-members should contact Jane Scott for an invitation at janescott@actioncoach.com or on 01672 512001.

‘Let’s have some more!’ say our training course delegates

Debbie Williams of John Williams Heating Services Ltd

Delegates left our Marketing for Beginners course on Wednesday with new skills and ideas to help their businesses grow – and asking for a follow-up course to help them take the next step on their marketing journey.

During the training course, we took the delegates through the basics of marketing, and explained how different aspects of marketing could be applied to individual businesses to boost profits.

Attendees went away buzzing with new ideas and – as Agent Louisa’s ‘confidence board’ demonstrated – a much better understanding of how this marketing malarky works.

Secret Agents appointed by county’s new Business Support Service

We are thrilled to report that the newly-formed Wiltshire Business Support Service has appointed Secret Agent Marketing to deliver its series of marketing training courses to start-ups and small businesses in Wiltshire.

Our Marketing for Beginners course will explain how marketing is more than just newspaper ads and glossy brochures; and how marketing should be a business investment, not an expense.

We’ll be helping attendees to work out who their customers are, how to speak their language, and how to give them what they need.

The workshop will be super-practical, and each delegate will leave with a basic realistic, workable marketing plan, while peer-to-peer learning will allow attendees to try out their ideas on other workshop delegates.

We’re delighted to have been invited to join forces with Wiltshire Business Support Service. Together, we can offer the wealth of our experience and an incredibly low cost to small businesses and start-ups.

The first workshop will be held on Wednesday 30 May 2012, from 10am to 1pm at The Crown,19 New Park Street, Devizes, SN10 1EA. Attendance costs £25 for members of Wessex Chambers, and £40 for non-members.

Don’t put your faith in Miracle Marketing

Do you subscribe to Miracle Marketing? It’s very popular, and easy to do!

Simply conduct some marketing activity – print some brochures, book an advertisement – then cross your fingers or pray. Divine Intervention will do the rest.

Except it won’t, will it?

Become great at your own marketing

It’s why a lot of people have signed up to our news list.

And we’re happy to share tips and advice on this blog and give away free guides.

But nothing beats a bit of real life learning, and the ability to ask – how does this work for my business? Will this plan fly?

So we’ve organised a Secret Agent School course:

Marketing for Beginners
Tuesday 29 May 2012 10am – 4pm
http://www.secretagentmarketing.com/pages/secret-agent-school.html