How to ensure your feedback isn’t put to the back.

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Feedback for the employee:

Feedback is sometimes under valued by organisations and it’s employees, and for some isn’t recognised as a vital part of progressing into any career. This can cause issues with workforce morale and motivation, as well as the threat of having employees not knowing what areas they are good or bad at.

Feedback is the most cost effective however most powerful tool which management can use in order to get people on track, and working in the right direction. Thaler and Sunstein (2008) stated that the best way to help people improve performance is to deliver feedback to participants on any occasion. It can be very motivating and energising, and has some clear links to employee satisfaction and productivity – as it gives us a warm feeling to hear were good at something, or how to get better.

But it’s a threat when feedback isn’t delivered to employees and this can cause ‘Feedback famine’: this occurs when no feedback is received. This doesn’t just mean formal feedback, but any sort of feedback, even if it’s a casual ‘Well done’ or ‘You’re very good at that’. When this occurs employees are unhappy and demotivated, which leads inventively to poor performance. In order to avoid here are 5 useful tips:

  1. ) Be specific: Make sure to focus on that individual in particular, and a certain area they can improve on. They might feel uninterested if they feel you give the same advice to everyone. MAKE IT PERSONAL!
  2. ) Don’t wait for the quarterly review: Why wait for a certain date if you feel feedback is already needed for an employee? Give them tips and pointers on a regular basis when necessary, this will help to avoid ‘Feedback famine’
  3. ) Focus on performance, not personality: Make sure your constructive criticism is based on how they perform, not the person they are. Some may find this disheartening as criticising ones personality can easily be taken as an insult
  4. ) Used the 3×3 method: This method is proposed by Bert Decker in his book ‘You’ve got to believe to be heard’ and suggests giving feedback in 3 fold is more effective when people implement changes and improvements
  5. ) End of a positive: When delivering feedback it’s good to start with the negatives, and end on the positives as they will go away with an open mind set of they can improve. For additional help on this Bill Gross’s blog (2012) ”How to give GREAT employee feedback” is extremely helpful (https://goo.gl/UJX2w3)

A model proposed by Woodruffe (2007) can be implemented when delivering feedback, this focuses on certain competencies using the BAR scale (Behavioural anchored behavioural scale). It gives a simple, easy to understand rating out of 5. Below is an example of how it can be used to deliver feedback:

Feedback for the business: 

The importance of feedback for the employee is obviously high, however it’s not the only area where feedback can be used in a beneficial way. Feedback is also critical for a business to improve their methods as well, as it will identify the areas which can be improved to better the company as a whole. For example when a customer contacts The John Lewis Partnership for queries or complaints they are contacted by text message after prompting them to give feedback on their experience. In this case it is used to improve customer service for the customer, and from this they can identify areas of which may lack certain skills and elements which consumers would appreciate.

It can also be helpful when businesses run conference days in order to promote their company. After event survey are very popular in order to receive additional information on their experience of the day, and can be used to better the companies marketing methods. A survey carried out by Brown (2017) found that 40% of participants found online surveys was the preferred method of delivering feedback.

(Brown, 2017)

Here are some methods which businesses can used in order to receive effective feedback:

1.) Online surveys: Before, during and after service/product is delivered

2.) Telecommunication: Some businesses use phone calls as a way of received feedback for honest opinions, as it eliminates the risk of people fooling about with online surveys

3.) Face to face meeting: These can be delivered when a business run recruitment processes, as well as giving candidates feedback.

4.) E-Mail marketing: Another form of receiving feedback is emailing customers, however limited as reply rates aren’t very high, therefore aren’t used very regularly.

It would be very hard for businesses and employees to progress without any feedback from others. Both could be doing the same thing over and over again, and not even realise what they’re doing is wrong. Feedback creates self awareness, and gives the potential of improvements and communication. It should never be undervalued, and both businesses and customers should seize the opportunity to take this free tool to improve.

Bibliography: 

15Five. (2017). 9 Ways to Give Effective Employee Feedback. [online] Available at: https://www.15five.com/blog/9-ways-to-give-effective-employee-feedback/ [Accessed 3 May 2017].

BAR scale (2017). [online] Available at: http://images.slideplayer.com/26/8711598/slides/slide_13.jpg [Accessed 3 May 2017].

Brown, E. (2017). 2 Ways the Most Successful Businesses Learn From Their Customers | SurveyMonkey Blog. [online] SurveyMonkey. Available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/blog/2014/08/29/2-ways-most-successful-businesses-learn-from-customers/ [Accessed 2 May 2017].​

Bill Gross (2017). How to give GREAT employee feedback. [online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20121130041419-9947747-how-to-give-great-employee-feedback [Accessed 5 May 2017].

Copper, B. (2002). Feedback. 1st ed. Bath: Camden.

Decker Communications. (2017). The Decker Method for Business Communications | Decker Communications. [online] Available at: https://decker.com/what-we-do/the-decker-method/ [Accessed 3 May 2017].

Full Circle Feedback. (2017). The Importance of Feedback | Why Is Feedback Important? – Full Circle Feedback. [online] Available at: http://www.fullcirclefeedback.com.au/360-power-of/ [Accessed 5 May 2017].

Woodruffe, C. (2007) Development and assessment centres: Identifying and developing competence. 4th Edition, London: Human Assets Ltd

 

 

 

How to know if your mobile application idea is useFULL or useLESS?

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There are millions of different mobile apps across the downloadable stores on phones, tablets and laptops, however only a small margin of these apps are actually successful. To be specific it was said in 2016 that only 1% of apps are actually popular, and frequently used by a significant amount of users.

However a massive 68% of mobile phone users indulge in application use on a regular basis, which leaves a huge market for this type of product. So it’s important when you’re designing your app that you bare some useful facts in mind, to ensure it doesn’t because useless, like the other 99% of forgotten-about-apps.

Bobby Mukherjee (Ceo of Luka, an application development company) stated that ‘’While ultimately there’s no substitute for shipping a product, there are some things that can make your app far less likely to bonk at the start line – you owe it to yourself to do all the available forms of diligence before the rocket leaves the Launchpad’’. What he means by this is a good app requires advanced planning and heavy preparation. So here are some useful tips to make your idea be more than just an idea.

  • Get friendly with the marketplace: I’d say that the first step in this process is getting to know the marketplace like the back of your hand. I’m afraid this doesn’t mean researching one day for 6 hours, I mean tracking the Google store and App store overtime, keeping an eye on the different types of trends in the variety of sections such as ‘Top paid’, ‘Top free’ and ‘Top grossing’. This will give you rough but accurate idea of the types of apps which people are interested in, compared to the ones which never make it to the top. Also this will give you information of marketing strategy, pricing plans and winning designs.

  • Compare your app to other existing ones, what’s the USP?: Take your application idea, compare it to other ones on the market, does it align with other successful ideas? If so, take that idea and give it a unique selling point, then you’re onto a winner. Chad Mureta, the CEO of App empire said that ‘’I can’t stress the importance of emulating existing apps enough. It’s easy for people to fall in love with their own idea, even if the market doesn’t show an appetite for it. But this is one of the most costly errors you can make’’ So it’s important for comparison to be made. Then if your app idea is similar to another current app then the only thing holding it back is the lack of a USP…it’s all well and good having a similarity to a successful app, but it can’t be exactly the same! Take Whatsapp for example, another internet messaging service, however their USP was no adverts and easy to access group chats – this made them an instant success with over 1.2 billion downloads last year.
  • Not all about the instant download money!: The first and hardest part of an application being successful is actually getting the users to download it. But there is a way to make this stage a little easier to avoid, and this idea may seem simple but many developers avoid doing so for money-lust. Offering an initial period of ‘’freemium’’ may be the answer to getting users to download. This period must be well planned and timed, giving users enough time to claim and observe the benefits of the application, and then offering them payments plans and in app purchases, which they should do if they’ve enjoyed the application enough. This type of success is proved from the ultimate craze which Pokémon go generated in the first month of launch. An app which is completely free to download, however generated over 10$ million per day from in app purchases of ‘Pokecoins’ proves that the initial downloading fee isn’t the main element for success.

  • Getting the right balance of information and fun: No matter the type of application which you have in mind, from games to banking and finance it can still be popular with its users. However gaming does seem to be the most popular with statistics showing 64% of people download from this category – and this is said to be because of the interaction and ‘fun’ element which games carry. A survey with over 8,000 smartphone users showed that 31% download apps if they sound interesting and fun – therefore making your app seem fun is crucial to success. This is straightforward if your application idea is in the gaming category, however if it’s based on news, weather, banking etc. it is harder, but not impossible. The key is to get a sustainable balance, giving your app interactive factors – the use of gamification (adding gaming elements to another idea to make it more appealing, e.g. point scoring, winning, interaction etc.) could be used to ensure this balance exists.

  • Innovation – Keep up with the emerging technology!: Some of the most successful areas in 2016 have been entertainment, social media and on demand services such as Netflix and Amazon prime. This is all due to innovation of technology over the last year, therefore it’s vital to keep up with these trends if you’re creating an app in the TECHNOLOGY market. Connecting your devices to your homes is ‘in’ at the moment, things like the Apple TV, Airdrop and HomeKit all represent this. Voice control also is on the incline, with Amazon Echo being able to control features in your home (light switches, speakers, TV etc.) therefore interaction within the app is important, but maybe it’s also important to interact with external elements as well to keep up with technology.
  • UseFUL or UseLESS?: Reviews from Business insider stated that some of the most popular apps last year included Pokémon Go, Instagram, Spotify and Apple TV. Does your idea correlate with any of these? Then you might be in luck. If so follow the tips above, do your research and take your time. Remember an application can’t be created overnight – be patient and pay attention to detail. It’ll pay off in time.

 

Bibliography:

(2017). [online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/How-many-users-does-WhatsApp-have-worldwide [Accessed 10 Apr. 2017].

(2017). The Sweet Way that Gamification Helps M&M’s Boost Consumer Engagement. [online] Available at: http://www.gamifaction.co/ [Accessed 10 Apr. 2017].

LABS. (2017). Smartphone and Mobile App Usage [INFOGRAPHIC]. [online] Available at: https://www.xcubelabs.com/mobile-usage-infographic/ [Accessed 10 Apr. 2017].

Marketingcharts.com. (2017). Chart/table from: What Motivates Smartphone Users to Download and Use Apps?. [online] Available at: http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/what-motivates-smartphone-users-to-download-and-use-apps-54273/attachment/googleipsos-reasons-downloading-smartphone-app-may2015/ [Accessed 10 Apr. 2017].

The Huffington Post. (2017). Is Your Mobile App Idea Useful or Useless?. [online] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-wolfson/is-your-mobile-app-idea-u_b_13460300.html [Accessed 10 Apr. 2017].

Social media, a positive development for businesses or just a negative decline for consumers?

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Social media, a positive development for businesses or just a negative decline for consumers?

The evolution of social media is undoubtedly massive, and to put it into perspective; if Facebook was a country, it would be the most populated country in the world, with over 1.5 billion users – which is more than both China and India. Therefore it’s hard not to notice the power which social media sites like Facebook can have on the public, but the question is do these influences fall more into the positive or negative? And who are they really helping?

Businesses use social media for digital marketing purposes frequently, in an effort to spread brand recognition and increase communication with potential target markets. If the social media campaign is successful it is proven to help to do the following 7 factors:

  • Increase communication with clients
  • Drive traffic to your site
  • Remind your prospects of your brand
  • Improve your online influence
  • Reach the friends of your clients and prospects with your message
  • Inform your audience of specials in real time
  • Increase your SEO ranking

All these outcomes are clearly positive, and will help a brand to become a success, with the only  negative impact of potential time consumption and effort, but this is countered with the developments which it brings. Oreo is the perfect brand to represent this as there social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) are constantly updated, and forum chat rooms containing over 500,000 people talking about Oreo helps for word of mouth to occur digitally.

 

These are the positives for businesses and brands when undertaking marketing methods, but what are the effects which social media has on the other stakeholders, the consumers?

With a massive 72% of adults confirming that they use some form of social media it is clear that the population is obsessed with the internet, so much that it could be causing personal issues or users. Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is becoming bigger in certain countries, with studies in the US which suggest 8.2% suffer from the disorder, and in Hong Kong 6%. However a study showed that 64% showed that they might be addicted to the internet, which brings up the theory that it’s more common than people realise, and it could be more serious than led on to be.

When receiving a notification on a social media website dopamine is released into our brain which gives us a feeling of happiness and euphoria, however it’s that released which makes users addicted, and they keep clicking for more after this – Marketers use this as a tactic to keep their target market coming back for more.

50% people said they felt worried and uncomfortable if they can’t access their Facebook or email, but when this is put into correlation that 51% of people said that social media has had a negative impact on their behaviour, it suggests it’s a habit which people don’t enjoy. This is said to be because of the stress it causing from missing out on social interaction after being so used to it.

FOMO is the perfect term for this – ‘Fear of missing out’!

Another major issue which comes from social media is cyber bullying. Due to the increase of social media it is almost too easy for ‘keyword warriors’ to access vulnerable people over chat rooms, no matter of the age. Even little comment on Youtube videos can be more serious than they look. Over 2.2 million people reported to a National Crime survey have dealt with cyber bullying in 2011, and I can’t imagine there has been a decrease since then with the popularity building.

BUT IT’S NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM:

Other studies have received results of social media actually improving user’s mental state – with enhancements on participant feelings of social connectedness and lower levels of loneliness. So I think it’s clear there’s no certain correlation that social media can have a negative or positive impact on users. However if consumed too much it could become an addiction problem for certain individuals, but this makes it all the better or marketers trying to spread the word of their brand, and even if there was a clear correlation who’s going to stop them?

References

2017, C. (2015) Infographic: How social media hurts mental health. Available at: https://contently.com/strategist/2015/07/02/infographic-how-social-media-hurts-mental-health/ (Accessed: 27 February 2017).

Bennett, S. (2012) The 7 side effects of social media [INFOGRAPHIC]. Available at: http://www.adweek.com/digital/social-media-side-effects/ (Accessed: 27 February 2017).

Mangukiya, P. (2016) Social media by the numbers [Infographic]. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/piyush-mangukiya/social-media-by-the-numbe_b_9757926.html (Accessed: 27 February 2017).

Oreo – likes (no date) Available at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/oreo/likes/?ref=page_internal (Accessed: 27 February 2017).

How Smashburger, smash they’re target audience via email marketing

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Smashburger is a new, innovating fast food chain which brings quality to quick food. There mission statement is to ”bring a fresh approach to burgers and help the nation burger better” – so they try and express they’re all about the status of food via email marketing methods used in the example below.

The colour scheme of black, white and red is simple, however classy as they aren’t overpowering and gives the email a modernized tone which makes it user friendly and easy for the target audience to read. This is followed through the whole email, including the clear, unique logo of Smashburger which is replicated in a fist – which is iconic and relates to the businesses essence. The use of red gives the company the power to make certain items of the email stand out more than others, in this case they have highlighted they’re social media links, in order to hopefully gain more popularity and interest through internet connections.

The language which Smashburger uses is carefully selected intentionally to make the audience feel special and like an individual, in this case the email subject starts with ”Harry, enjoy a drink on us” – which immediately gives a personalized message to the audience, and makes the possibility higher of the email being opened up and viewed. Giving away a free drink will also appeal to audiences not only who enjoy Smashburger, but others who might consider visiting for the first time as it gives them an incentive. Statements like ‘beginning of a smashing friendship and ‘that’s what friends do’ also creates a relationship with the consumer, and gives the feeling of an obligation that they actually have to visit as there is some sort of personal bond there, while keeping it light hearted with subtle puns by collaborating the name of the company within the promotional message. ”E-mail marketing is an important medium of marketing communication especially for companies seeking to build and maintain closer relationships with customers” (McCloskey, 2006 and Chaffey et al 2003).personalizedfinal-smashburger

Different styles of focus being used on the images provided in the email represents clearly what the main product is from Smashburger is, as the burger and its features stands out the most, with clear focus, good lighting and placement in the image, while the other products (beer, wine, condiments etc.) feature in the image also, but are blurred out in the background but are still easy to view but don’t take the attention away from the main product.

Acceptance of the free beverage when visiting in store could be seen as one of the Opt-In features which is provided by the email, however it also includes links to the official website for Smashburger found at the bottom in red. This link takes you to the websites landing page where in depth details are found about to company, including a mission statement, locations, options to join ‘Smashburger club’ and a interactive menu. ”Once an e-mail has been opened various executional tactics are used to attract attention. According to experimental research (Sundar and Kalyanaranman, 2004 and Yoo et al 2004) animation is the most prominent attention-getting device in web advertising and is far more effective than static advertising.” Giving evidence that Smashburger have used an interactive menu instead of a list format in order to keep viewers immersed and occupied.

email-2It is clear that Smashburger have got the right idea with promotional methods, and I believe they have conducted a well designed marketing email, which allows the audience to cooperate with and feel they are part of the ‘Smashburger club’. However the question is will the unique idea of a high quality fast food restaurant be popular in the competitive market? Free offers and informative newsletters and emails are definitely are good start.

 

 

 

References:

  • – Ellis-Chadwick, F., & Doherty, N. F. (2012). Web advertising: The role of e-mail marketing. Journal of Business Research, 65(6), 843-848
  • – Smashburger . (2016). Smashburger. Available: https://smashburger.co.uk/. Last accessed 3 November 2016