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Blog

22 Sep

Each year, the celebration of Heritage Day on 24 September highlights discussions around culture. On this day, South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions. In a rainbow nation, our differences are to be celebrated. Globally, too, there is greater emphasis being placed on diversity and inclusion in organisations. In light of this, we thought we would take this opportunity to talk about an important aspect of culture – company culture.  Company culture encompasses values and behaviours that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of a business. It defines the rules...

06 Aug

If the title of this blog post rings a bell, it’s because this line was the theme for International Women’s Day 2020, and rightly so. The wide-reaching research available on the topic of women in the boardroom shows that gender equality has a strong business case. It’s not just great for women, it’s great for financial and social performance of a company too. As we celebrate Women’s Day in South Africa this month, let’s catch up on what this theme means in our local context.  Since we offer strategic business services and reputation management, the SWM team has a finger on...

08 Jul

Knowing how to captivate and engage an audience has always been a critical skill for business, although it is a skill that is often overlooked. Think back to the conferences or training events you have attended over the years; does the phrase “death by PowerPoint” come to mind? All too often, presenters who are tasked with capturing your attention achieve the exact opposite. Now, in the era of physical distancing and virtual events, this task becomes even more difficult. Presenters in the age of video calls and teleconferencing have a host of new concerns to manage. You might not be able...

23 May

It’s no secret that the current business environment in South Africa is not particularly conducive to prosperity. Even before Covid-19 arrived in the country, low business confidence, inefficient public sector procurement processes and slow economic growth was hampering local business development. Enter lockdown, closely followed by Moody’s downgrade of South Africa to junk status, and we have business owners panicking about how to keep their head above water while operating under severe restrictions. Well, we have some good news for you. Helping our clients navigate these trying times has taught us some valuable lessons about what you can do to...

19 May

Digital content marketing has disrupted brand communication over the past decade. The sharp rise in internet access and social media platforms has created opportunities for companies to tell their stories by adopting these new techniques. Through these developments, we have witnessed marketing and communication teams split their budgets between traditional media and digital channels in a balancing act as they try to weigh up the most effective platforms to utilize in reaching their target audiences. Some marketers have been so captivated by the online world and its promises of data driven analytics, to the point that they have ‘realized’ digital is...

19 Apr

Anyone can place an advert if they have the money, but not anyone can get their content published in a leading publication. This article gives you some tips to help you get in-depth information about your technology and engineering solutions to your market – without bombarding them with adverts. It is common practice today that any good marketing initiative should be backed up with a good content strategy. Today’s consumers are overwhelmed by adverts in many forms and there is always a possibility of your message getting lost. To truly engage with your target audience, you need to give them something...

23 Mar

It is common knowledge that you can’t be a successful business operating in the 21st century without a social media presence. After all, there’s an entire social media site dedicated just for business – LinkedIn. Facebook, too, has realised it’s user demographics are no longer limited to teenagers and students, and has launched Facebook for Business. But there is another site worth considering for your business’s social media plan, and its no longer for just the Kardashians of the world – Instagram. Here are five reasons to consider getting on ‘The Gram’. 1. It appeals to today’s short attention spans Today’s consumers...

23 Feb

When you find yourself in a place where you are suddenly leading a new venture, whether it is a B2B, B2C or non-profit venture, social media marketing done right is an essential for any small business. But trying to figure out your Social Media Strategy can be confusing and time consuming. SWM Communications is here to guide you through this crucial stage. In order to gain visibility, you need a proper social media strategy. It is a common misconception that this simply involves setting up a channel or page. It requires a strategy that is going to position you and your...

23 Nov

Social media is a powerful tool that has a significant impact on both professional and organizational reputation because the lines between personal and organizational voices can often become blurred. There is an urgent need for organizations to implement guidelines to provide standards of professional practice and conduct for their employees when using social media as well as to encourage active participation and interaction between employees and an organization’s public online users in order to effectively promote your organization. According to the Digital Landscape in South Africa 2018 report 16 million users make use of social media platforms, which is a third...

23 Sep

Organisations often communicate via a few selected channels choosing to leave out certain channels of communication on the basis that they believe that they do not add value to their operations. We have had companies downplay the importance of a marketing department simply because they deem themselves to be a ‘specialist’ entity servicing a niche market with an overreliance on the quality of their products and services. These companies believe they have a very good relationship with clients which forms the basis of their stance towards marketing initiatives of not going beyond lunch meetings. There are companies that see no need...