This is a series where we go out and have a Facebook Live interview with a local business owner. We talk about their business, what the story is behind why they started their specific business and how they are using social media to support their ambitions. In this interview, we talk to Caroline Prout, who runs her Hypnotherapy Practice from Islip (near Thraptson) in Northamptonshire. Caroline Prout's background… In the video, you’ll learn about the three career Caroline has had - and what her journey to entrepreneurship has been like. Like Ellen, in our previous interview, she has had quite a tough personal path to choosing the business she specialises in today. Her passion … [Read more...] about Business Interview: Caroline Prout
Strategy
Business Interview: Ellen Bletsoe
This is a series where we go out and have a Facebook Live interview with a local business owner. We talk about their business, what the story is behind why they started their specific business and how they are using social media to support their ambitions. In this interview, we talk to Ellen Bletsoe, who runs her own Image Consultancy business from her beautiful studio in Thrapston, in Northamptonshire. Ellen Bletsoe’s background… In the video, you’ll learn about Ellen’s journey to entrepreneurship and that she has had quite a tough personal path to choosing the business she specialises in today. Ellen gained her Textile Design Degree at Leeds University and went on to work for an … [Read more...] about Business Interview: Ellen Bletsoe
Business Interview: Barbara Hodgson
This is a series where we go out and have a Facebook Live interview with a local business owner. We talk about their business, what the story is behind why they started their specific business and how they are using social media to support their ambitions. In this interview we talk to Barbara Hodgson, who is a Franchisee of the Women in Business Network (WIBN) and owns and runs 8 groups: Leicester City Loughborough Market Harborough Stamford Kettering Northampton Towcester Wellingborough It is a women-only networking group format, with a profession “lockout” and structured meeting agenda. Barbara Hodgson’s background… In the video, you’ll find out a … [Read more...] about Business Interview: Barbara Hodgson
10 Digital Trends to Watch
Digital trends are what define businesses like mine and how we service our clients in the future. My challenge (and joy) as a digital agency owner is to narrow my attention on the things that warrant investing time and effort in, for the longer term. In the web and social media industry technological shifts are a weekly occurrence, and new channels or platforms hit the scene often. The key is to rise above the "immediate" excitement and look overall how people are digesting information and also how they share their stories online. My job is to help my clients to be efficient with their time and therefore the energy they spend on their digital channels. The value we ultimately bring to the … [Read more...] about 10 Digital Trends to Watch
Market your content as you would a product
When I work with clients in helping to clarify what their content plan is and how and where the stories are going to come from – sometimes I use this metaphor: Window Dressing. The way to be smart about each piece of content you generate within the business – is to perhaps think of it as a product that you can then “sell” to a variety of different customers. So (indulge me) – take a piece of content (say a blog post that describes a specific approach you have taken with a project that you have just completed with a client) and put it to one side. Now read the following... Identify Bob (or Sally) When you want to reach a specific audience – it helps if you really nail who that person is: … [Read more...] about Market your content as you would a product
How To Extract Information From Experts
Creating valuable content for your social media strategy involves making sure that you get to showcase the expertise inherent in your business. One of the challenges that come with that is how to extract information from the necessary people – who tend to be the busiest and most key individuals in the business. Here are my top tips on how to go about this: 1. Make sure they understand why you need the information They won’t want to know the nitty gritty of which platforms you want to share the information on, but give them a general understanding of what you are trying to achieve by asking for this content. 2. Find out the most suitable extraction method Everyone has a communication or … [Read more...] about How To Extract Information From Experts
Who is Reading Your Blog Posts?
Do you sometimes feel like you are writing to a big black dark hole...and you never really know if there is someone on the other side? Writing blog posts can feel like this, however - there are some simple tricks that you can put in play, so that (1) you feel a bit more valued as a content provider and (2) so that you know if anyone is actually reading what you are putting out there. There are a few conventional ways, which...if you match with some easy tech and human relationships - you will instantly have some measurements that can give you some encouraging feedback. TRICK 1: Subscribers Are you giving your readers really obvious ways in which to subscribe to your content? Ideally look … [Read more...] about Who is Reading Your Blog Posts?
The social media team needs inspiration and input
Sustaining a social media strategy means finding the enthusiasm, motivation and stamina to continually feed the content monster. Part of feeding the content monster comes from idea generation and creativity - which will come from your team either within your social media department, if you have one, or from a handful of people around the organisation. Keeping up the steam of enthusiasm It is very important to ensure that you are nourishing the enthusiasm in your team, because that will ripple out to your social media audience and impact engagement, reach and of course, in the end…your results. Schedule time for refreshing the brain The brain is a muscle and needs exercise. To stay creative, … [Read more...] about The social media team needs inspiration and input
Who you should train on Social Media in your business
Every organisation will have a few different roles that need to be fulfilled in order to successfully carry out the social media function in the business. It is important to decide on your resources from the outset and define who needs to be trained; and what skills and knowledge they need. Your business social media training needs will change over time, so just remember to introduce a training calendar that ensures your staff are regularly trained over time. Social media changes frequently as you know, and new channels start up all the time. So your staff need to know, which are the ones to pay attention to, and which are not and then how to grab those opportunities when they do come … [Read more...] about Who you should train on Social Media in your business
How to put your social media training together
Once you have identified who it is in the organisation that needs to undertake social media training, the next thing to work out is how is best to carry out the training. Before you put your training session together there are few aspects to take into account: 1.What are the learning outcomes? What specific working knowledge, skills or learnt techniques do you want the person to walk away with after the session(s)? 2. How much time can the individual realistically take out to do the training Depending on where the person works in the business, you may have some restrictions on how long you can keep them away from the business. This isn’t true for many roles – so don’t take that as a reason … [Read more...] about How to put your social media training together