January 2018

No interactions or comments on your posts? Wondering why your content isn’t generating the desired interest you would like in terms of leads and engagement but can’t put your finger on it?  Perhaps it’s time to start creating and sharing more evergreen content! But what is it and how can it really help your business? What is evergreen content? In short, evergreen content is that which is still interesting and relevant weeks, months or even years after its initial publish date.  It doesn’t date like news can and can deliver value in terms of traffic, leads, social shares occupying valuable search positions over time. As the content doesn’t date it means it can be reused and shared over and over again as part of your social media strategy. Importantly this can have a positive impact on web traffic and business leads. Our top 7 types of evergreen content How to guides Readers like quick and easy tips on ways to improve their business and how to guides help to break content into an easily digestible format. Examples of how to guides may include; Ie: How to use twitter lists to help track and monitor your social media content Ie: How…

Top 10 inspirational quotes for business owners and budding entrepreneurs So I attended Newcastle Startup Week a couple of weeks ago.  Firstly, hats off must go to Paul Lancaster and Sarah Crimmens for pulling off an inspiring week of events for SME’s and budding entrepreneurs.   A great variety of speakers and sessions tailored to businesses of different sizes and at different stages. Reflecting on the event made me feel fortunate to have founded a business in such a supportive, creative and dynamic region.  There was certainly a feeling and understanding that we were all in this together and that if we continue to listen, learn and collaborate, the possibilities were endless.  As a business owner there are inevitably ups and downs, twists and turns along the way and StartUpWeek helped to put that into context, provide time to reflect and challenge. Whilst I couldn’t attend all the sessions during the week there were a number of inspiring quotes from the event that I felt were worth sharing. Here are our top 10 quotes from the week …. Learn more about yourself so you can learn more about others PR is essentially about reputation and relationships Create content your audience enjoy…

As a business owner, it’s true to say that you never stop learning. It was whilst reflecting on this very point that I came to appreciate how much I have learnt in the last 3 years, not just from the day job but from the diverse range of clients I have had the pleasure to work with. Being surrounded by their entrepreneurial spirit, focus and drive has certainly provided some of my biggest sources of inspiration. But shhhhhh let’s not tell them that 😊, instead here is a list of the top 8 pieces of business advice I have learnt working alongside them;   1)     Go with your gut instinct One we have heard so many times but all my clients agree that your gut instinct is there for a reason, to trust it as you will often be right! Also to back this up with research where you can before making key decisions. Not every client, project or partnership will be right for you, use your instinct to make the right choices, not just for the short term but for the long term.   2)     Push the boundaries I have been so impressed by clients’ ability to take risks and push creative boundaries,…

Content marketing is a phrase you have probably heard over a million times over, but what is it and how can it support your business growth? The Content Marketing Institute describe content marketing as a strategic approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action. Content marketing has certainly evolved over the years, becoming much more than the simple  sharing of a story or blog post. There are now a range of channels to take advantage of from social media posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, webinars, how to guides to interactive games to name but a few. It’s hard to sometimes know where to start so here we share our top tips on how to get the most from your content marketing; Be authentic and plan The first thing is to make sure that your message is authentic, is relevant and truly reflects your brand. What are the key services and products you offer? What are your USP’s? Get to know what makes you, you and plan a list of content that aligns with your businesses key offerings and personality.  Not all content needs to be planned however, don’t…

So they say your brand is what other people say about you when you leave the room ….. here we share our top tips on how to build brilliant brands, profile and profits! Brands are all around us, from the coffee I’m drinking to the phone I am tweeting from to the shoes on my feet. Without realising it we are subliminally being exposed to brands 24/7, interpreting and deciding if they are ones for us and whether we want to invest our time in them in whatever way that might be. Brands aren’t simply just products or services, we each have our own personal brand too with the qualities and characteristics of those being quite simply what make me, me and you, you! But what is it that make some brands brilliant allowing us to engage with them and win our loyalty over time and how can we harness this to build our own brands and make them the best they can be? Know who you are and carve out your USP! It sounds basic but a good starting point with any business or brand is sitting down and working out who you are, what your brand qualities are…