If you do your own social media, it can be difficult to know if what you're doing is correct! That's why we thought we'd include some top tips in this months blog post for how to get your social media posts on point!

1. Customer Service Drives Revenue.
Replying to customer service queries  on social media is a great move for your business. Consumers value a brand coming back to them on social, and will spend more as a result. Plus, if done right, it could mean less phone calls & time consuming emails into your office! 

2. No image? No point.
While Instagram is a visual-first platform, everything from tweets to Facebook posts get a higher engagement rate if they include an image. So make sure all your tweets & posts are utilising the power of imagery to best represent your company! 

3. People don’t read. 
Social media users aren’t engaging in long-form content as much as you think, so consider this next time you're about to press Publish on your next Facebook essay! The shorter and more to-the-point a social media post is the better people will respond to it on average. 

4. But they are consuming more video than ever.
And it’s not just on YouTube - consumers are watching over 100 million hours of video a day on Facebook alone. Cash in on this by including a few video posts in your social media plan!

5. Young people are on all the platforms.
What this means is: don’t ignore the older social media channels. Be pro-active on as many social media platforms as possible! 

6. The over-50s are getting onboard.
The demographic group age bracket 55-64 is the fastest growing demographic on social media, meaning there is huge opportunities for business wanting to attract older customers on social media. The key takeaway here is to appreciate that social media is now a key element for any type of business. Period. 

So with these 6 handy tips you should now be slightly better prepared to tackle the ever-changing issues of marketing your business on social media! Or... you could always get us to do it for you!

We have recently received an influx of enquiries from companies based outside the UK who want to utilise our online marketing expertise to either break into the UK market, or just because they want to boost their performance in their own country. So how do we ensure our services can be tailored to suite the needs of companies based abroad? 

We are now running the social media campaigns & have designed the websites of companies as far flung as Canada & the US, but the real truth is our services remain the same for everyone (aside from ensuring our content goes live in the right time zone!) we treat all our clients, international or otherwise, exactly the same. It's that commitment to high quality service that ensures our brand name has spread across the oceans. Also, due to social media being largely accessible anywhere on earth; the core principles of promoting a business online remain the same too - meaning we're the best at it, wherever you're company is based!

That's why we're as confident as ever that we can help your business thrive online whether you're based in London, New York, Tokyo, Paris or elsewhere. We hold the key to successful marketing online and we know how to utilise that key and make it work for everyone. 

That's why Whittingham Marketing continues to grow its international client base, and why we're racking up the air miles quicker than anything else!  

If you're interested in our services or want to learn more about what we could do for your business please contact us using the button below or email us at info@whittinghammarketing.co.uk

These days it seems that everyone is on social media, from your grandparents to the President of The United States (the less said about that the better!). Social media is perfect for keeping in touch with friends using Facebook, envying the rich & famous on Instagram or retweeting your favourite comedian on Twitter it seems that in one way or another we are all interacting on social media platforms in one way or another; and this should be no different for your business. 

Make no mistake about it, your customers are on social media and if your business doesn't have a strong presence then they are far more likely to discover your competitors over you. But social media is more than just posting photos and sharing what you're up to. Social media for businesses has become an incredible tool for customer service. Clients can contact you through social media messaging if they have a query or are interested in your product/service. You can share important updates & news about your brand, or ask questions and get your audience involved in market research. But above all by staying active on social media you are staying present in the minds of your customer base/audience - meaning the next time they need your services or are looking for your product they'll be more likely to come to you.

Social media is so important in a marketing strategy that it is our primary focus when we bring a new client on board to evaluate where they're at with their social media presence and how we can implement changes to ensure they're being seen and interacted with. 

If you're not using social media in the right way, or are concerned that you're not getting the results you want from it then it may be worth considering outsourcing it to a marketing team like us!
We can manage your social media on your behalf, posting content daily and interacting with your clients in an effective and professional manner. Our Bronze social media package starts at only £150 per month (less than £35 per week!) and means you can rest assured that your business has a solid social media presence correctly representing your company. If you're interested in this service please contact us via one of the following:

📧 info@whittinghammarketing.co.uk
​📲 Send us a message HERE

This is a question we get asked a lot and, despite what you might think, the answer isn't cut & dry. So here we explore a few reasons you may or may not need to outsource your social media.

We spend a lot of time with business owners & entrepreneurs trying to drill home how important a strong social media presence is for your business. But sometimes it simply cannot be done in-house due to budget or time restraints. That is when outsourcing could be a solution.

However, on the other side of the coin having a dedicated member of staff (or team) employed solely to manage your companies social media comes with it's own benefits! So how are you supposed to know what the best course of action is? Below we answer some questions we've come across that may help you realise whether you need to outsource or not. 

Q. I do not have the budget to hire another member of staff, and our team is too busy to be doing social media too. What should I do? 

A. Outsource. Without a doubt. If you fundamentally cannot run a social media campaign in-house then you are left with no choice but to hire a social media team/marketing company to take control of things for you. Doing nothing is not an option. Social media can increase client awareness, sales & customer care so it is vital for every business - regardless or size - to have a solid social media presence. 

Q. We have someone on our team who does our social media, but the results aren't amazing. What should I do? 

A. This is a tricky one because there's several possible options to explore. First off, does the team member actually know what your goals are on social media and do they know how to execute them? i.e do they have experience running social media campaigns previously? If not, the best option would be to bring in a consultant (like us!) to work with your team member for a few hours a week and train them on how to get the most out of social media. Although for this to work you have to be honest with yourself and ask has your team member got enough time to do what needs to be done or are they required to do other work too (admin etc.) that could take them away from your social media? If this is the case then it may be a good idea to explore outsourcing as a solution where your team member gets more time to focus on their core job role & the business has gained a marketing expert running their social media.  

Q. I can't afford to outsource social media. It's really expensive isn't it? 

A. No. Outsourcing social media can be extremely cost effective and is often considerably cheaper than hiring someone to fulfil this role full time. Fo example, our cheapest social media outsourcing package starts at only £150 PCM. That's only £1800 per year! Or £35 a week! That is a very good price to have someone managing your social media for you, dealing with comments etc and increasing awareness of your company online. There's a reason some of the biggest (and richest!) companies in the world still hire companies to run their social media for them; because it's cost-effective and often yields far better results. 

The above are three of the most common questions we get asked when a business owner is struggling to fulfil their social media responsibilities. If you'd like to find out how hiring our team could revolutionise your business online contact us today.   
​

So you've got a website for your business. Job done, right? Not so.

Websites, if not updated regularly can fall behind and become more of a hindrance than an asset. And ultimately, after a certain period of time, the technology of websites advance and it will be time for a total re-design. 

That will cost a fortune, I hear you say. Not so. Whilst it is true that it will cost you something to have a redesign think of it as an investment because it is nothing compared to the cost of doing nothing.

The simple fact is that for your business to survive in the ever-competitive online market you have to be changing up your strategy regularly and tracking what works and what doesn't. Failure to do so could mean the end of your business. 

So, how do you know if it's time to tweak your website, or even get a full redesign? Here are our top 5 clues to look out for:
​

1. Is your website mobile friendly? If not, don't read any further. Seriously, stop reading - You need to get a mobile friendly website immediately. As of the end of Q4 in 2017 Statista.com had over 50% of global internet traffic coming form mobile devices. Can you really afford for potentially 50% of your market to miss you altogether? Didn't think so. ​

2. How old is your existing website? Websites are no different to any other form of technology. They age and fall behind the times. You wouldn't start a business today using the original Apple Mac (first released in 1984) would you? So why would you hope that a several year old website will still perform as it should? Our advice would be that if your website is over 2 years old, consider major design & functionality upgrades, if not a total redesign. A good benchmark is to visit the websites of some of the top companies in your field; if your's isn't as good as theirs - it's time for a change. 

3. ​Does your website display your company in the right way? Now this one sounds simple, we know. But the fact is we've heard so many business owners say "Oh we know the website needs work, it hasn't been updated for awhile". Now, be honest with yourself, does this sound like you? If your website does not correctly represent your company 100% of the time you WILL be missing out on sales/new clients. The internet is the most competitive environment out there, and if you fall behind for long it can be a very costly procedure to get it back on track again. You, as a business owner, have to understand that in this day & age the odds are your website will be the first encounter a potential client has with you. Make sure you make a good first impression; because where the internet is concerned the old adage is true - You never get a second chance to make a first impression. 
​

4. Does your website have a blog section? This is a big one! Still, to this day, the number one question we get asked is "is it worth me being on social media?" to which we scream the word yes! Followed by a reminder that you also need to blogging regularly - the two work best hand-in-hand! Most older websites don't have a blog or news section, and if yours falls into this category then it's time to change things up! Need further proof? You're reading this information from a blog post. The fact is that your clientele is interested in your brand, and you should be interested in getting your company message out there. A blog is a fantastic way to do this, whilst also contributing to regular new content on your website (making people check back regularly) the SEO benefits are huge too. Now, stop reading and get blogging! ​

5. Is your current website working for you? This is the most important one & it should be simple, but so many business owners stick with websites that are not working because they don't want to deal with having a new one made. This is a costly mistake and there's no knowing how many clients or opportunities you're missing out on by doing this. In business, if something isn't working then it needs to change. Every aspect of your business should either serve you in a positive way, or cease to exist. If your website is not performing correctly, contact your web design team and speak to them about it. Make change happen, and if things aren't working out don't be afraid to source a new designer or marketing professional (Like us!). The future of your business could depend on this. Don't let you business fail because you didn't understand the importance of a great website. 

So there you have it, our 5 top tips for knowing if you need a new website. Hopefully this will make it clearer for you and help you make the tweaks needed so that your business can continue to thrive online. 

If you are looking for a new website, outsourcing solutions or any aspect of your current marketing is not working for you - contact us today. We'd love to help! 

Email info@whittinghamarketing.co.uk or visit the CONTACT US section of our website. 

🎉We recently partnered with Brighton based wedding supplies company Elizabeth Green to launch her new website and kick start a social media campaign. 😁

Elizabeth offers the people of Brighton & Hove unique and elegant accessories, attire & decorations to add even more magic to their special day. 👰

Having only started the company last year she was keen to get her website looking incredible and with little knowledge of social media, and its potential to create new business, she decided to hire us and outsource the duties! 👉🖥🙌

We are excited to partner with yet another unique and brilliant company based in Brighton. We can't wait to see some of the weddings her beautiful products are used at. ❤️

If you're based in Bournemouth or Brighton and are looking to take your business marketing up a notch contact us today for a free consultation session where we will map out the changes we'd propose. 

As business owners it can often feel like you spend your whole day fighting the clock ⏰ Time is precious and when you have a business to run it can often feel that there just aren't enough hours in the day to complete the essential duties of a successful company, and that's before we even start to talk about advertising & marketing  👎

Website content, blog pages, tweets, instagram stories, LinkedIn & facebook status updates 😯 We all now how important they are in promoting your business but they often fall way down on the list of priorities. This is why we often come across business owners who go home after a hard days work and then - when they should be enjoying the precious moments with their families, friends or even just relaxing themselves - they try and cram in the social media duties then! Work on top of work! 💤

That is why outsourcing these duties to professionals (like us 🙋‍♂️) has been on the boom for the last few years! For only a small charge per month we can take these duties off your hands - updating your social media profiles with on-brand content, and then interacting with clients comments on your behalf! 🙌 In doing so you not only gain an experienced marketing manager to promote your business in a professional and effective manner, but you also gain those precious moments back! 🤩 So, put your feet up, enjoy a family meal or just catch up on your favourite Netflix series - either way, you'll be left feeling refreshed and ready to go the next morning! Your business and body will thank you for it! 💪

To find out how little it would cost you to outsource your social media responsibilities to us, complete the form on the CONTACT US page and we'll contact you shortly! 👉 🖥 😄

Action is the most important 🔑 to success - Tony Robbins.

Tony Robbins knows a thing or two about action! With a net worth of over half a BILLION 👀 dollars, a series of successful companies under his belt & having coached some of the worlds top performers (Serena Williams, Hugh Jackman, Bill Clinton to name but a few) when he says something it is almost certainly worth listening too! 👂

Now, most of us realise that without action, we cannot expect a reaction. So, if we don't show love & affection to others we wont receive it in return. Likewise, If we don't go and do the shopping, we won't have any food in the fridge! 🤦‍♂️

Sounds simple, right? Well if it's so simple why do so many small business owners expect to get a reaction to their business without first taking action themselves! 🤷‍♂️ We speak with hundreds of business owners every year and they all have similar objectives; more sales, lead generation, publicity etc. Some acquire it through web design, others via social media marketing but the ultimate goal is often the same. 🤝

Another similar trait is that most business owners we speak to are nervous about taking the step to market/advertise their business. 😬 We understand this feeling, be it due to budget restraints or bad experiences with other 'marketing' methods. But how can you expect to achieve your objectives (greater sales, lead gen. etc) without taking action! 🙌

​It all starts today! Complete our online form HERE and one of our team will contact you to arrange a totally FREE OF CHARGE consultation session where we can review your goals and inform you of ways to achieve them. Simple as that! 👍 No obligation, and if you finish the meeting, drink your coffee, take our advice and implement it yourself then fantastic! You've taken the first step! 🎉

​Alternatively, your business can partner with us and we can drive your business towards its goals together! Either way, we're just happy you took action... and so is Tony Robbins! ❤️ 

We have recently completed a redesign of Bournemouth based international artist, Dee Cowell's website! The new site draws inspiration from studios / exhibitions using a white background to compliment the colours and creativity of the art. 

You can visit the new site and see our work for yourself here http://www.virtual-artstudent.com/ 👍

Dee has been a returning client of ours for many years now, & she was so impressed with our work on her new site that she has chosen us to create, promote & launch her new YouTube video blog instructional videos which we will begin work on shortly! 😀 Keep your eye on our blog for updates regarding the launch! 

We are very excited for the new project and are proud of our continuously growing relationship with Dee.  We always look to build on our relationships with clients and always make sure to price ourselves competitively and fairly, so that we can grow alongside your business. Our success only happens alongside your success. 🎉

If you're interested in learning more about how we can help your business grow with our expert web design or social media marketing then please contact us today. 
​