Tag Archives: digital marketing

Homes and Gardens Retailers Invited to Free Digital Marketing Event

A free in-person event is promising to arm homes and gardens retailers with the insights and knowledge that they need to maximise their digital marketing efforts in 2024.

Decoding Digital: Efficiency & Effectiveness in Home & Garden Marketing – is being hosted by sector-specific digital marketing experts Door4 on Thursday 22nd February at Brockholes Nature Reserve near Preston (just off junction 31 of the M6). Register now to secure your place.

The event comes at a key time for homes and gardens retailers as industry experts IPA Bellwether predict that despite the current economic uncertainty, UK marketing budgets as a whole are set to increase in 2024 as brands look to remain active in the hope of a return to consumer confidence in the latter stages of the year.

But with increased spend comes increased competition. Brands looking to drive sales in the homes and gardens sector are not only competing against other retailers who are also upping their marketing activity; in 2024 ensuring the effectiveness of every pound spent on advertising and promotion within the heavily competitive furnishings and décor markets is a must.

“This interactive and hands-on event has been tailored specifically to help homes and gardens retailers navigate the digital landscape in these uncertain economic times, says Sean Dwyer, director at Door4 who will be speaking at the event.

“Spend may be predicted to be up in 2024 but in this crowded digital marketplace maximising return on investment is crucial – we will give retailers the insights they need to succeed.

“Attendees will learn how to stay ahead of the curve with innovative online strategies that can easily adapt to fluctuating consumer spending habits as economic forecasts evolve.

“We will also take a deep dive into how brands can develop messaging that resonates most with their audiences. We will focus on how to choose the most effective media channels and showcase the essentials needed to create distinctive brands that stand out.

“Our events are fun and interactive – there will be lots of opportunity for participation and a great chance to network with your peers. The event kicks off at 9am with a free hot breakfast, the presentation will begin at 9:30am.”

 

 

NE1 CAN event hosted by Mediaworks to inspire the future generation of marketeers

Mediaworks, one of the UK’s largest independent digital marketing agencies, teamed up with Newcastle NE1 this week to deliver a programme of engagement for local schools across the region.

In honour of National Apprenticeship Week, the agency welcomed over 40 year-ten students from four schools – Jarrow School, Duke’s Sixth Form, Sacred Heart and Parkview Learning – to provide real-life careers advice, insight, and inspiration whilst raising aspiration and ambition for future marketeers.

Mediaworks employees from various service lines across the business, including SEO, strategic planning, and development, stepped in to host Q&A chats discussing their educational backgrounds and career journeys.

The NE1 CAN events enable employers to have constructive conversations with employees of the future, providing the opportunity to break down barriers, discuss employability skills, and take learning out of the classroom into the real world of work.

Jayne Walsh, head of people experience at Mediaworks, said: “The interaction and feedback we received from the students was second-to-none. It was great to welcome them into the Mediaworks office to experience a ‘day in the life’ at the agency and give insight into our culture, our people, and their career paths.”

During the event, the agency set students a creative challenge for a real-life client, Oceans, to think outside of the box for an exciting ad campaign. The winning idea was judged by a panel of Mediaworkers and frontrunners received a prize of Mediaworks goodies.

Facilitating over forty events per annum, NE1 CAN works to deliver key objectives; helping young people understand what careers are available in the North East and how to get there.

Mediaworks delivers a range of services across SEO, PPC, web design, brand, content, and digital PR. The rapidly growing agency currently has offices in Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin, and London. Those interested in the 2023 apprenticeship programme at Mediaworks can find out more here: https://www.mediaworks.co.uk/

Multi-local digital marketing agency, Digital Uncut, sets its sights state-side in rapid US expansion

Digital marketing agency, Digital Uncut, has today announced its ambitious plans for expansion into the US market as the company continues its phenomenal growth.

A leader in data-driven digital marketing, Digital Uncut are experts in the channels they operate, with expertise in SEO, PPC, Web Development, Content and Data. Having already achieved excellent growth in the US, comprising nearly 50% of their portfolio, the firm are looking to accelerate further as part of a wider strategy of international expansion.

Since its inception in 2016, the digital marketing agency has honed a clear niche in delivering data-driven campaigns for start-up and scale-up businesses, bridging the gap between what agencies typically offer and what businesses need.

Digital Uncut has already established an exciting state-side portfolio comprising of disruptive brands, including Matterport, Helpshift and PredictSpring, along with recent client win, NETDepot, a leading cloud solutions provider with nearly 30 years experience in the IT space. Digital Uncut have been appointed to assist with tripling revenue within the next 2 years through a comprehensive SEO and Web Development strategy.

Sam Martin-Ross, Founder and Director of Digital Uncut, said: “The US represents a key market for us, and I’m delighted to be leading our expansion into this space. We take immense pride in the service we provide to our clients, and we are incredibly lucky to already be working with so many exciting US brands.

Growth is my biggest driver, so working closely with scaling companies to directly see the impact of our hard work on growth is so rewarding. As a company, our passion is doing things bigger and better, and expanding our presence within the US gives us an opportunity to do exactly that, replicating the success we have already enjoyed in the UK, and applying that to the US market.”

Headquartered in London, Digital Uncut was acquired by French international marketing agency, Eskimoz earlier this year following a period of impressive growth for the firm. The group now boasts a headcount of over 150, with a turnover in excess of £20 million.

For more information visit https://digitaluncut.com

Bobble Digital appoints a duo of senior specialists to their team

Leeds-based media-focused digital marketing agency, Bobble Digital, has welcomed two senior digital marketing specialists to their growing team – to support the agency’s increasing client roster and ambitious plans for the future. 

The two recruits bring extensive experience in their specialist areas of SEO and pay-per-click and paid media advertising. 

Senior SEO Executive Priya Mistry joined the Bobble Digital team in August, moving from a previous Marketing Manager role at Peterborough-based fleet management firm, Fleet Serve. 

Guy Mains also joined the team this month as Senior Paid Media Manager after specialising in pay-per-click and paid media advertising for over ten years. 

CEO & Founder of Bobble Digital, Manpreet Singh, commented: “We are so excited to welcome Priya and Guy to our team, who will play key roles in the business – supporting other team members and clients. Both our recruits are highly skilled professionals who are already an asset to our close-knit team.”

The digital marketing specialists at Bobble Digital continue to achieve significant growth over the last couple of years, so the new hires are joining at an exciting time in the business. 

Commenting on their plans, Manpreet added: “Growing our team is a necessary step to achieve our ambitious international growth plans. Priya, Guy and the rest of our team have key responsibilities that will shape the future of the business and their careers in the agency”. 

Senior SEO Executive at Bobble Digital, Priya Mistry, commented: “I was so happy and overwhelmed when Manni called to offer me this role. This position is a brilliant opportunity to further develop my digital marketing career in a company that truly cares about its staff and clients. In my new role, I will work alongside the Head of SEO at Bobble, supporting the team and clients with their SEO accounts and conducting SEO and technical audits for businesses.” 

Guy Mains, Senior Paid Media Manager at Bobble Digital, shared: “It was an easy decision to make when I received the call from Manni offering me the role. Upon meeting Manni and researching Bobble, I instantly bought into the business, Manni and the team. I feel that Manni and I have the same beliefs, work principles, and outlook on life. In my new role, I will help to support and develop the Paid Media team – ensuring we have efficient processes in place to be leaders in our industry. I’m confident we have the right people here to achieve that.”

The agency, established in 2017, works with clients locally, nationally and globally to drive digital growth, including Panintelligence, School of New York Times, Sotheby’s Insitute of Art, Partner Plus Media, LifeCycle Transitions, Eatons Solicitors, Mayfair Worktops and Pinnacle Body Rejuvenation.

Have we seen the death of organic social media marketing?

The number of users viewing organic social media content – the posts that are shared for free to a feed – has dramatically plummeted in recent years. This has led to organic content for business marketing purposes being proclaimed ‘dead’, forcing marketers to abandon organic strategies in favour of paid social media advertising.

However, according to Ben Luff, Social Media Manager at integrated marketing agency PMW, organic social media marketing should still play an important role in any business’s social strategy. Ben explains how and why organic social media has changed in recent years.

“First thing’s first, it’s not all doom and gloom. The good news is organic content isn’t dead – it’s just changed a lot,” said Ben. “It used to be about optimising organic content: researching hashtags and finding the best time in the day to post, based on when audiences were most active. Brands and social media marketers had no problems reaching a high proportion of their followers and getting plenty of engagement on free posts.”

In the past, everyone who followed a brand would receive that company’s posts on their feed. When these users interacted with a post (with likes, comments, and shares) the post would also be seen by their followers, allowing for a ripple effect of new people discovering a brand. These days, according to research carried out by social media management platform Hootsuite, a Facebook post will only reach 5.5% of a company’s followers – even less for brands that have a large number of followers.1 A dramatic decline from the early days of social media marketing.

What’s behind this change?

Ben explains:

“Around 2015, the major social media platforms began using enhanced relevancy algorithms, which prioritise content from a user’s friends and family. This pushed brand content down, meaning companies saw their engagement statistics tank. If you’re not seeing results from your organic content, you can’t just keep posting the same things and hoping it will get better. You need to change your tactics.”

What can brands do to increase their social media reach?

“Two things,” says Ben. “Prioritise authenticity in organic content, and invest in paid advertising – don’t worry, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Although organic content often doesn’t get the reach it used to, it’s still important for businesses to keep their social media feeds up to date.

“An active social media page shows those who have just discovered a brand that the company is in business and cares about connecting with its customers. For small to medium businesses, posting two to three times a week is enough.”

What’s type of content businesses should post?

Ben advises:

“Consumers value authenticity, so leave the sales pitch at the door. Showcase your brand’s personality, get your staff involved and provide value to your customers through informational videos, competitions, and entertaining challenges. When you share a post, platforms like Instagram will show it to a small test audience. The more engagement a post gets from the test audience, the more the algorithm will promote it, both to your brand’s followers, and to new audiences.

“Following the huge popularity of TikTok, the algorithms for other social media platforms have begun to follow suit and prioritise video content. A recent study by social media software company Emplifi found that businesses increased their organic reach on Facebook by an average of 135% just by posting a video instead of a photo.2 Make sure you take advantage of this.”

And, Ben says, businesses shouldn’t be reluctant to build their social media presence and gain momentum using paid social media advertising.

“Most social media marketers now include paid posts in every campaign they run. These ads can be highly targeted to any demographic, and are extremely effective. Advertised posts get pushed out to a wider audience than organic posts, and are great for reaching potential new customers, so they are an excellent tool for quickly building awareness of a brand among its target audience, as well as driving click-throughs to a brand’s website.

“It’s not necessary to spend a fortune. A little can go a long way, and because you can target any audience with laser accuracy, it can yield a very high return on your investment. In the current social media landscape, making this investment really does make sense.

“Ultimately, a great social media marketing strategy is authentic, uses video content to its advantage, and isn’t afraid to enlist the help of paid social media advertising to reach new audiences.”

1 Hootsuite Digital in 2020 study – https://www.hootsuite.com/resources/digital-2020?path=pages%2Fdigital-in-2019#accordion-148291

 

2 Emplifi study Native Facebook Videos Get More Reach Than Any Other Type of Post (emplifi.io)

How a life-threatening diagnosis and kidney transplant motivated entrepreneur to build a business

Leeds entrepreneur, Manpreet Singh found a new lease of motivation after a traumatic personal battle behind closed doors gave him a whole new perspective that he used to drive his business forward. 

Manpreet founded his business, Bobble Digital – a media-focused digital marketing agency in 2017 at 27 years old, following a terminal diagnosis of IgA nephropathy, also known as IgA disease or Berger’s disease – a kidney disease that causes inflammation and kidney damage, which can ultimately lead to kidney failure – as it did in Manpreet’s case. This led him to make the risky decision to have a kidney transplant in the height of the pandemic in spring 2020.  

Telling his story to help raise awareness of IgA nephropathy and to inspire other entrepreneurs facing uncertain health issues, Manpreet explains: “The idea to start Bobble Digital originally came midway through 2016, when I was forced to move to part-time hours at my job due to my symptoms progressing. I needed to earn the same level of income in a way that allowed me to work more flexibly and at my own pace. 

“For four to six months leading up to my kidney failure I experienced chronic fatigue, tiredness and lack of appetite. I had very little energy to get out of bed each morning. In December 2016 however, things took a drastic turn for the worst. I caught pneumonia and what little function my kidneys had was killed off. I spent New Year’s Day of 2017 seriously ill in hospital with pneumonia and kidney failure, and was told I would start dialysis within a week.  

“It was completely devastating and took a long time to come to terms with. I was told dialysis treatment isn’t a permanent solution, as the body can only handle so much and that I’d be lucky to live for another 15 years. To hear this at just 27 years old was a total shock, it took a huge toll on my mental health, I lost all sense of purpose, and felt the best years of my life and plans for the future were being robbed from me.

“Going through dialysis was exhausting and life-altering. I could no longer travel far, go on holiday, I couldn’t even drink much fluid, I struggled to walk long distances, sleep, dealt with many infections with my dialysis line, I was in hospital multiple times a week and had multiple surgeries. I had to take lots of medications every day, my life felt like it revolved around a box of pills. It didn’t feel like living anymore, it felt like a life of just surviving. 

“Setting up Bobble Digital gave me purpose again. It gave me something to be passionate about and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. In the early days of the business, it was a way to help me survive. However, when I began to build a pattern and control of my treatment – my mindset shifted to ‘what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger’ and I became focused on improving. I learned I needed a positive mindset to keep moving forward and that became a powerful tool I use in my daily life now – to keep fighting on even through the toughest of times.

“Of course, there’s been times when I thought running a business was too much whilst dealing with all the symptoms and side effects of treatment and the mental toll. The initial economic impact of covid even nearly ended the business, but I took this as a lesson and accepted that sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward again, there are always good days and bad days but the good days give you the energy and enthusiasm to continue.

“There were many difficulties that came with running the business whilst going through dialysis, I had to account 6 hours 3 times a week for dialysis – so fitting when I could work around this was hard. However, once settled into a routine and moving my treatment pattern into evenings meant I could work whilst on dialysis.”

In order to make Bobble Digital a success, Manpreet also sold assets including his beloved Mustang so he could invest funds into the business. He shared: “Things like the Mustang are just materialistic, they hold no value in the grand scheme of things and I knew I had the skill set and expertise to rebuild everything I had, so it was an easy decision to make”.

In March 2020, Manpreet was given a life-changing opportunity to go ahead with a kidney transplant. He shared: “It was a scary decision to make, as although the odds of surviving a kidney transplant are high (around 99%), there was the risk of my body rejecting the kidney. The biggest risk, however, was catching covid, as this was during the worst of the pandemic when a lot was unknown – other than if I did catch it, there was a high risk it could be fatal. 

“After a lot of thought about the risks, the extremely tough road to recovery and also the financial impact it would have on the business and support from amazing friends, family and doctors, I decided to go ahead. Ultimately the doctor’s confidence gave me enough hope that it was worth the gamble, and I’m lucky to say it has changed my life, I will be forever grateful to all the doctors, surgeons and nurses and everyone else who has helped me through this journey.”

Now, five years since being dealt the blow he potentially had only 15 years to live, the charismatic entrepreneur, whom listeners to marketing advice podcast BobblePod – will know as #MrBobble – Manpreet has guided the business to achieve astonishing success. The agency has grown into a fully-fledged agency team, achieving a 300% growth in turnover from 2020 to 2021, through supporting local, national and international brands with their digital marketing.

On Bobble Digital’s success, Manpreet commented: “Making the business a success has been what’s kept me going through these incredibly testing times. However, the business wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have without our fantastic team and clients”. 

Since having his transplant, Manpreet still lives with the risk that the IgA nephropathy may come back and impact his transplant and has to take daily steroid medication indefinitely – but he doesn’t let this get in the way of living his life to the full and is working towards plans to open international Bobble Digital offices in the near future. 

What is immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy?

IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease, is a kidney disease that occurs when IgA deposits build up in the kidneys, causing inflammation that damages kidney tissues. IgA is an antibody and protein made by the immune system to protect the body from foreign substances such as bacteria or viruses. 

What are the symptoms?

Each person can have different signs and symptoms, but the most common are:

  • Hematuria: Having blood in your urine that can sometimes make it dark brown or cola-coloured.  
  • Proteinuria: Foamy urine due to large amounts of protein leaking into your urine.

Kidney Donation

Donating a live kidney can potentially save someone’s life. Find out more and register your interest to become a kidney donor here.

Digital marketing agency, Climb Online, appoints new Head of Organic Performance

Independent marketing agency, Climb Online, has today announced the appointment of its new Head of Organic Performance, Tom Wilson.

Tom joined the digital marketing agency in July, following a series of enterprise brands campaigns for the firm, and will use his extensive industry experience to build on the company’s SEO offering and performance to date.

With expertise in working across several high-profile enterprise brands including Curry’s, LiveScore, Disney Store and Johnson & Johnson. Tom joins Climb Online’s existing management team, where he will lead the future direction of all organic decisions.

Tom’s appointment follows the transition of Climb Online from SME to enterprise, and an expansion of its management team. Alongside the agency’s digital marketing services, one of Tom’s short-term goals is to establish a world-class Digital PR offering.

Speaking on the new appointment, Tom Wilson confirmed: “Joining Climb Online was a no brainer for me. Climb Online is one of the most exciting digital marketing agencies coming out of the UK and has gone from strength to strength every year since its inception. I am very impressed by the strategic vision of the board, and I am very excited to be part of the next phase of Climb Online’s growth.

“My career so far has led me to deliver organic growth both for agencies and direct for clients. I intend to use this experience to enhance the SEO offering at Climb Online to not only be innovative and best in class, but also digestible and transferrable to our clients’ business challenges.”

Michael Bush, Managing Director of Climb Online, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Tom to our team here at Climb Online, and the wealth of experience he brings with him as our new Head of Organic Performance.

“We are really excited with the vision that Tom holds for both Climb Online and SEO, and with his huge ambition and drive, he is a great fit for the team and for the company.”

Established in 2015, London-based marketing agency Climb Online has honed a proven track record in helping private and enterprise organisations achieve their business objectives via core services in SEO, paid media and social media marketing, with a leading client portfolio of key brands including HERA, TOMS and Carbon THEORY.

For more details, visit:

https://climb.online

Giftcards.co.uk appoint The SEO Works as their Digital PR agency.

Multi-award winning digital agency The SEO Works have been selected to manage a Digital PR strategy for leading gift card retailer Giftcards.co.uk

As one of the largest gift card retailers in the Netherlands, Giftcards.co.uk intend to further expand their presence throughout the UK. For that reason an agency that has extensive knowledge of the UK market was required, which led them to The SEO Works who boast over 10 years of experience.

The gift card giants approached the Sheffield-based agency to lead their Digital PR & link-building strategy, in order to improve the strength and authority of their website. The award-winning team carried out an extensive audit and identified a wide array of benefits that the service could bring, not least to their expansion plans.

The online gift card retailer was very encouraged by the expertise and attention to detail that was shown and following a competitive pitch process, agreed to appoint The SEO Works as the agency to lead this strategy for them.

On the decision to appoint them, Jesper Koen, Project Manager UK, said “over the past 13 years we have built up a lot of knowledge when it comes to selling gift cards. Together with this knowledge and a strong agency such as The SEO Works, we hope to be able to achieve great results in the UK.”

By following an SEO-focussed digital PR approach, the team at The SEO Works will be able to rely on their creative capabilities and data-driven approach to help Giftcards.co.uk go from strength to strength.

The appointment comes amidst a series of award wins for the team, including at the European Search Awards for fellow e-commerce business Luxe Watches – who relished the benefits of a successful digital PR strategy.

“We are extremely excited to lead this strategy for the team over at Giftcards.co.uk. We have a clear understanding of what they expect from us and also know the pathway we will need to take in order to help fulfil their expectations. We look forward to getting started!” said Alex Hill, Sales Director at The SEO Works.

The SEO Works specialises in SEO, PPC, Digital PR, Web and Paid Social advertising and has many clients within the eCommerce sector, including Decathlon, TJ Hughes, Denby, Rab, and Weldricks Pharmacy.

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Hanlin and Hufton work their magic as Pull The Pin heads for bumper first year

Putting power in the hands of creators is placing one of Birmingham’s newest digital marketing and video agencies on course for a bumper first year.

Pull The Pin, which is the brainchild of digital expert Sam Hufton and celebrity illusionist and magician Ben Hanlin, is expecting fees to hit over £700,000 by the end of July after picking up a string of new wins.

Located on Newhall Street in the heart of the city, the company has already created fifteen jobs and has ambitious plans to take on four more as it expects to double the size of the business by 2023.

Friends for more than 25 years, the duo have built their business on the ethos that all brands, no matter how big or small, should focus on what they do best and leave their digital strategy to the experts.

They achieve this by streamlining the agency’s approach to creative, video and digital marketing work, so that industry experts effectively connect clients to their audiences, delivering tangible results in the process.

It’s an approach that is already paying dividends, with global professional services firm PwC, restaurant chain Leon, recruitment specialists IDEX Consulting, the English Golf Union, Mazars and The Mirror all tapping into services that include digital strategy, marketing automation, social consultancy, SEO, video creation and TikTok strategies.

“We’ve always talked about doing something together and then Covid-19 happened, which accelerated our thinking,” explained Ben, who made the semi-final on hit TV show Dancing on Ice just before the pandemic broke.

“Some people thought we were nuts starting a business during such difficult times, but it’s something we had kicked around for long enough. The added increase in online use, and especially video, meant it just felt like the right time and the right opportunity.

“Sam is an unbelievable operator in the digital space and very well known throughout the sector, whilst my job meant I was used to creating lots of content that gets millions of organic views – that’s the key to Pull The Pin.”

He went on to add: “All of my bookings and tours vanished overnight, so I started to focus on building a massive online following and thought… ‘why don’t we help companies to do just that, especially those that may not have the in-house capability or are wasting thousands of pounds on polished content that few people view’.”

Pull The Pin has gone from a standing start to one of the region’s most talked about agencies.

At the heart of its success has been recruiting experienced specialists in their individual disciplines and fifteen staff have been brought in to head-up its Birmingham and overseas operations.

Many have been attracted by the founders’ desire to create an agency that people want to work for and a culture that encourages working hard, creativity and autonomy to execute strong campaigns.

This has seen PTP introduce 30 days holiday as standard, regular early finishes to celebrate milestones and the impending prospect of being able to work anywhere from the world for four weeks per year.

Sam, who has previously held senior roles at M3.Agency and Found, continued: “We want to attract the best talent and the best creative minds, so we have to reflect this in our working environment and the culture we are trying to build.

“The plan is working, and we’ve been able to recruit outstanding specialists in digital marketing, web, SEO, content creation, paid for social and video production, whether it is polished films or more ‘in the moment’ footage.

“What this means is that we deliver what we promise, and this is seeing us win high profile accounts and attract growing businesses who are looking for innovative ways to connect with their audiences.”

He concluded: “Putting power in the hands of creators and showing them how to maximise it is the way forward and we want PTP to help Birmingham compete and overtake Bristol, Leeds and Manchester as a hotspot for digital talent.”

Jessops appoint The SEO Works to lead Google Paid Search

Multi-award winning digital agency The SEO Works have been selected to manage Google Paid Search for leading photographic retailer Jessops

The iconic brand initially approached the Sheffield-based agency for an audit of their PPC accounts – to identify areas that could be restructured or improved. The award-winning PPC team carried out the audit, and Jessops were extremely impressed with the technical expertise and diligence.

As a result, they selected The SEO Works as their Google Paid Search agency, tasking them with acting on the audit’s findings and more – restructuring, optimising and developing their accounts.

As a leading high-street retailer, they are aiming to further progress their digital presence and E-commerce capabilities through The SEO Works’ intricate and ROI-led approach.

The brand is the latest in a series of high profile appointments for the ‘Best PPC Campaign’ winners, who currently work with other household names such as Decathlon and Weldricks Pharmacy.

“We are really excited to work with the team over at Jessops. From the beginning, we understood and got behind their vision – this allowed us to provide a detailed audit, and lay out the best possible route to success. Being able to now bring that vision to life is a great opportunity for the team” said Alex Hill, Sales Director at The SEO Works.

The SEO Works specialises in SEO, PPC, Web and Paid Social advertising and has many clients within the eCommerce sector, including Decathlon, TJ Hughes, Denby, Rab, and Weldricks Pharmacy.