COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

In this issue we look at the

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

and HOTELS, CONFERENCES & EVENTS sectors in the Northamptonshire area

GETTING THE RIGHT RESULTS

A national award-winning marketing and communications agency is delivering an evidence and results-based service to fellow Northamptonshire Chamber members.

Ashley Riley Communications brings a ‘Think, Plan, Do’ approach to its work. It has delivered success for its clients in one of the most challenging economic times.

“There are many marketing and PR agencies who like us can work with businesses to create a clear strategy and develop activity plans,” said managing director Ashley Riley.

“Many of them can also deploy marketing and communications tools and approaches but very few of them, if any, apply the ‘Thinking’ to that work –where intelligent research underpins everything that is done. I am passionate about our work as a marketing and communications agency helping firms find, retain and grow, more profitable customers and clients. Today more than ever business needs results from its marketing and that is who we are and what we do.”

Ashley and his team are working alongside fellow Chamber members such as Stanair Industrial Doors, Trilogy Leisure, Video Inn Productions and others. ‘BUSINESS He added: “It is great to work in partnership with fellow Chamber members. “No business has the time, energy or resource to NEEDS RESULTS FROM ITS market to people that will never use their services or MARKETING’ products. That is why evidence-based market orientation has to underpin everything that we do. Followed by research-led planning and delivery, it means our clients are engaging the right people, in the right place at the right time in 2021.” Ashley Riley and Claire

Wellington from Trilogy Leisure

Visit: www.ashleyrileycommunications.co.uk

TAILORED PR PACKAGES FOR YOUR NEEDS

A new ‘Adapt, Recover, Rebuild’ package has been launched by Pilkington Communications to help UK businesses rebuild after the challenges of coronavirus.

These eight-week PR packages, which the communications experts tailor to precisely meet each organisation’s needs and objectives, are proving popular with businesses and charities.

Among those being supported are virtual assistant business Alchemy VA, Brackmills Industrial Estate, Daniel Granger Hairdressing, cancer support charity The Lewis Foundation, social enterprise Track NN and Delapré Abbey.

Director Jessica Pilkington said: “Our packages provide short-term and focused PR and communications support. What one organisation needs will rarely suit

Cassia House, Jessica Pilkington & Kim Hughes of Pilkington Communications

another, so it’s important they’re bespoke.

“For example, while two organisations may both want new leads, they’re likely to need different communications support to achieve this.

“If your website is your main point of sale and promotion that needs to be a focus, along with your social media which should link to key areas on your site,” said Jessica.

“Positive press coverage may be on your wish list, but ensure you include a ‘call to action’. What do you want readers or viewers to do –visit your website, follow you on LinkedIn, sign up to your newsletter?

“We can’t currently rely on footfall or events to promote our businesses so it’s never been more important to get all your communications channels spot on, with a consistent tone of voice, clear messaging and analytics.”

Jessica will also share PR tips at the ChamberLIVE: PR & Comms –Adapt, Recover, Rebuild event on 20 April.

IMPROVE ONLINE CAMPAIGNS

One of Northampton’s leading digital marketing agencies has produced a list of top tips to help fellow Chamber members improve their social ad campaigns.

Onefoursix has built up an enviable reputation over the past nine years by delivering a range of highly successful services covering web design, marketing, digital marketing, social media management, PR, PPC, print and design and branding.

Managing director Dave Williams said: “With many businesses utilising social ad campaigns, we wanted to show Chamber members some of the ways they can improve their ads.

“These tips will get you more clicks and increase your conversion rates, whilst reducing the overall cost per click.”

Onefoursix’s top tips are:

1. Build Trust - the key to higher conversion rates is to not make the viewer think you’re directly selling to them. Avoid using sales-based campaigns. Instead, try running your initial campaign as a trust-building campaign. You can do this by sharing a useful resource, such as a blog or case study, or a lifestyle image for product-based businesses

2. Utilise remarketing - now you’re in a position to start thinking about sales-based campaigns. Once your initial ad has caught people’s interest, it’s a great time to start running a series of remarketing campaigns. This will help to draw people to your website, to re-visit your product or service. This is when you should bring through a sales message

3. Adjust your ad copy - your ad copy refers to the text you include. It’s important to create a clear path to what you’re trying to achieve – a sale! The copy of your landing page should mirror the copy in your ad. If you send your clicks to a landing page that uses language with completely different context, it’ll result in your cost per click increasing because your traffic isn’t landing on the relevant page.

NEW SERVICE AVAILABLE

Solution Factors has launched a new service during lockdown bespoke training in SEO copywriting.

Owner Rachael Bean explained how she’s been surprised at the demand for this service by writers in marketing departments.

She said: “Although I’m a PR and marketing consultant and service provider, I’ve always supported my clients’ own marketing staff through informal on-the-job training as I’m a great believer in skills transfer.

“In March 2020, when the lockdown started, clients started to ask for bespoke SEO writing training on Zoom. We simply cover pieces of web content that are already on the customer’s ‘to do’ list so the training is relevant from the outset. I hadn’t offered this service before, but now there’s a market for it.”

Rachael started her career in PR and marketing well over 20 years ago and remembers how difficult it could be to apply classroom training material to highly specialised and often technical markets.

She recalls frequently travelling to London to attend expensive courses but believes her most effective learning periods took place at her own desk.

“I learned most of the marketing skills that can make the difference between a campaign working – or not – at my desk,” Rachel explained.

“My career has always involved being hands-on in business or charity growth and development. I was incredibly fortunate to work with exceptionally talented and realistic peers early on, which has proved to be a sound foundation to build on.”

Since she started out in PR and marketing in the late 1990s, Rachael has been involved in growing organisations, often by millions, in demanding industries.

Rachael Bean

Email: rachael@solutionfactors.com Call: 07741 000030

Catherine Bontoft, Emma Speirs and Katie Macdonald of Ballyhoo PR

PR FIRM IS BOOSTING BUSINESS

A PR and copywriting firm in Corby has boosted the profile of several county businesses by becoming their Virtual PR & Comms Team.

Ballyhoo PR has taken ownership of a variety of firms’ PR activity and marketing communications, creating bespoke monthly, quarterly and annual PR and Comms Plans that have helped them to stand out from their competitors.

The firm handles everything for its clients from daily social media posts, press releases, blogs, magazine articles and awards submissions to seeking out guest blogging, podcast and broadcast opportunities.

Director Emma Speirs said: “The way a business communicates with current and potential clients and referrers has never mattered so much. In a world where we can’t attend face-to-face meetings and networking events, our chance to make an impression and build trust is all done virtually and with a degree of separation.

“To make sure our clients keep their profiles high we have regular catch ups with them and decide what is newsworthy enough to make a good press release and what would make an interesting blog.

“We also plan ahead, looking at launch dates, awards we can enter, national awareness days and any other business milestones such as anniversaries, new contract wins or grand openings. Then we pull all of this together into manageable activities that we can take ownership of for our clients and ensure they are getting seen at every opportunity.”

Is 2021 the year you would like to get noticed?