Tag Archive for: Digital agency Chester

COLLEGIATE AC TURN TO SOURCE PR FOR STRATEGIC PR SUPPORT

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Collegiate AC, one of Europe’s leading providers of contemporary student accommodation, has appointed Source PR to help them raise their profile across Europe as the company looks to secure a second wave of strategic investment.

The company currently manages more than 20 developments across the UK, Spain and Portugal with schemes typically between €35m to €100m in gross development value.  In total, they currently manage assets to a value of nearly £2bn.

Collegiate has announced its intention to raise a further £2bn of strategic investment to expand the company’s portfolio to new and existing territories across Europe and has asked Source PR to help raise awareness of the business and the opportunities presented.

Louis Hill, Managing Director of Source PR, comments: “This is a great win for the team and a further endorsement of the work we have been undertaking for clients across the property sector.  We’re excited to be involved with such an innovative and forward looking brand of student accommodation.”

Corporate PR

Headquartered in Oxford, Collegiate has a major European office in the heart of Madrid where it has an in-house team of four full time architects supporting European design, specification, procurement and construction. Collegiate AC has a reputation for delivering state of the art residences using efficient construction methods to deliver investor objectives.

Award winning Source PR is headquartered in Chester and offers a range of communications services including public relations, social media management, content management as well as digital communications.  The company has clients across the UK, offering a range of B2B and B2C communications advice.

DIGITAL AGENCY – HOW THE TIMES ARE A CHANGIN’

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When working in a digital agency in Chester and providing B2B PR or consumer PR clients with support and advice, it’s so important to keep up to date with the ever-changing world of new technologies, insights and applications.

Understanding and using new technologies helps keep you at the forefront of providing valuable advice and delivering current campaigns for clients that really work for businesses and customers alike.

If you stand still too long or stop to give yourself a pat on the back, there is a real chance that you’ll get left behind.  It’s fast moving, challenging but when compared to the old days of pure PR – very rewarding.

For years there was always the question of ‘how do you put a value on PR?’  Historically it was a measurement of column inches or messages density, but now there are so many additional factors that should be considered whether it’s directly reaching thousands of customers with engaging messages through social media or producing content that improves a client’s reputation or thought leadership position. Each post or article can be measured in terms of who read it and what action they took as a result.

Digital

With the growth in digital the whole world is more transparent.  The engagement on each post can be measured, the actual number of people who read an online article can be seen and the customer journey for each purchase can be viewed as cookies follow customers through their entire purchasing process.

This is great.  It helps justify marketing budgets and provides a real opportunity to show a return on an investment.  Most important of all is that it makes you realise that you are actually making a difference, that the work you’re creating is driving sales and that the campaigns work.  The times are changing and look set to continue to evolve which has to be great news for clients and digital PR agencies alike – as long as you can keep up.

DIGITAL PR – SIMPLE STEPS TO BUILD PERFECT SITE

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In an increasingly digital world, having a website has never been more important for the emerging brands of today. Whilst the tech-savvy amongst you may already be well-versed with the mechanics of website build, we explore some of the key factors to consider for ensuring that your website is as effective as it can be:

1. Make it accessible

In today’s increasingly fast-paced digital environment, web browsers are looking for quick answers and instant gratification. If your website is clunky and difficult to navigate, a user is quite simply not going to waste their time trying to find out exactly what it is that you offer. Make the message simple and clear from the get-go to grab your reader’s attention. If your message is complex, consider introducing the use of infographics and imagery to make the information more digestible.

2. Make it easy to find

With over 4 billion searches made on Google every single day, it is essential that you consider search engine optimisation (SEO). In layman’s terms, the key to effective SEO is to outline the keywords that you wish your website to be associated with and then to make sure that you are using them effectively throughout the site. A great way to do this is by regularly updating your blog content. This will also show readers that your website is constantly being refreshed and will encourage repeat visits.

3. Optimise for mobile

According to research carried out by TextLocal, 85% of smartphone devices are now used for internet browsing, compared to 72% of laptop devices. This shift in browsing habits means that smartphone optimisation is now one of the foundations for effective website build, as opposed to an afterthought. Where traditionally sites have been optimised for desktop during build, this trend is now changing, and many are now favouring a mobile-first approach in order to enhance the experience for smartphone users.

4. Make it personal

According to research from Accenture (2017), more than one in two consumers (56%) are more likely to shop at a retailer in store or online that recognizes them by name. Capturing customer data on your website provides a fantastic opportunity for personalising the customer experience, from sending birthday wishes through to sending recommendations based on their browsing preferences.

5. Don’t stop improving

Once your web build is complete, the journey doesn’t stop there. Websites need to be constantly monitored and updated in order to perform their very best, and a great tool for helping you to measure this performance is Google Analytics. This tool will breakdown the nitty-gritty details of your site, down to the keyword they used to find you in the first place. GA can work wonders for making those small improvements that will help guarantee that users spend a longer time browsing and engaging with your page.

6. Content is king

If you want your website to appear in the top search engine rankings, content remains king. Google and other search engines will be looking to see what ‘authority’ your site has for the search terms offered. Get the content right, populate with blogs / vlogs and articles that build credibility and authority and secure links to the site. All this helps get the all-important SEO.

If you are thinking about starting a new web project and would like any assistance with the process, then do get in touch with us.

CONTENT MARKETING – HOW TO GET YOUR DIGITAL CONTENT JUST RIGHT

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Unfortunately too many clients still believe that because they’ve spent hefty amounts on a new website, all will be well and the new business will roll in.  Unfortunately, it’s simply not the case as without quality, optimised and relevant content management – there’s a high chance a potentially fruitful website will wither on the vine.

The good news however is that a growing number of businesses are seeing the benefits of effective content marketing.  Recent statistics show that as many as 91% of B2B and 86% of B2C marketers use content marketing to facilitate business growth.

Although content marketing has been with us for years now it remains an effective way to build brand trust and awareness as well as establish business credentials by simply offering highly relevant information to the right target audience.

However, like other digital marketing methods it has evolved considerably over the past decade, so here we’ve outlined a few pointers as to what works best:

  • Achieve cut through and say something new, different and relevant. There are more than 2 billion blog posts listed every day, so make sure yours cuts through by being original and not ‘me too’.  If you want to be a thought leader, say something new or challenge the status quo.
  • Focus on content that you have the right to comment on – why are you experts and why should people listen to you? Don’t blag it if you don’t know what you’re talking about as that can back-fire, instead focus on an area that your business excels in.
  • Use a quality digital communication agency to provide the right copy and content – if you’re not a writer, get some help so that you can focus on what you do best. Having a nose for a good or interesting story will also help.
  • Work with partners, suppliers and friends.Building back links is a critically important element of SEO and this is a useful tactic to not only receive endorsement but build links.
  • Think how best to share your content. Although building content and links on the page is useful for SEO, if you’ve got something interesting or unusual to say why not cascade through the right social media channels or via an electronic newsletter?
  • Take a longer term view – organic content marketing won’t immediately knock you up the SEO rankings but be specific on key words and in time it will bear fruit.
  • Evaluate and evolve. Has your content achieved any inbound links, has it been shared, have you maximised the opportunity through social media/newsletters, what’s the feedback / comments, can you place the piece editorially?

As with all digital marketing campaigns, it’s important to test, evaluate, improve and evolve.  Remember to take a long-term view that’s measured against specific goals and objectives as this always delivers the best results.

If you’re looking for a reliable digital agency in Chester that uses modern content marketing strategies, contact us and let us show you what we can do.

BLOGGERS: A BRAND’S BEST FRIEND?

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Despite their increasing presence in the modern media landscape, the subject of working with bloggers will still make many business executives cringe. To several, the “blogosphere” remains a rather nebulous and untrustworthy concept which can be a little hard to grasp.

However, what initially began in 1999 as a fairly insignificant space for individuals to document their online diary has radically transformed into a bona fide digital platform and essential PR tool. The influencer landscape has a crucial impact on today’s consumers and can carry a lot of weight in terms of managing a brand’s reputation online.

Here’s why…

Blogging is everywhere

With two in every three people now reading blogs on a weekly basis, blogging has transformed from a hobby into a legitimate career choice. Studies have revealed that 23% of current total Internet usage time is devoted to social networks or blogs. With consumers spending so much time in this sphere, brands are well advised to have a presence.

Blogging affects SEO

Even if you’re only well-versed with the very basics of search engine optimisation, you’ll be aware that generating links back to your website can be enormously beneficial in terms of boosting Google rankings. Once a relevant blogger has written about your brand or services and included a link directly to your website, not only will Google recognise it as a sign of page authority but visitors to that particular blog will also be presented with a direct call to action to visit your website.

Bloggers have an influence

As bloggers give such an honest insight into their daily lives, their readers relate to what they write on a much more personal level and are therefore more likely to mimic their behaviour. In an increasingly technological world, people are turning to the internet for ‘word of mouth’ opinions as opposed to their friends and family, and that is precisely the role the blogosphere is currently playing.

As an agency, we always err on the side of caution when it comes to blogger partnerships, as there are many things which need careful consideration. Firstly, choosing a blogger that closely matches your brand ethos is essential as you’ll want to ensure the message is reaching the right audience. Secondly, ensure that you’ve done a thorough background check on your blogger’s stats. Simple sites like Coveragebot will enable you to check their domain authority and will also give you an indication of their monthly online readership. Lastly, check their social channels to ensure that their engagement rate is consistently high, not just for high following figures.

Ultimately the message is clear: if you proceed with careful consideration and choose your partnership wisely, a blog partnership can be enormously beneficial to the awareness and reputation of a brand.