an introduction to digital marketing for start up businesses

An introduction to digital marketing for start-up businesses

by with No Comment Uncategorized

If you have recently set up your own business or are thinking of doing so in the near future then one business strategy that you will need to become familiar with is digital marketing. Regardless of the type of business that you are setting up, if you want to generate leads and get customers, a strong digital marketing strategy will be key.

From sending out sales emails to having your own website, if you do not have an online presence then you will be missing out on a lot of business opportunities.

Here are some of the basics that you should get familiar with:

introduction to digital marketing for start up businesses

Company website

Many companies think that having a Facebook business page or another type of social media account to promote their business is as good as having a website. The reality is that not many consumers use Facebook to find services or products, they will usually head to Google to find out which business they can use to find whatever it is that they need.

The other issue with social media accounts is that you do not actually own them, the likes of Facebook do and they can take your page offline if you are seen to breach their terms and conditions in any way. You may also have seen the very high profile court case involving Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the data usage on Facebook, so even more reason to try and avoid using Facebook as your main business channel.

It is a much better idea to set your own website up so that you have full control over how it is used. Depending on how big your budget is, the more extravagant you can go with your website. You may see adverts for ‘free’ websites and it is true that you can set up a website without paying a penny but you will not own that website, it will be owned by the hosting company. You are better to pay a small amount for hosting (around £5 per month) and set up a WordPress site or similar either with the help of a web designer or you can even set one up yourself if you are quite technical.

SEO

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a key element of driving organic (unpaid) traffic to your website. The more traffic you get, the more likely to are to get business, so it is definitely in your best interests to understand SEO. It basically involves optimising your website and content such as blogs so that search engines rank your pages high up in search results. There are many different techniques involved in SEO, so a lot of companies choose to outsource their SEO to experts. Visit this website here to find out more about SEO services.

Social media

We mentioned the dangers of relying solely on social media for business but that doesn’t mean that you should avoid it completely. Using it for the basic promotion of your services and direct them to your website is a great way to drive more traffic to your website.

Email marketing

Email marketing has been an effective way of generating business for a long time. The methods and software used are getting more sophisticated but essentially, building a good email list and then sending the right messages, to the right people, at the right time is a good marketing technique. Take a look at free templates like MailChimp to see what you can do with the design and data analysis of your emails.

Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post

have a holiday with a difference this year

How to have a holiday with a difference this year

by with No Comment TravelUncategorized

So this year, you want to do things differently?

When you tend to find yourself heading to the same spot each summer, or you never really seem to enjoy the holidays that you go on, it’s time to shake things up. Maybe your summer holidays are often a disaster? The kids get bored, you complain, and the hubby just wants some peace and quiet… well, when that’s the case, you need something that’s going to work for you all. You need a stress-free holiday that you can all enjoy.

This means something that keeps the kids entertained and allows you and your husband to relax a little. But what will that be? Well, let’s take a look at five options that could work out perfectly for you.

how to have a holiday with a difference

  1. Hit The Road

If a holiday to you means hopping on a plane, we’re going to strip it all back. Because you really don’t have to go up in the air in order to have the holiday of a lifetime. Sometimes, you just need to pack up the car and hit the road. Maybe road tripping it to north Wales, Scotland, or even over to France is going to be great. Right away you might worry about being in the car for so long, but let it go. Pack some lunch, think of some games, and make sure you plan a route where you can stop at various points along the way.

 

  1. Sail The Seas

From the road to the sea, you might want want to think about cruising around in a catamaran. If you love the water and your kids want adventure, then choosing to do a yacht charter in Croatia could be the perfect compromise. You get to see a range of different location, enjoy life at sea, and still relax. What more could work out for you all?

 

  1. Cruise It

Well, maybe a cruise? Cruises often get a bad rep. It’s easy to think that you won’t want to go on a cruise until you’re retired, but they can be a great way to enjoy a trip around somewhere like the Caribbean. You get to relax and be entertained on deck, then explore a range of different locations during the day. And that’s definitely the best of both worlds for sure.

 

  1. Staycation In Style

We’ve already talked about hitting the road, but you don’t have to head far to enjoy a holiday at home. There are so many incredible staycation destinations in the UK, that your holiday could be simple and sophisticated right here on British soil. Just shake off those preconceptions of how cold or miserable it will be, because our beautiful country is more than just fish and chips at the seaside and coastal camps.

 

  1. Save It For Later

Or maybe you just want to wait awhile? If that’s the case, don’t sweat it. Because heading on a winter holiday to a ski resort could work instead. And, of course, you don’t want to do that during the summer. So maybe enjoy that staycation for a weekend, or head to see family and then book your winter break instead.

 

Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post

living arrows

Living Arrows 2018 – 19/52

by with 6 Comments PersonalUncategorized

We have a fairly regular bedtime routine in our house.

Ever since Rhys was a baby we’ve done the whole bath, book, bed thing and it’s always worked well for us as a family.  On school nights we tend to start the process at around 6.30, so that we have plenty of time to wind down and read stories before the children actually get in to bed.

At the weekends though we’ve started to relax things a bit and let them stay up later.

This normally means Rhys playing on the computer and the rest of us watching a film or two, normally something Disney.  This weekend though the weather was so glorious we ventured out instead.  We needed to get a few bits from the supermarket so we walked to Uplands to get what we needed, then stopped off at Cwmdonkin park on the way back.

living arrows

It was still so sunny out I think we all forgot that it was actually past their normal bedtime!

Rhys and Nerys loved playing in the park while it was relatively quiet, getting to go on pretty much whatever they wanted without having to wait for someone else to finish.  So they spun on the roundabout, bounced on the trampoline, clambered on the climbing frame, whizzed along the zip-wire and then had quite a few turns on the big slide.

In all we must’ve only been out for a little over an hour but it was such a nice change from the normal routine, it’s definitely something we’ll do more often now the evenings are so much lighter.

Do you stick to the same bedtime all week long, or do you tend to relax things at the weekends and in the holidays? 

Living Arrows

Reaching brand new heights in New Brunswick

by with No Comment Uncategorized

If you’re looking for a family holiday that offers the best balance between the familiar and the new, then the Americas are always worth a visit. In particular, Canada offers some gorgeous nature, welcoming local hospitality, and real culture to enjoy. This time, we’re taking a closer look at the New Brunswick area which has quite an eclectic collection of the weird, wonderful, and gorgeous.

 

One of the best parks in the continent

If there’s one thing you really ought to try when you visit the Americas, it’s their theme and adventure parks. They do things big over there and there are no parks more famous than those bearing the Six Flags logo. New Brunswick, in particular, is famous for Magic Mountain, which is exactly as thrilling and steep as you might imagine. With new rides like the DC Super Heroes Drop of Doom including virtual reality experiences in the mix, it’s only getting more fantastic, too.

Never too far from comfort

There’s a warm, welcoming atmosphere throughout the whole area, too. The locals are friendly and accommodation like the Fairfield Inn & Suites Moncton offer a relaxing place to lay your head without having to empty the entire budget to enjoy. If you want to enjoy a day at a slightly slower pace, then it’s worth heading to the Parlee Beach Provincial Park. Despite Canada’s reputation for chills, it’s one of the warmest saltwater beaches in the country, so don’t be afraid to take a dip. There are tons of activities to enjoy, too, from ultimate Frisbee to sand sculpture contests.

A world of wonders

If you want a sight that you’ll never forget, then the first place you have to check out is the Hopewell Rocks. This coastal park offers great views of the sea but nothing compared to the wonderful and weird rock sculptures that stand tall like you’re in some kind of alien world. If you want things to truly get odd, however, check out Magnetic Hill, where visitors have been constantly mystified by the fact that cars, carts, and vehicles all roll up the hill when stopped instead of down it.

Close encounters with giantkind

It’s always worth getting to know the locals when you go on a trip and, in New Brunswick, the locals are certain a colourful cast of characters. Take a boat off the shore and you might be lucky enough to meet some of the majestic whales that swim not too far from the coast. From humpbacks to North Atlantic Ridge whales, you can meet some of the rarest and most beautiful sea life in the whole world right here. Otherwise, the tours are great simply for seeing an ever-changing landscape of cliffs, beaches, and lighthouses.

It may not be the first thing on your mind when it comes to visiting the Americas, but New Brunswick is nothing if not surprising. It’s not as packed with tourists as many other places in the continent, which is great for a more leisurely family trip without all the stress.

 

Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post

home improvements expert

How to become a home improvements expert

by with No Comment Uncategorized

Not everybody has ambitions to become a home improvements expert but it is certainly useful and could save you a great deal of money over the years. So it really is worth your while trying to develop at least some basic home improvement skills to get things done around the home rather than paying for a professional to come out and charge you a small fortune.

Whether you are looking to do a bit of interior decorating or fix that kitchen cupboard, there are plenty of resources that you can choose from to help learn the tricks of the trade, so to speak.

Here are some great solutions for learning how to become a home improvements expert:

become home improvement expert

Watch video tutorials on YouTube

Different people have different preferred learning styles but if you pick things up quickly by watching a demonstration then a video tutorial could be the perfect learning solution. You can simply search the YouTube channel using the relevant keyword to the job that you are taking on for example ‘replace staircase spindles’ (in regards to this job, you can find out more here) or whichever is going to bring back the right results for your task. As well as YouTube, some DIY stores also provide video tutorials for their customers to use when they are shopping for specific products that are related to the task.

 

 

Go to a class

You can sign up for a class at a local college to help build the foundations for the most used home improvement skills. There are also specific home maintenance courses that you can sign up for at providers such as the Builder Training Centre if you want to quickly learn advanced building skills. Check your local education centres to see if they offer anything that is relevant to the skills that you want to learn, you may even be entitled to free training! Some home improvement stores put on classes because they know it is a good form of marketing to get people to build a relationship with the company. They know that the people that attend the classes are likely to buy plenty of products from them over the years, especially once they have become experts!

 

 

Online support

DIY skills are a crucial set of life skills and therefore a lot of support is made available by companies such as the BBC, who provide online DIY tips and tools to help you to develop your skills. DIY stores such as B&Q also provide online advice to help with some of the more popular DIY tasks.

 

 

Traditional manuals

Before we had the easy access to information that the internet has brought us, we used manuals to help us to learn new skills such as DIY skills. So if you prefer to read instructions from a book then you can pick up a manual on eBay or somewhere similar to get you started.

 

 

Learn from an expert

If you are fortunate enough to know someone who is highly skilled in home improvements then ask them to show you some of the basics. If they are busy doing home improvements as a job, or at their home, you could even offer to be a labourer for them in exchange for getting valuable knowledge and expertise through the experience. They do not need to be a professional tradesman but if you have seen some work that they have done themselves that looks impressive then there is no harm in asking them. Many people will be proud to show off their craftsmanship and will gladly spend a bit of time passing on their pearls of wisdom.

 

Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post

me and mine april

Me and Mine – April 2018

by with 3 Comments PersonalUncategorized

It feels a bit strange looking at these photos now, while I’m sat in a hoodie and drinking coffee to try and ward off the chill in the air.  But not so long ago we had a spell of lovely, warm, sunny weather that meant we could take our first family photos of the year without coats on!

We went for a walk around Singleton park, and managed to grab these couple of picture by the Gorsedd stones.me and mine april 2018

After a fairly quiet month in March, April sort of followed suit.

We had a lovely break from the day to day routine during the Easter holidays, especially because Steve managed to get a fair bit of time off work.  I think we were all in need of time to just hang out and slow down a bit though, so we didn’t do any big days out or anything.

Instead we pottered around at home, and went for walks together along the seafront and around the marina.  And that seemed to set the tone for the month as a whole.

The one big event we did have for April though was Rhys’ birthday.

We are now the proud parents of a seven year old and a four year old and I’m still sort of getting my head around that fact!  All of a sudden both the children seem so much older and I’m not quite ready for it.

Rhys lost his first tooth the week of his birthday and it seemed almost symbolic, as if it was marking him moving on to another new stage in his life.  The night before his birthday he got quite emotional, and told me that he’ll miss being six.  And I just thought, me too.

Seven is going to be a whole new adventure though, and I’m quite excited to see what Rhys makes of it.

 

The Me + Mine Project - Dear Beautiful
living arrows

Living Arrows 2018 – 18/52

by with 4 Comments PersonalUncategorized

We had an incredibly quiet few days this weekend, thanks mainly to the horrible head cold/flu like virus that knocked me out on Friday.

I spent the weekend sleeping and resting and occasionally trying to claim that I was fine but ending up sounding like Monica in Friends.  When you put a ‘D’ at the end of ‘Fine’ you’re not fine!

So this week’s photo of Rhys was taken quickly, just outside our front door on Sunday evening.

living arrows

We may have had a quiet weekend but it was actually a pretty big week as a whole for this boy.  He turned 7, he lost his first tooth and he moved up to the top group at his swimming lessons and even took the first steps towards learning to dive.

He had a bit of a wobble on the night before his birthday, when I think it all got a bit too much for him.  His first tooth had come out at school that day and I think that combined with turning 7 was just a lot for him to process.  It’s almost like he realised that getting older is great, but it also sometimes means moving on from one stage of your life to another.

Bedtime that night was a bit emotional as he worked through all his feelings about not being 6 any more.  He was also really quite sad about the idea of the tooth fairy taking his first tooth away, so he wrote a little note to her asking if she would please leave it for him to keep.

Luckily she was kind enough to leave the tooth and still leave him a few coins so he woke up very happy the next day.

Once his birthday actually arrived he seemed much happier and was so excited to open his presents and eat some birthday cake after school.  Then at the weekend he went to his swimming lesson to find that he has been moved up a group.  He’s now at the stage where the teacher isn’t actually in the water with him which feels like a big step, but one he’s ready for.

At the end of his lesson he even started learning the basics of diving in, and he couldn’t wait to get home and tell his daddy all about that!

His new swimming teacher commented to me during his lesson that he’s a real character, and I think that sums him up really.  He is full of beans and enthusiasm and non-stop chatter and, while it might be exhausting at times, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Rhys means ardour and I honestly don’t think we could have picked a more perfect name for him.

I hope he always stays as passionate and enthusiastic as he is right now, I hope no matter how old he gets he holds on to that.

Living Arrows