Social media is now a behemoth in the advertising world. As of July 2018, there have been more than 4.1 billion active internet users and 3.3 billion social media users. It’s absolutely ingrained into our everyday lives and for some, it could be argued that it’s growing into an addiction. Having said that, social media also harnesses many positives which, when used correctly by businesses, can have great results when it comes to customer relations and brand perception. So, to celebrate world social media day here’s a few tips we think businesses can use to harness the power of social media effectively if you’re not doing so already!

There are no one-size fits all solution:

This is an important one, no two company’s social media campaigns/strategies are the same. What works for someone else’s business may not work for yours, so the best place to start is going to the root of what you are trying to achieve, define who your audience is and what they want/why they would engage with you, then see how you can add value to them online. Ultimately, no one goes on social media to be sold to; think about why you are there and what you can offer as opposed to aimlessly selling to your audience. Test your strategy and adjust it as you go along. Social media can be a lot of trial and error, the likelihood is you’re going to have to do a bit of testing as you go along so don’t be scared to dip your toes in and try something new.

Prioritise platforms:

There’s no point being on as many social media platforms as you can. When it comes to social, more isn’t better and splitting out your efforts over several platforms and not really being consistent on any of them is a waste of time. Think about where your audience is spending their time and how you can use that platform to reach them. Again, there is no one size fits all solution to this, research what will work for you.

Plan your content:

If you’re stuck on where to start with social media, it’s good to plan ahead; obviously social media requires a lot of ‘in-the-moment’ reaction and engagement but planning your content around certain hashtag holidays and important events (relevant to your business) are great ways to drive engagement and spark conversation with your audience. Most importantly, being organised like this will help you map out content.

Imagery/video:

We’ve touched on this before, but messages with visuals are far more engaging than just text. Try and be as visual as possible with your messages, play with video, whether it be live in the moment from your mobile to producing a professional showreel (if you have the budget). Video is a far more engaging way to reach your audience, so try and think about how you can incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

Our latest social media blogs:

The Power of the Selfie

Tips for Schools on Social Media

More more information about our social media services get in touch on:

Phone: 01282 858200

Email: info@creativeworld.co.uk

On the 3rd March 2014, you may remember Ellen DeGeneres taking a certain selfie at a certain ceremony that happened to become one of the most retweeted pictures of all time with a whopping 3,270,934 retweets and 2,311,858 likes. What you might not know is that this ‘spontaneous’ selfie moment was actually planned…kind of. Ellen planned to take a selfie with Meryl Streep in the rehearsal of the ceremony and in the moment, live on air, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong’o, Julia Roberts, Jared Leto, Kevin Spacey and Bradley Cooper all decided to join in. We’re obviously not telling you to hire a bunch of actors to boost your exposure, what we’re saying is a simple selfie can break down the corporate barriers of your business and make you seem more human to your audience.

The Byroms

Our amazing partners from All4Maternity, Sheena and Anna Byrom, are huge advocates of the selfie, using it at conferences and meetings as a way of sharing milestones and important moments with their audience. Sheena herself is one of the most influential midwives in the world online. This is because she has put in an incredible amount of hard work to be a leading mind in her industry and in the process has built a brand around herself. It’s a transparency which is hard to emulate and because she is so real and emits a refreshing positivity, it ultimately encourages engagement and loyalty from her following. So long as you’re authentic with your approach, it will resonate with your audience.

Here’s what Sheena had to say about embracing the selfie:

‘I found it hard at first doing selfie’s as I was brought up in a time where we were encouraged not to draw attention to ourselves. But I felt the fear and did it anyway, capturing moments and sharing them to raise awareness of issues, or simply to let others experience the moment too, if they are interested! ‘

To conclude, a few selfies used in the right context, mixed with authenticity, can really help build a brand, and on world selfie day, we want to celebrate that.

Takeaways from the power of the selfie:

• Selfies promote transparency
• Selfies help break down corporate barriers
• Selfies encourage engagement
• Selfies aren’t all that bad
• Selfies are a powerful tool

Our latest Social Media Blog: Tips for Schools on Social Media

For more social media support get in touch on info@creativeworld.co.uk 

What is it that makes this country stand out? The monarchy? The beautiful countryside? Our music? Our innovation? Be it stunning countryside or the hustle and bustle of our city centres, it’s safe to say that the NHS is one of the most iconic symbols of this country and we need to take our hats off to the staff and services the NHS provides. So as the NHS turns 70, business development manager, David Bennett asks ‘Could the NHS be Britain’s greatest asset?’

Time for a change?

However, unless we see change and adapt to technological advances and wise up to the increasing financial strain the NHS is experiencing, the NHS as we know it could be a very different entity in another 70 years’ time. The NHS is facing challenging times in which accessing vital services is getting harder and the need to be able to communicate properly with service users is more important than ever. The challenge is how to implement the changes needed to ensure the NHS continues to be our greatest asset in the future. In an era where communication is easier than ever, with nearly everyone having a smartphone to hand, why is the NHS still being misused?

A King’s prediction…

The CEO of the King’s fund predicted the scenario years ago; that demands on the NHS services were going to be a problem. He prioritised three strategies to action.

1. A long-term plan to commit more funding and staffing to Trusts
2. Improve productivity and making smarter budgets
3. Reform and integrate health and care and focus on preventative care

A lack of communication?

But whilst these ideas are in progress, we still struggle to communicate effectively with our users. A prime example is the constant winter pressures each Trust faces year on year, issues that we have known for years, still causing blockages, corridors being used for beds, staffing concerns, etc… These issues cause a major headache for all, especially the NHS staff, but we, the general public, still seem to lack that bit of “self-management” when it comes to accessing the correct services.

Are we all listening to the wrong people?

Service users are heavily influenced by friends and families, what they see on TV and especially by what they see on social media. Times are changing, and the NHS needs ensure people get the right treatment in the right place, so instead of listening to our parent’s advice, the ramblings of politicians and the misinformation on social media. The NHS needs to be able to effectively communicate above all the noise.

Is the general public missing the messages?

There are so many different types of NHS services, but not all service users see this, the average person probably won’t know the difference between a CCG, an Acute Trust, A Foundation Trust. Is this a failure in communication? Through the creation of region-wide organisations, the NHS is trying to change this, but this will take time and it needs consistency and clarity in communication.

Information overload?

Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that specific audiences still struggle to access the right service. For me, it seems we need to look at education. Why don’t they teach healthcare at School?  –I’m not saying that it’s totally ignored now, but we need to educate the younger generations on how to access the right services and more about health care in general – interestingly the same people who turn up to use these services have travelled via UBER, they know how to use tech that’s only been around for a few years but have no idea on the best service for them, although the NHS has been around for 70 years! This is an example of needing to simplify things and connect with the public in a clear and impactful way.

Now more than ever the communication of all key messages need to be effective so that everyone involved (service users, families, staff) can recognise which service they need. One way in which we can do this is to personalise the message, make it relatable and about THEM. When it comes to any message in marketing, you need to evoke a response otherwise what’s the point? As well of this, the NHS needs to provide the public with a sense of empowerment to feel in control of the situation and show them how they can use services correctly and potentially save the NHS millions.

Overall

Users need to be encouraged to be proactive and take control. Users need to be educated in a personal manner through effective marketing. Similarly, we need to encourage people to educate themselves and work together with their service providers to ensure some of the weight is taken away from reactive services. This isn’t going to happen if the messages are easily diluted and lost in a multitude of jargon.

If we want the NHS to remain as this country’s greatest asset, it’s time we started to respect it and treat it as the precious commodity it is!

This message has to be communicated effectively and together! It’s what we do, from stakeholder engagement through to campaign led projects, our team at Creativeworld have over 20 years of experience influencing behaviour change and communications through the UK.

For more information, get in touch with our Health Marketing experts:

Dan Palmer: dan@creativeworld.co.uk

Dave Bennett: dave@creativeworld.co.uk

We as humans, are like magpies to silver, when it comes to visual content on social media. Having said this though, our attention spans are incredibly short. We seek visual stimuli and if we don’t like it, you’ll loose us immediately. With that in mind, it’s now essential for you to know that if your content isn’t visually compelling or stimulating, it’s going to be ignored. It could be the greatest written content around, but if your article or website is being promoted with a terrible image or even worse, no image, then no one is going to be paying any attention. It’s said that you have approximately 8 seconds to draw attention to your article. This is because, with the advancements in technology, our standards for being visually stimulated are getting higher and higher. So this means when promoting your service, you need to be paying more attention to making your social media marketing strategy visual.

Imagery

Imagery is crucial for attracting people to click through to your site. If you don’t have the resources or time to create a video, then an image is absolutely essential. People scrolling through their newsfeed are less likely to click on a link which isn’t accompanied by an image unless the hook line is really gripping. In case you’re not quite convinced, here are a few stats:

• Tweets with images receive 150% more retweets than tweets without images (article)
• In an analysis of over 1 million articles, BuzzSumo found that articles with an image once every 75-100 words received double the social media shares as articles with fewer images
• Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without images (article)
• Eye-tracking studies show internet readers pay close attention to information-carrying images. When the images are relevant, readers spend more time looking at the images than they do reading text on the page (article)

Video

According to Cisco, by 2018 video will account for almost 82% of Internet traffic 

It’s the natural progression. Social Media is constantly adapting and so is the way that companies are reaching out to their audience. It’s becoming essential that companies and organisations start incorporating video as part of their online marketing strategy. Facebook is changing its algorithms to ensure that videos reach the wider audiences therefore giving them more exposure. Furthermore, it’s far more engaging and direct, it adds a human element to it and boosts the customers trust in your brand. This can also be linked to the rise in influencer marketing, those who are pushing their own personal brand in order to inspire people and come down to their level which makes them likeable and more relatable and ultimately making the viewer more likely to buy into their brand. But it’s also about value, brands can’t simply post about their product anymore. Customers expect value from content, it needs to elicit some kind of emotional response whether it be anger, happiness or humour.

Here’s a few stats about the effect of video on social media:

• Facebook users watch 8 billion videos per day (article)
• Facebook video receives, on average, 135 percent more organic reach than a Facebook photo (article)
• Videos up to 2 minutes long get the most engagement (article)
• Organic Facebook engagement is highest on posts with videos with 13.9% and photos with 13.7% (article)

Live 

You may have noticed a surge in social networks adding live video applications to their services. Obviously, video is the king of content on social media now it’s so easily accessible from our phones. The average adult consumes up to five hours a day of video content, one hour of which is online. The reason for the rise in this kind of content is simply because it’s real. It completely squashes the stigma that videos are heavily edited and produced, in order to make as much money as possible. Live video is raw, anything goes and that’s what’s so fascinating about it. The big social media corporations such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have all jumped on the live streaming bandwagon. It’s a new and more easily accessible way for people to broadcast their lives. So when it comes to your marketing strategy it may be worth considering live video. Whether it is showing the customer reaction to your product, reviewing it or showing an inside preview into your business/institution.

With a wealth of expertise and experience in marketing, get in touch with us and see how we can help with your social media strategy.

New ‘REVO’ Brand Identity

Lancashire based creative agency, Creativeworld, was officially appointed to design and develop a new brand identity and marketing collateral for leading foam experts Vitafoam, as they looked to deliver their new 4th generation sleep technology to the market.

As with any new product launch, Vitafoam needed to decide on a unique product name and brand identity. With over 30 years of corporate identity design and development experience, the team was perfectly positioned to work hand in hand with Vitafoam to create something that was both original and on brand.

As marketing trends and techniques continue to evolve, the art of developing a unique brand identity has become ever more important for brands who are looking to stand out from the crowd.

The exciting new 4th generation foam technology developed by Vitafoam was christened ‘REVO’, and has been specifically developed as a Revolutionary Cool Sleep Concept which is set to provide ‘the perfect night’s sleep’.

Vitafoam corporate website

As part of Vitafoam’s global REVO launch, the Creativeworld digital team also conceived and developed a fully animated bespoke CGI video which incorporated a professional voiceover. To complement the video, the team also designed a range of printed literature and branded memory sticks for use at dedicated events and pitches.

On the recent collaboration, Creativeworld’s David Bates commented,

“Working closely with the Vitafoam team was a pleasure as always, especially as they had a clear direction and message that they wished to convey to their target audience.

New and Innovative product development keeps Vitafoam at the forefront of their industry and this time ReVo looks set to revolutionise mattress construction for years to come by offering a ‘Cool’ nights sleep.”

You can visit the new Vitafoam website by Creativeworld at Vitafoam.co.uk and watch the full video for yourself.

What are the attributes of a successful Marketing Campaign? A question often posed, but not so easily answered. So, we thought we would shed some light on our own creative processes which have helped transform great ideas into great results for both us and our clients.

It’s important to bear in mind that a marketing campaign should be dynamic. Every business has a unique way of communicating to their target audience, whether it be chosen medium, time or place. A key element in our approach to marketing that remains consistent is ‘quality over quantity’.

What is it you would like to say to your target audience? To get this message across successfully and to gain noticeable results, is no easy task. The ways and means that we share content in the present day has inflated from the more traditional channels such as direct mail and advertising to a concoction of social media, mobile marketing, tweets and hashtags. We are tasked with selecting the appropriate means of distributing content that will most effectively reach a chosen audience. This, married with the actual content itself, is part of an overall strategy to help achieve the desired outcome.

After identifying the most conducive platform(s) to connect with a targeted audience, there are a few guiding principles we reflect when devising a systematic, compelling campaign for ourselves or our clients. It’s fundamental that the content created is engaging, relatable and simple to understand with a clear message. One of the more obvious yet central principles to remember when promoting your brand and products is to understand your audience and know your strengths.

With the growing implementation of analytics, it has become easier to evaluate the success of a campaign, allowing potential for further development and increased effect. Overall, if campaigns are constructed wisely, they can maximise brand interaction and customer loyalty.

If you would like further information or advice on how to bring your brand to life please call Creativeworld on 01282858200 or email dan@creativeworld.co.uk

MendIT website home page

Creativeworld was officially appointed by UK leading IT repair and warranty organisation MendIT, in late 2014, to create a brand new website and social media presence to help develop the company’s new digital ambitions.

With our expert team of digital creatives at hand, we were perfectly placed to advise, develop and fulfil MendIT’s requirements in order to achieve their long term goals.

These goals were focused predominantly around a new digital marketing strategy as MendIT looked to gain more of a presence in the digital arena, in order to promote the brand’s service offering and ultimately generate new sales leads and brand recognition in the process.

Team Creative designed and developed a brand new custom built website to spearhead the new digital push, along with a uniquely branded social media channel presence to match. MendIT wanted a clean, contemporary site that delivered an enjoyable user experience and which had an emphasis on the highly specialised services they offer to customers.

As an IT repair centre, MendIT employ fully trained and accredited engineers who repair everyday IT devices. This means every repair is undertaken with the greatest care, efficiency and quality of workmanship, which is exactly the ethos our team employed when developing the new MendIT website.

MendIT social media accounts

Commenting on the recent work, Creativeworld’s David Bates added “Here at Creativeworld we love nothing more than working closely with forward thinking Lancashire based businesses and MendIT most certainly fall into that category. They identified from the offset exactly what markets they wanted to target and the direction they wanted to move in, which made it easy for us to develop a unique plan of digital action around it.”

Creating a strong digital marketing strategy that will stand the test of time isn’t something to be taken lightly and takes great consideration and planning to get it just right.

With MendIT looking to develop its client base not only locally, but on a national level, our team created a selection of new social media accounts which targeted specific demographics.

Both Creativeworld and MendIT are finalist in this year’s Lancashire Business View Red Rose Awards 2015.

At Creativeworld we are always striving to develop and improve our digital marketing offering, ensuring we are at the forefront of modern trends and technologies at all times. This exact philosophy is why Team Creative continues to work hand in hand with some of the North West’s best known businesses and brands.

The latest Lancashire based business to approach our team, seeking our expert services, was Clayton Le Moors based, Sparth House Hotel, as they looked to appoint a creative agency to deliver their dream website.

As with any new website design, we sat down with the Sparth House team to learn more about them, their personal tastes and what they wanted to achieve moving forward with their new website.

It became clear to the Creativeworld team early on in the design briefing that their then current website wasn’t portraying in the best way or what they offered as the new business owners.

“When I first walked through the entrance of Sparth House Hotel, I instantly pictured the look and feel required of a website to reflect the opulence and grandeur of this wonderful establishment.”

Sparth House has grown and developed in recent years as a business, offering visitors not only the opportunity to stay in their luxury bedroom suites but to host corporate events, weddings and even the chance to wine and dine for the evening in their luxurious restaurant. With this in mind it was important that the new website highlighted each service tastefully and accurately, while making each service offering easy to navigate through and informative.

On the recent collaboration, Creativeworld’s Sales and Marketing Manager David Bates said “When I first walked through the entrance of Sparth House Hotel, I instantly pictured the look and feel required of a website to reflect the opulence and grandeur of this wonderful establishment.

When searching for a quality hotel, whether for a business stop-over or a romantic break, it’s important get a feel for the luxurious facilities on offer – with the all new Sparth House Hotel website we feel we have achieved just that.

Ease of navigation enables visitors to see exactly what to expect, and the availability checker and booking system means that within a few clicks your reservation is confirmed.”

The new look Sparth House website features all the things you would expect to see on the modern day website with large feature photo galleries throughout, social media and SEO integration, a clean, fresh on-brand design template and a simple booking system.

Here at Creativeworld we have been providing specialist design and marketing services to Burnley based IT experts Lanway for over 5 years, and with our most recent project together successfully signed off, it’s clear to see this is a partnership with a bright future ahead.

The latest Lanway job our team got their hands on was one of our biggest collaborations yet, concentrating on Lanway’s exciting new business ventures – Mend-IT and Recycle-IT – two innovative new businesses, providing specialist solutions in IT repair and IT recycling.

Having an understanding of what a company represents is very important when it comes to creating a brand identity 

In today’s throwaway society, more and more of us consign our unused and unwanted IT equipment to the nearest landfill site without a second thought. But now there is a safer and more environmentally friendly solution to your IT disposal needs. Recycle-IT is perfectly placed to provide customers with honest and highly competitive rebate values. Their second unveiling, Mend-IT, offers a range of highly competitive insurance backed standard and extended warranties, something which over the last decade, has grown to be something of a problem to consumers after their manufacturer warranty expires.

With our vast experience and extensive knowledge in brand development, our award winning team was able to create the perfect brand identities to meet the requirements of the businesses.

“Having an understanding of what a company represents is very important when it comes to creating a brand identity” says Creativeworld Partner, Simon Swindells. “Once we understood the vision and direction that Lanway wanted to move in with the companies, we were able to quickly and efficiently deliver solutions that fitted perfectly with this.”

To launch the two innovative companies, a complete marketing strategy was introduced, including corporate identities and colour schemes, all designed and developed to complement the brand’s business models. Separate interactive websites with bespoke features were created along with branded promotional material including printed leaflets and mailer.The project was completed in less than 6 months and the results can be found at: 

http://www.mendit.com                              

and                              

http://www.recycleit.co.uk 

The Irish economy has continued to show signs of stabilisation and recovery over the course of this year and with this growth, Creativeworld has seen a strong influx of commercial property marketing requirements come through from a range of Irish based real estate agencies. Last year, we reported our collaboration with leading Irish property investment and development company, Ballymore Group, which saw our team appointed to design and develop a unique marketing brochure for the sale of their Old Spitalfields Market investment in the city of London.

Off the back of the successful sale of this investment, and with the exposure generated in the Irish market, Creativeworld has this year been approached by two of Ireland’s largest property investment agencies, JLL and Savills, which in turn has resulted in Creativeworld producing some truly bespoke property marketing solutions for these latest investment opportunities.

On the recent Irish collaborations, Creativeworld’s London Account Executive, James Wood commented.

“The Irish property market is one that we have seen take real shape in recent months. With our wealth of knowledge and creative experience in the property marketing industry and with the work we have produced, not only in the London, West End and City markets but all over the UK, we are able to offer a comprehensive marketing service all from our North West Studios to clients all over the UK and the rest of the European market.”

The first Irish opportunity Creativeworld was appointed on came from JLL Dublin as they looked to appoint a property marketing agency to create a printed and digital marketing package for the launch of their then, 25 assets strong, Ulysses Portfolio. This included a 120 page D ring portfolio a custom built website and an online secure data room. The finished results were truly unique in every sense of the word, as Creativeworld’s in-house team took design inspiration from the famous Irish modernist James Joyce novel, Ulysses.

“The kind of work we are now bringing in from all over the UK is something as a North West marketing agency we are very proud of and excited by. With the team we have in place, and looking to expand in our North West studios, we are able to offer a truly bespoke and unique experience for any client that comes to us. These are exciting times.”

added Creativeworld MD, Clive Wood.

Swiftly after completion of the Ulysses Portfolio came a host of other high profile Irish opportunities from both JLL and Savills, which saw Creativeworld produce case bound brochures and secure data rooms for new investment opportunities Central Park Dublin, Heuston South Quarter Dublin and most recently, the Acorn Portfolio a three shopping centre retail investment.

On the recent work JLL Dublin, Managing Director, John Moran added

“JLL Dublin have worked with Creativeworld on the majority of our recent high profile portfolio sales including Ulysses Portfolio, Central Park and Acorn Portfolio. The team have produced the highest quality marketing material including brochures, websites, data rooms, newspaper ads and webmails. We can always rely on Creativeworld to provide a hassle and stress free service and they understand what it is we are trying to deliver. Having the full suite of services for marketing under the one roof ensures there is always consistency in the range of marketing material that is produced.”