Mentor Digital is delighted to announce an expansion of our Digital Marketing services and the launch of a newly designed section of our website to showcase our new and improved offering across SEO, PPC and analytics.
Since adding ex-Google Strategist Dan Watt to our ranks as Digital Marketing Director last year, we have seen fantastic growth in both the amount and scope of digital marketing projects that we are working on for our clients.
Whilst delivering best-in-class, SEO optimised websites in Umbraco has been part of Mentor Digital’s offering for many years, our expanded offering sees us providing expertise across the entire digital marketing spectrum. Our services now include:
Paid media: including media planning and forecasting, campaign auditing and campaign build and management across paid search, paid social, video and display.
SEO: including website auditing, technical SEO, content strategy and production, inbound marketing and SEO migration consultancy.
Analytics: including Google Analytics 4 auditing and setup, Google Tag Manager auditing and tracking implementation and bespoke, real-time Looker Studio reporting dashboards.
We’re excited about what the year ahead will hold for our digital marketing team and our clients alike as we continue to expand our portfolio of work. If you would like a no obligation appraisal of the current SEO performance of your website, or an expert assessment of whether you could be spending your digital media budget more effectively, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Dan and his team.
🌸Towards Change Exhibition for Inclusive Advertising🌸
We are thrilled to announce a showcase of civic powers to transform advertising content from controversial to inclusive messaging from our workshops we’ve conducted to the public every week.
See the fusion of social, academic, and advertising industry unravels the impact of stereotypes in advertising and provide a platform for dialogue, learning, and change.
This exhibition is proudly sponsored by Launch, a Google Premier Partner and two-time winner of Europe’s Best Small PPC Agency. Thanks to their generous support, admission is free, making it accessible to everyone interested in exploring this transformative display.
🌸Speaker Session (18:00 – 19:00)
Carol Watson, Chief Inclusion Officer at BCW ( Global Agency)
Dan Srokosz, Creative Director, AgencyUK
Megan Gibson, Paid Media Director, AgencyUK
Dr. Junko Yamashita, Professor at the University of Bristol
Ms. Samantha Ford, Marketing lecturer at the University of Bristol
🌸Comments are from
Polly Wyn Jones, Kantar Global Knowledge Manager, Creative & Media
Nendra van Wielink-Mohamed, Global Media Practitioner
Dr. Terrell Carver, Professor of Political Theory at the University of Bristol
Joyann Boyce, TedX Speaker, Founder AI Consultancy
Olu Osinoiki – 📸 Wedding Photographer
Photography, filmmaking, production, workshops, and everything in between; in this article we share the many wonderful uses of our production studios.
When urban art meets stop frame animation – Giants at Play is the result.
Danny Cappozzi and his very talented team set up camp in our production space for 7 weeks last year to film the stunning animation ‘TURALIO – 21 Grams’. We loved seeing their stop motion skills in action!
Giants at Play create award winning beautifully crafted Stop Motion commercials, Idents Short form for TV and Online. Alongside these productions they also offer ‘Behind the scenes / Making of’ films which show the craft and care that goes into each bespoke project they lovingly make.
Aside from the fact our studios are underground (there is no natural light if you need a dark space), they also have enhanced acoustics.
In March we are hosting a Gong Bath by the legendary Pip Roberts from Now Studios. Gong baths are highly rejuvenating for the body and bring about an overall sense of relaxation. Pip will be holding space for our members and the public to reconnect with themselves and head into the new season feeling refreshed. For info on how to sign up to a gong bath follow us on Instagram.
Rozenn Logan from The NEST (an arts programme for young people in care funded by the Fostering Network) brought some colour into our production studio for a full day creative workshop.
Roz told us: ‘We used the screens in the space and we brought loads of art materials in. It was great to have such a blank canvas, we could switch up the space during different parts of the day’.
We are also very excited to be hosting a 12 week workshop for our members, focused on ‘The Artists Way’ in our production space. This long course is aimed at people looking to expand their creativity. This could be in writing, painting, dancing… pretty much any form of creative expression.
The two spaces are blank canvases in a unique building. Powered by creativity, they are designed to host creative production in all its forms, you do your thing and we’ll provide the space with some handy extras.
Situated on the lower ground floor of Brunswick Square – our St Pauls location, this beautiful Georgian building is an ideal location for anyone wanting a quiet space with easy access to the city centre.
Contact us for more info & get 10% off your first booking:
https://gather-round.co/production-space/
There are several things that make Gather Round the best co-working space in Bristol for people in the creative industry: from our packed events calendar and monthly breakfasts to our beautiful interiors and members-first attitude, we’ve rounded up what makes Gather Round a great place to be.
It all starts with the community; what makes Gather Round unique is that the spaces are designed by creatives, for creatives.
With over 200 creatives calling Gather Round home it’s safe to say we’re packed to the rafters. From graphic designers to writers and directors, photographers, marketers and web designers we hold host to the gamut of Bristol’s creatives. It makes for stimulating conversation in the kitchen and we love bringing everyone together over monthly breakfasts and after-work drinks. Our Campfire Talks see members share their latest project or expertise on a specialist subject over a coffee and a pastry on the sofas.
Creativity breeds creativity, that’s why we’ve put a lot of thought into the materials and environment that surround us. We’ve chosen bold prints on the walls, epic wraparound sofas and inspirational pieces to bring the Gather Round spaces to life. Greenery lifts Brunswick Square and Cigar Factory and lighting visually defines spaces. We worked with artists to create one-off pieces that bring a unique finish to our historic buildings.
Our events calendar gets better and better. Parties, secret gigs, talks and discussions and screenings make up our What’s On calendar and we’re proud of the interesting folk that pass through our doors. Highlights so far have been the infamous Pirate Studio parties, Sofar Sounds holding court on the Brunswick sofa and the Motion Folks event that sold out in 4 minutes!
What do you get when you mix a load of creatives in one room? Magic, that’s what! Our members have worked together on innovative projects with ideas starting over the kitchen table that morph into big, bold launches and businesses. From digital marketing and design to web builds and photography, it’s a guarantee that wherever you are there’s always someone to bounce ideas around with.
Cigar Factory and Brunswick Square are within 10 minutes of Temple Meads, on bus routes and have ample bike and scooter parking outside, making it super simple to access your working day. Alongside a handy commute, we’re handily placed for when you need to get outdoors. For our Brunswick Square members, Portland Square’s park is perfect for a fresh air break or walking meeting whilst Cigar Factory can head to Greville Smyth park for greenery. You’re spoilt for choice with lunch spots with some of Bristol’s best eateries a stones throw away.
If you’re a creative professional and you’d like to join our motley crew, get in touch! Sign up as a resi member this spring to get your first month free:
https://gather-round.co/one-month-free/
Bristol-based communications and marketing firm Purplefish has become employee owned. Joanna Randall, who formed the award-winning business in 2012. has sold 100% of shares to the new trust.
The Living Wage business, located in Bristol’s creative business community at Paintworks, was awarded B Corporation certification two years ago and becomes the first PR agency in Bristol to make the transition to employee ownership.
As part of the transition, a new board has been appointed and Joanna Randall will remain an active executive board director of the business which sees associate director Lucy McKerron promoted to the role of managing director. They are joined by two employee trustee directors, senior account manager Jonathan Adams and account manager Zoë Fawcett.
Working across technology, property and leisure sectors across the South West, nationally and internationally, the business joins the ranks of a growing number of UK businesses making the move to employee ownership.
As an employee-owned business, the team will have greater input into the running of the business and its future, benefiting from a share of the profits.
The company is also celebrating a clutch of new client wins in recent months including experience business Yuup and agency collective firm Istoria.
The move is celebrated with a new website for the business which reflects the value of harnessing emerging and generative AI technologies while maintaining a human-centric approach to communications and marketing.
Commenting on the move, Randall said: “This is a really exciting time for the business. As a sole owner and shareholder it can often be an isolated role so I’m really looking forward to being part of the new management team in defining our future direction.
“I believe our traditional business structures are becoming outdated where companies are run for the sole benefit of owners and shareholders – employee ownership offers a more authentic way of running a business where commercial growth is still a focus but the benefits can be shared more equitably.”
New managing director Lucy McKerron said of her new role and the future direction for Purplefish: “I’m incredibly excited to be stepping into the role of Managing Director here a Purplefish, an agency I’ve come to know so well and love in the last two years since joining the team. The business is perfectly aligned with my personal values of integrity, creativity, and compassion, providing rewarding work for both myself and the wider team – something which will only be emphasised as we move into our EOT model.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to innovate as a business, both for our existing and new clients as we grow and evolve. We’re committed to leaning into the opportunities emerging technologies can bring while maintaining our human-centric approach to creativity, our connection to the issues that matter, while continuing to help our clients stand out and thrive.”
Greetings from the mysterious world of search engine optimisation (SEO), where achieving online presence might resemble trying to find a needle in a digital haystack. But do not worry! With the help of my beginner-friendly SEO copywriting ideas, your website will rise in the search results faster than you can say “Google it.”
If you believe that SEO is merely a fancy Silicon Valley acronym, let’s take a closer look. Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is the process of making your website as appealing to search engines (such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo) as well as to actual customers who are actually looking for your services. In this sense, copywriting refers to crafting content for your website that not only educates visitors but also persuades them and helps it rank well. Putting the two together? You’ve just turned into a copywriting pro at SEO.
You must first familiarise yourself with keywords. Your potential clients are typing these little jewels into search engines. Keywords are the road map to your wealth of material, regardless of whether your audience is searching for SEO experts or the greatest vegan restaurant in Bristol (hint, hint). However, it goes beyond simply packing them across your website like candy. The secret to drawing both humans and Google bots to your writing is to skillfully include them into your text.
Do some study on keywords before you go out. Determine the terms and expressions that best describe your company’s offerings and the queries of your target market. To choose your perfect keywords, use resources such as Google Keyword Planner or ask yours truly on a discovery call.
Your writing should sound human (which it should), but it should also have the technical polish that attracts the attention of search engines. This entails producing interesting, pertinent, and educational content that seamlessly integrates your keywords. Don’t fill your text with keywords; this isn’t 2005.
Consider the structure of your website as the backbone that holds everything together. Not only do headings and subheadings (H1s, H2s, H3s, oh my!) help readers easily scan your content, but they also serve as indicators to search engines regarding the order in which your information is presented. Your headline gig is your main heading; it should be attention-grabbing and contain your core keyword.
Make thoughtful use of headers to help readers and search engines navigate your material. Every heading ought to be pertinent and contain keywords without being repetitive. The secret is to get search bots and readers both to stay on your page for the duration of the presentation.
Let’s use some linking strategies to take your company to new heights next. Similar to your website’s hidden passageways and trapdoors, internal and external links direct users to helpful material and demonstrate to search engines that you are a well-respected authority in your industry.
Maintaining visitor engagement and building authority are two benefits of a strong linking strategy. In order to maintain readers’ interest for longer, provide internal links throughout your text and link to reliable websites (hey, credibility!).
Stale bread? No thanks. The content of your website is no different. Maintain it current, unique, and new. Both search engines and people enjoy fresh content. Thus, you can maintain a healthy and strong rating by periodically updating your blog or sprinkling case studies across it.
Similar to your favourite soap opera, regular publishing will keep viewers interested. To make sure you’re always offering up the tastiest, most delicious digital material, create a content schedule.
Nobody wants to converse into a void on a digital device. You’re having a conversation rather than just crawling into the void when you use SEO copywriting. Thus, become an expert in SEO-friendly copywriting by making sure your material is readable, valuable to your audience, and scannable. Bold writing, bullet points, and brief paragraphs can draw attention to your pearls of wisdom.
Now that you have the map, it’s time to set off on your journey to reach Search Mountain’s summit. When creating a blog article highlighting the best Bristolian jewels or a ‘About’ page that extols your virtues, keep in mind to carefully consider the keywords you use and the structure you develop. If you are in need of a specialist to guide the way and unlock the infinite possibilities of your website, a discovery call is just a click away. Forward and upward to the highest point in sight!
We initially developed our own Abandoned Cart module back in 2019 after researching and testing various that were available. From our tests the modules lacked certain features or didn’t work how our clients would want the module to, and also how we expect the module to work.
The first version of the website was developed and installed on a number of our clients websites, generating them additional revenue that would have been lost without the module.
As the OpenCart platform has progressed and new versions launched we finally switched to using the latest most stable version of 3.0 in 2022 for our ecommerce web design projects, with the new version also included a new code structure which meant our bespoke abandoned cart module would no longer work with any new website that we built.
So, as we continue to upgrade existing ecommerce web design clients and provide ecommerce websites to new web design clients we set about upgrading our abandoned cart module to work with the newer version of OpenCart. The upgraded version was a good opportunity to simplify, streamline and improve the module to benefit our own clients and a wider audience.
Continue reading this article at https://www.eckhomedia.com/our-abandoned-cart-module-upgraded-for-opencart-version-3/
Home-cooks across the United Kingdom now have the opportunity to share their culinary creations with their communities as the online marketplace, All About The Cooks, extends its services nationwide.
Following a successful launch in the South West, All About The Cooks has witnessed an enthusiastic response from consumers eager to purchase homemade food made by local people. Now, the innovative platform is accessible throughout the UK.
Often compared to “Etsy for food,” All About The Cooks enables talented home-cooks to sell their dishes and bakes to people who live near them. Founder Claire Ladkin launched the business in Bristol in 2021, aiming to provide passionate cooks with a way to make money from their talent, in a way that fits in with the rest of their lives.
The platform’s recognition soared after being named runners-up in the 2023 BBC Food & Farming Awards ‘Community Food Champion’ category, with a feature on BBC Morning Live showcasing its mission and impact.
Claire explains “It’s like having your own website. Our cooks send their customers to their All About The Cooks page to choose, order and pay for their food. They have everything they need all in one place. No more back and forth on social media, WhatsApp groups and so on, or chasing up payments.”
Aspiring cooks of all backgrounds are invited to join the platform, turning their passion for cooking into something more. Whether aiming for extra income to navigate the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis, or pursuing a full-fledged livelihood, All About The Cooks accommodates various aspirations and commitments.
Home-cooks like Melissa, who spent 20 years in hospitality before setting up her own food business, Salha balancing cooking Sudanese dishes with caring for her four children, and Mrunal, an Aerospace engineer selling family-inspired Indian curries as a side hustle, showcase the platform’s empowering ethos, enriching communities with unique culinary offerings.
The process to start is straightforward: interested individuals sign up on the All About The Cooks website, where they receive guidance on setting up their virtual storefronts and meeting the necessary food hygiene requirements. From helping cooks to find their first customers to managing orders and payments, All About The Cooks simplifies the entire selling process.
Membership is free, with the platform only taking a small commission from orders. New members enjoy a two-month commission-free period to get used to the website’s features and functionalities. By joining, home-cooks can focus more on their craft and less on administrative tasks, while also gaining access to a supportive community of fellow cooks, and valuable marketing resources and tips to boost their businesses.
For more information, visit the ‘Become a Cook’ page on the All About The Cooks website. www.allaboutthecooks.co.uk
Talisman Sparro have completed the rebrand of Vertree, a global carbon finance consultancy. Vertree work with corporates, institutions, investors, governments and project developers to provide access to carbon markets and make impactful investments that deliver value and contribute to global climate and sustainability goals.
The programme of work involved extensive stakeholder engagement, strategy, messaging development and a new visual identity. The new positioning sets Vertree up for sustained growth, aligning the internal team behind a clear strategy whilst the new identity provides a broader, more flexible suite of assets giving the brand an authentic but distinctive look and feel.
