Digital transformation has impacted on a wide range of business functions for many years, including the HR function and organisational recruitment strategies and tools. Perhaps ten years ago companies were able to get by with more traditional recruitment methods, but today, some form of digital recruitment integration is usually required.

Michelle Tyson, founder and director of Tyson Wilson Recruitment and Tyson Wilson Temps has been recruiting digitally for a number of years now.

But she is warning companies and recruiters that there’s many things to take into consideration before you can move your operations online.

Michelle said: “When turning some elements, or indeed all, of your recruitment strategy digital, there are a wide range of things to consider, ensuring you build a robust digital recruitment strategy.”

Here are some things Michelle pinpointed:

What is digital recruitment? 

Michelle explained: “Digital recruitment isn’t just about posting job vacancies online, though that is part of it. It includes the use of digital technology to assist in the finding, attracting, analysing, selection, and hiring process of candidates.

“Depending on the scale of your organisation’s recruitment needs and the resources available, this could include hosting application forms online, the use of online or digital assessments, holding online interviews using video conferencing software, or even the use of end-to-end recruitment software to manage the whole process.”

Share Relevant Content 

Potential candidates are highly likely to search for information about your organisation online.

“You should ensure you have a page on your website dedicated to posting vacancies. In addition, you should consider producing content that will showcase to prospective employees what kind of company you are and why they should want to work there” said Michelle, adding: This content can be shared to blogs and social media, via an email newsletter, and through other partners such as recruitment agencies you use. 

Use Social Media

“Social media can be an excellent tool to market your business to current and potential customers” said Michelle.

However, she said it is essential this forms a “key element of any recruitment marketing strategy”.

“In addition to sharing your targeted recruitment content on social media, it can be used to post job vacancies and link to downloadable application forms or bespoke online application processes, with many platforms now having specific jobs posts that are visually distinctive” said Michelle.

Advertise Online 

Michelle advised: “Your vacancies should be posted on a range of online platforms such as your company website, social media, and digital job boards. There are a variety of paid and free digital platforms available, so you need to know how to target the type of candidates you’re after and how to keep records of the vacancies you post – remember that all employment legislation still applies, regardless of whether you use traditional or digital recruitment.”

Digital Applications 

The first step in going digital is providing a PDF or digital download of an application form that is submitted via email.

“You should still allow for paper-based applications to be submitted, where possible, so you aren’t discriminating against certain age groups or individual skillsets” said Michelle.

“This is particularly important for industry sectors where ICT skills are not a priority and access could be an issue. However, most candidates will welcome an online as opposed to written application process. 

“As an alternative to a digital download, you could build a digital application process. These can be bespoke, or through a software package that is specifically for this purpose. Make sure the application process is easy to navigate, that users can save their progress and come back later, and that the system generates a notification to let the candidate know that their application has been received.”

Create A Feedback Loop

Michelle explained: “This simply means asking candidates for feedback on your recruitment process so you can improve it. During, or at the end of, the recruitment process, you could use anonymous online survey software to ask candidates a range of questions about their experience. This needs to be offered to every candidate to ensure the feedback process is continuous and that feedback is as broad as possible.” 

Be Consistent 

“If your company declares that it is innovative and forward thinking, but still uses a cumbersome paper-based application process and does not acknowledge receipt of applications, the process conflicts with the image your company is trying to portray” said Michelle.

“Reduce cognitive dissonance and increase trust with your candidates by making sure your processes match your brand values.”

For more information email Michelle at info@tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk or go to tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk

Acclaimed singer songwriter Jacqui Sharkey will release her new single – Home this month.

The reflective and soulful version of Home echoes Jacqui’s memories and emotions, and is her first release since her 2017 version of The Whole of the Moon, made famous by The Waterboys, made a significant impact.

Jacqui sums up why the lyrics of Home resonated so much with her.  “The concept of the song is something that hit me right away, as there is no doubt that I have always been a home bird, despite my extensive travelling over the years.

“No matter how much fun I have travelling or performing, it always lifts my heart to be home” she said.

The Donegal based Singer/ Songwriter, known for her soulful, deep tones, has three albums under her belt, and since Whole of the Moon, she has been taking time to reflect on her journey so far, as well as writing and recording tracks for a forthcoming album.

“I really needed to take some time out and just breathe,” she explained. “Between one thing and another, life was overwhelmingly hectic, and not easy in a lot of ways. 

“I can’t go for long without writing, recording and performing. Music is truly my sanity and my peace, and I can’t imagine life without it. Music creates feelings and feelings create music. I am blessed to be able to do it, and I am looking forward to sharing quite a few new songs in 2020.”

Home will feature on Jacqui’s forthcoming EP with the same title, to be released in July 2020.

Find out more at  or jacquisharkey.com or connect with Jacqui Sharkey on social media.

Most small business owners understand how important Google has become in helping customers and potential customers find their website. However, the use of paid Google advertising can do so much more than just direct a user to a website, but it can feel like an absolute minefield, with many small business owners not knowing where to start.

Jemma Geary is a Digital Advertising Specialist from Groundswell, a specialist ecommerce and digital advertising agency. Groundswell develop and implement digital advertising strategies, using a funnel approach, for clients from a diverse range of industries to help them sustainably grow.

Jemma delivered a Lunchtime Learning session facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District) on an introduction to Google Ads, and here are the key takeaways:

Google Ads are paid for advertising that can be shown to a targeted audience across the internet in a range of different formats, including display adverts on websites, video adverts on YouTube, and in-search adverts when someone uses Google to search for something. Which types of adverts you choose to use will depend on your objectives, where your potential customer is in their purchase journey, and how much of a budget you have.

Jemma believes Google Ads are a great tool because of how transparent they are: 

“With Google advertising you can see how many impressions and click-throughs your advert had received, as well as the cost per click. It’s a very effective way to monitor your return on investment. But before any campaigns go live, I would recommend that full conversion tracking is properly set up on your account, as well as any ecommerce tracking if you sell products online. That way the performance data will be most useful.”

In 2020, there are an estimated 2.3 million Google searches carried out per second, and most of those will include paid for ads. For many businesses, Google search ads are the first place to start.

“Optimise your landing page and include a strong call to action. Make sure your search ad does not take your user to your homepage – their landing page needs to be relevant to the search terms they used to take them there. If you are selling a product using a search ad then make sure all of the product information is available on the landing page. You want to make the purchase process as smooth as possible for the customer.”

In addition to search ads, product-based advertising (or shopping advertising) is becoming increasingly popular. It is expected that 18% of all UK retail purchases will be made online in 2020, so if you are selling product online you should consider product ads.

“Product listings or showcase adverts on Google come from shopping feeds on your Merchant Centre Account, all of which you need to set up yourself. This is more complex than other forms of Google advertising and requires some technical thinking. While it isn’t rocket science, it would be a good idea to work with a company experienced in setting up this type of advertising, whether that’s your web developer or a specialist company like Groundswell.”

Video advertising via the YouTube platform has grown exponentially in recent years. This is likely in part due to the vast amount of YouTube that is now consumed daily. In 2020, over 1 billion hours of YouTube are watched daily. That’s more than Netflix and Facebook video combined!

Google serves YouTube ads to viewers based on a range of targeting objectives. This can include audiences that Google define as relevant based on search criteria, custom audiences you can create by using competitor URLs, custom intent targeting based on user searches for the previous seven days, remarketing adverts to individuals who have previously visited your website, and even targeting individuals based on key milestones or life events.

“There are different types of adverts you can show through YouTube. For example, there are adverts that users can skip after 5 seconds, and there are adverts that the user cannot skip. There are pros and cons for each, and which you choose is largely based on your advertising objectives and your budget. It’s worth bearing in mind that for adverts users can skip after 5 seconds that you are charged per view, but the first 10 seconds don’t count. For adverts that users can’t skip you are not charged per view but instead per 1,000 impressions. However, these are restricted to a maximum of either 6- or 15-seconds duration, depending on which type you go for.”

If you do decide to try Google Ads yourself and don’t enlist the help of an experienced professional, here are some of Jemma’s top tips to maximise the opportunity and avoid some of the potential pitfalls:

1. “Always consider your budget first. Decide what you are happy to spend monthly and divide it by 30.4. Remember, Google budgets work on a daily spend.”
2. “Figure out your keywords that you want to be found for when using Google search ads. This can be refined over time and it is a bit of an artform. Lower search frequency terms that are more specific are better than more popular terms that are more generic. Relevancy to your product or service is key.”
3. “Monitor your return. Whatever you decide to do, review your ad performance regularly – even daily. Are your keywords relevant? Are you getting a good return? Should you try a split test to see if certain keywords perform better for you? Are irrelevant keywords directing users to your website and should you exclude these going forward to ensure you aren’t paying for irrelevant clicks? Don’t just set up Google Ads and leave it running without monitoring it – it can be a costly mistake.”

Want to hear even more top tips about Google Ads? Check out the full recording of Jemma’s workshop on the Cathedral Quarter website – https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/whats-on/lunchtime–learning–intro-to-google-ads

To find out what other Lunchtime Learning sessions there are go to https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning

DERRY YouTube sensation Adam Beales last week handed out more than £1,000 on a spur of the moment decision to help those in need as the financial impact of the Covid-19 crisis deepens.

On Wednesday night Adam posted on Twitter that he wanted to support in some way those struggling.

Within a few hours he was sending money to his followers via PayPal as he responded to heart-rending messages from people in dire situations.

Known as Adam B online, the 20-year-old star has amassed more than 2.7 million subscribers, and his gesture even prompted others to help out too.

“I just had a feeling of helping out that night and so posted out a tweet asking if anyone was struggling and needed extra help during this time,” he said. “It was just a spontaneous thing.

“The more and more people who came forward with their struggles, it was hard not to help. I kept working through all the messages until my phone battery literally died that night.”

From appearing on children’s TV to flying first class across the globe the full time YouTuber has carved out a unique career for himself online.

The Wednesday night gesture helped people with their rent, utility bills, single mothers struggling, and some who just wanted a little to treat them and their loved ones.

He posted his tweet at 10:45, simply saying “I wanna help a few people out, who’s struggling atm? Let me know and send me your PayPal”.

Replies quickly flooded in, some moving him to tears.

And, his gesture drew people to commend him on his generosity, one user said: “You’re so sweet, loving, kind human being”, and another simply called him “an angel”.

Apart from some jokey responses Adam’s aim was to help those finding it tough without income.

“I wanted to help people who were especially struggling during this time so anyone who replied to the post, usually gave a story about what’s going on in their lives at the moment,” he said.

“It was once again a reminder of how lucky I am. Whenever you see people and families be torn apart by this pandemic, it’s very hard to ignore. My deepest love goes out to all of whom are affected.”

As well as his Youtube channel Adam has more than 500,000 followers across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tik Tok, where his witty antics and pranks have attracted growing numbers of followers.

He describes himself on his Facebook profile as “a not so funny person trying to be funny”.

But he recognises that his online success has left him in a better position than most during the pandemic.

“I do feel very fortunate that me and my family haven’t been too affected by what’s going on in the world at the moment,” Adam explained. “Of course, with YouTube, we are just seeing everyday as it passes by to see if there are any changes but as of yet, we are incredibly lucky to be in the position to help others out and it is always such a good feeling, being able to help and surprise others.

“And the support from others was a clear indication that you can help people who are in need with the smallest gestures.”

Those gestures reminded Adam of the positivity in these dark times

“There were no ulterior motives behind my reasoning that night,” he said. “I wanted to help people out, so I did just that. But what really warmed my heart was seeing other people actually send money to the people who I didn’t get a chance to get back to.

“The comments under those tweets were almost like a little community of everyone helping everyone. It made me very emotional and reminded me that the Internet can be a good place.”

The decision to post on Twitter was so he could reach out quickly.

“Twitter is a handy platform because you can get immediate response from people and personally interact with them in a way that YouTube or Instagram doesn’t support.

“It’s a great way to get instant communication between myself and people who watch my videos.” 

His initiative showed Adam that there is a positive message that can be sent.

“It proved to me that night how special community spirit truly is. We’re all fighting this silent killer together. We’ll battle through it together. And we’ll come out on the other side together.”

On his Youtube channel Adam describes what he does that attracts so many subscribers.

“You can catch me doing pranks, challenges, vlogs, Q&A’s, life hacks, gaming, eating food and so much more!”

You can see Adam’s tweet at twitter.com/Adam_byt and check out his videos on his YouTube channel Adam B.

On March 17, Coleraine and District Motor Club announced the 2020 fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200, scheduled for May 10-16, would be postponed following the government’s introduction of restrictions to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic.

Since March the organisers of the NW200 have been in consultation with all of the relevant agencies to explore the possibility of running the event at a later date during 2020. We have corresponded with officials from the N.I. Executive as well as Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council plus all of the NW200’s stakeholders, considering every option available to us should there be a suitable window of opportunity.

Despite these efforts, it is now obvious the disruption and uncertainty the virus will continue to place on all of our lives and activities in the coming months will make it impossible to deliver the extensive planning required to run an event on the scale of the North West 200.  That being the case, Coleraine and District Motor Club have taken the unfortunate but responsible and necessary decision to cancel the 2020 races. We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause for our competitors, volunteers and race fans.

A provisional date for the 2021 fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils NW200 Race Week Festival has already been set for 9^th to 15^th May. We hope everyone stays safe and well so we can return to an even bigger and better North West 200 12 months from now.

Whilst working with influencers is not a new concept in marketing, working with digital influencers on platforms such as Instagram is still very much unchartered territory for a lot of small businesses.

And although it’s easy to get it wrong and waste a lot of time and money on “fake” accounts or the wrong type of influencers – getting it right could be the secret to success for your company.

Leanne Gannon, the Founder of She & Co Digital, is a specialist in social media and influencer marketing. If you have spent any time on social media, it is likely that you will have been exposed to influencer marketing, but what is it, how does it work, and what are the regulations surrounding it that you need to be aware of?

Leanne explained all of this and more during her Lunchtime Learning session facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District):

What is influencer marketing?

Leanne explained: “Influencer marketing is using someone else’s influence or relationship with an audience to promote your product or service. It can be tricky to do well, but if done well it can be very effective.”

Influencers can be found on almost all social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, through their own personal blogs, and even on Snapchat. While they are most commonly associated with the beauty and fashion industries, almost all sectors will have influencers out there – from hobbyists to those who do it professionally.

During her session Leanne advised that the key to a great influencer is authenticity: “Most of the successful influencer marketing campaigns encourage the creation of content that is original and/or adds value for the audience. Today, more than ever, consumers look to fellow consumers to inform their purchase decisions. Influencer marketing, when it is authentic and trustworthy, increases a brand’s credibility.”

While influencer marketing is certainly not new, it is something we are likely to see increasing going forward. The industry is set to reach a whopping $10 billion by 2020, with more and more brands increasing their influencer marketing spend.

What does an influencer marketing strategy look like?

• Research thoroughly – investigate the influencers that are popular for your industry, as well as the smaller ‘micro’ influencers – make a list of who you would like to approach that have authentic content and engage regularly with their audiences.
• Set your campaign goals – do you want to increase brand awareness or increase conversions? This will impact the type of advertising you do and likely your budget.
• Set a budget – consider the return on investment that you would like from your campaign, as well as the lifetime value of a potential customer.
• Target the right influencers for your brand – do you want one bigger influencer, or multiple smaller influencers? Do you want to exchange (‘gift’) free product to micro influencers in exchange for an honest review?
• Use tools to your advantage – ask influencers to provide evidence of their engagement levels and the impressions, clicks and uptake numbers from their previous collaborations. Heepsy is a useful online tool you can use to check out their stats.
• Review and analyse the results – see what worked well and what didn’t work so well, and use the information to inform future campaigns.

Beware of Regulations

“As influencer marketing has grown in popularity, the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) – and in the Republic of Ireland the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) – have released guidelines on how these adverts should be disclosed” said Leanne, adding: “There are rules regarding how these adverts are tagged, such as using #advert, #gifted, or #sponsored. Free downloads are available from their respective websites, so make sure you are aware of how to disclose properly and that any influencers you work with follow the rules.”

The final takeaway message is to be clear in your expectations when working with influencers, especially smaller influencers who may not have undertaken much advertising work before.

Clearly state how many posts you will get, check that captions are spelt correctly, and that any necessary hashtags are used and spelt correctly. If undertaking paid-for advertising, pay a percentage up-front and the balance upon completion of the work. Your aim should be to create a mutually beneficial relationship so you can continue to work with those who produce positive outcomes for your company.

Want to hear even more top tips about working with influencers to market your business? Check out the full recording of his workshop on the Cathedral Quarter website – https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/whats-on/lunchtime–learning–working-with-influencers

To see more Lunchtime Learning sessions go to https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning

Do you need help creating content for your business?

At Excalibur Press we have a team of over 12 writers in a variety of specialisms writing blogs, website content and more for clients on a daily basis. Maybe this is just one thing we could help you with – even just to get you started.

If you would like to speak to a content creator or would like more information about our rates and process just call 07305354209 or email team@excaliburpress.co.uk

Find out more about Excalibur Press at https://excaliburpress.co.uk

With four out of five business to business successes on social media directly attributable to LinkedIn it’s no wonder why companies across Northern Ireland are using their time in lockdown to master the platform.

This Thursday (May 7, 3pm) Tina Calder from Excalibur Press and The Content Club will draw on her own experiences with the platform to help attendees of Supercharge Your LinkedIn With Great Content tackle the basics of their profile optimisation as well as helping them learn how to create great content.

The 90-minute webinar will help to unlock some of the secrets of the popular b2b social platform and is packed full of top tips, tricks, tools and techniques to help you go it alone and do it yourself.

Speaking of what attendees should expect publicist and content creator Tina said: “Supercharge Your LinkedIn With Great Content will go over some of the basics of optimising your profile, however, what we will focus on more is the content, what should you share, how do you share, where do you find it and how can you use it to maximise your opportunities, get sales leads and raise the profile of yourself, your brand and/or your business.”

Supercharge Your LinkedIn is part of a series of free webinars each week by Tina and Excalibur Press helping businesses look at a variety of elements of their digital transformation during the Covid-19 crisis.

“As a result of the Covid-19 crisis more and more of our clients at Excalibur Press are asking us to help them with their digital transformation.

“We had already launched a plan for a range of training sessions and masterclasses across Northern Ireland for 2020 that had to be scrapped so we thought the best thing to do would be to move them all online.

“However, I wanted to be able to bring value to people whilst raising profile for our company – that’s when I decided to make the webinars free of charge for anyone to attend.

“We have everything from Setting Up Your First Webinar and Turning Your Training Into An Online Course to Podcasting, Blogging For Business and something coming up to help business owners with their Thought Leadership strategy.

“The plan is to have around six per month with at least two of them being newly created sessions.”

Beginning at 3pm on Thursday May 7 places are still available to book for the Supercharge Your LinkedIn slide/video-based session.

“LinkedIn has sometimes been forgotten about amidst the array of social media platforms,” said Tina, adding: “But the evidence is that businesses seek out and receive work through it.
“This webinar has been created to give you the tips and tricks to make LinkedIn work for you.”

The slide/video-based webinar cover the basics of setting up a LinkedIn profile, types of content, using hashtags effectively, reading metrics, best practices, what content people are looking for, how to stand out from the crowd, the importance of storytelling, effective content, useful tips on headlines and subject titles and using LinkedIn to supercharge your thought leadership strategy.

“We’ve set aside an hour and a half for this webinar which will help you start thinking about what you need in order to get LinkedIn working for you,” said Tina.

“There will be an opportunity to ask questions throughout.”

Registration is available on Eventbrite.co.uk or by going to https://bit.ly/3floK1r

To see what other sessions are coming up log on to excaliburpress.co.uk/events

About Tina

Northern Ireland’s Content Queen, Tina Calder is a journalist and commentator of 20 years, a publicist of 12 and a multi-platform media professional. The Belfast entrepreneur owns publicity management agency Excalibur Press based in the city’s Cathedral Quarter.

From travelling across the UK and Ireland as a showbiz reporter, publicist and tour manager to becoming an award winning business journalist, Tina uses her varied and colourful career experiences to deliver bespoke publicity and communications strategies.

To put it bluntly she’ll show you how to get stuff done!

With self isolating and working from home being a brand new situation for many people, it can be hard to know how to use your time effectively or organise your day. Here’s some top tips on how to survive self isolation:

If You Have To Go Out

Clothes

Have a separate pair of shoes for leaving the house, the germs can get stuck to the soles of your feet and you don’t want to be walking them through your house. So keep one pair of shoes on your porch and do not bring them inside your house. Similarly have one outfit for wearing outside. Leave a black bin liner on your porch and don’t wear this outfit into your house. This way you are minimising the amount of germs you could be bringing into your home. 

Shopping

Don’t stockpile, just buy what you need. Once you arrive home with your shopping, use a pair of gloves to remove each item from the bag and sanitise it using antibacterial wipes. Then throw the gloves, bag and wipes in an external bin outside your home. This way if these items have been infected at the supermarket, they will be clean for coming into your house. Make this a routine for getting essential supplies. 

Interactions

Whilst you are out keep your distance from other people even if you are simply passing them. Try to go to the supermarket at what might be a less busy time so as to come into contact with as little people as possible. Don’t hug, shake hands with or touch other people as this is what spreads germs. If you and your family are self isolating do not invite other people into your home while doing so, as they could be bringing in germs leading to infection. Being at home is the best place you could be and you want to avoid contaminating this space. 

Working From Home

Get Dressed 

There can be an urge when working from home to sit in your pyjamas all day and even stay in bed to do your work. But this can be de-motivating and makes it hard to tell the difference between working and relaxing. You should get up and get dressed everyday, even put some makeup on if it makes you feel normal. Choose one area in your home to sit and work and make that your workspace.

Create Routine

It can be easy to get into a rut being in the house for so long, but try and create a routine in your day. Make an agenda or plan of what you want to do and stick to it. Set an amount of hours you want to work for and what hours those will be. Don’t work outside these hours, use the rest of the time for relaxing or spending with family. 

In Isolation

Take up a New Hobby 

Don’t see this time inside as a negative experience, use it to take up a new hobby or do something you’ve always put off. That could be knitting, reading, learning a language. Often in our daily lives we don’t have time for the simple things, so take this time to relax and focus on something new. 

Spend Time With Your Family 

With your children being off school, take the time to enjoy their company, as often with work and school you might not get enough time to spend as a family. Organise activities such as games, baking or cooking together or crafts to keep them entertained. Set up competitions or star charts with prizes to motivate your children to do some learning each day. 

Adopt a Positive Mindset

It can be very easy to fall into a negative outlook on life during this situation, but there is a lot to be grateful for. Turn off the news and instead write a list of things in your life that you are grateful for. This will give you perspective on the situation. Whilst it might not be ideal to be stuck in the house, be grateful for your health and family. 

With many businesses using the Covid-19 lockdown downtime to work on their communications and marketing assets this is the perfect time to find out how blogging can help you increase brand awareness.

Northern Ireland communication specialists Excalibur Press have announced a free webinar this Thursday April 30 at 3pm to help businesses understand how creating effective blogs can help them create new leads and generate more sales opportunities.

Delivered by Content Queen, Tina Calder, of Excalibur Press, the 90-minute webinar will reveal the benefits of blogging for business, together with a series of tips and tricks to make your blog a success.

In this unique online training and support session Tina will show how to make your blog work for you all the time.

“As a result of the Covid-19 crisis more and more of our clients at Excalibur Press are asking us to help them with their digital transformation” explained Tina.

“That was when we decided to release a range of free webinars in area such as LinkedIn, social media, thought leadership, blogging, creating online courses and webinars, publishing and communication skills.

“The idea was to help businesses use this downtime to fast forward or accelerate their desires to move their services and products online as well as prepare their communication and publicity strategies for when lockdown has been lifted and we can begin to go back to normal.”

Beginning at 3pm on Thursday places are still available to book now for this slide/video-based session.

“Many still see blogs as something for hobbyists, but they are a key part of explaining your business and relating to your clients,” said Tina. 

“But to make it work for your business you need the focus and direction to make the content do the right thing for you every time.”

The webinar will see publicist, journalist and commentator, Tina cover why blog for business, what types of blog to use, how to create quick and easy blog posts, the key ingredients for a successful blog, the tools, tips and tricks for content, and how to create quick and easy content from blog posts.

“There are a lot of small tips and tricks and tactics that people can use to ensure they create a long-lasting business rather than just something that will subside when the crisis subsides.

“We’ve set aside an hour and a half for this webinar which will help you start thinking about what you need in order to supercharge your digital content. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions throughout.”

Throughout the session Tina aims to simplify the blog creation process and give attendees real and practical tips and advice on how you can begin working on their digital content today.

Registration is available on Eventbrite.co.uk or by going https://bit.ly/3eXNHjp

About Tina

Northern Ireland’s Content Queen, Tina Calder is a journalist and commentator of 20 years, a publicist of 12 and a multi-platform media professional. The Belfast entrepreneur owns publicity management agency Excalibur Press based in the city’s Cathedral Quarter.

From travelling across the UK and Ireland as a showbiz reporter, publicist and tour manager to becoming an award winning business journalist, Tina uses her varied and colourful career experiences to deliver bespoke publicity and communications strategies.

To put it bluntly she’ll show you how to get stuff done!

When it comes to creating content for your business it’s easy to resort to a “do it yourself” attitude.

Sometimes it’s just simply quicker than trying to grapple with third party contractors who just don’t get your business.  Or, maybe you just don’t have the budget for the luxury of getting help.

Whatever reason you’re doing it yourself, thanks to a fantastic Lunchtime Learning session facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District) by marketer Darren Diven, Founder of NI Explorer here are some quick and easy tips to help you supercharge your video and photo content.

Darren began documenting his passion for all things Northern Ireland and adventure as a hobby, using his mobile phone to capture amazing images and video. His hobby soon turned into a business, and he now works freelance with like-minded individuals, local businesses, and brands.

Photos and videos are crucial to success with digital marketing, In Darren’s Lunchtime Learning Workshop he shared his top tips and tools for shooting brilliant content for your business with your smartphone:

1. Start with the end in mind

Darren said: “When taking photos for your business, tie the imagery to your objectives and consider the purpose of the image – is it for a blog post, your website, or social media? What’s the message that you want this image to covey?”

2. The rule of 3rds

The full video explains this concept really well, but the key take-away is when taking a photo think of what you want the viewer’s eyes to focus on first, and where you want their attention to go next.

“Image composition is really important – consider the environment and the perspective. Put the viewer in the photo and make them feel like they’re there” explained Darren.

3. Get creative

Play around with props, light, and colour in your photos to really bring them to life, and keep them on-brand for your business.

“The best way to take great photos for your business is to practice a lot – be proactive and start taking more photos of your hobbies, friends, and family” said Darren.

4. Play with settings

Today’s smartphones can do so much more than we tend to use them for. According to Darren the camera app on your mobile alone has more settings than you can probably imagine: “The HDR setting takes an over and under exposed image and blends the two together, tapping the screen when taking a photo adjusts the focus and light settings automatically, and you can easily change the size settings to take images at a higher resolution. Don’t be afraid to play with the settings on your phone’s camera to take the best possible pictures.”

5. Get some gadgets

When you’re just starting out, you’re not likely to need many extra add-ons, but as you get more comfortable with using your smartphone, and if you want it to do more, Darren recommends some extra bits of kit to take your photo skills to the next level:

Darren said: “A tripod or stabiliser can make a massive difference to the overall quality of your images and video, and you can even get a different lens for the camera on your smartphone to take shots with a wider angle. Ring lights are really popular with makeup artists, but they can also be used for product shots, and you can pick up a white box for a really reasonable cost online.”

6. The practical basics

Darren shares his top lessons learned from getting out there and taking his own photos and videos:

“Always keep your camera lens clean – it makes such a difference” said Darren, adding: “Spare chargers are a must as taking lots of photos and videos can really drain your battery. You can get microphones that attach to your phone for shooting video with sound you want to capture. And I always recommend bringing an umbrella with you if you’re taking photos or video outdoors – it keeps the water off the lens and you can brighten up any shots you take by editing it afterwards.”

For loads more photo and video tips, as well as Darren’s recommended editing apps, check out the full recording of the workshop on the Cathedral Quarter website >> https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/whats-on/lunchtime-learning-shooting-great-video-and-photos-on-your-phone/

To find out what Lunchtime Learning sessions are coming up go to https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning