Lucy Bristow Appointments’ Online Success

Over the past few months the Montage team has been beavering away to create a new online presence for one of Bristol’s leading recruitment agencies, Lucy Bristow Appointments.

An engaging and interactive new WordPress website was designed with clever back end functionality to host CVs, job search databases and password restricted areas for both candidates and clients to access bespoke information.

The site also includes blogs, top tips and a wealth of briefing documents to support candidates through the job search process.  The Montage team created new web copy, blog writing and a Search Engine Optimisation strategy that has ensured that Lucy Bristow Appointments ranks front page in Google.

The next stage in the strategy is online social media training and e-zines.  Keep an eye on these highflyers in 2011!

Creative Director Aime said: “We were delighted to be selected to create a whole new look which incorporates the creative and very professional nature of their team.

“Since its launch, just over six weeks ago, the site has attracted just under 5,000 visiters and the company has seen a significant increase in new business and candidates wishing to register.”

How manufacturers can deliver tangible sales results with social media

Montage’s recent talk at the University Centre at Yeovil College for the Somerset & Dorset Manufacturing Network focused on ‘Supporting the Sales Funnel with Social Media’. The session gave insider tips, industry knowledge and examples of manufacturing companies throughout the globe who have successfully implemented and are seeing a direct increase in sales since adopting high impact social media strategies.

Matt argues that social media is capable of supporting the sales funnel throughout the sales process by:

1 – Raising awareness via viral video and online PR

2 – Helping firms in considering their product or service via social media optimisation for search or comment via forums

3 – Educating consumers via blogs, Wiki or white papers

4 – Encouraging recommendations via forums, Twitter and review sites

5 – Completing a sale via LinkedIn or Twitter

6 – By its nature social media is about building relationships and therefore encouraging repeat business

Take a peek at the presentation here and if you have any questions please send us a Tweet!

Matt Anderson from Montage said: “The Manufacturing Advisory Service in the South West has given a £100 million boost to the economy since its launch in 2002, providing 3000 engineering and manufacturing businesses with information and advice.  The organisation plays a key role in our economy so we were delighted to support this event, meet with many of the region’s key manufacturers and show them ways to enhance their social media strategies.”

Recruitment Using Social Media

One of the UK’s leading digital and marketing recruitment companies Adlib Recruitment approached Montage Communications to assist with its online PR and online recruitment strategy for key areas of focus.

A detailed online audit conducted by the agency revealed the buzz, sentiment and influencers already generated online about Adlib and further revealed interesting online tactics used by its competitors.

Montage designed and implemented Adlib’s very own blog which features all the latest news, trends and events.

Montage created a detailed editorial schedule for Adlib’s blogs and Tweets and now the Adlib team are regular and confident users of social media, from blog writing and Tweeting to LinkedIn debates and Bookmarking.

In addition a Social Media Strategy was devised that looked to move away from the typical recruitment approach of spamming candidate jobs and focused more on building personal relationships within the digital marketing and PR industry.  Montage also produced a comprehensive Social Media Company Policy Guideline Publication for Adlib employees.

Onsite bespoke LinkedIn and Twitter training to ensure all the Adlib team were using social media tools in a professional, consistent and creative manner, was conducted by Matt Anderson with some great sales results.

Here’s a Tweet from Frank, the MD of Adlib on why he LOVES social media and what he thinks about Montage too!

“Social media is highly effective for us as a lead generation tool as it’s more immediate and you can link back directly to decision makers.”

“Matt has a happy knack for making something scary sound a lot nicer and a lot easier than you first thought it was. He’s unflappable and handles other people’s trials and tribulations with the calm they deserve. Systematic, organised and delivery-focused, he also knows how to get you noticed and might know just a thing or two about social media. All of which adds up to him being someone you should talk to.”

On and offline success for premier provider of high assurance data sharing products

Our latest client, Deep-Secure Limited, formerly operating as the Specialist Products Division of Clearswift, has built up a reputation as the premier provider of high assurance data sharing products for Defence and Government organisations around the world.  The team here at Montage have been working with them on a range of both traditional and online PR.

With niche and prestigious customers including UK MOD, UK Government, NATO, Australian Defence, BAE Systems and many of the global system integrators, our role is to implement an ongoing highly targeted and integrated on and offline campaign to generate sales, increase market share and its position as an industry thought leader.

Last month we launched its new WordPress website, with graphic design by our design associates FrankBrands and our super PHP developer genius Rob!  Within four weeks the new website had a significant increase in visitors. Future plans for the site include integrating a blog.

A LinkedIn campaign headed up by our social media specialist Matt Anderson, will ensure that Deep-Secure will have a prominent profile on this social networking site.

From White Papers and Datasheets to press releases, newsletters, interviews and features, the Montage team are mixing both traditional and social media approaches.  Our latest piece of coverage in V3.co.uk featured Deep-Secure’s Dr Simon Wiseman’s concerns over the government’s plans for a public sector network (PSN) that will change the way data is shared between departments and outside agencies and the contentious issue of how it will replace the large numbers of individual networks owned by public bodies with a single telecoms infrastructure that will host the new Government Cloud.

So what does our client say about us?! Deep-Secure’s Chief Executive Miles Clee said:

“Matt and his team have delivered an excellent service, and our company profile has continued to grow in the media under his guidance.”

Montage helps Connexions West get social!

Over the last few months Montage has been working with the marketing team at Learning Partnership West to help them climb aboard the social media bandwagon!

The brand new Learning Partnership West website will feature our video case studies shot on location in Bath and Bristol, featuring young people who have used the services of Connexions West and gone on to own their own businesses, combine parenthood with study and work their way up the educational ladder, providing inspiring and motivating ‘real-life’ stories.

The Montage team has also created regular e-zines showcasing all the latest news and developments; conducted interactive media training with live radio and TV interviews and created a Connexions West Facebook Fan Page   [Launched 29/09/10 here]…more exciting social media projects to follow soon!

SWRDA ‘South West of Tomorrow’ webinar

Our latest project on behalf of the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) involved working with leaders from the region’s business community to stage our fourth roundtable debate which was broadcast on SWRDA’s videostream site.

This live and interactive event focused on ‘The South West of Tomorrow’ and the future of the region’s economy. The debate was chaired by Alan Qualtrough, Editor of the Western Morning News and Regional Editorial Director.

The panelists included James Staughton, Managing Director at St Austell Brewery; Carol Wells, Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses; Mike Rutter, Managing Director at Flybe and Suzanne Bond, Executive Director of People and Skills at SWRDA.

Audiences throughout the UK took part by commenting via Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or email. The Montage team filmed, edited, tweeted and blogged live at the event, answering questions and featuring the responses and highlights of the day. Over 600 people took part in this live online debate.

The video excerpt below is an interview with Ian Mean, Editor in Chief at Gloucestershire Media and Suzanne Bond, Executive Director of People and Skills at SWRDA.

For further content please visit the South West RDA’s YouTube channel.

Pilgrims Choice – it’s all about the cheese!

As crazy cheese lovers here at Montage we were over the moon (it’s made of cheese isn’t it?) to be approached by Pilgrims Choice to conduct a social media audit and to devise a social media strategy.

The Montage team conducted a social media audit across three  months of data and measured Blogs; Forums; Twitter; Social Networks; News; Comments; Photos and Videos.

The audit reviewed and analysed the online activities of key competitors, online conversations about the brand and revealed a range of online opportunities to enhance Pilgrims’ brand presence online.

We can’t give away all of our findings…… but we can tell you that:

- A huge amount of people blog their diets in real time and rely on web 2.0 to build self help groups for weight loss and diabetes etc.

- The humble cheese toastie has a Facebook Fan Page with 329,343 fans!

- People love to talk about cheese almost as much as the weather (even in Motorbike and Fishing forums!)

- There are numerous funny and excentric videos showing how much us Brits love cheese (especially cheddar), our favourite is below:

The next steps include regular blog writing and SEO content for their website, Twitter and Facebook campaigns.

Watch this space, this is going to be a very creative and fun online campaign – cheese-tastic!

Twestival Figures Just In!

The team at Montage are still recovering from an amazing night at Bristol Twestival last week!  The money raised from the event has now been counted and we can reveal that a staggering £5,617 was raised!!!!  If you missed the action take a look at Bristol Twestival’s YouTube video.

That figure is the 3rd highest amount of money raised by a UK city and the 11th most in the world.   All money raised at all the Twestivals taking place around the world will go to the education projects run by Concern Worldwide.

Concern’s work is informed by a vision for change and its education programs target the poorest people in the poorest countries in the world, with particular emphasis on reaching out-of-school children such as girls, orphans, street children, working children, children affected by conflict, children affected by HIV and AIDS, and children with disabilities. Concern’s education programs currently reach over 700,000 people in 25 countries across the regions of Africa,  Asia, and the Caribbean.

The team here is delighted to have supported this event as part of our CSR strategy and hope to continue providing social media and on and off line PR to Twestival for many years to come!

‘The Green Economy Debate’ Live with Social Media Eye

The Green Economy Debate - Live

This event is being covered live using videostreaming technology and social media to host a debate on green issues relating to business, the economy and the last budget before the UK General Election. This is provided by our Social Media Eye service that incorporates videostreaming technology, live motion graphics and social media participation.

Business leaders from the region’s business community will discuss the green economy and the key issues of the day in a roundtable debate to be broadcast on this website on Wednesday, March 24 at 11:30am to 13:00.

Northcliffe Media, owner of Gloucestershire Media, publishers of The Citizen, Echo and The Forester, is teaming up with the South West RDA to host this interactive debate.

Taking place on Budget Day, the event will seek to look at how the region can make the most of the green economy and touch upon some of the economic issues business leaders would like to see both the Chancellor and the future Government tackle, regarding the low carbon economy.

Log on to this site at 11:30 am on Wednesday, 24 March and take part by:

1 – Clicking on the triangle play button to start the video below.

2 – To comment: Log in to ‘Cover it live’, below the video screen, either by entering details or using your Facebook, Twitter or MySpace details.

3 – If you have any questions for the panel, queries about the use of the site or just want to have your say, then please Tweet @SWBusinessnews or #greendebate

To follow the live debate Click Here

South West RDA Social Media Press Release Site

The South West RDA commissioned Montage to create a bespoke social media release site incorporating video, high res photography, bookmarking and social networking technology for the entire South West RDA’s press releases and a news Twitter feed.

It’s a “mash-up” of different services to provide a rich multi-media press room that combines a WordPress, Media Genius, Feedburner, Addthis, AddtoMany, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. The system allows the South West RDA to monitor, listen to, evaluate and respond to its stakeholders, bloggers and public using Twitter, Flickr and blog mentions.

The site is proving to be a huge success with numerous blogger mentions and traditional media pick up. It has [3,327  followers 01/09/10]; is listed 254 times on Twitter lists and has secured over 7,925 Flickr views.