Here are the key points and questions, raised by a diverse array of arts and cultural organisations.

Why do audiences matter?

“Because they are us”     

                             

“Without them, there is no us”

 

“We need their applause”

 

“That they are appreciating the experience”

We consider the art is the most important thing but just as much, it should be about the engagement. Without a focus on people, on the combined artistic and audience agenda, we are the proverbial one hand clapping.

What do you worry about growing and sustaining audience relationships?

“Finding money” 

 

“Finding ways to make it personal when you are dealing with a mass of people”

 

“Lack of diversity. That we talk to the same people all the time”

• We worry about our budget, our social media knowledge and spreading our message.
• We worry about inconvenience, traffic, other distractions/event conflicts, accessibility in travel, public conveniences and safety of area.

These are all valid concerns. But why are we not worried about innovation.  Your organisation needs to take responsibility for innovation.

What do your audiences worry about? 

Is the perception “quality” and “value”? Your audience doesn’t just worry about it – they demand it. Quality and value are ubiquitous.

What is relevance? 

It is the narrative you need to make your organisation’s work meaningful and purposeful. Programmes like the Olympics or the X Factor don’t just show you the event. They show you the back-story, the personal journey.  And, three minutes later you are emotionally invested.

When it comes to emotional investment, we all do great work in the moment itself. But you had to be there. What does it take for us to get the audience there in the first place? A postcard or an email with a URL isn’t enough. This won’t build emotional investment.

What’s the next event you are going to try and sell your audience?

The Paradox of Choice, by Barry Schwartz talks about how if you give people too many choices they buy less and are less happy with what they buy. So, don’t send your customers everything. Help them with their discovery to make the link.

Audience development cannot just be delegated to the marketing department. Innovation requires all to work together. Read Matt’s blog to learn more his four audience types.

Our Imperative of Innovation

Too often enough we think of our audience having to come to us. For successful participation we must make ourselves relevant in their lives, where they are. Are we ensuring this social and emotional connection, expressing the narrative and keeping them entertained?

How will the world be different five years from today?

How will your organisation adapt or adjust to change? What is an option as a response?

From asking this question, options and opportunities that we hadn’t considered before will follow. We can’t think only about the work. Instead we must embrace new ideas of  how we will engage differently in the arts. People don’t know what they want until YOU understand them so incredibly well that you can show it to them.

Want to hear the whole thing? This talk is also available as a podcast.

Join the Culture Republic family and benefit from a wealth of upcoming events, workshops and networking opportunities. Drop an email to our partnerships manager Ela. We’d love to discuss how we can help your organisation develop and grow, from practical skills building, funding applications to audience research data.

The post Imperative of Innovation from Matt Lehrman appeared first on Culture Republic.

Culture Republic is bringing you a practical research workshop designed for arts and culture organisations, led by Clair Gilchrist, Research Director at Culture Republic.

This one-day workshop will equip you with the essential know-how to take control of your research needs and help your organisation earn more; understand what works and what doesn’t; and move forward with the confidence that comes from building a full, clear picture of your customer environment.

How much research does your organisation need? Do you have the right tools and skills to make the most of the research you have? Choosing methodologies; analysing information; monitoring and tracking performance over time and against targets are all part of the process – but could you be spending your time and money more wisely to deliver more for less? Could you be using research to predict audience behaviours and identify problems in advance? These are just some of the key questions which we will address in this workshop.
You’ll learn how to use research to improve organisational focus, prioritisation and decision making. Austerity has affected every arts and cultural organisation in different ways: we’ll explore ways of stopping old practices and introducing new ones that can make your organisation more efficient, better informed and better prepared for whatever change is on your horizon.
Previous experience of research projects is not necessary.

Who should attend?
• Large or small arts & cultural organisations
• Marketing and leadership teams
• Anyone who has questions about their audience or market and wants to know how to approach getting the answers

You will learn:
• The process of conducting research
• The principles to follow for your research project to have maximum impact
• What to do at each stage of the process
• The secondary sources available to you
• The options available to you for primary research

Feedback from previous sessions:

“This was a really great session, I came away feeling challenged but inspired. Appreciated it being delivered on home turf too, nice not to travel for excellence.”

“Even though we have a course of research in place there was still plenty to take out the session and I was able to get lots of ideas for developing what we are doing.”

Lunch will be provided.

Agenda

10.45 Registration & coffee
11.00 Introductions
11.15 Why research matters & critical success factors
Research planning
12.35 Lunch
13.05 Secondary research
Choosing methodologies
14.25 Break
14.40 Analysing Data
Applying Data
15.20 Discussion and wrap up
16.00 FINISH

Speaker

Clair Gilchrist is Research Director at Culture Republic, managing a wide-ranging portfolio of market intelligence projects, data analysis and research services.She is also the project manager for Culture Republic’s Creative Lives project which focuses on learning and participation in the cultural sector.

If you know others who should attend, please feel free to forward an invitation or tell them about this event.

FAQs

What can I bring to the event?

Please bring your own electrical devices for taking notes.

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?

If you have any questions prior to the event please contact us on [email protected]

What is the refund policy?

We have a 48hr cancellation policy.  If you are unable to attend the event please let us know 48hrs in advance of the event.  After this time you will not be eligible for a refund.  

The post Asking the Right Questions Intelligence Gathering for Cultural Organisations Jan 2017 appeared first on Culture Republic.

The Basics of SIMD16

• SIMD16 is a relative measure of deprivation – not an absolute measure.
• SIMD16 does not say how more or less deprived one data zone is to another.
• SIMD16 looks for social problems and issues such as income, employment, health, education, access to services, crime and housing.
• ‘Deprived’ does not just mean ‘poor’ or ‘low income’. It can mean people have fewer resources and opportunities, for example in health and education.
• Not all income deprived people live in the most relatively deprived areas; two out of three people who are income deprived do not live in deprived areas.
• Not everyone in a deprived area is income deprived: just under one in three people living in a deprived area are income deprived.
• SIMD16 can be used to identify where relative deprivation exists in an area, as well as to compare deprivation in areas.

For more information visit the SIMD16 website which offers a wealth of information including:

• SIMD ranks and indicators
• Links to maps and other resources
• First release publication
• Technical Guidance
• Local analysis (coming soon)
• Quality assurance reports (coming soon)

Scotland at a Glance:

• Population: 5.3m
• Data Zones: 6,976
• Population living in the 20% ‘Most Deprived’ Data Zones: 1.05m

Glasgow and South-West Scotland at a Glance:

• Population: 2.3m
• 43% of Scottish Population
• Population living in Scotland’s 20% ‘Most Deprived’ Data Zones: 702k

An example we looked at on the day was Inverclyde, Here’s what we learnt: 

• Total population: 79,860*
• Approximate population breakdown: Greenock: 38,000, Port Glasgow: 15,000, Gourock: 14,000, Inverkip & Wemyss Bay: 7,000 and Kilmacolm: 6,000
• 44% of the Inverclyde Local Authority population, are defined as zones within the 20% most deprived areas of Scotland.
• By identifying the social problems and issues that define the Inverclyde Local Authority in this way, the three common factors are: Income, Employment and Health.  These three factors can be further explained by researching local knowledge and the history of the area.

SIMD16 and Your Organisation

What proportion of the postcode sectors in your ‘reach’, are engaged with what you do?

Who isn’t engaged with your work and what are the key social reasons for this?

What local knowledge can you apply to explain relative measures of deprivation and social problems?

How are you planning to use SIMD16 and your local knowledge to set and measure targets for audience development, and in funding applications to support your local community?

Examples of how SIMD16 could play a key role in arts and culture organisations around Scotland

The North:

Findhorn Bay Arts: Part of Scotland’s National Youth Arts Strategy aiming to open up a range of exciting routes for children and young people to connect with creativity.

Central Scotland:

Aspire Dundee: This initiative uses a range of cultural activities including dance, drama and music, as an innovative way of tackling deprivation in some of the most disadvantaged areas in Dundee. Local expertise is being used from within Dundee’s cultural sector for this.

Glasgow and South-West Scotland:

Citizens Theatre: This theatre is committed to making their work accessible to its community, through a variety of initiatives including a limited number of tickets for sale at 50p for productions. There are also pricing strategies aimed at the unemployed, concessions and various others. Additionally, access needs are met with signed and captioned performances, as well as a Deaf Theatre Club.

Sir Harry Burns – an inspiration for the arts and culture sector

From his early days as a surgeon, to his role as Chief Medical Officer, and now as Professor of Global Public Health at Strathclyde University, Sir Harry Burns has spent his career striving to improve the lifestyles of people living in Scotland. He has also most recently taken up a post on the Scottish Governments Council of Economic Advisers (having a public health specialist on the panel is ground-breaking and a world first!).

Check out Sir Harry Burns’ talk at a local TEDx event in Glasgow. Here the professor explored the concept of salutogenesis** and the impact it has on the most disadvantaged members of our community:

Sir Harry Burns also said:

“It is about people’s potential and everyone in Scotland contributing to the max in terms of their artistic, creative and work capacity”

 

“Is there some other way in which we can invest in the future of young people? Because economic research suggests in the medium to long term there is a huge payback”

 

“…the days of doing things to communities are past. Instead, the new approach is about doing things with communities…”

For more ideas on how your Arts & Culture organisation can use SIMD 16  to better serve your community and reach a wider audience please feel free to contact Kathryn Ellaway.

* Population based on 2014 NRS small area population estimate (unrevised figures as published in August 2015)

**A term coined by Aaron Antonovsky, a professor of medical sociology. The term describes an approach focusing on factors that support human health and well-being, rather than on factors that cause disease (pathogenesis).

The post SIMD16 appeared first on Culture Republic.

Arts administrators worry.

We worry about cash flow. We worry about achieving and sustaining consensus. We worry about attracting and retaining quality staff team. We worry about logistics. We worry about outstanding grant applications and whether last year’s donors will continue their support this year. We worry about deadlines and opening nights. We worry about why ticket sales are underperforming budget expectations. We worry about play-off games that get scheduled concurrent with long-standing major events. We worry about the short term. We worry about the long-term.

It is our nature to worry.

And late at night, when the world is quiet, we also lie awake and worry about RELEVANCE.

The words vary, but the core of the question is: “Who cares about the kind of work we do?” Sometimes we ask “who will care” or “who used to care” which reveals that the nature of our worries are NOW (say, when reviewing a disappointing ticket sales report) or SOON (as in considering next season’s offerings) or LATER (posed while updating a strategic plan.)

In a brand new workshop called Opportunity Everywhere – coming soon to Glasgow, arts & cultural organisation leaders have been tackling that worry – taking time to parse it into its elemental components and address it as functions of the challenge of audience development.

I’m delighted to share this self-test – and invite comments & questions at [email protected].

How Relevant is My Arts Organisation?

Score each of the following questions on a scale of 1 (not at all satisfied) to 5 (highly satisfied).

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU THAT…

1. The aim of our MISSION STATEMENT is important.
   Even if you can’t quote or don’t love the specific words of your organisation’s mission statement, answer this question based on your understanding of the intention it expresses.
2. Our ARTISTIC CHOICES fulfil our mission.
   For clarity, focus on the artistic decisions made within your organisation within the last 24 months.
3. We possess the CAPACITY to pursue our mission.
   How satisfied are you with the financial, human, physical and intellectual resources available to you to pursue your mission?
4. We understand & agree on what drives RELEVANCE from the perspective of the people who attend and support our activities. 
   When it comes to making decisions within your organisation – how thorough and explicit are any discussions of the implications of those decisions on your audiences, visitors, customers, donors and stakeholders?
5. We own the full journey of the AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE.
   To what extent has anyone within your organisation charted and taken steps to direct the specific route by which attendees discover, decide, attend and evaluate their experience with you?
6. We satisfy the growing imperative of CONNECTIVITY.
   How present is your organisation in the world of social media? How vigorously does your organisation embrace opportunities for social media connection to the events you produce and present?
7. Our company is well-embraced by a “VILLAGE”.
   Just as “it takes a village to raise a child,” how well supported do you, personally, feel by your organisation’s Board, donors and stakeholders? Whatever your role or level, if you feel lonely, or if that support feels distant, that’s a legitimate cause for dissatisfaction.
8. Beyond survival, there’s a real CAUSE to our efforts.
   It’s not uncommon to spend one’s days solving immediate challenges and crises. So, take a deep breath. This question asks you to consider how much of your stress is relieved by recognising the greater cause behind what your organisation is working to accomplish.
9. We excel at making people feel CONNECTED.
   Every non-profit arts & cultural organisation has a “mission” at its core. This questions asks you to evaluate how effectively your organisation connects that mission to audiences, volunteers, donors, members, visitors, stakeholders, vendors, staff members and others with whom it comes in contact. The imperative is to not merely “perform for” or “exhibit to” an audience, but to engage them in an on-going relationship.

TOTAL SCORE __________
Maximum = 45

Scoring:

• 40+ – ROBUST – You appear to be on solid ground! Be sure to share this self-test among others of your Staff and Board to confirm consensus. Keep up the great work!
• 35-39 – PROMISING – Your results likely reveal a general weakness or a very specific weakness. Either way, rest assured that you’re in a fairly strong situation where you can take proactive steps to improve your ratings.
• 30-34 – CHALLENGED – Relevance can be a fragile and fast-changing virtue. Consider this evaluation as a “wake up call.” It doesn’t mean that nobody loves you or that you’re locked in a downward spiral. It does mean that it’s time for your staff and Board leadership to focus on being mindful & purposeful on ALL the ways it can work to pursue relevance. As the saying goes, “It’s not how many times you get knocked down that matters. It’s how many times you get back up.”
• below 30 – CONCERNED – Don’t fret! This self-test also serves as a “flotation device” – and can be used to create a specific action plan for your organisation. Consider sharing this self-test among others of your Staff and Board to identify areas of shared concern and priority. It’s not too late start asking profound questions or to consider making meaningful changes, but you should proceed with a sense of urgency.

The post How Relevant is My Arts Organisation? Take this self test! appeared first on Culture Republic.

The 4 Types of Audiences

You want to attract, grow, diversify and sustain your audience?

Great! But the biggest mistake you can make is to think of that audience as a single entity. True, “your audience” converged at some point – whether for a particular night’s performance, during the run of a production or exhibition, into your venue, or some other way onto your mailing list. But the happenstance of their intersection doesn’t mean they share the same motivations, preferences or priorities.

Here is a more practical model by which to understand and serve your audience – a model we explore in-depth in my Audiences Everywhere workshop…

Consider a framework of 4 basic audience types on a grid where vertical represents the CAPACITY to participate (i.e. time, money, physical ability and opportunity) and horizontal represents their level of INTEREST:

• Devoted – These the relatively small number of people with high interest and high capacity who already know that they love you, your art and/or your organisation and can’t wait to be part of whatever you are doing next. You want to attract and grow this audience? Then reward them with a “depth” of relationship worthy of their passion and loyalty.

• Oriented – With high interest but lower capacity, think of them as people who subscribe to the local newspaper (God bless them!) and open the arts section eagerly because they know that “their fun” lies somewhere inside those pages. Conventional arts marketing focuses on attracting these audiences the first time – believing that once they’ve had a taste, they’ll return. The numbers speak for themselves: research by TRG Arts reveals that an astounding 76% OF AUDIENCES WHO ATTEND IN ANY ONE YEAR DO NOT RETURN IN THE VERY NEXT YEAR. So, you want to attract and grow this audience? Better to start by recognising that your organisation – like every arts & cultural organisation – is an incredibly leaky bucket and before investing time and resources in advertising for new audiences, we have a major job to plug those holes.

• Asleep – A vast population possesses neither the capacity for nor interest in whatever an arts organisation is offering. We call this “audience” “asleep” but the name is not intended as a pejorative. It solely references our opportunity/responsibility to awaken these folks. To be clear, whenever we proceed from a “pick the low hanging fruit” methodology, we are actually directing that organisations should abandon this population. There’s nothing easy or immediate about the process of awakening this population – but the idea that arts & cultural organisations can survive solely by “picking the low hanging fruit” when demographics, technology, competition and everything else suggests otherwise makes that an outdated and dangerous philosophy. It’s time to CHOP DOWN THAT TREE and replace it with a metaphor that recognises the imperative to serve audiences beyond the ones who come to you most easily.

• Uninspired – How exciting! Here’s the quadrant whose people possess the time & money, but who routinely fill their leisure time with OTHER activities because “they were not raised in households that exposed them at an early age to the value of arts & cultural experiences.” Let’s note that these folks aren’t “uninformed” – so, the solution here isn’t to shout more marketing messages in their direction. Rather, this quadrant reminds us to pursue the mission of our organisations in “Extraordinary” ways – because the only way to inspire the uninspired is to actually inspire them.

Lastly, let’s observe that audience members likely fall into multiple quadrants… A Devoted fan of musical theatre may be Uninspired when viewed from the perspective of classical music or Asian art. Someone who is oriented to jazz may be totally asleep when viewed from the perspective of contemporary dance.

This model of audience engagement provides both a macro and micro perspective on who is your audience and practical ways to cultivate that relationship.

“But eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The post Model of Audience Engagement appeared first on Culture Republic.

Culture Republic is bringing you a practical research workshop designed for arts and culture organisations, led by Clair Gilchrist, Research Director at Culture Republic.

This one-day workshop will equip you with the essential know-how to take control of your research needs and help your organisation earn more; understand what works and what doesn’t; and move forward with the confidence that comes from building a full, clear picture of your customer environment.

How much research does your organisation need? Do you have the right tools and skills to make the most of the research you have? Choosing methodologies; analysing information; monitoring and tracking performance over time and against targets are all part of the process – but could you be spending your time and money more wisely to deliver more for less? Could you be using research to predict audience behaviours and identify problems in advance? These are just some of the key questions which we will address in this workshop.

You’ll learn how to use research to improve organisational focus, prioritisation and decision making. Austerity has affected every arts and cultural organisation in different ways: we’ll explore ways of stopping old practices and introducing new ones that can make your organisation more efficient, better informed and better prepared for whatever change is on your horizon.

Previous experience of research projects is not necessary.

Who should attend?
• Large or small arts & cultural organisations
• Marketing and leadership teams
• Anyone who has questions about their audience or market and wants to know how to approach getting the answers

You will learn:
• The process of conducting research
• The principles to follow for your research project to have maximum impact
• What to do at each stage of the process
• The secondary sources available to you
• The options available to you for primary research

Feedback from previous sessions:

“This was a really great session, I came away feeling challenged but inspired. Appreciated it being delivered on home turf too, nice not to travel for excellence.”
“Even though we have a course of research in place there was still plenty to take out the session and I was able to get lots of ideas for developing what we are doing.”

Lunch will be provided.

Agenda

10.45 Registration & coffee
11.00 Introductions
11.15 Why research matters & critical success factors
Research planning
12.35 Lunch
13.05 Secondary research
Choosing methodologies
14.25 Break
14.40 Analysing Data
Applying Data
15.20 Discussion and wrap up
16.00 FINISH

Speaker

Clair Gilchrist is Research Director at Culture Republic, managing a wide-ranging portfolio of market intelligence projects, data analysis and research services.She is also the project manager for Culture Republic’s Creative Lives project which focuses on learning and participation in the cultural sector.

If you know others who should attend, please feel free to forward an invitation or tell them about this event.

FAQs

What can I bring to the event?

Please bring your own electrical devices for taking notes.

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?

If you have any questions prior to the event please contact us on [email protected]

What is the refund policy?

We have a 48hr cancellation policy.  If you are unable to attend the event please let us know 48hrs in advance of the event.  After this time you will not be eligible for a refund.  

The post Archived: Asking the Right Questions – Intelligence Gathering for Cultural Organisations appeared first on Culture Republic.

‘What are the dos and don’ts for the look and feel of your print?’

‘How can arts organisations make the most of print distribution?’

Benefits of Print in a Digital Age

• Adds another dimension to an integrated marketing mix.
• Track a wider audience.
• Major online businesses that use print distribution include ASOS, Net-a-Porter and Moshi Monsters.
• Print is physical and tangible.
• Printed assets are ‘always on duty’, you don’t have to click on anything or turn on your devices to get the message.
• Print has a strong organic reach.
• Print is self-selective.
• Print can be made to engage all your senses (smell, touch, sight, audio).
• Holding a flyer or brochure creates emotions of ownership and engagement.
• Printed assets can be tracked and measured by using tracking codes.
• The cost of print has dropped and technological abilities have increased.
• Print allows for a richer story.
  

  Top Tips for Design & Print

• Visual Impact- pictures say more than words. Select great images that convey the right message.
• Front Cover- boost the pick-up-ability factor with great branding: colour, imagery, typeface, etc. The cover design is critical, especially top third section of the printed asset as this will stand out and get you noticed.
• Integrated Print & Digital- encourage readers to engage through social media. You can direct traffic to your website for richer content, offer incentives to sign up, use consistent branding, graphics and content throughout and repurpose data to suit each target market.
• Less is More- a quick read for high impact. Use clear, concise content that helps your audience to understand what you are about in an instant.
• Top Class Production- the quality of print can reflect the quality of your offer. A poorly produced leaflet might put your audience off from attending events.
• Size Matters- consider your readers. Print is portable, tangible and transferable so use formats that are both easy to use and cost-effective.
• The Right Paper- watch out for the flop-ability factor. Too thin and your printed asset could flop, too thick and you won’t get enough leaflets onto the rack.
• Essential Info- include the basics: prices, times, maps, address, website, contact and make sure that it’s all legible – don’t let elaborate graphics get in the way!
• Proof Read, Then Proof Read Again – go over your print thoroughly before it is committed to paper and ask colleagues that haven’t written the copy to proof check – reprints are costly!
• Print in 4’s- multiples of 4 pages per leaflet / brochure (4, 8, 16, 32, 64, etc.) is both economical and environmentally sound.
• Be Ecological- when choosing the right paper look for the ‘Forest Stewardship Council’ symbol.

As ever, we loved getting together with our friends from CCA Glasgow, East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, On at Fife Theatres, Cumbernauld Theatre, National Youth Choir of Scotland, East Ayrshire Leisure, National Museums Scotland, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble and V&A Dundee to discuss real issues that we‘re all facing in the arts as well as just to catch up and break bread together. Happy days!
Find out more about how you can be a part of November’s #1stWed at Dovecot, Edinburgh.
Share your thoughts and experiences on print distribution HERE 

For more information on print distribution please visit: Direct Distribution or  Tartan Ink.

The post The Paper Trail appeared first on Culture Republic.

One audience, many values

Whether at a theatre, an exhibition or writing a blog – we all know that everyone interprets events and information differently. However, insight helps us to shape our voice for different groups in society to be meaningful and relevant.  On Monday, Paul from our team showcased the value of Google Analytics. Website analysis is a great way for understanding how audiences react towards your message. Tuesday, saw Kemi delve into the social media engagement with some useful insight into how social media opens up the world to more debate and real time information. This was a celebration of our need to be different but share our common values with others…

Just going out for the messages

Think about how you talk to your colleagues, your parents, your child or even your neighbour. We adapt our language (verbal, body, written) to whom we are talking. In our world of arts and culture marketing it’s no different. On Wednesday, Ashley nailed the value of getting a content plan in place. It’s important as part of any marketing strategy; you are thinking of how to organise your time, segment your audiences and get the most impact from your content.

SEO – computer says no

Let’s be honest, there will be some technically minded types out there reading this thinking, ‘So what?’ SEO best practice with Eva from the team served up some everyday tips on how to ensure your message reaches a wider audience. Often when you think your message is creative and brilliant, algorithms take over and the cyberspace says ‘NO’. A uniform and structured approach to keywords and content on your website will help your message gets noticed.

Here for you…

Success full teams have a ‘can-do’ approach and welcome a range of diverse opinion… people from all walks of life, with different personalities, coming together to share.  The ‘Learn from Us week’ has been a great way of showcasing the wealth of knowledge within our team, for helping you grow your audience.

For November’s first Wednesday, Kathryn from our team will be presenting on Deprivation and Social Inclusion. SIMD16, a tool that can be used to invest in those areas that need it the most, and make it easier consider your own audience engagement practice in this area.

While we are on the point of diversity and displaying the “aye” in our team – I’d like to point you to The Learning Week with Matt Lehrman series. As an audience expert and strategist, Matt brings over a fresh perspective from the USA. Join us and Matt, for the jam-packed week of thought sharing and innovation coming to a city near you!

Don’t miss these useful articles and keep an eye out for Matt taking over our airwaves next week:

• Getting more from Google Analytics
• Social Media Engagement
• Content Hacks for the Win
• SEO Best Practice
• The Learning Week Audience Development Series  
• Deprivation and Social Inclusion – An introduction to SIMD16

The post Celebrating Diversity with our team appeared first on Culture Republic.

What is SEO Engine Optimisation?

Is the implementation of strategy and good practice to achieve high search engine rankings (SERP) which will in turn drive more traffic to your website.

What are those strategies?

Gone are the days of going keyword crazy, Google now use a different algorithm to inform rankings. Whilst keywords still have a part to play, you may be surprised to learn that one of the main drivers is valuable content. This is because the behaviour generated by users interacting with your content – such as shares and commentary- legitimises the authority of a page within Google.

Ensuring you have fresh and valuable content on your site has multi-fold purpose. It keeps your site engaging, whilst bolstering your authority within the field, this will encourage loyalty and returning visitors – which in turn drives rankings. Furthermore, content that contains the relevant subject matter will naturally contain the keywords and phrases that are used in searches.

Do your research

As keywords still have a part to play in the Google algorithm, Keyword Research should become an ingrained part of your campaign planning. Google AdWords’ Keyword Planner is a great research tool; however, the results are limited according to your account access. Do not despair as there are still a number of free keyword research tools out there, such as: https://serps.com/tools/keyword-research/

TOP TIP – Know your market:

Go one step further and Keyword Planning can actually be incorporated into your competitor analysis. Within the browser, navigate to Developer > View Source and simply enter the term ‘keyword’ in a search bar. It will highlight the terms that your competitor uses, giving invaluable insight.

Alt, Link, Repeat

Images need to have alt text (or alt tag) attributes. This has the duality of making them readable by screen readers for the visually impaired, but also by Google, so that it can identify related topics. Images are part of the multi-media content that Google loves to lap up, so labelling them correctly and giving them alt tags is essential.

Be sure to have outbound links to relevant high-profile pages, ideally ones that link back to your own site. Reviews, popular blogs and listing sites are good examples of this. This cyclic nature of authoritative sites linking to your own and back again, is highly valued by the Google bots.

Yoast so simple

If your site is created in WordPress, be sure to add the free Yoast plug in. It has a simple interface with a nifty traffic light system, which assesses your SEO and identifies pointers for improvement. For bespoke sites, created in code-free programmes such as Muse, there are still options to add metadata within each page as well as alt tags and titles.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read the rest of our Learn From Us series below. Don’t forget, we will be bringing Matt Lehrman, an internationally respected expert on audience engagement, to Scotland for a three city tour from 31 October to 2 November 2016. Remember we are here for additional consultancy too. Contact us to discuss.

The post SEO Best Practice appeared first on Culture Republic.

Here’s today’s instalment of digital skills and drills that will hopefully send a shockwave of electricity through your social media channels and set up your organisation in flashing neon lights. Has your Facebook engagement dropped? Wondering how you can better engage with your fans? Look no further, help is at hand! #TuesdayMotivation

#1 Pose a Question
If fans can relate to the question and you find a way to leverage people’s interests or needs, they’ll find it hard not to answer.

#2 Ask Fans to Make a Choice
A fun way to get your fans to engage with you is to publish a “this or that” post. Most of the time, those debates are good fun but be mindful of trolls. If you want to spark even more debate, you can always mix in a little controversy but avoid politics.

#3 Post When Your Fans Are Online
Check your Facebook Insights to find out when your audience is most active. By default, the dashboard shows data for when your fans are online.

Top tip: Posting late at night (when your fans are less active) isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s less competition in their feed, so the people who are active on the site are more likely to see and engage with your content. Try posting at different times to see what works best for you.

#4 Share Relevant Images
One picture is worth ten thousand words! Enough said.

#5 Engage With Other Brands
Wander the social landscape, post to other pages, and engage with brands when there’s synergy and a shared audience.

#6 Include a Call to Action
Use a call to action in every post, whether it’s to prompt a comment, share, opt in, like, RSVP, or any other action. Always tell your audience what you want them to do to encourage engagement.

#7 Boost Your Best Posts
If you have a blog post or other website content that has seen tremendous traffic, post it to your Facebook page and boost that post. Give it a modest boost of $25 and target the people who like your page and their friends.

#8 Share Industry News and Hot Topics
Even your most loyal fans are interested in more than just your business. Sharing big news from your industry will show your fans that you’re not focused solely on promoting your business.

#9 Share Content from Other Channels
Select content, videos, and images from your other social platforms (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and so on) and share the best with your Facebook fans (and vice versa).

#10 Go on, Have a Giggle
Please lighten up!  Show some personality. Don’t overthink it. Keep your audience’s interests in mind and make sure the humour is relevant and appropriate.

In the vein of practising what I preach (also see #6), I compel you, please, for the love of digital, get in touch. It can be about anything: the weather, your favourite brew or if you need more help in the area of social media engagement. You can also get more hands-on help at our Learning Week conference.  Remember we are here for additional consultancy too. Contact us to discuss.

Shout out to www.socialmediaexaminer.com

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