In this episode we talk about the importance of hashtags to help maximise the reach of your social media posts. How many should you use? Where do you find new hashtags? Should you bother about a strategy for hashtags? We cover all these questions and some conversational talk about new technology, Facebook's metaverse and the Apple conference (did Apple get it right in marketing terms or was it a marketing flop?).

Gemma and Darren talk (and giggle) with Andy Read, IT specialist and Director of Resilient Business Systems. We talk about how his former boss helped him start his business, how IT has changed since 2005, remembering days when we used to buy computer magazines and hand-code computer games, the most bizarre IT experience Andy has faced and what IT support will look like in 5 years time.

What is influencer marketing? What’s the best way to set it up? Why businesses should get into influencer marketing?, the questions you should ask first before using an influencer and more in this episode with our special guest, expert social media influencer Fran Lloyd, also known on Instagram as @theonlygirlinthegaff.

The topic in this episode is Christmas for marketers - although we’re in August now, it really isn’t that long until the end of the year and for many businesses, this is a huge event, but for marketers even more so because of the amount of organisation and planning needed for campaigns. We're talking through practical tips and ideas for your business to plan marketing campaigns, key dates and SEO advice. Check the show notes for handy links!

The topic in this episode is Procrastination - I think we all get that feeling from time to time where we don’t want to do something and keep putting it off. So how can you get over this? We look at 4 personality types (which one are you?) and some ideas you can easily build into your day.

There were reports not that long ago that email marketing was on its way out, but there has been a resurgence. Apparently the first email was sent in 1971 and today over 220 billion emails are sent and received daily!! with nearly 45% of those being spam. We talk through advice and tips to improve delivery, content types, email marketing trends and 3 things Emma has used email marketing for her business courtesy of Helen Perry along with discovery of 8 touch points on her website. Phew! It’s a packed show! Big shout out to Zenastr which we used to record this show. Check the show notes for handy links!

There's been a huge number of launches and improvements to services, so this podcast is a round-up of the tools that will make an impact, why these matter and how they can be used to gain an advantage. Gemma talks about her experience of Michelle sending her random invites, who is she?

The topic we discuss in this episode is Pride and Inclusive Marketing and we have three questions: 
1. Who’s doing Pride/inclusive marketing well? 2. How has inclusive marketing changed? 3. How to continue doing Pride when it’s finished? Let us know if your thoughts about inclusive marketing by emailing [email protected]

We talk through what engages us on social media and digital marketing to understand what creators need to consider and build into their content design. The conversation sidelines nicely into branding and those iconic campaigns of yesteryear (what happened to them?). Are brands widening their appeal too broadly in an attempt to dominate or survive?

Looking for new ideas and thoughts around capturing and retaining audiences on social media? We talk through 3 tips each about Instagram, LinkedIn and live video - there's bound to be something here in this podcast for you to try, so give us a listen.