On The Blog
Social Media Content Ideas For November
This time of year is heading quickly towards peak trading time for many, for others, it's heading towards a quiet time when the festive season gets underway, and, for everyone, a new year is on the way. Before we look at our own products or services there are a lot of...
7 Monthly Marketing Tasks For Your Business
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that marketing is essential to the success of any business. But what exactly does that mean for small business owners and the self-employed? Sometimes it really does feel like your list of marketing tasks is...
Digital Women Freelancer Of The Year Award 2022 – Finalist
On Friday 14th October I get to meet up with an amazing group of women I've become involved with in recent years, Digital Women. I'm delighted to have made the list of Finalists in the category Freelancer Of The Year, a role which in the announcement was listed as;...
Working With A Freelance Marketing Specialist – Why It’s An Option To Consider
I've been involved in Marketing roles for 25 years now, all the way back to 1997 when it became part of my job as I managed a retail outlet. I found that aspect of my work so enjoyable that I went to college for four years while working full-time to make a definite...
Canva Training For Small Business
We're delighted to announce an upcoming workshop in conjunction with WhatsWhat.ie On Thursday 27th October at 10am, members of WhatsWhat.ie are invited to a Canva For Small Business Workshop which will be facilitated by Debbie Ringwood, Freelance Marketing Specialist...
Social Media Training For Small Business
Social media has become a powerful tool for businesses and individuals alike. It allows businesses to connect with others in new ways, enables us to find new audiences for our products and services, gives us a place to share information, and not forgetting, to build...
Digital Marketing Strategy Is Available On The LEO Trading Online Voucher – Here are 7 Reasons You Should Have One
In today's digital world, having a strong online presence is essential for any business that wants to succeed. After all, more and more people are using the internet to find the products and services they need. That's why having a well-thought-out digital marketing...
Repurposing Content: How to Get the Most Out of Your Blog Posts
If you're like most business owners, you're always looking for ways to get more mileage out of your content. After all, creating quality content takes time and effort, so it's only natural that you want to get as much use out of it as possible. And the thought of...
Social Media Content Ideas For October
Autumn is in full swing and that means there are plenty of opportunities for businesses to create engaging content for their social media channels. First up, it's important to note that there are a number of key awareness themes for months and as of this post we'll be...
The Digital Business Card – A Review
Some months ago I came across an ad for a digital business card that got my attention. As I updated my branding in 2021 at a time when we weren't networking face to face I hadn't updated my business cards yet so I thought this might be an option. It arrived over a...
The Importance Of Consistency On Social Media
If you're like most small business owners or entrepreneurs, you understand the importance of social media. You know that in order to reach your target audience and grow your business, you need to be visible online. But what you may not realise is that one of the most...
The 90-Day Visibility Game Plan With The Marketing Shop
At The Marketing Shop, we've got a number of programmes available, our 1:1 and group programmes have been popular over the years. Our online programme, 'Making Sense Of Marketing' which kicks off again on Wednesday 11th January 2023 has already been quite a hit....
7 Ways To Grow Your Email List
Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience. Frequently small businesses avoid it, in some cases, they've got a database that's not in use which is a wasted opportunity. If you need convincing that email is worth a look, check...
Content Marketing – Why You Need A Plan
If you're in business, chances are you've heard of content marketing. but what exactly is it? And why should you care? In short, content marketing is creating and sharing valuable content to attract and retain customers. This can take many forms, from blog posts and...
5 Ways To Find Content Ideas For Your Blog Or Social Media
Are you struggling to come up with ideas for content? Are you feeling like you've run out of things to say on social media? If so, don't worry – you're not alone. A lot of people find it difficult to come up with new content ideas, especially when they're under...
Canva Text To Image App – New Feature
I don't generally post quite as many Canva updates as I have this week but this one new feature I think you'll love. Canva had their 'Canva Create' event this week and with it officially launched some fabulous new features, some of these such as websites and...
Canva Video Background Remover – New Feature Alert
Anybody reading my blog or following me on social media knows that I'm a big fan of Canva and as always, I'm delighted when there's a new feature introduced. This latest feature is going to be very popular as you can now remove the background of your video within...
10 Reasons You Need A Marketing Coach For Your Business
As a small business owner, you wear many hats. You're the CEO, the CFO, the sales team, and the marketing department all rolled into one. It's a lot to handle! And chances are, marketing is not your forte. That's where a marketing coach comes in. A marketing coach can...
8 Steps To A Successful Social Media Presence for Your Business
In today's digital age, having an active and successful social media presence is essential for any business that wants to stay relevant and attract new customers. But with so many different platforms and options available, it can be tough to know where to start. In...
September Social Media Content Ideas
Another month begins and as we head into September, there's a real autumn feel about everything as leaves fall, schools go back and the first of the Halloween decorations makes an appearance in shops!. In the latest edition of our monthly posts on themes for the month...
How You Can Support A Local Business When Times Are Challenging
In a world dominated by big business, it can be difficult for a local business to work through changing times. They typically don't have the resources to grow their sales or as much focus on marketing as they'd like yet still have to make things happen. As we head...
You Should Have A Social Media Plan For Your Business, Here’s Why
Are you a small business owner who is wondering if social media is worth your time? If so, you're not alone. A lot of business owners are unsure of the potential return on investment (ROI) they could see from social media. However, with a well-developed social media...
Don’t Cut Your Marketing Spend When Times Are Tough: 5 Reasons You Need to Keep Investing in Marketing
Times are tough, and many businesses are feeling the pinch. It can be tempting to cut back on marketing budgets to save money. However, this is a mistake that many small business owners who don't have the marketing expertise or a history of leaner times in the past to...
3 Reasons Why You Should Start Your Own Business Blog
There are many reasons you should start a business blog. In this post, we're looking at three of the most important ones; a blog can help you improve your SEO, connect with customers, and generate leads. If you're not sure whether starting a blog is the right decision...
Making Sense Of Marketing with Debbie Ringwood of The Marketing Shop
By now you may have seen some posts on our social media or newsletter in relation to our new online programme, 'Making Sense Of Marketing' and in this post, I'm going to share a little more about what's involved. With over 25 years of experience in Marketing &...
Local Marketing Tips For Business
When it comes to marketing your business, local marketing is an area that's often overlooked in the quest for finding customers out there online in your own country or indeed, further afield. In reality, you've probably got lots of potential customers quite close to...
Canva Whiteboards Are Perfect For Team Collaboration
Another wonderful new feature has arrived on Canva, this time it's Canva Whiteboards - the ideal option for those collaborating on any project. With a selection of templates (as always!) Canva has made getting started very simple, we've selected a mind map for our...
Canva Websites Are Now Available And They’re Very User-Friendly Too!
I'm forever talking about how wonderful Canva is and it continues to impress with new features all the time. With the addition of Canva Websites I think a lot of business owners will be very impressed. I am a Canva Champion, I'm very experienced on the app so for me...
3 Benefits of Outsourced Marketing: More Time, More Money, and Increased Efficiency
There are many benefits of outsourced marketing, but some of the most important ones are that it can save you time, money, and increase your efficiency. When you outsource your marketing, you are essentially hiring experts to do the work for you. This can be a huge...
Defining Your Ideal Customer And Why It Matters To Your Business
Do you know who your ideal customer is? If not, it's time to define them. When you have a clear understanding of who your ideal customer is, it becomes much easier to create marketing messages that resonate with them. In this blog post, we will discuss the process of...
Is It Time For TikTok Training For Your Business?
TikTok is a popular app that has exploded in popularity over the last few years. In case you’re not familiar with it, TikTok is a social media app that allows users to create and share videos. Users can upload up to a few seconds of footage; and once they’ve uploaded...
Social Media Content Ideas For August 2022
August already and although we might not like it, the countdown to back to school and before we know it Christmas is underway - even if it's still summer holidays for most of us. As always we've got a selection of themes that might be useful in your social media this...
Working With A Marketing Coach
A Marketing Coach can help businesses and business owners create strategies that will attract customers and keep them coming back. They also help companies improve their customer service and product quality by offering that unbiased third party support that you might...
Social Media Content Ideas For July 2022
It might not be quite the weather we're all hoping for (yet) but schools are out, days are brighter and we're all out and about a lot more than we've been in recent summers. Over the summer many industries go through a slightly quieter period, at the same time many...
Finalist – Digital Women Freelancer Of The Year 2022
The list of finalists in the Digital Women Awards are being shared at the moment. When it came to Digital Women Freelancer Of The Year Award 2022, I was delighted to see myself, Debbie Ringwood, on the list. This is what Digital Women had to say about this particular...
Social Media Content Ideas For May
A new month, brighter days, and for lots of us there are holidays on the horizon or time out from routine too. In today's world though that time out will see most of us still connected to social media at some point, even if it's just to share a snap from some...
Marketing On Special Dates
Throughout the year we mark a wide range of special dates such as Valentines, Easter or Christmas. Aside from that, we might have dates relevant to our industry or milestones that are worthy of a celebration in our own business. Regardless of the industry, you're...
Making Sense Of Marketing With The Marketing Shop
We've finally succumbed to the creation of an online course and based on our research, it was perfectly clear that the best option for us would be 'Making Sense Of Marketing' - because we KNOW there's a whole lot of advice out there which can be more than a bit...
It’s getting Reel-y Interesting On Social Media
If you're on Instagram for personal or business use you won't have missed Reels, those video clips that can be a very varied mix of content but are encroaching ever more on your feed every time you log in. As of this week Reels is being rolled out globally after a...
Debbie Ringwood – Canva Champion
Over the years I've tried a whole lot of very different apps for business and one of those over every other has become a tool that I use multiple times every day because it's transformed how we work in Marketing and indeed, for many in Business. Canva launched in 2013...
Share The Love Over Valentine’s Day Through Your Marketing
Yes, it's time for that feast of hearts and flowers and all things red and pink, with it being on a Monday there's ample opportunity too for businesses to cash in over an extended weekend. If you're not one of the industries that are traditionally associated with all...
What’s New At The Marketing Shop
The new year is well underway and we felt we'd hold back on an update on what's been happening, the early part of the year is all about the planning and new goals for everyone, in our case though we got that underway a lot earlier than usual... At different stages of...
The Switch Hustle Podcast – Bofin Consultancy
I was delighted to join Mags Boland Murphy of Bofin Consultancy recently on their popular podcast, The Switch Hustle. We did a lot of talking and covered Business, Marketing, Tips For Small Business, Web Design and more. Grab a coffee and listen back now at this...
What does a Community Manager do for your business?
When it comes to the world of social media there are so many very different jobs to be done, so many different content types and of course so many different networks and options for sharing content on them that it can at times be tricky to understand exactly what it...
Planning Ahead For Autumn Marketing
It may well be the last weeks of summer holidays, the countdown to school is already well underway. In many cases, we can feel the change of season even if we're all trying to ignore the autumnal feel to the clothes that are arriving in our favourite shops! In...