Black Vanilla Open House Report

Last night, we held our very first ‘open house’ event as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The drop-in event was an opportunity for entrepreneurs, start-ups and businesses with growth ambitions to meet the friendly BV team and learn how public relations, social media and creative content strategies can help them develop credibility, build their impact and increase their income.

We had Clive White from IslandFM on hand to explain how small businesses can access affordable websites, and Rachael Cumberland-Dodd from Feed Marketing shared her expert advice on building a brand.

We are delighted with how the evening went and the fantastic turnout that we had. Many ambitious small business owners, entrepreneurs and those simply interested in learning more about Black Vanilla joined us for a chat and a bite to eat. The agency was buzzing with energy, enthusiasm and ideas to support a range of brilliant business ideas.

Those who attended were interested in speaking to the team about our strategic approach, defining their audience and how to target them productively, as well as our specialist services like social media and copywriting.

Some of the tips and ideas we shared include:

• Spend time thinking about your audience, create personas and really get to know them
• Map your key messages according to the audience segments – messaging is not a one-size-fits-all approach
• Use your own marketing tools to the max – your website, blogs etc. are a powerful, low-cost way to share your story
• Social media is a blend of strategy and planning, along with spontaneity. Be authentic and find your organisation’s voice. Think carefully about which channels to use – remember to put your audience or customer first
• Call in experts for tasks like copywriting which is both a skill and an art
• Do set aside a proper marketing budget based on your sales forecasts, and then plan a considered campaign that meets your objectives
• Talk to people and get advice – two heads are better than one

It was inspiring to hear and discuss local people’s fresh and exciting ideas. We particularly enjoyed speaking to those who have put technology and digital innovation at the heart of their business and those focusing on sustainable and unique ways of working.

Look out for similar events in the new year, we’d love to meet more of you brilliant entrepreneurs!