Martha Wood Marketing

16/10/2024

Happy Wednesday Folks!

I just wanted to let you know there is a £500 voucher currently available for all business types based in the Westmorland and Furness area through the Cumbria Chamber / Cumbria Growth Hub.

These can be used towards Marketing Consultancy, so if you've been thinking of seeking some support - it could be a great way to get started using the funding.

For the £500 I can provide 5 x 1 hour one-to-one sessions of consultancy and this could be for anything from looking at your target audience, how to build a marketing strategy, or more specific things like how to create top quality social media content.

I believe that the vouchers are only available until the end of the year and on a first come first serve basis so if you're interested please let me know and I can send you all of the information through 🥰

09/10/2024

At the start of September I had the pleasure of presenting a fab local business with their brand new marketing strategy.

The owner of Revive Kendal had just changed premises and wanted the move to mark a new start for his massage therapy business!

Having experienced several of the treatments for myself, I had an inside insight into how brilliant Mark is at his job and couldn't wait to help him reach his ambitious goals! Here's what Mark had to say after receiving his new marketing strategy.

"I engaged Martha to write a marketing strategy for my new massage therapy business. I am blown away by the quality and detail that has been given to me.

The first thing that was apparent was how excited Martha was and undertaking this having tried my therapy. Martha was instantly invested in doing this for me.

Martha's knowledge and attention to detail is incredible. I received regular updates on the progress and was extremely excited to see the finished product. Martha's dedication and drive is inspiring and her amazing personality left me feeling I was in very good hands.

I feel extremely confident that I can take my business to the next level and I certainly couldn't have taken the next steps without the strategy that Martha has given me. Thank you so very very much Martha. I can't wait to take this forward and I knew at the beginning that I had made the right choice in seeking your help.

If you want to take your business forward then I can't recommend using Martha's services highly enough. You certainly won't regret it and you'll achieve your goals. Outstanding service. Fantastic product and a wonderful lady."

🥹🥹🥹 I really do have the best job!

If you want to harness the power of purpose to meet your business goals, investing in a marketing strategy could be the first step to help you on your way!

Interested? DM me for more info!

07/10/2024

When I said I’d be floating on or in a lake during my week off, this is exactly what I had in mind 🦦

What a fab week off we’ve had in Scotland - hiking, paddle boarding & some touristing thrown in for good measure! Can’t go to Scotland without seeing a castle right?!

I’m back on it today catching up with emails and WhatsApp’s with enquiries and requests so please bear with me 🫶🙏

Big thanks to for holding the fort whilst I’ve been away, as always they’ve done a brilliant job!

30/09/2024

✨ Out of office mode activated ✨

Phew, I am shattered! I LOVE my job but it's been one heck of a busy year, I'm taking some much needed time off this week (30th Sept - 7th Oct) please feel free to email, DM or whatsapp with any opportunities and I'll be in touch on my return next week.

In the meantime I'm escaping from technology for a week and will most likely be floating on (or in) a lake or up a mountain in my happy place. ❤️

Thanks for your understanding!
Relaxed zen Martha will see you in a weeks time 🙌🧘‍♀️ x

27/09/2024

Earlier this year I subscribed to an E-newsletter by a local SEO expert and was so blown away by the value that was shared in each and every email. So much so that I invited this person for lunch. I wanted to connect with this person who was sharing so much value and hear more about them and the services they provide.

And after a couple of weeks, I've had two enquiries for work which is much more in line with their skill set and I have recommended them! ❤️

As business owners, marketers and creators, we have the power to make email newsletters interesting and full of value for our readers.

Having a direct ticket to someone's inbox is a privilege that shouldn't be taken advantage of!

I'm super proud of my new e-newsletter that I launched just a few months ago....
The Three T's - Marketing tools, tips and takeaways in an easy to digest, 3 minute, monthly read.

It's small, but perfectly formed and people have reached out to say how helpful they are finding it which is utterly amazing to me! Mission accomplished ✅

I've also had some people sign up to my workshops through it, others have recommended me to people who might need my services and some are just enjoying the benefits of a little free monthly marketing advice. 🥰

Check out my latest blog "How can an email platform help small businesses grow." to read more about how you can utilise email marketing to grow your business!

Deep dive in here > https://marthawoodmarketing.com/how-can-an-email-platform-help-small-businesses-grow/

25/09/2024

If your content is falling flat right now - this post is for you!

Google had a core update in August which focusses on rewarding businesses with websites containing high quality, valuable content that is original. So if you've been using your blog and social media pages to sell sell sell, you're quickly going to fall behind and it is time to act fast.

Things are moving fast and you need to be able to "tell" your story to "sell" your business.

Storytelling and sharing from personal experience is one of the best ways to create authentic, high quality content that relates well to readers and actually provides value in an easily digestible way.

“Facts presented to readers or viewers as part of a story are about 22 times more memorable than when presented as facts alone. In fact, experiencing a story leaves a physical and emotional trace in our brains. These are effects bare bones information simply can’t compare with. Facts need a good side-kick. They need a good story.”

So the next time you sit down to create any content, start by pinpointing WHAT you are trying to achieve with this piece of content and WHO your target audience is.

Then remember the Five Cs of story telling – Character, Context, Conflict, Climax, Closure.

Give it a try and remember, quality and consistency over quantity wins every time! 💪

23/09/2024

These stats blew my mind a little! 😅🤯

Over 5 billion people use social media worldwide, with the average person using more than six networks per month. But even with people spending more and more time on social media, it’s impossible for consumers to actively engage with all of the content they see.

So with increasing over saturation on social media posing an ever growing challenge, how can businesses cut through the noise?

Start with gaining an understanding of your audience and what type of content they like to consume and when.

Studies show that Instagram Stories and Videos on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok are THE most engaged with posts across the board. BUT simply just “posting more videos” isn't enough of a strategy.

I've always advised my clients to prioritise quality over quantity and utilising one particular form of content type which is on the rise.

“Edutainment” content has been reported as the type of brand content that audiences find most entertaining (Social Sprout Q2 2024 Pulse Survey).

If you're asking what the heck is "Edutainment"....

Education + Entertainment = Edutainment

This type of content provides information about your product or service but in a super fun and engaging way.

The key to great Edutainment content is all in the story. So, what story are you trying to tell? 🤔

https://marthawoodmarketing.com/combat-oversaturation-on-social-media/

20/09/2024

After a little change in venue, dates and times thanks to all your feedback, I am delighted to announce my new Mini Marketing Workshop - Creating short form video content for social media!📱

Short form video content is on the rise and utilising this type of content, can actually help you to reach more of your target audience, gain more business and stand out from your competitors.

This workshop is going to be perfect for marketers or business owners who DIY their own marketing. You may already be familiar with video content, but you know you need to do more and want to learn skills to feel more confident!

I'll be sharing lots of handy tips and tricks that I use for filming and editing short form video content including :
- Planning your content 📝
- Recording video 🎬
- Tools and software 📱
- Editing and refining ✂️
- Preparing to share 📣

Sound good? Here's all the details...

📅 Thursday 24th October
⏰ 10:00 - 12:00
👛 £35 per person
📍 Riverside Hotel Kendal

There are just 10 places available so if you're keen, get your place booked fast 🏃💨
Can't wait to see you there ➡️ https://marthawoodmarketing.com/training/

17/09/2024

Have your social media analytics been less than impressive lately? 💩

Do you feel like you’ve tried everything but nothing is working as well as it used to? 🤔

Worried you’ve lost your touch? 🫤

You’ll be pleased to know you’re not the only one feeling like this!

The fast paced and ever changing digital landscape, plus the sheer volume of content being published, is contributing to oversaturation on social media, making it even more difficult to reach your target audience in the same ways that you used to.

To put it simply, there are more accounts, posting more often, on more platforms, to an audience that’s constantly consuming content. It’s no wonder that it’s becoming increasingly challenging to break through the noise. 🙈

But don’t lose faith – even in this era of oversaturation, there are things you can do to cut through the noise. You just need to change up your approach. So let’s look at what you can do to combat oversaturation on social media and stand out amongst your competitors.

Interested? Keep reading....
https://marthawoodmarketing.com/combat-oversaturation-on-social-media/

03/09/2024

Time is running out, if you've been thinking about booking onto my google business workshop and haven't yet, this is your last chance! It's tomorrow🏃‍♀️

If you're a small business owner looking to boost your local presence, attract more customers and stand out in your community - this ones for you 👉

My upcoming workshop is designed specifically for small business owners with a physical location or those who regularly engage with customers in person. Whether you run a shop, café, gym, estate agency, event space, or any local attraction, this session is tailored to help you grow your business.

Date: Wednesday, 4th September
Time: 6:00 PM start - 7:30 PM
Cost: £12 per person
Location: No-Hands Rest Coffeehouse
🔗 https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/64863?

Spaces are limited, so book your spot today!

Please note: You'll need to bring a laptop or iPad with access to your business Facebook and Google Business pages ready to go. We will not be covering Google Ads in this workshop.

30/08/2024

There's no sugar coating it, getting a negative review is pretty cr*p 💩

I developed a thicker skin working in a hotel as a receptionist when I first moved to the Lake District in 2013. Dealing with complaints and negative feedback became easier the more I had to deal with it, but I still vividly remember the first time I got yelled at by a guest before promptly running off to have a cry in the toilets 😭

As a business owner, reviews can make or break your business BUT at least with an online review you have the power to step AWAY from the screen and take a breather to compose yourself before responding.

If there's one thing we can all agree on it's that negative reviews are rubbish to receive... BUT they are also a really good opportunity to learn and grow. After all, we're all only human, we all make mistakes, most decent people can recognise and understand this, but it's how you learn from mistakes that can really make a difference.

For my pro tips on how to turn a negative review into a positive experience, head over to my blog ✍️
https://marthawoodmarketing.com/blog/

28/08/2024

I still have places left on my upcoming workshop if you're quick!🏃‍♀️

If you're a small business owner looking to boost your local presence, attract more customers and stand out in your community - this ones for you 👉

My upcoming workshop is designed specifically for small business owners with a physical location or those who regularly engage with customers in person. Whether you run a shop, café, gym, estate agency, event space, or any local attraction, this session is tailored to help you grow your business.

Date: Wednesday, 4th September
Time: 6:00 PM start - 7:30 PM
Cost: £12 per person
Location: No-Hands Rest Coffeehouse

Spaces are limited, so book your spot today via my website ➡️ training page (see comments)

Please note: You'll need to bring a laptop or iPad with access to your business Facebook and Google Business pages ready to go. We will not be covering Google Ads in this workshop.

📸 Photo credit Scott Heleniak

26/08/2024

If you're wondering how the HECK anyone manages multiple social media accounts without going completely bonkers, I'm about to share my worst kept secret with you.

It's the worst kept secret because anyone who talks to me about social media marketing or anything to do with being organised and planning content, I immediately start reeling off all the amazing reasons why they HAVE TO sign up and give this tool a try.

I am talking about Metricool. My not so secret weapon to keeping on top of content scheduling, analytics and reporting. It's not just great for social media managers, but business owners too. You can get a free account with plenty of access to features or upgrade to a paid account to get more fab tools!

Read more on my blog about my favourite social media scheduling tool.

https://marthawoodmarketing.com/social-media-scheduling-tool/

23/08/2024

With 96% of people learning about local businesses online it's SO important to make sure your digital information is up to date. ✅

My takeaway for small biz owners and marketers this month is to remember that most of your potential customers are searching online for credible businesses right now.

Take some time out to look at your Google Business profile (please tell me you have a google business profile!?😅) and check to see if all the information is current and up to date.

Want to learn how to optimise your Google Business Profile and drive more local engagement? Join me at my next workshop which looks at how you can improve your local reach through Google Business and Facebook Groups. DM me for more info!

21/08/2024

Did you get a cheeky little email from me last week? 💌

My August edition of the Three T's Newsletter has made it's way to the inbox of those lovely folks who have signed up!

"What are the Three T's.... is it Taylor Swift, Tea & Treats?" ❌ sadly, not (although that does sound pretty great and now I'm thinking how could I create a business around these 3 things 🤔!)

The Three T's is my monthly newsletter which delivers... a marketing tip, tool and takeaway straight to your inbox in the form of a short and sweet 3 minute read, perfect for the busy professional!

Sign up ready for the next one! ➡️ https://marthawoodmarketing.com/blog/

19/08/2024

Like with anything in life, if you want something to grow, you have to invest in it - whether that be an investment of time and energy or money 🌱

The same is true for marketing, I've been saying this a lot to people lately, the juggle between having the time or the budgets to progress with marketing your business is an important consideration and it has to be right for you and where your business is at right now.

I do the same for my business and often ask myself...
🔹What do I want to achieve?
🔹How fast to do I want to achieve this?
🔹Is this something I can do myself with some training / research?

Investing my own time and energy to see some initial growth in the short term, can often mean that in the mid to long term you generate enough income to be able to justify the budget to hire professional.

It really depends on how QUICKLY you want to see results 📈 Do you agree?

16/08/2024

Super excited to be hosting another mini marketing workshop in September!

If you're a small business owner looking to boost your local presence, attract more customers and stand out in your community - this ones for you! 👉

Join my upcoming interactive workshop designed specifically for small business owners with a physical location or those who regularly engage with customers in person. Whether you run a shop, café, gym, estate agency, event space, or any local attraction, this session is tailored to help you grow your business.

What you'll learn:

✨ Optimize your Google Business profile
Discover how to rank higher on Google Maps and get noticed by people searching for businesses like yours.

✅ Handle negative reviews like a pro
Learn strategies to turn negative feedback into opportunities for growth.

📣Google business events & updates
Stay ahead of the curve by leveraging the latest features and updates from Google Business

🫂Utilize facebook groups
Reach new customers in your target audience by tapping into the power of local Facebook Groups

Date: Wednesday, 4th September
Time: 6:00 PM start - 7:30 PM
Cost: £12 per person
Location: No-Hands Rest Coffeehouse

Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your online presence and attract more local customers.
Spaces are limited, so book your spot today > https://marthawoodmarketing.com/training/

Please note: You'll need to bring a laptop or iPad with access to your business Facebook and Google Business pages ready to go. We will not be covering Google Ads in this workshop.

14/08/2024

One of the top things I hear from small businesses is the challenge of reaching new local people. It’s a common goal and I get it - getting your name out there can be tough!

With Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and 100's of other channels out there, it can be hard to pick where to begin. But one of the BEST channels to help you reach new customers is often neglected... your trusty Google Business Profile!

Your Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful tools to help you reach new people. It’s your digital storefront that’s open 24/7, and when optimised right, it can really help you get noticed by the people searching for businesses like yours.

If you haven’t given your Google profile some love lately, now’s the time! I am running a fab interactive workshop to help businesses improve their local reach with Google Business and Facebook Groups.

This workshop is PERFECT for small business owners with a physical location or businesses who make regular in-person contact with customers. Including but not limited to... shops, cafes, hotels, restaurants, pubs, gyms, PT's, fitness centres, coaches, estate agents, events spaces, wedding venues, museums, local attractions, trades people, activity centres, clubs - the list goes on!

🗓️Wednesday 4th Sept
⏰ 6pm - 7:30pm
👛 £12 per person
🏠 No-Hands Rest Coffeehouse

Full details & book your place > https://marthawoodmarketing.com/training/

A few tweaks can make a world of difference in attracting the customers you're looking for ❤️

13/08/2024

I've been publishing some training workshops recently and am absolutely loving using the Trybooking.com/UK events platform! 🎫

It's a similar platform to Eventbrite but (in my opinion!) MUCH better in terms of marketing options, plus the set up has so many options to personalise your events, add discount codes, auto-emails and much more.

With full integration options to your website, full brand personalisation and a whole host of features to help organise and advertise your events, it's a fantastic option!

It's free for free events and if you have a paid event, the fees are super low AND you can choose to pay them yourself or pass them onto the ticket purchaser.

The UK branch is based in Cumbria, they're super friendly and whilst you can totally crack on and create an account yourself, I recommend getting in touch with [email protected] to arrange a video walk through of all the features so you can really make the most of all the capabilities!

Happy event organising folks x

09/08/2024

Being a woman in business is so tough sometimes.

It’s that time of the month again, where my body feels out of control and I can’t do anything other than rest and give it time.

I honestly don’t know how I would cope being in so much pain with my periods every month if I was in full time employment. At least being self-employed I can try to plan work around my cycle but sometimes I get it wrong and it can be so bloody hard (pun intended!).

I’ve had to cancel talks that I’ve been booked in to give and cancel attending important events because I’m in so much pain.

It’s taking a toll on mental health, something I’ve struggled with in the past. But I’m determined to get to the bottom of it and try to find a solution so we keep pushing on.

In a few days I’ll be back on it again, you’ll probably see me around, my normal happy go lucky self - on it with work and loving life, but I wanted to share this as a little reminder that even when things are seemingly going well, behind the scenes people can still be struggling 🫶 take care of yourselves and if you need to talk, I’m always here.

07/08/2024

07/08/2024

Mentoring has honestly been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done!

Although I am fairly new to the freelance world, I feel so grateful to have had such a positive and successful journey and have learnt an unbelievable amount in the last 2 years.

I have had some fantastic support from business mentors that has undoubtably helped me to make such a success of the business, so I know how valuable it can be to have a fairy godmother in the wings who can help to keep you on the right track!

To now be able to offer this as a service to other freelancers or marketing professionals makes me SO excited and as part of my new website launch, I am delighted to share a case study from one of my fantastic mentoring clients, Little Miss Social Media

Cecile is an amazing 19-year-old entrepreneur from the Lake District, who is pursuing her passion for marketing & social media. She wanted to find a way to help others achieve their dreams and put small businesses on the map through the world of social.

Facing several challenges along the way (as we all do!) Cecile wanted to take charge and get some support from someone who was a little further along their journey looking at topics from attracting new clients to designing her service packages.

It was an absolute pleasure working with Cecile and I can't wait to help more people in this way in the future!

If you'd like to read the full case study and a gorgeous testimonial from Cecile, take a look on my new website here ⬇️
https://marthawoodmarketing.com/portfolio/cecile-clark-little-miss-social-media/

01/08/2024

About last night 😍

Thanks so much to everyone who joined my Canva workshop .hands.rest

It was such a great evening and there was a real buzz in the room with people really getting stuck in!

I can’t wait for my next workshop now 😍🙌

I have 2 coming up in September…

✨ Improving local reach using Google my business & Facebook

✨ Using TikTok to boosting your business

Head to the link in my bio and click training to find out more & book your place!