It has been a busy week at The Consult Centre!

Here are some of the highlights and things we are most proud of.

World Mental Health Day

Our own post for The Consult Centre

It was World Mental Health Day on October 10. As mental health is a subject that affects everyone (particularly at the moment) we, and our clients, felt strongly that we wanted to show our support.

Lesley and Greg worked their socks off to produce designs for social media posts for most of our clients, explaining why looking after our mental health is so

important.

Our post for Morecambe Bay Wills & Estates.

The posts received a very positive response and we would like to thank our clients for joining us in raising awareness of the conversations around mental health - and that it’s a subject we should think about not just on World Mental Health Day, but every day!

PR

We have had some great successes with press releases of late. First of all, Sand Communications was delighted when our press release about their sponsorship of a local football team hit the front page of the Wetherby News in Yorkshire and also went in the Harrogate Advertiser!

We were also very honoured to be asked by Nicola Combe from Morecambe Bay Wills & Estates to work with her on a very personal story about why she supports the local cancer charity CancerCare, which was featured in the Lancaster Guardian.

Congratulations Nikki!

Our wonderful office manager Nikki celebrated two years working at The Consult Centre this week, and received a huge thank you bouquet of flowers courtesy of The Hanging Basket Lancaster!

Coaching and Networking

One of Ruth's social media courses

Ruth has been really busy delivering her Essentials courses in social media through Leading Lancashire and Lancaster and Morecambe College.

‘The Queen of Zoom’ as always gets high marks from her students for the quality of her training, coaching and mentoring in everything you could ever need to know about Facebook, LinkedIn, Google My Business, Twitter and Instagram.

John Elsworth, who was on Ruth’s LinkedIn course, said it was “an absolutely amazing session: I didn't know there was so much to know about LinkedIn but now I do. I can't wait to start using it! Ruth never fails to impress me. Thank you, Ruth!”

We also held our monthly online networking event with businesses on Thursday. It was very well attended with some great contacts made and conversation had!

If you would like to join our friendly session, you can register here .

Did you also know that Ruth offers a free half-hour 121 coaching session for businesses? For more see here.

Marley

We have had a lot of people asking about The Consult Centre’s ‘unofficial mascot’ after he made some popular appearances on our social media channels!

Well we’d like to make it very clear that Marley is not a mascot or the office pet…he is in fact, The Boss!

Ali from Sand meets Marley!

Plain and simple, what Marley says, goes. If he wants a walk, he gets one. If he wants a doggie biscuit, he gets one. If he wants to sit under Greg’s desk expectantly, while he eats his lunch every day, then he will!

And he's very popular with our visitors too, such as our client Ali from Sand Communications who popped in to see us last week!

Marley has very quickly settled in to office life and made himself at home and we will bring you more about his story in the weeks and months ahead…

Would you like to find out what more The Consult Centre can do for you and your business? We can make your social media shine! See here for more.

The Invincible Mindset - 5 keys to being resilient

1. THINK BIG

Always think big.

Life is too short to think in short time.

Always think big, look at the bigger picture and don’t get bogged down with things that will not matter tomorrow.

If you feel yourself getting stressed and anxious about something, ask yourself: “Will this matter tomorrow, next week, next month or next year?”

This technique helps you to identify challenges that are worth investing time and worry into and those that you need to take a step back from and push to one side.

2. WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU?

Some say success means money, a promotion, early retirement, saving up for a deposit on a house or becoming CEO.

However, is success finding time for both family and work?

Is success leaving work every day feeling you have developed and are proud of what you have achieved?

What does success mean for you?

Start each day with a clear understanding of your long-term goal and don’t spend your days slaving away to achieve someone else’s idea of success.

What is it you want? How are you going to get there?

3. BE HONEST

Be honest with yourself. Don’t be afraid to pat yourself on the back and be proud.

Similarly, if something doesn’t quite go to plan then reflect and focus on identifying how best to approach that challenge in the future.

Life is about learning and developing

We all make mistakes; they are part of learning and developing.

The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is how they respond to failure.

Some bounce back stronger and some are defeated.

Learn to be honest and bounce back stronger.

4. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH INSPIRING PEOPLE

As Oprah Winfrey once said: "Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher”.

Have you ever had of those days where you go into work feeling knackered and within an hour are uplifted and ready to conquer the world due to someone around you who is positive and inspiring?

As social beings, we are naturally influenced by the attitudes of those around us.

So, surround yourself with people who encourage you to think big, strive towards your dreams and be resilient.

Top tip: Have a look at who you follow on social media. If particular accounts consistently leave you frustrated or feeling tense due to negativity, unfollow them.

Our days are full of challenges and frustrations, some of those are out of our control, others we can change.

Take the time to reflect on your day and identify where negativity comes into it then look at ways to change this pattern.

5. NEVER GIVE UP

Never give up on your goals

By looking at the bigger picture and having a clear idea of what success means to you and what you would like to achieve.

Admitting to fault and changing the plan is not a sign of failure, it is a sign of true inner strength.

Never give up on your goals. However, be open to taking different routes to get there.

Are you looking for someone to help guide you both personally and professionally?

Look no further.

https://www.theconsultcentre.com/coaching

Why should your business invest in social media?

As a small business with limited time and resources you may wonder why to invest in social media.

This blog will discuss five reasons why setting up and investing in social media for your business is worthwhile.

A successful social media strategy requires time, commitment and creative thinking and this will lead to some rather striking results.

1. Build Brand Awareness and Loyalty

People buy from people and this creates customer loyalty

The key to keeping your customers is to build a brand that they are proud to associate themselves with. Social media gives you a platform to create and develop a strong and well-established brand.

People buy from people.

Use social to engage, educate and capture an audience of potential buyers, then

your customers will come to you.

2. Generate website traffic

If you speak to any web developer, they are sure to mention Search Engine Optimisation.

A beautiful, creative and intuitive new website is wasted if it is not seen by the right people at the right time.

Using social media correctly can be an effective way to push potential customers to relevant pages on your website.

Top Tip: If using web links in social media posts, link to a specific page that answers the questions that a potential visitor could have.

Put yourself in their shoes, if you had seen that post and wanted to find out more what would you want to know? Use your web page to answer that question!

3. Connect with current and potential customers

Our customer base consists of two different types of buyers: one-timers and long-term loyal returning customers.

In order to be successful, we need to learn how to capture and nurture both types of customer.

Social media can be used to answer the questions of new customers and also stay in touch with and show gratitude to long-term returning customers.

Top tip: When planning your social media strategy, think from your customers and potential customers' points of view rather than your own.

Answer the questions you think they will have, rather than pushing information you want to tell.

Find the right balance in your content - 80% educate and inspire, 20% promote.

4. Create a strong brand character and personality

Building a strong brand character and personality can play a huge part in retaining long-term customers.

Social media is not a platform for preaching, it is a communication gateway for conversations with your customers.

Communication is key

Use colour consistency and appropriate tone and imagery to paint a picture of your company, the people within it, and the solutions you provide.

Saying that, remember to communicate like a human being on your social media channels.

People need to be able to identify with and relate to your brand.

In summary, humanise, personalise and communicate.

5. Keep an eye on your competitors

Most social media channels provide business accounts with free analytics and some features in which you can check out what your competition is doing and whether they are being successful online.

Remember that no matter your industry, there are always potential customers on social media and if you are not communicating with them then your competitors are.

In summary, is it worth investing in social media?

Yes it is worth investing in social media!

Yes, absolutely yes!

Investing does not mean ploughing hundreds of pounds into advertising, it means thinking carefully about your business, what you want to achieve, and how social media can help you get there.

If you are feeling inspired and want to learn more about social media and how to make the most out of it, why not sign up for one of our Essentials courses?

Learn the basics of everything you need to know in three hours and for only £35.

Invest in yourself, invest in your business.