Blog

Smartphone Photography Training – New Video On Demand Course

Comsteria’s hugely popular ‘Smartphone Photography For Business’ workshop is now available to rent or buy as a Video On Demand training course. The 2 hour session designed and presented by Comsteria’s Emma Baker is sold exclusively via Vimeo On Demand and is yours to stream, unlimited for a year for just £19.99. You also have the option to buy the course outright, and download to keep forever, for £49.99. Emma has put this course together Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago
What Makes A Good Brand - a blog by Comsteria

What Makes A Good Brand?

There are many elements that contribute towards building a good brand, many of them subtle. You might argue that you only truly know what makes a good brand when you have successfully built one, and even then, history is littered with examples of brands which failed to understand what made them special and threw away much of what worked. There are a few elements I think the majority of successful brands have in common and Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago
Embrace The Space by Colin Kelly and Gary Ennis

Embrace The Space book available now

Comsteria Managing Director Colin Kelly has co-authored ‘Embrace The Space’, a new social media training book, available now from Amazon. The 280 page paperback, by Colin and Gary Ennis from NSDesign, is packed with ideas, inspiration and insight to help business owners and communications professionals get results from social media platforms and digital in general. The book contains lavish cartoon style illustrations from Keith Atherton. The book has been written over the last 12 months Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago
Scottish Daily Express Review

Scottish Newspaper Review: Scottish Daily Express

Welcome to the first part of a new series on the Comsteria podcast. Each week, I’ll present an in-depth review of a Scottish newspaper. This isn’t like the ‘Press Preview’ you see on television, looking at the stories covered and inevitably discussing politics again. Instead, this is a proper review, a critique. Looking at how the newspaper (print edition and its website) work, helping you better understand the Scottish media which in turn will help Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago

Helping Customers Overcome Fear After COVID-19 Lockdown

As the world staggers out of COVID-19 lockdown, retail and hospitality businesses face serious problems: How can they encourage customers to come back into their businesses? The pandemic has affected us all in some way and ‘going back to normal’ is easier said than done. Pulling a mask on and off every time you go in and out a shop serves as a reminder that despite our efforts over the last few months, COVID-19 is Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago

SQA John Swinney Scottish Exam Results Downgrade

Sometimes, when there’s a hot political issue, or a government minister facing tough questions, consultants and media trainers like me will write blogs critiquing their performance. I could do that here; I could bang on about Education Minister John Swinney’s handling of this week’s SQA Exam Results Downgrade, what he should have said and the advice I’d give him. I could have published the same stuff every other self appointed ‘PR expert’ publishes to sneakily Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago

Review: The Rise Of The Murdoch Dynasty, BBC iPlayer

Everyone would benefit from a deeper understanding of how ‘the system’ works. By that I mean how decisions are made that affect all our lives, how politics and the establishment works and the role the media plays in it all. Helping our clients benefit from our experience in that field is a big part of the work we do at Comsteria and this 3 part BBC series is one we highly recommend everyone watches. You Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago

Client Podcast: SGN ‘Heat Without Carbon’

We’ve just launched our latest branded podcast for gas distribution network SGN. ‘Heat Without Carbon’ is available to listen to on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple, Spotify, and Tunein. The first episode in the series was recorded remotely, during the Covid-19 lockdown and is produced and presented by Comsteria’s Colin Kelly. ‘Heat Without Carbon‘ (<will open Apple Podcasts/iTunes) explores how we might heat out homes in the future, without relying on carbon based fossil Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago
How Much Does Podcasting Cost

How Much Does Podcasting Cost?

We believe everyone has a podcast in them. And while it isn’t entirely free, most individuals and organisations should find it affordable. You should expect to pay around £15 per month for a professional hosting provider and depending on your existing equipment and what you plan to do with your podcast, your costs might not be much more than that. If you are planning something more advanced and elaborate or you need help getting started, Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago
Media Relations Advice

7 Steps To Better Relationships With The Media

Whether the nature of your organisation means the mainstream media can’t help but take an interest, or you’re keen to secure coverage to raise awareness of your brand; getting what you want from newspapers, magazines, journals and radio and television is much easier if you’ve built a mutually beneficial relationship with the people who work at these outlets. Here are a few tips to start getting better results. 1. Consume More NewsGet familiar with the Read more

By Colin Kelly, ago