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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
It’s exciting to see businesses opening their shutters and welcoming customers onto their premises for the first time in months. But business isn’t back to normal, not by a long shot. In fact, with the relaxing of restrictions and new rules announced daily it’s a confusing and stressful time for us all. Clear, regular, and unambiguous communication with your customers is more important than ever. What can you do? Make it your goal to be Read more…
As the country emerges from one of the most challenging periods in its history, here’s a look at what we’ve been up to at Comsteria since the Prime Minister announced unprecedented measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 back on March 23rd. Overnight, face-to-face training dates which account for the majority of our business were either cancelled or switched to webinar delivery. 2 years ago, we invested in our own audio/visual production facilities at our Read more…
The lesson from this week’s Client Stories episode is that video storytelling is the most powerful formula for audience engagement. This is true whether your audience are business clients, restaurant customers, or 4 year old kids! Storytelling is popular because it engages us emotionally. We like to think we’re logical creatures but we actually make most buying decisions based on emotion. That’s why stories work in sales, marketing, and in the classroom. I’ve written lots Read more…
Do you worry about giving too much of your expertise away for free when you make a marketing video? It’s a common concern especially for service based businesses . But the founder of Big Kids Little Learners, Janine Neil, found the exact opposite to be true. When Janine started sharing videos outlining her teaching resources friends advised her to stop. At the very least they said she should charge people to access her expertise. But Read more…