Breaking agency protocol! How Sara Tye is shaking up and leading the way in the world of PR

Sara Tye, founder and managing director of redheadPR, is to pave the way to success for agencies in the UK by sharing insights into her process driven organisation at Agency Hackers event this December.

Sara said, "I'm always living in the future and continuously looking to improve and streamline processes. By doing this, you become more profitable and outcome driven. I looked carefully at my business and noted where processes were being broken, whether that be clients being over-serviced, staff attending pointless meetings or making needless phone calls."

By doing this, Sara has process mapped every part of her business, and she's encouraging others to do the same. Sara will speak at ‘Clockwork - The agency operations conference' on Tuesday 3 December 2019. Her talk is titled ‘How to make your agency hyper-efficient'.

"Not only does this help me and my business, but my clients love it too. It means that they don't continuously get bombarded by emails, they can always track the status of the work and they become more proactive. This creates a much faster workflow". continued Sara.

"It took a year. But now every single client interfaces with us through a project management dashboard. Many clients have adopted a similar dashboard within their own business as a result" says Sara.

Ian Harris, founder of Agency Hackers, said "This sounds remarkable and I can't wait to hear how Sara has done this. Sara is a true inspiration to not only agencies, but to all business owners. If you're interested in automating and optimising your agency, there is something big here that you'll be wise to pay attention to."

Sara is an award-winning entrepreneur, top 500 PR, coach, speaker, mother and 70.3 triathlete. She is an acclaimed top 500 international PR who was a finalist in the first Cosmopolitan Women of the Year Awards in 1999

Founded by Tye in 2003, redheadPR is a dynamic and independent public relations market leader and social media agency based in the South West that celebrated 15 years in business last year. 2018 saw the PR agency voted one of the top three marketing agencies in Swindon. The company manages the profiles of blue-chip corporations, products and well-known individuals, blending established and ground-breaking digital techniques for effective, compelling and brilliantly bespoke campaigns for clients.

SWINDON TRIATHLETE AND PR GURU CONFIRMED AS SUNDRIED AMBASSADOR

Sara Tye the award-winning business and organisational development expert, top 500 international PR, serial entrepreneur and athlete, has been announced as the latest ambassador of Sundried, the active sports clothing company.

Sara, a triathlete who trains for the half ironman distance 70.3, said “I was so honoured to be asked to be an ambassador of this awesome brand. Their commitment to sustainable fashion is something that I truly value and I’m proud to be part of an organsation that’s helping to combat the environmental impacts of the fashion industry. For instance, their Eco Charge range is made from recycled coffee grounds, using coffee's natural ability to block odour. I love the fact its sustainable but also technical.  It’s a brand/company trying very hard to be the best.”

Sustainability and a corporate social responsibility (CSR) has always been a fundamental driver for Sara. She’s worked with the late Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, developed Make Your Mark With a Tenner campaign and Make a Difference Day. Sara also founded the HIV and Aids network, Sophia among other organisations and campaigns. Sara has also helped tackle youth homelessness by working with the charity, Centrepoint and its 65 corporate partners such as the LandAid consortium.

Sara developed stakeholder relations at Thames Water, headed communications at Yellow Pages, implemented BT’s ISO4002 environmental policy.

The Sundried apparel is designed to enhance performance Their activewear features the most advanced technology on the planet, including anti-odour, UV protection, and temperature control, all created ethically and sustainably and sold at a fair price.

Jess Tonking, marketing manager and personal trainer at Sundried, said, “Sara epitomises exactly what Sundried ambassadors are all about; passion, drive, and an interest in sharing knowledge with the world. We look forward to working with Sara and embarking on a long relationship with her.”

Sara is the founder and managing director of redheadPR, ex-chair of Swindon Triathlon Club and a top business development mentor. 

She was CEO of Etape Suisse the company that provides inspirational cycling tours and high-level networking opportunities in Switzerland. 

Sara continued, “As an ambassador, I can’t wait to share my knowledge with Sundried’s amazing followers and customers. I love their clothing and I look forward to helping others achieve so much more in their sporting goals.”

Sara and redheadPR also has a long commitment to the sporting sector. They recently announced that they’re sponsoring Corinne Clark, the triathlete and owner of Corinne Clark Sports Massage in Cirencester. Corinne who is 34 years old, will attempt a podium place at the inaugural KONA™ race in October 2019.

redheadPR sponsored Kev Tonner as he took on the 2014 Edmonton ITU Sprint Distance Triathlon World Championships.

2015 saw them be the media supporter of the RTTC National Championship.

Other past sponsorship includes the press box at Swindon Town Football Club, The Museum of Computing in Swindon and many business awards.

June 2017, redheadPR sponsored the 6th leg of the first ever Tour de Troops, from Ashchurch to Didcot – and Sara even joined in and rode the 56 mile leg. The company then sponsored The Victory Swim 2018.  Both these events raised money for The Felix Fund - which supports the UK's bomb disposal experts their families.

She also rides weekly with Darkroom Espresso Cycling Club. Sara is a member of the Swindon Triathlon Club and ex chair of the club.

Top Swindon PR confirmed as judge in industry awards for the third year running

Leading Swindon PR consultant and award-winning serial entrepreneur, Sara Tye, is to judge The Whitewed Directory Awards 2019, for the third year in a row.

Sara Tye commented: “I’m honoured and excited to be asked back to judge these awards. The standard of entries increases year on year and I’m looking forward to the winners being announced in February 2020. I’m always delighted to help celebrate great entrepreneurship!”

Sara is an award-winning entrepreneur, top 500 PR, coach, speaker, mother and 70.3 triathlete. She is an acclaimed top 500 international PR who was a finalist in the first Cosmopolitan Women of the Year Awards in 1999.

Sara has joined some of the most influential people over the last three years as part of the judging panel. Now the PR is looking forward to repeating the experience in 2019 as the directory of recommended wedding suppliers across the south-west stages its third awards ceremony, launched to highlight and support the region's best wedding industry operators. 

This year, Sara is joined by director of sales of DoubleTree by Hilton Swindon Emma Richards. A key voice for businesses in the South West, Ian Larrard, who is director of the Initiative in Swindon and Wiltshire, completes the judging panel. 

The Whitewed Directory founder and managing director, Natalie Lovett, said, “A big thank you to Sara for joining our professional judging panel again this year. Her business acumen and experience means that she is rightly positioned to judge the entries and choose the very best applications to be put forward to the final.”

The shortlist has been revealed as:

Business of the Year 2019 Finalists:

George Goes Out
Kimmi's Cakes
Natalie Jolley Photography

Start-up Business of the Year 2019 Finalists:
Holly Robinson Jewellery
MK Hair & Makeup
Willoughby & Wolf

Most Inspiring Business Person of the Year 2019 Finalists:
Fluffy Puffin
MK Hair & Makeup
The Prosecco Party

The Peers Award 2019 Finalists:
Cakes by Mrs F
Holly Robinson Jewellery
Wendy House Flowers

The Director's Award 2019 Finalists:
Cakes by Mrs F
Corky & Prince
Holly Robinson Jewellery
Willoughby & Wolf

The winners being announced at an Awards Ceremony on 6 February 2020 to be held at, and sponsored by DoubleTree by Hilton Swindon.

SME Tools: seven steps to the perfect business email

Natwest Contentlive recently asked me, as a business experts and SME owner, to share my tips on writing a well-considered email and why it's important the team are aware of this, too.

Read my response below:

Why is it important to get the tone of a business email right? What can go wrong if you don’t?

  

You can usually sum up an email with the email subject. Without this, some people may not even open it.

I am a communications and business expert and understand the importance of tone of voice. Because we write in short on text message now (I don’t) employees or businesses think it’s OK to do this in email.  It’s not I’ll tell you why. Perception is everything.  The use of good language and being polite is everything.  It helps you in life.

So:

Top and tail your emails like you used to your letters.  I always do unless I can’t really, really get away with it.

I bet you this email will be forwarded to someone I don’t know.  Emails are sent on all the time to delegate and FYI.

Don’t use slang. It looks really poor and gives the perception of a lack of professionalism and a lack of the language you are using.

Never ever have a go at someone on email. Not emotionally. Once it’s down in writing, it’s down. 

Never have a go about someone else. By accident you will send it to the person you are having a go about – why would one do this anyway.

I rarely use exclamation marks. So, many people do. It can be totally misinterpreted and can give the impression of intolerance or anger.

Don’t use 15 words when only 8 are needed. Business professionals don’t have time to read lengthy emails.

Can you give any personal examples of what to do and what NOT to do – e.g. things you do or have seen others do?

I always reread and reread emails and constantly amend. If it’s a lengthy email that I want on the record and saved, then I will make sure that every word counts.

I never use too many words and almost write in report format. Bullets are very good to reduce misinterpretation and emotion.

I only cc in relevant people or even just reply to the one person I need to – ccing in everyone can look political but also rub others up the wrong way.

What do you do in your company and in your own practice to make sure emails are written well and strike the right tone?

redheadPR has a style guide and tone. It was set by me. I have worked corporately at the highest level so do everything in this manner. That means we write emails to the highest standard.

Always top and tail.  Dear Blah and Kindest regards Sara. Always use headings for ease, bullets, and be nice.

Are there any things people now need consider due to emails often being read on smartphones – e.g. getting the main point across right away?

We use a project management board rather than emails for our business. This keeps email traffic down. This means our clients can see information in a dashboard. Writing long emails now is a thing of the past. People don’t have time. They get the information from the board and it fits in the phone screen.

My benchmark is – work from your phone.

What factors should be considered when writing the subject line?

Put the call to action in the subject.

Don’t make it too long.

Make them want to open it.

What tips would you give for opening a business email and getting the tone right?

Make sure you have a really nice signature and your email URL is your brand. 

I hate Gmail and emails without signatures as it’s a waste of space that could be used effectively.

Read the full article and Sara’s comments here: https://natwest.contentlive.co.uk/content/sme-tools-seven-steps-to-the-perfect-business-email

Understanding how leading and managing a business needs different skills and approaches

There are many differences between leading and managing a business. I’ve summarised this below and shared some of my insight into this subject matter:

How do you define the difference between leading a business and managing it?

Leading is realising the vision and taking all stakeholders with you.

It’s about knowing how to take calculated risks and then getting everyone on board to move with you.

Knowing where to invest resources for growth, whatever that growth is.

Leadership is about ensuring the company is a good business – that it’s ethical, the right people and plan are in place to take the business where it needs to go.

Managing is making sure that the resources deliver a good return on investment and realistic goals are achieved i.e. time, machinery, people etc. A lot of these resources will soon be outsourced in businesses of the future.  Best supplier management understanding will be needed to fulfil this.

Is leadership and management mutually exclusive? Should small business owner/managers attempt to combine the two or excel at just one? 

Sometimes, by the nature and size of business, the leader is the manager.  As organisations become smaller and flatter, then the leader/leadership team will have to manage.

There are, of course, pros & cons to that in itself.

But management should become easier as jobs/roles/functions are outsourced.  The outsourced function is managed in its own right.  It will be quality control/assurance that grows.

Should good leaders always surround themselves with excellent managers? 

Why would a leader surround themselves with managers who don’t perform or deliver?

  

Managers of the future will need to become very solution driven to ensure continued performance.

Has the culture of business today meant more leaders or managers are needed to ensure commercial success in the marketplace? 

Yes and No.

One leader can make the most commercially successful business in the market place.  But there will be smaller businesses doing many more outsourced activities so in affect more business leaders.

   

I’m a big advocate of technology and strongly believe that technology today enables you to do more with less people.  So yes more leaders and no.

What do you think the future of business leadership and management looks like?
I believe that businesses are going to become smaller and that they’ll be based on the theory of a shamrock organisation, which was predicted over 30 years ago.

The term was invented by Irish academic and management author/philosopher Charles Handy.

I studied management for six years, and as part of that, I read ‘The Age of Unreason’ by Charles Handy in 1990, and I’ve lived by his views the whole of my career. The book is more relevant today than it ever was. It’s hugely progressive, as was my management thinking at the time, I was only 21 when I read it.

We will not survive unless we adapt to the way the world is changing. This book is an inspiring vision of an era of new discoveries, new enlightenment and new freedoms.

Leadership will be about the disruption of where to take these smaller companies; taking the best ideas and then how to deliver it.

Managing will be different because more of resources will be outsourced, and probably across different continents

Are there any tools that leaders and managers can use to improve their skills?

Yes. Many.

I regularly help businesses declutter and process map, become objective and goal driven.

Stop wasting time on superfluous activity.

Invest in:

Self-development through

Apps

YouTube

Other peers

Mentors

Coaches

Reading

Listening

Any other comments you would like to make?

You can learn a lot from great leaders.

How prepared are you for Black Friday?

It falls on November 29 this year, the day after Thanksgiving in America, and has long been heralded in the US as the start of the festive shopping season – although the term ‘Black Friday’ has only been really widely used since the turn of the Millennium. 

In recent years, Black Friday has taken off this side of the pond, as a chance for retailers to make a big promotional push a month before Christmas. In 2017, online sales in the UK reached £1.4bn on Black Friday. 

And while many shops dip their prices for 24 hours to get people splashing their cash in the run-up to the festive season, numerous retailers now spread their deals over a fortnight. 

Additionally, others focus on Cyber Monday, always the first weekday after Black Friday – so this year it’s on December 2 – as a great opportunity for massive online promotion. 

How ready are you? 

With such a great chance for serious sales, you need to be properly prepared in advance to maximise this opportunity. 

That means ensuring your promotions reach your target audience, and that you’re really thinking about what you’re offering, and to whom. It’s quite important that you aim at a specific customer, rather than being too generic or trying to please everyone.

Shoppers will be writing a list before the big day to be able to search and purchase as quickly as possible. This means that you can be more specific than you would be with general seasonal sales.

If you’re running a social media campaign, you can really hone in on your target demographic. For example, choose a geographical location, age profile, specify particular interests etc.

Don’t leave planning until the last minute. Given that Black Friday really does now go on for at least a week, be ready. For example, if you’re planning on running a different deal on each day for a week, think those through thoroughly and well in advance.

Consider how you will get your message out – will it be by blog, newsletter, social media or press release? And how far in advance are you prepping the consumer?

Remember, the more places that you Black Friday deal is featured online, the better this is for your search engine optimisation (SEO). This means that your visibility on online presence is increased.

You also need to know what you expect to gain from your Black Friday push. Set targets and measure the results. It’s best to set KPI’s before as a driver to achieve your objectives. 

Particularly with social media campaigns, not least those you’re paying for, you need to be sure you’re getting results. 

Finally, with an expected upturn in sales, be sure you can handle this increased volume. Make sure your team can respond adequately to social media comments, phone calls, sales handling and website traffic.

If you’re not ready – get in touch!

Deal or no deal - I'm not worried!

Yesterday, I was asked by Swindon Advertiser for my view on potentially leaving the EU without a deal.

It may surprise you that I'm not really worried either way - no deal/deal.

Of course, it's better to be organised when making a change, but now I just want it done. People are not going to agree on the terms, ever. There are too many stakeholders.

Read my comments in today’s paper, page 8, or click here: https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/17961954.three-weeks-brexit-swindon-businesses-hope-best-prepare-worst/

Nothing will ever be as hard as the crash in 2008 - that was the biggest change redheadPR went through.

The best businesses survived that.

My suggestion to all is - don't stop promoting what you do, increase the amount you do and increase your potential customer base. Work smartly and provide the best service you ever had to your customers. Use technology wherever you can to streamline processes.

Apart from that - Happy Halloween!

Telling your brand story

Telling your brand story is the future of communication especially a social and person to person one.

I worked for the late dame Anita Roddick 20 years ago and she ran her business and her own brand through a story. This enabled everyone around her that listened to that story to recount it again and again. Taking story telling advice from communities all over the world that share information through story telling.

Telling your brand story is no different and to be honest whatever product and service YOU are selling as it’s your business it will reflect you.

Reflect your values and beliefs.

How would you do that visually and through word and the the way you act?

Here are my top 5 tips:

List out your values and beliefs – they could be – no compromise, a great return on investment

Then think about how you are perceived and what this looks like visually, Dynamic (sportsman) Soft and welcoming (pastel colours) these should come naturally with brand you, film/video is it a animation or someone doing something.

Then the story of what you have developed and why, why it’s different which means a certain type of customer will want it.

Think about it all then add it together and see what story you can develop.

Then it’s about you and what you do, how you act, what you wear and what you say.

Lastly be consistent, relentlessly and continually. No cutting corners and no deviation.

For the events industry specially. This will all come across when you present at an event in terms of you on the stage, the slides, what you do and how you act it out. If it’s an exhibition it’s the same. The work you do to start with to develop brand you will pay off in the end.

I always think of the Queen when I think of Brand You.

REDHEADPR BACKS LOCAL TRIATHLETE IN ATTEMPT FOR PODIUM AT VEGA IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Independent South West based PR consultancy redheadPR, is sponsoring Corinne Clark, the triathlete and owner of Corinne Clark Sports Massage in Cirencester. Corinne who is 34 years old, will attempt a podium place at the inaugural KONA™ race in October 2019. They celebrated the occasion at Darkroom Espresso, the independent coffee shop, over flat whites their favourite tipple.

"I'm delighted to support such a fantastic challenge. On a personal level and as a business, I am committed to supporting challenges such as these. A triathlete myself, I understand the dedication, discipline and hard work that goes into completing an IRONMAN. I know that without sponsorship, athletes who have a day job and work find it hard to train. Sponsoring them goes a long way to ensuring they can do the training they need." said Sara Tye, founder and managing director of redheadPR.

It's not the first time redheadPR have sponsored athletes. redheadPR sponsored Kev Tonner as he took on the 2014 Edmonton ITU Sprint Distance Triathlon World Championships.

2015 saw them be the media supporter of the RTTC National Championship.

Other past sponsorship includes the press box at Swindon Town Football Club, The Museum of Computing in Swindon and many business awards.

June 2017, redheadPR sponsored the 6th leg of the first ever Tour de Troops, from Ashchurch to Didcot - and Sara even joined in and rode the 56 mile leg. The company then sponsored The Victory Swim 2018.  Both these events raised money for The Felix Fund - which supports the UK's bomb disposal experts their families.

The VEGA IRONMAN World Championship takes place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on 13 October 2019. Corinne will join over 2,000 athletes who'll embark on a 140.6-mile journey, proving the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN.

Corinne is no stranger to endurance challenges. She has previously represented Great Britain for Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons, travelling as far as Australia.

She qualified for IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships for the past two years. Corinne also qualified for IRONMAN World Championships four times previously.   

Corrine's latest accolades include:

·         Lanzarote IRONMAN 2019: first place in age group and first place as non-professional Female

·         Wales Ironman 2018: first place in age group. first place as non-professional Female. Qualified for Ironman World Championships

·         Ultra X Triathlon 2018: first place Female

·         Crooked Wiltshire Ultra 6 hours off Trail Race 2018: first place Female

"I can't thank Sara and redheadPR enough. Without sponsorship such as this, I wouldn't be able to compete. I'm looking forward to this event and feeling confident about a podium position." said Corinne.

Sara continued, "I'm very proud to know and sponsor Corinne. She is an inspiration to men, women and young people, including my own daughters - proving that you can achieve anything when you work for it."

She also rides weekly with Darkroom Espresso Cycling Club. Sara is a member of the Swindon Triathlon Club and ex chair of the club.

Founded by Sara in 2003, redheadPR is a dynamic and independent public relations market leader and social media agency based in Swindon, Wiltshire that celebrated 15 years in business last year. 2018 saw the PR agency voted one of the top three marketing agencies in Swindon. The company manages the profiles of blue-chip corporations, products and well-known individuals, blending established and ground-breaking digital techniques for effective, compelling and brilliantly bespoke campaigns for clients.

Calling all businesses - Get online and get #Aheadofthecurve!

On Thursday 26 September 2019, Sara Tye, the award-winning business and organisational development expert, top 500 international PR, serial entrepreneur and founder and managing director of redheadPR, will host a workshop with Business West.

The workshop, titled “Digital PR, social media and the crucial need for online branding and media coverage”, will offer expert advice to businesses on how they can improve their online presence.

Business West is the not-for-profit company that offers business support to start-ups and growing businesses in the West of England.

“It’s integral to be online. Digital PR and online content not only help drive traffic to your website and make it easier to find your brand on search engines, but it also creates engagement with influencers and potential customers through social media. This workshop will provide essential tips on how you can do just that. I am a futurist and I'm not just worried about today but am obsessed with tomorrow.” Said Sara.

Sara will share her own experiences, explain the importance of refreshing a brand and how that translates across all assets of the business, contributing to improving an online presence. Spaces are limited and interested parties are encouraged to book to avoid disappointed.

Ian Larrard, director of Business West, said “We’re thrilled to have Sara speak at the September workshop. It’s a topic of much interest to our members and will provide some vital insights that the attendees can take away with them on the day.”

Book your place here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digital-pr-social-media-and-the-crucial-need-for-online-media-coverage-tickets-62973668939.

Sara started redheadPR, the independent South West based PR consultancy 16 years ago and has proven experience on digitally evolving businesses. Sara presents and trains businesses nationally and has sat on many leadership boards.

Off-page, high-ranking coverage from PR is absolutely crucial for those looking to increase their online profile and SEO. Using strategic processes, redheadPR works across all social media platforms, growing them organically and through bespoke methods that will be geared towards its specified audience.

About redheadPR
Founded by Sara in 2003, redheadPR is a dynamic and independent public relations market leader and social media agency based in Swindon, Wiltshire that celebrated 15 years in business last year. 2018 saw the PR agency voted one of the top three marketing agencies in Swindon. The company manages the profiles of blue-chip corporations, products and well-known individuals, blending established and ground-breaking digital techniques for effective, compelling and brilliantly bespoke campaigns for clients.

80% of senior decision makers more likely to believe stories if backed by facts

Recent research reveals that 80% of senior decision makers are more likely to a believe story if it has proper data and statistics in it. The research was commissioned by Independent South West based PR consultancy redheadPR and conducted by YOLO Communications.

“I know the vital importance of real primary statistics when communicating key messages to decision makers. There is so much anecdotal research online, as well as fake news, and it’s sometimes hard to know what to believe.” said founder and managing director, Sara Tye, the award-winning business and organisational development expert, and a top 500 international PR and serial entrepreneur.

“What’s more interesting is when you break the results down into sectors. For example, 100% of those working in emergency services look for statistics and data within a story, which isn’t surprising. However, 63% of those working in local & central government do the same.” continued Sara.

Other results show that 100% of those working in the following sectors also find stories more believable with data:

·         Agriculture

·         Social housing

·         Sport & Entertainment        

·         Utilities

Other figures:

·         68% of those working in retail

·         70% of teachers or education professionals

·         70% of human resource professionals

·         73% of legal professionals

·         75% of those working in NHS / health / care provider

It was found that 94% of respondents living in the South West look for market research to ensure stories are more believable, opposed to 67% of those living in the North East.

Scotland, the South East and Northern Ireland also rate highly when it comes to looking for data to back stories.

“This provides a real insight into which demographics are driven by data and which ones aren’t influenced as much” said Sara.

Founded by Sara in 2003, redheadPR is a dynamic and independent public relations market leader and social media agency based in Swindon, Wiltshire that celebrated 15 years in business last year. 2018 saw the PR agency voted one of the top three marketing agencies in Swindon. The company manages the profiles of blue-chip corporations, products and well-known individuals, blending established and ground-breaking digital techniques for effective, compelling and brilliantly bespoke campaigns for clients.

To find out more about commissioning research, contact redheadPR: pr@redheadpr.co.uk.

ENDS

You can reach out to redheadPR on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter if you're in need of a brand who are #Aheadofthecurve.

For editorial enquiries, contact redheadPR. pr@redheadpr.co.uk

About the Survey Data

redheadPR – Research statistics research

The research was carried out online by Research Without Barriers - RWB

All surveys were conducted between 7th June 2019 and 11th June 2019

The sample comprised 530 senior decision makers (10+ employees)

All research conducted adheres to the UK Market Research Society (MRS) code of conduct (2014)

RWB is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and complies with the DPA (1998)

redheadPR practice what they preach with brand new look!

Independent South West based PR consultancy redheadPR, has launched its new look, sticking to their mantra; #Aheadofthecurve!

“Every business needs continuous investment, be it updating technology, training and development or the branding of the business. I’ve never shied away from futureproofing my business, and I’ve invested heavily in each and every one of these, and more.” said founder and managing director, Sara Tye, the award-winning business and organisational development expert, and a top 500 international PR and serial entrepreneur.

Sara continues “I love this new look. It’s fresh, dynamic and hugely versatile. Much like redheadPR itself.”

On Thursday 26 September 2019, Sara will host a workshop with Business West, the not-for-profit company offering business support to start-ups and growing businesses in the West of England, on “Digital PR, social media and the crucial need for online branding and media coverage”.

“It’s integral to be online. Digital PR and online content not only help drive traffic to your website and make it easier to find your brand on search engines, but it also creates engagement with influencers and potential customers through social media. This workshop will provide essential tips on how you can do just that. I am a futurist and I'm not just worried about today but am obsessed with tomorrow”

Sara will share her own experiences, explain the importance of refreshing a brand and how that translates across all assets of the business, contributing to improving an online presence. Spaces are limited and interested parties are encouraged to book to avoid disappointed.

Book your place here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digital-pr-social-media-and-the-crucial-need-for-online-media-coverage-tickets-62973668939.

Sara Tye presents and trains businesses nationally and has sat on many leadership boards.

Off-page, high-ranking coverage from PR is absolutely crucial for those looking to increase their online profile and SEO. Using strategic processes, redheadPR works across all social media platforms, growing them organically and through bespoke methods that will be geared towards its specified audience.

Founded by Sara in 2003, redheadPR is a dynamic and independent public relations market leader and social media agency based in Swindon, Wiltshire that celebrated 15 years in business last year. 2018 saw the PR agency voted one of the top three marketing agencies in Swindon. The company manages the profiles of blue-chip corporations, products and well-known individuals, blending established and ground-breaking digital techniques for effective, compelling and brilliantly bespoke campaigns for clients.

Industry event attendance is essential for business success

--> Independent Wiltshire-based PR consultancy redheadPR, which in 2018 marked 15 years of operation, is urging businesses to get out and attend industry events to boost their success. 

Founder and managing director, Sara Tye, is an award-winning business and organisational development expert, and a top 500 international PR and serial entrepreneur. She said: “The power of PR is all about being seen and generating more business. Attending events in your industry is a key part of that. 

“Make sure you run an integrated PR campaign before, during and after the event.”

redheadPR stresses that event attendance boosts a business’s profile, allows entrepreneurs to make more connections, both new and old, and is a good opportunity to sell and capture information on existing and prospective clients. 

Tye added: “Going to an event really forces you to get out there. It’s also a great way of creating content for social media, from video and images to hashtags. And events are becoming more important as Google gets tougher, with so much social media filling the search results pages. 

“There aren’t many trade shows, events and exhibitions that we don’t have experience in, regardless of size, location or sector.” 

Best-selling author, sales trainer, speaker and social media influencer Grant Cardone states: “Develop yourself as an authority to build your brand and raise your profile."

One recent event redheadPR attended was for gardening journalists, the Garden Press Event in late February at London’s Business Design Centre. The consultancy spoke to around 100 journalists on their client's stand, and almost a third (30%) had seen the press release about attendance sent out two days earlier. 


Just over a quarter of attendees (26%) went to the stand to collect goody bags. Social media reach from the event was more than 130,000. 

Tye added: “Liaise well with organisers to get the most from an event. Assess whether the event will be of value by finding out who’s going, who’s speaking there, and so on. Then when you meet someone at an event, find out quickly whether you can help each other. 

“Beforehand, think about what your key message is and how you are getting it across. Think about social media, flyers, video, photography and so on. Consider running a survey at the show, and afterwards don’t forget to follow up with a press release and contacting people you’ve met.

“We can help teach you how to network. In fact, having us at your side takes the pressure off as we do all of the above and more.” 

The events sector is worth £42.3bn to the UK economy, and there are more than 1.3 million business events held in the UK annually. Those attending these events spent just under £40bn last year. (Source: Eventbrite) 

UK exhibitions attract over 13 million visitors each year, generating £11bn in spend.