Ally Simpson

More than just good writing

Posted by Ally Simpson | Jun 4, 2015 |

Look at that lovely juicy looking bunch of grapes… The very essence of social media and of blogging is more than just good writing. This might seem like an obvious statement to make to some readers but, often businesses get lost in a haze of information from web designers, marketers and SEO experts. The written element of your content should definitely be well executed. Nobody will keep coming back to read badly written blog posts. The old way was about optimising for search. The old way meant that blogging and/or website content was all about good writing being written in a certain way. That’s it in layman’s terms. Forget that! Ok, don’t completely forget it but do set the idea to one side for a moment. You need to think of the bigger picture… a new way. For many small businesses social media and blogging isn’t a part of their overall strategy. It’s an add-on… and an add-on with unrealistic expectations and high hopes. Blogging is more than just good writing. Instagram is more than just good images! All of your SEO efforts, written content, great imagery and snappy videos are really really important… but you need people to see them. You need people to tell their friends. We wrote a post recently about this. The share is vital. That’s the most important currency for you and your content....

You are probably drinking Bailies Coffee

Posted by Ally Simpson | May 25, 2015 |

When you order coffee in Northern Ireland you are probably drinking Bailies Coffee… well, there’s a good chance you are! There are certainly a few coffee shops in the Ballymena area who serve their coffee. Bailies Coffee Company was founded in 1993 by Russell Bailie, who recognised the growing demand for quality freshly roasted and traceable coffee amongst an increasingly knowledgeable consumer base in the UK and Ireland. The company has since earned industry recognition for its commitment to supplying only the finest, freshest, hand-roast coffee and has supplied espresso beans to two of the last four Irish Barista Champions. At Bailies we specialise in sourcing single origin and single estate coffees and aim for full traceability to origin, farm and farmer wherever possible. We also source and roast Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance and Organic coffees, and develop working relationships with ethical suppliers who have strong focus on sustainability for local farmers and growers. Listen to what Russell has to say… Bailies Coffee Company from Bailies Coffee on Vimeo. Over at Coffee Northern Ireland I’ve regularly talked about Bailies, their coffee and their staff. They are an engaging, passionate and super friendly bunch of folks. You don’t have to be a coffee shop/business to experience their coffee though. You can buy coffee directly from their website here. Their stock changes seasonly and is always packed full of variety. Bailies also...

Throwback Thursday Mad Max

Posted by Ally Simpson | May 21, 2015 |

[Image: Warner Brothers ; Jasin Boland/warner Bros. Pictures] The George Miller cult classic series based around character “Mad” Max Rockatansky is a perfect Ballymena Today Throwback Thursday for this week. Mad Max: Fury Road has been getting a lot of press attention in it’s first week of official release. Some of our team remember the original films, with their frenzied car chases and post-apocalyptic drama. Some of us are too young to have “got it” but, with the arrival of Mad Max: Fury Road, the series will no doubt reach a whole new audience. Mel Gibson was unforgettable as Max in the first three instalments and now Tom Hardy takes up the role in the new release. Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows. In his review for The Observer Film critic Mark Kermode says “Fury Road is the cinematic equivalent of putting your head in the bass-bin at a death-metal concert where everything is turned up to eleventy-stupid.” Wow! Really? Some...

A Ballymena that shares on the web

Posted by Ally Simpson | May 18, 2015 |

We have a bold & adventurous vision of a Ballymena that shares on the web. Social media is all about sharing content. It’s not about our egos and how many Likes, Shares or Re-tweets we get. When we share each others content on social media we expand our reach and the reach of those we are sharing… the extreme scenario would be if your content goes ‘viral.’ We all know what that means but, you need to take smaller steps to begin with. If you are following other local businesses, sharing their content increases their audience, brand and products. Ask them to do the same for you. Converting your audience to sales is hard to pin down but if you are sharing good content, sharing the content others post, building a following and engaging with them, then you are capturing people in a potential sales funnel. If people keep coming back to you online they are more likely to convert into being a paying customer. A Ballymena that shares on the web Here are three quick tips that we have mentioned before… Be positive. The traditional news can handle the negativity all by itself. Stick with the good stuff, make people smile. Ask people to share. We’ve already said this but be bolder, ask others to help you share your content. Use pictures. People love good pictures. Post pictures...

Over 1000 Ballymena blog posts

Posted by Ally Simpson | Apr 29, 2015 |

In December 2011 we posted for the first time online as The Directory Page, talking briefly about Ballymena, social media, print, design and a local directory for businesses. After those first few tentative steps we began widening our content, reaching out to more people and in doing so, we realised that we would have to keep challenging ourselves as time passed by. We blogged over 600 times on The Directory Page blog before evolving into Ballymena Today in the summer of 2014. We’ve now blogged here almost 500 times… We love Ballymena! We are passionate about seeing the town thrive… from local business to community organisations to education… and, our team are privileged to work alongside people in all of these areas every day and so, we want to continue to write about the good things! There is lots to be written about and to be shared and encouraged… This has never been just about networking… we want to build real relationships that benefit your business/organisation… we want to see the effects of that rub off on others around you. All of the words and images that make up over 1000 blog posts have taken tremendous effort, first by the businesses who have engaged with us, and then by our team who work tirelessly to keep finding new content. Online content is important to your business or organisation but Ballymena Today want to do far...

Author: Ally Simpson

You are probably drinking Bailies Coffee

Throwback Thursday Mad Max

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