Business & Tips

Our Summer Internships

Our Summer Internships

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Written by Joanna Smith

Every summer, We Do Marketing offers opportunities for interns to come in and work with us for two weeks. It’s a fun, interactive experience where aspiring marketers can get a feel for how the marketing world really works.

How can I apply?

We like to offer at least two placements each year both for students at different stages of their degree. Our local University- the University of Kent, runs the Employability Points Scheme. The Employability Points Scheme rewards students for active engagement in co-curricular activities. For each co-curricular activity completed, you can claim Employability Points. These can be cashed-in for the chance to apply for exclusive internships, work placements, training and more!

Those students with the highest points get interviewed by us in a ‘real-world’ type scenario and we choose the lucky one who’ll get to join us. We also like to offer a place for a non-scheme student as well as a school student too who has particular interests in the marketing industry.

Watch Lydia and Ellie’s interview – https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ3i71nIDhG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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Empfest

EmpFest is a two-week Employability Festival organised by the University of Kent’s Careers and Employability Service. It provides students with a variety of events, including presentations, workshops, and opportunities to meet with industry experts, all aimed at enhancing their career prospects. By participating in EmpFest, students can gain practical skills, learn about different career options, and build connections that can help them succeed in their future careers.

We hold a panel discussion most years where we get to speak to students about a career in marketing.

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What do they get out of it?

Here’s what this year’s interns had to say…

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at We Do Marketing and learnt lots from the team on the importance of social media management and competitive analysis. Thank you to the team for your support in helping me learn what a marketing agency is all about!” – Bella

QUOTE – If you’re in doubt – do it!

OPINION – You learn so much more than you expect! The work you’ll do is varied and you’re given tasks where you feel as if you’re adding real value! This is such a golden opportunity to gain real world experience in marketing, surrounded by some of the most lovely people!

FUTURE ADVICE – ASK THE QUESTION! No one will judge you, and showing your enthusiasm and getting stuck in will only offer you more opportunities! – Chloe

Check out what a typical day might look like:

9am Social Check ins and How to make a Social Plan
11am – SEO audit
12pm – Lunch
1pm- Target Audience Research
2pm-5pm- Influcencer event

Watch Chloes ‘A Day in the Life of an Intern’ here

What do we get out of it?

Apart from the fun side of getting to welcome new guests to the team and have them do our work for us, joking, we actually get a lot from having them here. It’s a great opportunity for them to deep dive into our agency with a fresh pair of eyes and offer us some feedback on our work.

It also gives the office a new injection of energy, ideas and collaborative thinking. Not to mention huge satisfaction when we can teach someone something they’re really passionate about.

Here’s what Lydia, Director of We Do Marketing, has to say:

“For other organisations reading this, my top tip is to keep your intern engaged, ensure they are actively involved in activities related to their interests so they learn more about that specifically and enable them to publish content that shows their experience with you – they can add it to their CV/portfolio.

For students, get involved, ask the questions and say yes to all of the opportunities – you never know what you’ll get out of these experiences”.

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Written by Joanna Smith

Marketing Administration Assistant

Joanna is the appointed admin queen! She loves being able to get stuck into tasks, big or small, to produce the best possible outcomes for our clients and for her team.

She works closely with Lydia, absolutely hates an untidy email inbox and will always say yes to another cup of tea.

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Written by
Joanna Smith

Marketing Administration Assistant

Joanna is the appointed admin queen! She loves being able to get stuck into tasks, big or small, to produce the best possible outcomes for our clients and for her team. She works closely with Lydia, absolutely hates an untidy email inbox and will always say yes to another cup of tea.

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Accredited Living Wage Employer

Accredited Living Wage Employer

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Written by Lydia McKeown

website design trends 2024
website design trends 2024
website design trends 2024

What is an Accredited Living Wage Employer?

Accredited Living Wage Employers have been certified by the Living Wage Foundation because they have voluntarily chosen to pay employees and third-party staff above the minimum wage.

Lydia, our Director gives us an insight into why this is important. ‘Introducing the Living Wage is not only the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense. This is a long-term investment in our people based on our values. We didn’t have to change anything to make this happen because we are already paying a Living Wage to our team. What it does mean is that in the future, when the Living Wage increases, we will review to ensure we are always paying appropriately for the best experience for our team and clients’.

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate based on the cost of living. It is voluntarily paid by over 13,000 UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs – like the weekly shop or a surprise trip to the dentist.

What’s the difference between real Living Wage and minimum wage?

The real Living Wage rates are higher because they are independently calculated based on what people need to get by. That’s why we have chosen to pay our employees and third-party staff a wage that meets the costs of living, not just the government minimum.

If you’re looking for employers near you – head to the searchable Employer ‘Map’ here:

Employer Map

Written by Lydia McKeown

Marketing Director

Lydia founded We Do Marketing in 2016 and has chartered marketer status. Lydia acts as a Marketing Director for a select few of our clients and works with the team on the client’s strategies. She does lots of consultations with new clients and runs our discovery sessions. She also writes client marketing plans and strategy which feeds into all of the marketing we produce or plan for our clients.

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Written by
Lydia McKeown

Marketing Director

Lydia founded We Do Marketing in 2016 and has chartered marketer status. Lydia acts as a Marketing Director for a select few of our clients and works with the team on the client’s strategies. She does lots of consultations with new clients and runs our discovery sessions. She also writes client marketing plans and strategy which feeds into all of the marketing we produce or plan for our clients.

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ESG Ideas: 24 Ideas For Your ESG Policy

ESG Ideas: 24 Ideas For Your ESG Policy

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Written by Lydia McKeown

Environmental, Sustainable and Governance – ESG is not a new acronym, but it seems to have encompassed CSR aka Corporate Social Responsibility. CSR is here to stay but sits cutely under the umbrella of ESG.

Let’s talk through each area here before diving into the actionable things you can do in your business. ESG is the term used to assess a company’s sustainability standards. Essentially, it’s defined by the policies and frameworks a business puts in place around these key areas:

Environmental: the energy and resources a business uses, including carbon emissions and waste.

Social: How you support people within your business, your local community, for example through employee wellbeing, charity fundraising, or diversity, equity, and inclusion activities.

Governance: How you govern, make ethical decisions, and stay within the law while running your business. For example, factoring how your choices could impact stakeholders, consumers, and investors.

What 24 things can you do to help you along in your business’s ESG journey? The list is not exhaustive, and every business will have an angle they can take or different things they can do to contribute to the success of their strategy.

Get started:

  • Get a data insight on your carbon footprint – share this internally for feedback with your team.
  • Review the UN 17 SDG’s – use this as a guide, go through each 17 to help assess what you can change – it won’t all be relevant to you.
    •  Armed with the above information, you can set future goals for what you can change.
esg ideas
  • Devise an ESG strategy- detail what and how you’ll move toward your goals.
    • Set a vision for your future aspirations for your ESG policy goals – put this information on your website.
  • Get everyone on board with your vision and share it with your audience and employees, via your website and social media.

24 ideas for your ESG:

  1. Create a vision board for your ESG goals – infographics and digital ways to communicate it.
  2. Celebrate all of the good things you are already doing.
  3. Start, join or contribute to a local committee.
  4. Have employee volunteer days – give back to your community.
  5. Build your ESG activities into KPIs and business goals.
  6. Communicate your ESG efforts to your team regularly.
  7. Create a collection scheme for your services/products to raise charitable funds.
  8. Change branded items to environmentally friendly alternatives.
  9. Start an ESG committee/focus group or have champions in your business.
  10. Add it to your board/ monthly meeting agenda to address your objectives for ESG.
  11. Give your team the opportunity to get involved – helps attract and retain your team.
  12. Talk about it – tell the story of your ESG journey.
  13. Appraise your social impact – what can you do better?
  14. Partner with other businesses – collaborate with competitors to have a bigger impact on your cause.
  15. Review your supply chain partners.
  16. Partner with higher education partners – UoK KTP
  17. Employ apprentices in your business.
  18. Work with schools, colleges and universities to share your knowledge of your industry.
  19. Review your pay policy – pay living wages close gender pay gaps.
  20. Can you be recognised for your efforts through certification in your industry or via BCorp?
  21. Can you offset some of the impact you have?
  22. Can you communicate your values through your ESG activities?
  23. Don’t shy away from shouting about what you are doing for fear of it not being enough – have a plan and celebrate your actions toward the goals.
  24. Attend events to hear about developments on ESG locally.

Examples of marketing your ESG successes could look like this….

If you need some help communicating your efforts towards your ESG efforts, we can run through our checklist and strategise a way to celebrate your successes to date through marketing.

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Written by Lydia McKeown

Marketing Director

Lydia founded We Do Marketing in 2016 and has chartered marketer status. Lydia acts as a Marketing Director for a select few of our clients and works with the team on the client’s strategies. She does lots of consultations with new clients and runs our discovery sessions. She also writes client marketing plans and strategy which feeds into all of the marketing we produce or plan for our clients.

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Written by
Lydia McKeown

Marketing Director

Lydia founded We Do Marketing in 2016 and has chartered marketer status. Lydia acts as a Marketing Director for a select few of our clients and works with the team on the client’s strategies. She does lots of consultations with new clients and runs our discovery sessions. She also writes client marketing plans and strategy which feeds into all of the marketing we produce or plan for our clients.

Get In Touch

How To Take Notes Effectively

How To Take Notes Effectively

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Written by Hannah O’Toole

While at the University of Kent, I learned many things that have proven beneficial in my current role at I Do Marketing. One particular skill that has helped me tremendously is effective note-taking. Although it may seem simple, taking notes can quickly become overwhelming when capturing a vast amount of information. Mastering this skill was instrumental in my success throughout my three years at Kent and in my current role when I’m engaging with clients and colleagues.

Taking notes effectively can have numerous benefits, such as helping you retain information better, helping you to be more organised, and assisting your creativity. Here is a 4-step guide on the most effective way to make notes.

1. Prepare

Preparation is essential to performing any task effectively. If you know beforehand what topics will be covered in a meeting or presentation, you can start taking notes to get ahead.

For instance, when I meet with clients to discuss their marketing strategy, I am aware of the questions that are coming up. Therefore, even before the meeting starts, I already have a list of key headings and questions in my document under which to write my notes. This saves me a lot of time in the discussion, allowing me to focus solely on the information the client gives me.

taking notes effectively

2. Understand

When taking notes, it’s easy to get caught up in writing everything down as soon as it’s said. But this can make it harder to understand the main idea. To avoid this, ensure you know what’s being discussed before taking notes.

Take a few seconds to comprehend what is being communicated fully. This will prove to be beneficial for you in the future. As mentioned earlier, taking practical notes can improve your ability to retain information. Therefore, understanding the main point clearly before you start writing will enable you to keep the information more effectively.

taking notes effectively

3. Write

After comprehending the information, you can start taking notes. It’s easy to get caught up in making your notes look tidy and well-organized but focusing solely on what’s being said at the time is crucial. When taking notes by hand, you may want to leave ample space to add comments or make changes later on. We’ll discuss this in the next step.

4. Edit/analyse 

 The fourth step involves editing and analyzing your notes. As we discussed earlier, your notes may not be well-presented or in bullet point form. This is your chance to go back and edit your work, either by expanding or finalizing the layout of your final document.

You may have been focusing on the information being given to you while making your notes. Therefore, it is good to give yourself some time to reflect after editing your notes and allow yourself to analyze them. You may have thought of an additional question that still needs to be asked, or you might have found a solution to a problem mentioned after giving yourself more time to focus on what has been said. Editing and analyzing your work will further strengthen your understanding and recall of the event.

Now you know…

Knowing how to effectively take notes is a valuable skill that can serve you well in various roles throughout your life, from university to your professional career. By organizing yourself before, during, and after note-taking, you’ll be able to master this skill and reap its benefits. Looking back we can see our takeaways are:

  1. If you can, get ahead – being prepared can benefit you when a lot of information is being given simultaneously. Note your headings and subheadings beforehand.
  2. It is okay to take your time – allow yourself time to understand what exactly you are writing.
  3. Focus on the main points – if you have been given a lot of information, note the main points being discussed and expand on them later.
  4. Always know nothing is perfect FIRST time – try not to get too tied down if your notes are not laid out perfectly at first. Always give yourself time to edit and analyse them.
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Written by Hannah O’Toole

Social Media Marketing Manager

Her day-to-day role at We Do Marketing consists of Social Media Management, Content Creation, Campaign Generation and Digital Marketing. She has worked in Marketing for the past 14 years, in many different countries and across a variety of industries. She has gained broad knowledge in all aspects of Marketing, from long term strategy and marketing plan to social media campaigns and content creation.

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Written by
Hannah O’Toole

Social Media Marketing Manager

Her day-to-day role at We Do Marketing consists of Social Media Management, Content Creation, Campaign Generation and Digital Marketing. She has worked in Marketing for the past 14 years, in many different countries and across a variety of industries. She has gained broad knowledge in all aspects of Marketing, from long term strategy and marketing plan to social media campaigns and content creation.

Get In Touch

GDPR and how to sensibly manage data

GDPR and how to sensibly manage data

We recently caught up with Judith Andrews – Director of Business Tamer, otherwise known as ‘GDPR Guru’, to help outline some of the basics of GDPR and provide some reassurance in how to safely and sensibly manage data within your business.

What is GDPR?

GDPR is the common phrase for data protection in the UK and comes from the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation in 2018. But it’s not just GDPR – there’s the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations as well. These three together generally cover data protection and use for small businesses.

What does ‘legitimate interest mean’?

Legitimate interest is one of the 6 lawful bases in the GDPR which can be used to collect, use and store personal information. Briefly:

  1. To use existing personal information with legitimate interest, you must believe that your customers/contacts would reasonably expect you to use their information for that purpose.

  2. It is your responsibility to balance your legitimate interest to use the data against the interests, rights and freedoms of the individual concerned.

  3. It’s a legal requirement to clearly explain your legitimate interests in your privacy notice

Legitimate interest is the most flexible, but you must document your reasons for using it, keep a record of that process and explain your conclusions clearly to the individuals concerned. 

When can you contact your customers?

You can contact them whenever you like – but no one likes spam!  When you first collect personal information from your customers/contacts whether that’s through a contact form on your website, at an event or in the process of an online sale, you need to inform your customers why you want their information and what you’re going to do with it.  So if you want to send weekly emails, tell your customers that’s what you’ll be doing!

Is there a max time frame you can keep someone in your database?

Keeping information depends on your retention policy – this will show that you’ve thought through how long you want to keep information, why you’re going to use it over that period of time, and how it is going to be stored during that time. Every business is unique, and the needs for keeping personal information will be unique as well. There are some statutory reasons for keeping information – for example, to meet tax regulations or employment legislation, but if your business needs to keep information for 10, 20 or 30 years, then you can. But you must make sure you’ve documented the reasons for doing so and also told your customers.

Privacy policies – simple steps for websites to be compliant

Privacy notices or policies don’t just apply to your website – this key document is to inform your customers/contacts why you want their personal information – what information you want, how you’re going to use it and how long you’re going to keep it for. You need to include a number of points such as contact information, your lawful basis, retention period, storage, sharing details, customer rights and finally how to make a complaint to the supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office. So many privacy notices, especially on websites, get confused about cookies – but there should be a separate policy that covers cookie use on a website. A privacy notice is about personal information use. There’s a great template on the ICO’s website which is free to use.

How to write a good job advert

How to write a good job advert

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Written by Hannah O’Toole

Top 5 takeaways:

  1. Flexible working is more attractive to applicants.

  2. Location information is key to get your ad in front of more people.

  3. Add what your company does.

  4. Including the salary will increase the number of applicants you receive.

  5. Make the job sound interesting, but keeps the job title simple.

Your job advert is often the first contact a potential employee will have with your company. Getting the advert right will ensure you make a good impression and attract the best candidates. Each item will help to attract the right applicants.

Job title

Ideally, keep to simple titles, such as Sales Manager, Electrical Engineer, or Receptionist. These are the titles that potential candidates will use when searching for a job.

Salary or rate of pay

It is not mandatory to include the salary, but it will increase the number of applications. Knowing the pay rate means candidates are less likely to drop out later in the process.

Temp or permanent and hours of work

Clarify whether the vacancy is a permanent, contract, or temporary position.

Specify the working hours, especially those outside the “normal 9 to 5”. The potential to work flexible hours or work from home could be attractive.

This basic information helps applicants decide if the job is right for them before applying.

The location

Clarifying the location helps candidates to decide if they can get to the place of work. It is helpful to say if there is good public transport or on-site parking.

For online searching, the location is a vital point for applicants. Fewer applicants will see the advert if you leave it out or use a broad area description.

Working from home/ hybrid working has recently come to the fore. Make it clear if you can work from home some or all of the time.

Introduce your company

Describe what your company does to attract applicants to work for you. Highlight the company’s values, successes, and the opportunities it offers. Applicants want to work for companies where they have shared values.

Nature of the work and responsibilities

This section should make up the majority of the advert. Be clear about what you expect and what staff must do to succeed. Do not just copy and paste a job description; take time to make the job sound interesting.

The minimum experience, training, or qualifications required.

Some jobs legally require training or qualifications, and you must clarify the requirements—also the type of experience you would expect applicants to have.

Company benefits

If your company offers benefits, then please mention them. Benefits can include training, bonuses, healthcare, pension, discounts, parking, social events, etc.

Application process

Describe the application process, a closing date for applications, interview dates, etc.

Discrimination

Ensure that your advert does not discriminate unfairly regarding age, sex, race, or other protected characteristics. You can check these points with organisations like ACAS.

Do check the spelling and grammar

Ensure you give your applicants the right first impression.

We wish you the best of luck in attracting suitable candidates

Written by Hannah O’Toole

Social Media Marketing Manager

Her day-to-day role at We Do Marketing consists of Social Media Management, Content Creation, Campaign Generation and Digital Marketing. She has worked in Marketing for the past 14 years, in many different countries and across a variety of industries. She has gained broad knowledge in all aspects of Marketing, from long term strategy and marketing plan to social media campaigns and content creation.

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Written by
Hannah O’Toole

Social Media Marketing Manager

Her day-to-day role at We Do Marketing consists of Social Media Management, Content Creation, Campaign Generation and Digital Marketing. She has worked in Marketing for the past 14 years, in many different countries and across a variety of industries. She has gained broad knowledge in all aspects of Marketing, from long term strategy and marketing plan to social media campaigns and content creation.

Get In Touch
Corporate Social Responsibility Ideas & Trends for 2023

Corporate Social Responsibility Ideas & Trends for 2023

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Written by Hannah O’Toole

“70% of consumers want to know how the brands they support plan to address social and environmental issues.”

Is your business making an effort to address these issues? 

We’ve all heard of CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility and its importance in showcasing a business’s approach to taking responsibility for its effect on social and environmental well-being.

There are many ways a business can embrace Corporate Social Responsibility, but one thing is for sure; it needs to be integrated into the culture and business operations to be meaningful. When thought of as a ‘tick-box’ exercise, the chances are it won’t positively impact your business.

How can CSR help your business? 

corporate social responsibility ideas

Looking at your business’s Corporate Social Responsibility and including it in your new year planning can make all the difference.

It is rarely considered when creating plans for the new year, as there is so much to work through. However, it is essential to remember that your planning on it should include ALL aspects of your business, from your carbon emissions, your business ethics, and process efficiencies through to your employee well-being and much more.

Not only can it benefit the internal culture of your business and create a better work environment, but it also gives your clients/consumers an ethical reason to choose you over your competitors. 

In fact, 46% of consumers say they pay close attention to these efforts when making purchase decisions. (According to Markstein and Certus Insights).A company’s reputation is often based on the public’s perception and how they feel about companies support of the community. This is just one reason why CSR is an important factor to consider moving forward into 2023.

CSR ideas for 2023:

When considering your CSR, initiatives like recycling are no longer enough when working to be more socially conscious and are often expected. 

There is a trend to improve sustainability, zero carbon footprint, and a shift away from fossil fuels so keep this top of mind when making your choices for partnerships as it should be as important to them as it is to you.

Here are a few steps to get you in the right direction.

 

Step 1 – Pinpoint your business’s missions and ethics 

How your company can work to meet your socially responsible ambitions better should tie in with your business’s overall mission and ethics. 

There has been an increased crackdown on greenwashing – so ensuring your actions align with your brand is key. Having a cause and reasoning behind your initiatives gives your work authenticity and momentum. 

 

Step 2 – Set targets 

Whether you want to work with a charity that aligns with your ethos, reduce your carbon footprint or participate in fair trade policies, setting a target for the work you want to do will help you a huge amount. 

A great way to do this is by looking at what others in your industry are doing and seeing whether it is something that could work for you too. 

You might want to ask yourself a few of these questions about your business and reflect on the past when setting these targets: 

  • Have you been implementing a CSR strategy correctly in the past? 
  • How can you make your workplace a better place for employees?
  • What is it that makes your industry different from others?
  • How is your industry struggling to meet CSR standards? 
  • Are you currently measuring your environmental impact?

 

Step 3 – Implement your ideas and carefully communicate them

Put your ideas into action – don’t be all talk and no action!

Once you have a solid plan of what you want to do, it is important that you share it. Whether through internal newsletters and internal communications to let your team know what will be changing moving forward or let close customers and clients know how you plan on trying to better your business… Get. It. Out. There.

As long as you are confident that your plan is authentic to your business’s ethics, it will positively impact your social and environmental well-being and your internal culture.

How have we been working to improve our Corporate Social Responsibility?

Since starting I Do Marketing, one of Lydia’s ultimate goals has been to help a charity work on their marketing pro bono, and we made it happen!

We have been working with our local mental health charity – Take Off. They align with our ethos and mission and are an excellent way for us to do our part in helping our local community.

corporate social responsibility ideas
corporate social responsibility ideas

Take Off is a peer-led mental health and wellbeing charity that aims to reach and help as many people as possible with their groups and services in Kent. 

We have been helping them by strengthening their brand and helping to showcase their fantastic work by introducing a brand new marketing strategy, developing new brand guidelines and strengthening their online visibility via Google and social media through web development and campaign planning. 

All of these are targets that we set alongside them, aiming to help them get a better reach within Kent so that they can help more people. 

You can find out more about Take Off here… 

It is important to remember that corporate social responsibility comes in many forms. Even the smallest company can impact social change by doing things like donating to a local food bank when possible.

One of the clients we have worked very closely with to promote their internal and external Corporate Social Responsibility is OFP Timber Frame. 

Through various initiatives, they have made multiple efforts to become more sustainable and conscious of their environmental and social impact. You can view their environmental, sustainable and governance page on their site to see how they are taking a step in the right direction to reduce their environmental impact.

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What are your CSR plans for 2023? If you need guidance or support in making your vision come to life or bringing awareness to the amazing work you already do, we would love to help tell your story.

Written by Hannah O’Toole

Social Media Marketing Manager

Her day-to-day role at We Do Marketing consists of Social Media Management, Content Creation, Campaign Generation and Digital Marketing. She has worked in Marketing for the past 14 years, in many different countries and across a variety of industries. She has gained broad knowledge in all aspects of Marketing, from long term strategy and marketing plan to social media campaigns and content creation.

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Written by
Hannah O’Toole

Social Media Marketing Manager

Her day-to-day role at We Do Marketing consists of Social Media Management, Content Creation, Campaign Generation and Digital Marketing. She has worked in Marketing for the past 14 years, in many different countries and across a variety of industries. She has gained broad knowledge in all aspects of Marketing, from long term strategy and marketing plan to social media campaigns and content creation.

Get In Touch