Keelie Briggs Marketing - South Derbyshire

14/11/2025

A couple more pictures from the award's night - an absolutely fantastic event and way to recognise local, outstanding businesses.

Well done to Hardwick Studio Architects LTD for your win, and to all the other businesses who had been short listed or taken home an award ✨

Have a great weekend all!

14/11/2025

AMAZING RESULT last night from the South Derbyshire and East Staffordshire Business Awards.

I had been invited to attend with Hardwick Studio Architects LTD who I first met at a marketing workshop with South Derbyshire Business Advice Service , they then asked me to partner with them to support their marketing, strategy and SEO.

You know why I love working with Hardwick Studio Architects?

Founder Tom said it perfectly in his speech "we're just normal people doing an honest job".

Though they undersell themselves, they also continuously go above and beyond for their clients and the stunning buildings/conversions and extensions they design for them.

They care so deeply for their clients and ensure that every last detail is right for them, often working well into the night to tweek designs until they're perfect.

They also have a heart for their community and support those around them through their charity involvement, offering apprenticeships and work experience placements, as well as being real team-players in the local business community.

With only 3 years in business, Hardwick Studio Architects have got a very bright future ahead - and I'm excited and grateful to be a part of it.

Please head over to their page and show them some love. For "normal people", they're certainly doing incredible things.

Congratulations Tom, Jemma, Sam and Stella 🙌🏼🎉

The team at Hardwick Studio Architects are thrilled to announce that we have won 'Most Promising New Start up Business 2025' at the East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire Business Awards.

Winning this prestigious award is such an amazing achievement and we feel honoured to have been recognised in such a strong category shortlisted alongside some fantastic businesses.

We do work extremely hard, but we love what we do, so thank you to all the people who support us and the unbelievable clients that we get to work with who make achievements like this possible.

13/11/2025

I was working with a client, digging around in their analytics last week, when I found this one page that was absolutely smashing it with search traffic!

Great traffic. High rankings. Dominating for all related search terms!

BUT - it had basically none of the SEO stuff I'd normally recommend.😱
No perfect keyword placement. No fancy schema markup, no ALT tags or headings.. just really helpful advice written the way you'd actually explain something to a friend.

That's when the penny dropped.
Somewhere along the way, we all get so caught up in optimising for search engines that we forgot the most important bit – we're actually writing for real people.

SEO absolutely matters. Google needs to understand what your page is about so it can show it to the right people, but all the technical wizardry in the world won't help if someone lands on your page and bounces three seconds later because it reads like a robot wrote it.

Google notices that stuff - how long people stay, whether they engage, if they come back ect.. That's what really builds authority.

So what actually works?
Write something that genuinely helps someone. Answer the questions they're really asking. Talk like a normal human being. Make it interesting enough that they want to keep reading, add your personality.
That page of my client's worked because it felt like a real person sharing what they knew. So people stuck around and read the whole thing. Some probably bookmarked it. The link was being shared around by others who found it helpful.

Yeah, absolutely help Google understand your content. Sort out the basics, but then just write like you're chatting to someone who needs your help.

The best content isn't about tricking algorithms. It's about being so genuinely useful that people naturally want to engage with it.

Change your priority - write for humans first, search engines second.

How many of you have an SEO strategy?

12/11/2025

So many things I'm looking forward to now that I'm making my comeback!

It's just a quick update as I've missed chatting to you all - excuse the raspy voice!

Fingers crossed for tomorrow night with 🤞🏼

And let me know if you need the link to book on for the Christmas Afternoon Tea.

Stay well all, more energetic, polished content coming soon 😅

12/11/2025

We're bringing back our Community Christmas Gift Drive!

Following last year's overwhelming success, we're excited to announce the return of our community Christmas gift drive.
If your business is in a position to give back this season, we'd love your support in providing gifts for local children, families, or vulnerable adults in our community.
How to donate:

Drop off your donation directly at South Derbyshire CVS

Bring it along to the Swadlincote Small Business Christmas lunch at Sharpe's Pottery on December 4th, where I'll personally deliver all contributions

Get in touch to arrange local collection/delivery

Every gift makes a meaningful difference to someone in our community. Let's team up and make a real difference for local families.

12/11/2025

Well, I literally blinked and it was mid-November!

Time is running out to book your ticket for the Festive Afternoon Tea for small business owners.

Come and join us for a relaxed afternoon of delicious food while we celebrate the year of hard work you've put into growing your business. It's time to treat yourself and connect with other local entrepreneurs who totally get it!

Don't know anyone? Don't worry!
There'll be some familiar faces and lots of new ones too.

Swadlincote business owners are a super-friendly bunch, honestly, there's a welcoming space for you here. Come and be part of this supportive group.

You've worked hard all year, you deserve an afternoon of festive cheer!

Book your ticket today!

Join us this December for a festive afternoon tea! Expand your network and enjoy Christmassy treats with Swadlincote's entrepreneurs.

11/11/2025

Errrmm.. so a crazy thing happened.

I received an email last week that completely took me by surprise: South Derbyshire MP Samantha Niblett has nominated me for an MP HERo award, which recognises my commitment to supporting our local community and championing South Derbyshire businesses.

Next week, I'll be heading to Parliament for a round-table discussion and reception in The House of Lords (😱), alongside other women who are making a real difference in their communities.

It's surreal to think that little Keelie from Swad will be chatting away in the House of Lords with such inspiring women (double 😱!).
These are hand-picked women and leaders who are making a huge difference for communities and economies locally, nationally and globally! I can't quite take it in!

I'm deeply honoured by this recognition and grateful for such an incredible opportunity.

Thank you Samantha for pushing me forward and recognising my work in our area (if a teensy bit outside of my comfort zone 🤣)

I think I better dig out my good blazer! 🤣

NatWest Business Savvitas

10/11/2025

Thought I'd give this 2025 mega strain of flu a whirl so you don’t have to 👍🏼.

Full-body attack: 10/10. It's commitment to bringing me down is nothing short of impressive.

Forced rest and endless TV: 8/10.
It lost points because I somehow dragged myself off the sofa to feed the cat, who was ready to move out.

Caffeine intervention: From eight cups of tea a day to one. I don't enjoy the one that I force myself to drink but I feel I've engaged in a power battle and I'm not ready to give in to a full defeat.

Summary:
I'm finally up to date with Dragon's Den, I've lost a couple of lbs, made a load of space in my medicine cabinet and managed to kick my tea addiction, so hey, credit where it's due.

Overall:
100% would not recommend it. Actually, I'd do all that you can to avoid.
If the NHS recommends that you get the flu jab, here's your reminder to do so.

Now, please let me know which series to start next 👇🏼

10/11/2025

Quick win alert: I helped a business increase its profit last week, and it had nothing to do with marketing.

We sat down over a coffee and went through business goals, audience, usual stuff..

Keen to implement new ideas, he mentioned several software tools that he'd tried, along with various memberships and direct debits - BUT, he was still paying for them, despite never using them! 😱

The direct debits were just quietly ticking away in the background every month, eating up his profits.

We cancelled them.

Just like that, the business had more breathing room AND a bigger budget to put towards the ad campaign that we're been building.

I'm not an accountant and would always recommend one where cash flow is a concern - but I am laser-focused on making your business money and sometimes that starts with getting rid of unnecessary spending before we get started on the fun stuff.

Before we talk about where to spend your marketing budget, let's make sure you're not wasting it elsewhere.

Quick reminder for you:

Check in with your business bank. Are you paying for unnecessary tools/software/memberships or subscriptions that offer zero value to your business? Cancel them - you're instantly increasing profit with minimum effort.

07/11/2025

You know what makes people stop scrolling? Real human connection.

In a world of polished logos AI-written content, your audience is craving something different - they want to know the PERSON behind the business.

You already know that don't buy from brands, they buy from PEOPLE they know, like, and trust.

How can they get to know you if you're hiding behind a logo, generic Canva graphics or random stock photos?

Your story, your quirks, your why, that's what makes you memorable.

That's what builds your personal brand.

That's what transforms followers into loyal customers.

So here's my challenge: Stop hiding and share your story!

👇 Drop a random fact about yourself in the comments - something people probably don't know.

I'll add mine too.

See a new name in the comments? Go and check out their business page and make a new connection.

Then start planning content that introduces us to the real person behind your small business logo.

 

06/11/2025

Can we talk about just how awesome this is?

THIS is what scroll-stopping looks like!

This is why I love partnering with Kera for our brand transformation sessions, her creativity and talent know no bounds.
Her wonderfully wild ideas combined with my strategic, results-driven approach means brands get imagery AND a marketing plan that positions them as the memorable, go-to experts they are.

Chat to Kera if you need creative brand imagery that stops the scroll

- Or, book in with us if you're ready to transform your brand with stunning visuals PLUS a marketing roadmap and hands-on guidance to execute a plan that delivers real results 💪🏼

Amazing work here Kera and 👏🏼