It’s our first time at BrightonSEO and we’ve got our top 5 tips to get your rankings higher.

Twice a year, the hipster capital plays host to over 3,500 digital marketers, SEO experts, and social media wizards to catch up on what’s been happening in the digital world at Europe’s largest SEO conference: BrightonSEO.

You can expect market leaders from Google, Moz, BrightLocal and other marketing agencies to dish out some secret tricks and common practice tips on how to take your digital marketing to the next level.

Not only is it great to hear from industry experts, but you get loads of free swag too – free bags, ice-cream, sweets and even beer! Plus, you can meet thousands of friendly, self-proclaimed digital nerds who love the industry as much as you do. What’s not to love?

We’ve put together our top 5 takeaway tips from our first ever BrightonSEO to help you keep up-to-date on your SEO knowledge:

1. Focus on your backlinks!

We know backlinks mean a lot to Google (they’re very sentimental over them) and this year it was reported that backlinks are the number #1 ranking factor when it comes to local SEO. Yet so many businesses are ignoring these and missing out on vital backlinks that are so easily acquired! If you’ve helped another business out by sponsoring their event, or have been involved in a community project or just shared an amazing blog, then reach out to the right audience and get a link to your site – it’s that easy. Each backlink improves your internet dominance and in turn, your ranking.

2. Voice search is increasing

It’s no secret, voice search is slowly catching up with text searches with Google announcing that nearly 25% of queries are voice-searched, and this is increasing. Nearly half of adults use voice search once per day thanks to Siri starting the trend back in 2011, and we’ve since seen Amazon’s Alexa join the market along with Google Home and Cortana. So, what does this mean for SEO? It means you need to start producing content that will communicate well across these voice-control devices. Using long-tail keywords, giving detailed answers, providing a NAP, having a clean and accessible website that’s mobile-responsive, having rich snippets and moving to HTTPS will help them give their users the right answer.

3. Ditch the clichés

We realise that saying ‘ditch the clichés’ is cliché BUT, it remains true. Amy Harrison’s talk ‘How Inside-Out Copy Makes You Invisible’ looked at avoiding forced transactions in email marketing and offering something that customers want. Something that would benefit the customer, rather than pushing a product in their face. Pull back on the ‘BUY NOW’ ‘FREE’ and ‘DON’T MISS’ headlines and really offer them something that could benefit them.

4. Move to HTTPS and HTTP/2

Want a website that’s faster? Uses fewer resources? More secure? Seems like a dream, right? Well HTTP/2 is the answer and it’s what all sites need! HTTP/2 is the latest update to the HTTP protocol. It’s a complete refresh of the internet, bringing the security and efficiency the internet is currently lacking. However, the likes of Google Chrome, Mozilla etc will only allow support HTTP/2 if your website is using HTTPS – another protocol that secures your site and protects all data communications. Google wants a secure web and they’ve even announced that HTTPS is a ranking factor and that they’re indexing secure sites over unsecured sites, so it’s well worth the move.

5. Optimise for mobiles!

We hear it time and time again and for good reasons. Mobiles have swiftly become the most used devices when it comes to searching online. Gary Illye’s keynote speech mentioned that some important news about the mobile-first index will be announced soon and the best way to prepare for it is to make your website fully responsive. The mobile-first index is nearly here and we’ve already started to see some ranking fluctuations between searches on mobile devices and desktops.

We can see why it’s such a hit with marketers across the country and we’re already looking forward to BrightonSEO 2018!

If you’re looking for a flashy, SEO-ready website or just need a hand with your search engine rankings then give us a call or drop us a message! We’ll be happy to chat over coffee about how we can help.

Congratulations to Carlene who has just been promoted to Office Manager/Director’s PA at Bluestep!

Our Bluesteppers are on a roll at the minute, after Becca was just promoted, we’ve now had Carlene promoted to Office Manager/Director’s PA!

Carlene started just 3 months ago when Ben was on the lookout for a personal assistant and office administrator. Thanks to Georgie’s recommendation, Carlene had an interview, got the job and has slotted into Bluestep so smoothly it feels like she’s always been here.

It’s been amazing to see her progress to a more senior role in such a short timeframe, but it’s not been easy! Carlene has brought so much to the Bluestep team in that time and we honestly don’t know where we’d be without her. She’s introduced the secret buddy system, the office recommendations box, BrightHR, and an abundance of organisation and structure to the office!

After popping some champers to celebrate, we sat with Carlene for a quick chat on her time at Bluestep so far:

It’s been a busy few months and you can really feel the difference in the office since you started. What’s been your favourite thing you’ve introduced to the company so far?

Some kind of organisation and hopefully some much-needed support for Ben Skinner.

What’s been the most memorable task you’ve worked on?

I have too many to count! This is what I love about Bluestep, the business is so varied I get involved in all sorts!

What have been your highlights in the role so far?

The Bluestep social events have been great fun, I enjoyed our afternoon tea party a bit too much! The people I work with are the main highlight, the team are amazing!

What makes Bluestep unique and keeps you wanting to work here?

The opportunity I have been given to grow and develop. The creativity and enthusiasm each individual holds, the variation of projects we do and how well everyone works together and supports each other. It’s never boring and very fast paced!

We love seeing our colleagues develop within their role, and it just goes to show that if you really put the effort in, you’ll see the rewards. We’re so happy for Carlene, it’s truly what she deserves and we can’t wait to see what she’ll bring to the Bluestep team in the future!

At Bluestep, we take real pride in our heritage and the work we’ve done over the years with the NHS, which ultimately, has helped us to become the company that we are today.

For the third year in a row, our healthcare team ventured up to Manchester for the highly acclaimed NHS Health and Care Innovation Expo to exhibit our work and network with industry contacts, old and new.

So, what happened at the Health and Care Innovation Expo this year?

Besides being able to have a good catch up with our clients from across the country, the team had a great time meeting with new contacts and key NHS decision makers. The 2-day exhibition was the perfect opportunity to find out about how the NHS is working to stay ahead of the curve. We shared best practice and chatted about the digital future of our national health service with the delegates that came and visited our stand.

There was a very nostalgic feel to the expo too, the #NHS70 Hub focused on the evolution of the NHS and how it’s progressed over the past 70 years, as explained by the longest-serving NHS patron, Ethel Armstrong. Very heart-warming!

Other key event highlights included the much-anticipated talk from the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, who revealed his predictions for the NHS and how services will be progressing to better patient journeys and improvement for frontline NHS staff. He confirmed our discussions around the future of health being digital.

We had some great feedback about our stand, all thanks to the amazingly talented Harley and the rest of the design team who offered a creative hand, the stand sure did look top notch. The creative flair of the stand and rolling animations on screen really complimented the team’s enthusiasm about the projects we have been working on over the past year.

Did you go to the expo or do you work in the healthcare sector? If you need some advice about the best ways to promote your service, need innovative ideas or need a helping hand with your digital challenges, drop us a line at healthcare@bluestepsolutions.com or give us a call. Our healthcare boffs would love to have a chat with you!

We’re excited to announce that we’ve been chosen as the design agency to create the rebrand for Whittlebury Hall & Spa!

Anyone who’s local to Northampton would have heard of the renowned Whittlebury Hall & Spa. The impressive hall sits atop the highest point in Northampton, covering 700 acres that overlook the vast countryside and is the go-to when it comes to relaxing spa treatments and business conferences.

Since opening in 1990, Whittlebury Hall has run separately to Whittlebury Park, which is situated directly opposite the hall and features a golf course and wedding venue.

After the acquisition of Whittlebury Hall by the owners of Whittlebury Park in late 2016, the Whittlebury team were looking for a design agency to help create and devise a new brand that embodies their new ‘One Team, One Goal’ attitude, uniting the two businesses.

After a couple of meetings and an initial brand concept, Whittlebury Hall & Spa chose Bluestep to help them on their rebrand journey, and we’re so pleased to be able to announce the news!

Brand development is well underway and we’re already discussing potential new names that represent the entire estate, while designing a fresh new logo that exhibits their well-established reputation.

The rebrand will not only see them change their name and logo but will require a complete overhaul of anything featuring their old branding, ranging from flyers, brochures, uniform, internal and external signage and much more.

The new brand and name will be debuted in early 2018 to see the new year in, so keep your eyes peeled for more…

Challenge accepted!

The hotly anticipated Pacesetter’s Sports Day came around quicker than Mo Farah!

The day saw us head to Wellingborough School in convoy to compete in the Pacesetter’s Sports Day to win the 1st place cup in the scorching August heat.

The healthy competition included Pacesetters, Stronglines and the Wellingborough School sports teachers. All of which were fitness and sport-related teams, except for Bluestep! But we rocked up in our Bluestep-branded sports gear, squeezed a few stretches in, and were ready to take them head on.

We’ve totally got this.

By no means was this day going to be an easy one. One of the teams literally dressed up in army gear. They meant serious business.

It wasn’t intimidating enough that they were professional sports coaches, so they dressed up in army gear too!

First up was dodgeball, pretty easy, right? That’s what we thought. If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a dodgeball!

After some pretty intense matches and even more Dodgeball film quotes, we were left with Chris and Sarah at the end, taking us to the win.

Although we were smashing it at first, we did leave with quite a few bruises on our thighs…

Next up we had football, which luckily for us, Bluestep is blessed with plenty of staff that are big football fans and players.

Don’t mess with Carl, he’s coming for you…

We were gutted when we lost a player after a knee injury, meaning we were a player down. But, the games must go on.

Netball was a total breeze for us as we had Becca who plays netball in her spare time and Harry who was basically just dropping the ball through the hoop!

Carl once again reminding us who’s boss.

After a grueling athletics round including javelin, long jump, a relay race, an 800m race and another player down, we were convinced our efforts wouldn’t leave us in last place. We’d given everything we’d got. We absolutely weren’t coming last.

We took a well-deserved break and once we were back to our normal selves (it took a while) we made our way to the award ceremony. The announcer took center stage and was ready to reveal who came last.

“In 8th place… The Bluestep Ballers”

We came last. BUT, we did win a branded Pacesetter wooden spoon, which has taken pride of place in the Bluestep office.

Better luck next time guys…

Congratulations to Becca who has just been promoted to Senior Designer at Bluestep!

There’s nothing more we love than seeing our fellow Bluesteppers do well for themselves, and with such a tight-knit and supportive team behind all of us, it’s hard not to!

Starting just 3 years ago as an intern from Northampton University, Becca has shot to Senior Designer, proving that with hard work and dedication to the role, climbing the Bluestep career ladder can be achieved with sheer determination.

After Becca was finished dancing on the tables and popping bottles to celebrate her promotion, we grabbed her for a quick chat to find out about her experience at Bluestep so far:

You’ve really helped a lot of clients to turn their brand vision into a reality over the years. How varied is your role at Bluestep and what is the typical type of project you work on?

I think every project is different and brings different challenges. Some of the projects we get here include Blue Cross’s fundraising pack that I’m currently working on and the rebrand for Whittlebury Hall. I’ve also loved creating the Tower Hamlets Together illustrations and #MyPetMadeMe for Blue Cross. And not forgetting the photos for Make Time. I had a lot of fun sourcing the actors and art directing the photo shoot!

What’s been the most memorable project you’ve worked on?

Probably some sexual health condom sleeves (they had some really interesting slogans on them!) or MooLoo’s – I had to draw a client’s stuffed toy cow as an illustration for her new shop branding. As the project went on she wanted the cow to look like her – this was hard!

What have been some of your highlights of the role so far?

I think every year just keeps getting better. I think my promotion to Senior was a big milestone for me and being awarded Bluestepper of the year. I am a fan of the Bluestep socials, they’re just full of laughs, banter and having a genuinely good time. There are a few videos of me singing floating around from these socials in the office and I also had a trip to minor injuries after one of them too (after falling up some stairs – yep, up not down!)

What makes Bluestep unique and keeps you wanting to work here?

I think it is the culture. Everyone’s drive to better Bluestep every day and the fact everyone is on the same page. I feel like I have made genuine friends at Bluestep and being able to do what you love and be surrounded by amazing people – you can’t get better than that.

You’ve certainly made an impact here Becca and we’re chuffed that your hard work and perseverance has paid off. We can’t wait to see some of the projects you’ll be working on as Senior Designer! Keep on at it, Becca.

Google is renowned for keeping its users on their toes and they’re at it once again with a big shift to their mobile-first index!

When we’re not making pets decide their owner’s fate or supporting the FA cup final, we like to get stuck into the latest SEO tips and tricks on how to cheat Google. Google recently announced that users are now searching on their mobiles more than any other device and will soon be pointing their algorithms at your mobile first rather than your desktop.

We’re experts when it comes to SEO and web-design (just take a look at some of the sites we’ve made) and we follow closely in the footsteps of the internet giant.

It’s not just about your website looking the prettiest and loading the quickest when it comes to getting that golden #1 hotspot on Google, but it’s about how it works. Google is already in the experimental phase of making their main algorithm mobile-first and so many websites just aren’t cutting it when it comes to mobile!

You might have (painfully) come across them before, but many sites have mobile versions of their current ones that normally feature a lot less content than the desktop version, and this can affect your rankings in a major way. We all know Google loves words.

The new mobile-first index will now favour your mobile site so it’s important your website is fully responsive to all devices, of any shape and size, be it a mobile, tablet or desktop. They want to be able to present its users with the best content on the internet, and if your website is holding you back then it’s time to step into 2017!

BrightEdge’s latest report shows that 57% of all online traffic is now coming from mobiles and tablets – meaning that nearly 6/10 consumers are now searching on a mobile device.

An image showing the difference in ranks between mobile and desktop searches thanks to google's mobile-first index

(Source: BrightEdge)

Their press release sheds more light on the research; when searching the same query on the same search engine, it generated different ranks on mobile and desktop 79% of the time, which could suggest their mobile-first index is already in place.

If you’re on the hunt for a new, flashy website that will help you get those ever important CTR’s and ROI’s then get in touch with us today to see what we can whizz up.

2017 saw Bluestep sponsor The London Charity Softball League for a third year running and this year's final was the best one yet!

We’ve woken up still buzzing after yesterday’s intense final in Central London.

The Bluestep charity team and 6 league finalists headed into London’s sunny Hyde Park to battle it out for 1st prize, and thankfully the weather held out (can we get an amen!).

After setting up the site with our classic carnival games and food and booze stalls – which went down a treat after being cleaned out in just 5 minutes – we were on the side-lines cheering the teams on all afternoon until sunset.

Here’s the Bluestep team squeezing in a quick selfie between matches.

Taking home the 3rd place shield was the Raptors (British Red Cross) after kicking the Sporks (Save the Children) out of the competition.

We’re loving the unintentional cat whiskers/sport stripes.

Runner-ups saw Cancer Research UK take home the 2nd place plate against the Mighty Ducks (Muscular Dystrophy UK).

The world suddenly lost colour at this point. We’re still not sure why…

And the much-deserved Tits n Tache (Movember and Coppafeel) beat Mind and took the 1st place cup back to the office, securing their status as softball champs.

Here’s Tits n Tache with their adorable office dog mascot.

We decided to up the ante at this year’s event. Not only did we set up our own carnival games for everyone to go head to head in, but we also debuted our ultimate lipsync competition for the LCSL teams to compete in. We decided Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ was simply the only song good enough to mime to.

Shimmying their way to the lipsync crown was Raleigh’s entry, which you can check out here along with all the other charities entries.

We also ran a social media competition throughout the games where we award a charity for the best use of Twitter. We crowned Muscular Dystrophy UK thanks to their social-savvy bunch. They know a good gif when they see one!

For this year’s league, we’ve worked closely with some of the charities designing their t-shirts, and we’re proud to have been able to sponsor another great year of softball.

Thank you to The London Charity Softball League for choosing us to sponsor this year’s event, we’ve had an amazing time and have loved coming to London to support you all. We’ll see you next year to do it all over again!

As Twitter celebrates 10 years of the hashtag, we thought we'd give you a helping hand with your online presence by listing our top 8 social media do's and don'ts!

We don’t know about you, but we’ve come across social media pages that seem so stagnant, they stand out more than the ones smashing it. Your social media strategy is key when it comes to engaging with your target audience and creating relevant and original content they’ll want to see.
So, with that in mind, we’ve come up with a few handy do’s and don’ts on social media to help keep you afloat and stay fresh in a saturated market.

DOs

Know your audience
This is a bit of a no brainer, but have you ever wondered why some of your posts aren’t getting any likes? It might not have gotten a little blue thumbs up this time, but that’s not to say the rest won’t. It’s a trial and error situation, so work out what content works and what doesn’t work!

Stay active
We’re all guilty of checking those follower numbers now and again, and staying active will stop them from dropping off. Post two to three times a week, judge it as you go and see how much content you should post, but don’t leave it weeks (or we’ll unfollow you).

Have personality
Spice it up a bit! Be out there, push boundaries and try to use more visuals. A tweet with an image has a 150% higher chance of being retweeted. Just take a look at our Twitter, we’re down with the kids, right?

Engage
Talk to your customers, there’s no harm in a quick chinwag. It’ll make them want to engage more often, plus your posts will show up in their friend’s feeds which could lead to even more comments.

DON’Ts

Remove comments
It’s tempting to get rid of negative comments but you don’t want to be that company, and sometimes it can just cause more damage than it’s worth! The best way to deal with these is to apologise and ask them to speak to you directly.

Like your content
It’s gutting to see something you’ve put your hard work into and to see it get zero likes. But don’t like it yourself, everyone knows you like your own content because you posted it.

Over promote your products
Only posting about your own products/services can get verrry monotonous. Try to keep up with trends and see what everyone else is talking about.

Repeat & spam
Seeing the same image and the same style post over and over will never get the likes you need. Try to use a variety of different media and writing styles to see which works best.

On that note, head on over to our social media pages and give us a cheeky like to see what we’re up to. Or if you’re interested in our campaign management services then drop us a message and we’ll be happy to have a chat about how we can help.

We’re proud to have been asked once again to sponsor the Cycle4Cynthia event for 2017!

With the massive success of last year’s event, the Cynthia Spencer Hospice have kindly asked us to sponsor them for their 2017 Cycle4Cynthia event, taking place in September.

We’re not the sort to ever turn down an opportunity to support such an amazing local charity. And with the values of Cynthia Spencer Hospice falling in line with our own values so closely, we couldn’t resist sponsoring them for their biggest fundraising event of the year.

Last year’s event saw over 1,100 cyclists take on Northampton’s finest country trails on the 5, 25 and 50-mile race, raising a whopping £76,000!

Each year the Saints Rugby team support the Cycle4Cynthia race, and this year we’ve managed to snag some snaps of them filling out Bluestep’s finest cycling jerseys, with 250 made especially for the event.

Our designers even made little back pockets to hold your shoes and water bottle (high fashion, we know).

This year’s Cycle4Cynthia event takes place on September 24th September at Northampton’s grand Lamport Hall and will be led by double Olympic silver medalist, Becky James. To get involved and fundraise for the Cynthia Spencer Hospice, simply head to their registration page. It doesn’t matter if you’re just a leisure rider, a business team or a serious cyclist – everyone’s invited!

In the meantime, if you work as part of a charity and are looking for fresh new jerseys or merchandise for your next fundraising event, give us a call or drop us a message. We’d love to chat over coffee about how we can help.

Blue Cross are back at it again with their latest fundraising campaign Lazy Cat Crazy Cat!

We’re always up for a laugh and never turn down the chance to help out our fellow charity partners with their latest and craziest campaigns (just see their #MyPetMadeMe), and their Lazy Cat/Crazy Cat fundraiser is no exception.

With a similar idea to the ice bucket challenge, Blue Cross have created another wild campaign, introducing Lazy Cat/Crazy Cat! For the next week, Blue Cross are asking all pet lovers to help them raise money for homeless and injured pets by imitating the nations favourite felines – cats.

Ask yourself – are you a lazy cat or a crazy cat? Do you love an afternoon nap or are you the type that has far too many coffees and is buzzing through the office all day? Head over to their site and take their hair-larious quiz to see which cat you are.

Once you’re ready, draw some whiskers on or don your finest cat couture if you’re feeling brave, whichever you prefer.

If you’re a crazy cat, you must film yourself for one-minute finding three hidden items, and if you’re a lazy cat you must snap yourself snoozing in an unusual place – think on a window ledge, in a box etc. Then simply post your video or photo across your social media pages and donate £3 to Blue Cross and nominate three other people to take part!

You only have until August 12 to take part, so grab some cat ears and get filming!

With sharp, intelligent copy and the Google know-how to get that golden #1 ranking spot, our skill set has grown once again with a new Bluestepper joining the team.

Meet Tom

A millennial wordsmith is what we were looking for and a millennial wordsmith was what we found!

We were lucky to snap Tom up at a time when the company was rapidly expanding. And with so much content flowing in and out, it’s important we have a strong eye for detail around to ensure consistency and personality in every word we write.

Tom is responsible for our SEO and Copywriting services, delivering our clients with top line copy and SEO solutions that hit objectives and bring tangible ROIs. When he’s not lost in deep links and link juice, he’s knee deep in mud at festivals and gigs, as an annual Glasto goer.

With a TV and Film degree, Tom managed to bag himself a part in Hollywood movie ‘Rush’, with Chris Hemsworth – nice work!

A digital marketing background makes Tom the perfect candidate for the role, and his sociable and enthusiastic personality make him an excellent addition to the team dynamic.

Tom is adaptable and intelligent, meaning he can apply himself between the multiple demands of our copywriting sector varying from digital, social media and print.

We already know the impact of words on user behaviours. Headlines, SEO, tone of voice, and copywriting can all steer a consumer in the right (or wrong) direction. And words can essentially make or break a brand.

User experience is one of the hottest topics in the digital world right now. And how this affects conversion rates is the best way to monitor and test the effectiveness of your web copy.

So why is micro copy so essential to heightening your UX, and why does it pay to focus so much on those tiny bits of text?

Small words, BIG impact

User experience is one of the hottest topics in the digital world right now. And how this affects conversion rates is the best way to monitor and test the effectiveness of your web copy.

So why is micro copy so essential to heightening your UX, and why does it pay to focus so much on those tiny bits of text?

What is Micro Copy?

Micro Copy refers to the small blocks of text found in highly trafficked areas of your site, including CTA buttons, instructive copy and error messages.

It tells users what to do (“Write your full name here”), directs your users through the site (“Sign up now”), and alleviates concerns (“Transactions are PayPal protected”).

But its power is all too often underestimated. Through A/B testing and close analysis of the performance of your micro copy, buttons and CTAs, you’ll no doubt discover that the slightest tweak in words, colours, size and location can all affect user behaviour.

Conversion rates

Small tweaks to your micro copy can instantly impact your conversion rates.

Content Verve clearly demonstrates how something as simple as adding three bullet points underneath their newsletter subscription button garnered an 87.75% increase in subscriptions, by explaining the benefits of signing up:

Likewise, The Daily Egg writes about this widely researched topic, and how phrasing can have monumental impact on the psychology, and therefore, behaviour of a user.

Take the call to action: “Schedule a demo” , for example.

It triggers a whole host of questions, and therefore barriers to the user. It requires time – which, arguably, we’re all short on – and it requires the user to notify their calendar, find time in their schedule and arrange a demo. Too much like hard work, right?

A/B testing reveals the difference in conversion rates between ‘Schedule a demo’ and ‘Watch a 5-min demo video now’. The results of the test showed an 88% drop in conversion rates for ‘Schedule a demo’. That’s monumental!

If you’re in touch with your users’ thought process, it’ll be easier to eliminate these obstacles and know which variables cause your users to drop off. Which is probably why user profiles are becoming more and more effective at turning your visitors into leads, and in turn – customers.

Brand personality

Micro copy can be a perfect opportunity to inject some of your brand’s personality into the UX. Take Mailchimp for example, a simple error message that makes the user smile and try again, not scorn and leave the site.

Great microcopy has the power to make your users feel special, as though you know what their concerns and needs are. This is the pinnacle for brand loyalty and turning your customers into promoters of your brand.

Get testing!

So, now’s your chance to research, test, analyse and optimise the microcopy throughout your site. Whether you feel user profiles are necessary or not, it’s essential to have a sound understanding of the user’s needs and expectations. Tweak wording, think about size, location and colour and craft your best microcopy yet that serves to multiple conversion rates and ROIs tenfold.

We decided to step the competition up a notch this year with our newly-devised Bluestep Lip Sync Competition for each of the charities to get involved with to win our grand prize!

Another year, another London Charity Softball League and we’re proud to have sponsored them for 2017’s event. Each year all the major charities based in London don their finest sports gear at Hyde Park for an eventful softball league over the course of the Summer, where each of the charities fights for gold.

This year, we decided to add another element of competition by introducing the Bluestep Lip Sync Challenge for all the teams involved. Each team is tasked with lip-syncing for their life to Justin Timberlake’s disco-laced ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ in the most creative and witty way possible, with the chance to win an end of season party including £1,000 worth of food and drink and a game of mini golf, all provided by Bluestep!

The deadline was last Friday so big thanks to all the charities who have sent their entries in. Our team has loved watching all eight entries and we’ll be announcing the winner at the Softball League Final at Hyde Park on Thursday 24th August.

The Bluestep team will be there again, and we’re literally buzzing with excitement as we prepare a series of carnival, fun-fair games for you all including a classic coconut shy and our Bluestep-themed grab-a-duck. So come and try your hand at our fair games and chat to one of our team members about some of the other work we’ve been involved with for other national charities.

In the meantime, head over to our Youtube channel to check out the other competition’s entries and see who might be shimmying their way to the grand prize!

Hailed as one of the country’s most well-known, successful fundraising events, it’s the biggest charity coffee morning in the world!

Since it all started back in 1990, the Macmillan Coffee Morning has raised over £138 million!

The concept is easy. All you have to do is sign up and Macmillan will send you a fundraising kit full of branded goodies to help promote your event.

Bluestep worked hard to secure the tender for Macmillan this year to produce all of the branded products for the kits that will be used nationwide at coffee mornings across the nation.

See the products making their debut in the Macmillan Coffee Morning ad for 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylWkVJ3LXRA

The order makes up a total of over 1.7 million units which are all stored and packed at Bluestep’s warehouse facility. Account manager Alice who is overseeing the order certainly has her hands full with the 6-month project, ensuring all relevant checks and quality standards are met without fail.

We are probably the MOST excited office in the country for this year’s coffee morning! Will you be hosting yours? Tag us in your pictures so we can see all of the fantastic products in the spotlight!

Bluestep’s responsibilities as a supplier of websites, software and other online platforms - often handling sensitive data - requires us to stay on the ball with changes and updates in regulations and procedures.

On the 25^th May 2018, one of the most important changes in data privacy regulations comes into place.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) replaces the existing Data Protection Act (DPA) and introduces changes and enhancements to current policies that will strengthen and unify data protection, whilst protecting individuals residing in the EU. Its main focuses are that of transparency and individuals’ rights. Are you prepared?

How important is compliance?

While ensuring compliance across all areas of your organisation may at first appear timely and inefficient, it will save you from detrimental implications in the future. Failure to comply to new procedures and updates can result in fines of up to €20million or up to 4% of annual global turnover which could be financially devastating for some organisations.

Who does it apply to?

If your organisation and its day-to-day responsibilities involves the handling or protection of data, you should make sure you’re educated on the GDPR and ready for its commencement.

What exactly constitutes as personal data?

Any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual. People can be identified through a number of identification elements including name, occupation, address, or physical characteristic.

Aren’t we leaving the EU? Why do we still need to comply to EU laws?

Yes, Brexit is very much still happening. But the government decided that the UK’s decision to leave the EU will not affect the GDPR’s commencement in May next year.

How do we prepare?

If you’re are already following existing approaches within the DPA, transition should not be too difficult…

Inform

Ensure all employees, key decision-makers, and stakeholders are aware of the GDPR and its implications. For larger companies, there could be effects on budgetary, IT, personnel, governance and communications. All departments should be provided with the knowledge to handle the changes efficiently.

Organise

All information you have should be documented. To make things simpler, you should consider organising an information audit. The GDPR requires you to know where the information came from and exactly who you share it with.

Review

We recommend an extensive review of all existing procedures to ensure they comply with the GDPRs privacy notices and individuals’ rights. Individuals’ rights include:

– The right to be informed
– The right of access
– The right to rectification
– The right to erasure a.k.a. ‘The right to be forgotten’
– The right to restrict processing
– The right to data

Accountability

If, for any reason, any of the information you hold is inaccurate, it’s your responsibility to inform any organisations you have shared this with so that their records can be updated accordingly.

Consent

It’s also your responsibility to review all consent procedures and ensure these adhere to the new GDPR standard. The falls closely in line with individuals’ rights so is high up on the list of priorities for you organisation. Read the detailed guidance to help review your current consent procedures.

Similarly, parental/guardian consent should be obtained if processing activity involves data belonging to those under the age of 13. Remember, the GDPR requires you to maintain records of all processing activity.

Employment

The introduction of stricter processes could require your organisation to designate new responsibilities to data protection officers – and if you don’t already have them, hire them. You should consider how these will sit within your existing company hierarchy and consider the impact of these additional roles.

Did you watch the FA Cup Final?

You might’ve noticed the thousands of branded flags in the pumped-up crowds.

Another incredible project with the Football Association under our belt. For a monumental event, orders from the FA are in the tens of thousands. But Bluestep are no stranger to orders of this magnitude.

Once the FA Cup finalists were announced we had two weeks to turnaround the order – without fail!

All merchandise had to be bespoke to either team – Arsenal and Chelsea. As well as flags, we had to produce team t-shirts and other branded merchandise, totalling over 20,000 additional items. Staff uniforms, cardboard cut-out trophies and staff uniforms.

Bluestep are now the go-to supplier for the FA events team after they received “the best flags yet.”

We’re excited to be teaming up with ‘Our Healthier South East London’ as a part of South East London’s Sustainability Transformation Programme. Something we’re particularly passionate about, we’ve been researching and reading everything we can get our hands on when it comes to NHS STPs, whilst we waited for the formations to take place.

This particular one sees the collaboration of x6 London boroughs, and is a result of the need for adaptation and change – integrating patient, public and clinical involvement.

We were approached to devise a digital Facebook campaign aimed at raising awareness of a series of upcoming patient events.

These events are being held so the public can attend and discuss the successes and shortcomings of local health services. STPs place an emphasis on the involvement of the public and this will be an excellent opportunity for voices to be heard, and ideas taken on board.

We are creating a campaign that will reach as many people as possible across the x6 London boroughs. London is such a fantastic challenge for our team because of its outstanding diversity. It allows us to implement demographic targeting techniques and tailor our communications to ensure we reach large cross-sections of various communities.

The social media campaign starts shortly and we’re keen to see the impact it has on the OHSEL and its events. If you’re interested in running a social media or digital campaign to raise awareness of a key message, email shanice.martin@bluestepsolutions.com and we’d be more than happy to talk through the possibilities with you.

Artistic, energetic and raring to go, Mia is the new 2017 Bluestep intern!

With enviable talent and passion, Mia was scouted by our designers at the Northampton University Degree Show. After spending a day in the office working on a brief we had set, it was clear we had to snap up this local talent ASAP.

We’ve all proudly watched on as Andrew has worked his way up the ranks since joining as an intern a year ago, to now becoming one of our go-to designers and idea generators, so we’re super-excited about the promising potential Mia brings.

Mia’s background saw her turn an interest in Photoshop and Illustrator into her artform, using tutorial platforms such as Youtube to teach herself the trade before studying at Milton Keynes College and Northampton University. After hitting it off with our design team, she wanted to begin her career at a close-knit, smaller agency where she can see a project through from start to finish. Bluestep

Like most graphic designers (without meaning to stereotype…) Mia is obsessed with stationery, organisation and tidiness!

A Message to my Younger Self...

National Osteoporosis Society are on a mission to get families talking about bone health, and their latest campaign: ‘A Message to my Younger Self’, was created to start those vital conversations. The campaign is aimed at passing vital information onto younger generations, including everything from nutrition, exercise and general self-care to prevent the chances of osteoporosis in later life.

The ‘206’ challenge was this year’s fundraising event, and it sees families and groups of friends from all over the UK walking 206 miles this year, together or between them.

The launch saw staff and lots of happy faces from multiple generations walking 2.06km around Tyntesfield National Trust, accompanied by TV celebrities Professor Alice Roberts and Diana Moran.

Bluestep supplied the branded T-shirts for the event. And as you can see from the photos, it was a happy and successful day!

https://twitter.com/OsteoporosisSoc