MK Advertiser Blog

South Lodge, a new boutique bed and breakfast accomodation to Milton Keynes looks absolutely fabulous. The MK Advertiser received some fantastic testimonials from people who had stayed there, and we were naturally delighted when the owners expressed an interest in highlighting their business on our website.

South Lodge offer something quite unique, giving you the perfect opportunity to impress your guests, whether it be for a special occasion, social event or business gathering where you will be able to have the house, and all the fantastic gardens to yourselves. Click here to find out more about South Lodge, a place of luxury where you will feel special and will almost  certainly want to return.

Youth charity The Prince’s Trust is launching an appeal for volunteers to support unemployed young people in Milton Keynes. These youngsters want to move forward with their lives, building on the confidence and skills they have gained from recently completing the Prince’s Trust course.

The role will require a commitment of one hour per week for six months. Offering support, advice and encouragement to explore training, education and employment options the mentor will help them to achieve success by working towards idtentified goals.

Mentors will develop a meaningful relationship with young people who are unemployed and often educational under-achievers, care leavers or ex-offenders. Volunteers are the back-bone of the Prince’s Trust with more than 6,000 nationally. A three-day training course will be provided along with support from the Prince’s Trust Staff.

Mentors typically find the experience greatly rewarding and challenging with an opportunity to share in the feelings of success. Michael Pearson, 48, from Eastbourne, has mentored two young people over the past few years. Michael heard about the charity after he and some colleagues visited a Prince’s Trust Team course and decided then that he wanted to become a volunteer mentor.  

Michael said “Im lucky that my life is good and my children are also happy. However, I know that for some young people life is a real struggle. It’s easy for me to give some time to these young people, and when you see them succeed it’s a real rush of adrenalin. The investment you put in is so little in comparison to the output and the changes you see in them and their life, so I would definitely recommend becoming a mentor.”

The Trust has a high success rate in the UK with 75% of all young people supported last year moving into employment, education or training. This can be partly attributed to the high quality mentors the Trust has, who are prepared to give up their time for free.

Gill Day, Prince’s Trust Volunteer Executive said “Due to an increase in our activity throughout the counties, we now have a considerable number of opportunities available for new mentors. If you feel you could guide a young person to overcome disadvantages, we would love to hear from you. By sharing your advice, you could make a real difference.”

To become a personal mentor for the Prince’s Trust, please contact Gill Day on 01753 502 302. Volunteer mentors are subject to criminal records bureau check and undergo a three day training programme.

Angela Sherman, professional copywriter from Content Creation, highlights the key things to remember when writing articles…..

Writing articles is one of the most powerful parts of your marketing toolkit. A good article can last long into the future, help you drive more traffic to your website and send clients to your door. They’re easy to write, they’re low cost and they set you up as an expert in your field. Plus, by offering good value in your articles, you build trust and credibility.

1. CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC. Your article might convey news about something to do with your business. Or you might write a useful ‘top tips’ article offering the reader a solution to a problem. Alternatively, focus on a topical issue, a recurring problem for your readership or a perennial question in your reader’s mind. Include interesting insights or helpful solutions. Pick up on things your clients say, observe the things people do - and then address common myths or misconceptions.

2. USE YOUR ARTICLE IN PRINT AND ON THE WEB. Whatever your topic, make the most of your article. Print it, upload it to your website, use it on your blog, send it to online publishers, include it with your proposals, use it as a handout, use it in a newsletter, email it to your clients and contacts, submit it to a magazine, post it on an ‘articles’ website (see Top Tip 10), send it to your alliance partners for inclusion in their own newsletters…..there are all sorts of ways to make an article your best marketing friend!

3. RESEARCH WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR - AND WHAT THEY REALLY WANT. In business people often want to read something useful and practical - something that speaks their language. By writing articles like this, you become their trusted advisor. Scour the trade press, search engines, relevant blogs, forums and newsgroups, etc. On the web, what ‘keywords’ will people use to search for the topic in your article? Make sure you include these words in your article. Do your research.

4. BRAINSTORM IDEAS AROUND YOUR TOPIC. If you’re not sure where to start, try this: Use an egg-timer or other time-limiting device. Write down words related to your topic - just words. Keep writing - don’t stop. Then expand each word or idea with other single words or phrases and then explain those words with additional ideas or phrases - and so on. All ideas are good! Now decide what your key issue / argument is and put your thoughts into some kind of numerical order.

5. CREATE A TITLE OR HEADING. Your title is CRITICAL both for humans and search engines. The title gets your article read by both. If writing for the web, include an appropriate search engine keyword in your title. Example: if you’re an image consultant, the title “10 easy ways to look great and win your next promotion” is good for human beings, but the title “Corporate attire for men - 10 easy ways to look great and win your next promotion” is much better for search engines, because it is more specific and would be picked up by people using the keywords “corporate attire for men.”

6. DRAFT YOUR INTRODUCTION. Why this topic? Why now? Tell your reader what you’re going to tell them and highlight the key insight you’ll explore. Perhaps start with an anecdote. Imagine you’re talking to a friend - that will set a good conversational tone. Add your name and position between the heading and the introduction, e.g. “Jo Smith of ABC Co. Ltd explains….”

7. WRITE YOUR BODY TEXT AND BREAK IT UP WITH SUBHEADINGS. Take the points you’ve brainstormed, develop them and take the reader step-by-step through your article. Keep it punchy. Add keywords, as appropriate. Perhaps use a quote from the relevant person, perhaps one of your peers or a client or an acknowledged expert in your field. If you’re writing for the web, link to a specific page of your website to help generate traffic. The content of your article must be interesting enough for someone to click on the link - so make sure you use a good keyword as the link text. If you’re sending your article for someone else to publish, check how many words they need. Leave the reader wanting more. If you’ve written a long article, could you break it up into a series of shorter ones? That would be ideal for a blog or for a magazine.

8. MAKE IT READABLE. Use more “you” words than “we” or “I”. Vary the pace by varying paragraph lengths and sentence lengths. Use one idea / subject per paragraph. Read it aloud to check that it flows.

9. CONCLUSION / SUMMARY. Tell them what you’ve told them and leave your key point or key question in their minds. Include a ‘call to action’, i.e. tell people what to do next. This encourages people to contact you and shows them why it’s worthwhile. Add your credentials and contact details at the end. If your article is for the web, include a link to a specific page on your website and always include “http://” if you’re mentioning your actual URL. Alternatively, use your best keyword as a link. Once you’ve written your article, sleep on it. Then cut down the number of words and get someone else to read it!

10. CONSIDER POSTING YOUR ARTICLE ON FREE ‘ARTICLES WEBSITES’. Write a useful article and post it on an articles website. These are essentially directories of articles on all sorts of topics. Articles posted on these sites will show up in general search results for your topic, as long as you’ve included the appropriate keywords. Link the article to a specific page or your website or blog - or to a separate sales page if you’re promoting a specific product. Then send your article to just a few articles websites initially (see below) - and measure the results! Browse some of the following sites* and see who else is writing in your field and how they structure and link their articles:

www.ezinearticles.com    www.articledashboard.com    www.articlecity.com    www.buzzle.com    www.ideamarketers.com

*Content Creation and the MK Advertiser does not endorse any of these websites and is not responsible for any of the content on any of these sites.

If you’d like some help creating powerful articles to drive traffic to your website and clients to your door, contact Angela Sherman at Content Creation on 01908 582 231 or visit her website to find out more.

Our sister site MK Reviews has only recently launched yet there are plenty of reviews already online to view and we also have a fabulous prize to give away which includes food, ice cream and bowling for 4 people at City Limits. Many people have already commented that the website should come with a warning…..”This site will make you hungry!” If you like food, you’ll love this website.

 Take a look and find recently added reviews for The Black Horse, Woburn, Fugu and Frankie & Benny’s. Why not tell us what you think, not only of your experiences at these restaurants, but feel free to comment on the reviews themselves. Do you think they are fair or have we rated someone too highly who you feel might over hyped? Let us know by leaving your feedback via the MK reviews website. Click here to find out more.

Ray Ripnar of Spooners, is enjoying the challenges that running a restaurant bring. It’s now 3 months since Spooners was sold to himself and his partner Mili. Their new Chef, Vitali is now firmly established in the kitchen where the flavours of Russia mix comfortably on the menu alongside old favourites like Henry Marshall and Bread & Butter Pudding.

Spooners in Woburn have several upcoming events and here are some to consider. Father’s Day (Sunday 15th June). A 3 course luncheon and coffee at £19 per head (children up to 12 years half price). Every father will have a chance to win a prize.

New for the summer - wine and dine lunches. Why not try the new set menu at £12.50 for 2 courses or £15.50 for 3.  These are ideal for special ocassions, business lunches or just relaxing with friends.

From Russia With Love (20th June). A special evening where Spooners will bring the atmosphere and flavours of Russia to you. A 3 course meal, coffee, with a traditional drink and canapes on arrival are charged at just £35 per head. There will also be a quiz on the evening with a prize for the winning table.

With the arrival of summer and hopefully the weather to accompany it, Spooners are offering special summer culinary treats so why not try cooked lobster and exotic salads at this premier establishment?  

Click here to find out more about Spooners.

goclubclass.com enjoy offering a service, that’s what drives them (pardon the pun!). Every job is tailored around your own individual needs and is priced accordingly.  If you want to treat yourself, or spoil the family and start your holiday in style, goclubclass.com have a wide range of cars available for airport transfers at competitive prices. Whether you’re looking for a personal chauffeur, or are travelling to a sporting event, you’ll be surprised how affordable luxury travel with goclubclass.com can be. Click here for more info.Â

In 1984, Martin and Susan Spooner created a thriving and successful restaurant business called “Spooners” from a derelict Victorian and Edwardian terrace. They recently sold the business to the delightful Ray and Liudmila Ripnar. The couple are determined to continue with the fine Spooners tradition but are adding an extra Soviet twist with a fine selection of exotic Russian Cuisines.

Why not click here to find out more about Spooners, who were recently reviewed by MK Reviews. If you feel tempted to visit this delightful establishment in the near future, why not look to visit on Friday 20th June, when, accompanied with live musical entertainment, they will be holding a special Russian Cuisine evening.

If you’re looking to increase your sales, word-of-mouth marketing is proven to increase your sales. As BBMK get to know your business, members will actively look out for opportunities for you and vice-versa. There’s just one person from any given discipline or field in each group so there is no conflict of interest.

BBMK meet every week to develop and cement good business relationships, share and debate useful information and pass quality business referrals. You are welcome to visit BBMK up to 3 times before making a decision about joining.

The stunning garden of The Swan, Salford is the setting once again this year for SNAP up a Frock, an annual extraganza of fabulous designer dress shopping, champagne sipping and lunching, all for charity, taking place on Saturday 13th September.

This annual fundraiser in aid of the Milton Keynes based charity SNAP, which helps young adults with learning difficulties, gets into full swing from 1030am. This is a great opportunity to contribute to a good cause while you have a great day out.

“This year’s SNAP up a Frock event promises to be even bigger and more glamorous than before, with hundreds of dazzling designer bargains just waiting to be snapped up” said Sally Fennemore, Funraising Co-Ordinator for SNAP.

Swan owner Andrew Coath added “SNAP up a Frock is always a fabulous day out. Last year we raised more than £8,000 and this time we’re hoping we’ll be able to raise even more money for a great cause. Please come along and support us on the day so we can make it an even bigger success for SNAP.”

To be sure of a ticket, please contact Sally Fennemore on 01908 586 326. Tickets and further information are also available from The Swan, Salford on 01908 281 008.

Click here to read MK Reviews thoughts on The Swan, Salford.

Caroline El-Oun trained with a leading Knightsbridge Florist and now runs her own business in Olney, Anthos Floral Design. Whatever your requirements, ‘anthos’ are committed to providing bespoke, stunning and imaginative floral designs businesses, events and private clients. Caroline also provides flowers for the home and is able to conduct a consultation to familiarise herself with your house and its decor, helping you to choose flowers tailored for you and your personal preferences. For more information on ‘anthos’ why not call 01234 711 622 or simply click here for some examples of Caroline’s floral designs.