HARBOUR 32, a boutique digital marketing agency in Northampton, is looking ahead to what 2020 will bring for businesses across the UK.
The business was founded in 2010 as a social media specialist agency. Today, with a loyal and growing client base, the business has diversified to include website design and development, PR and outreach, email marketing, Facebook Advertising and professional videography. Specialists in each field work together to ensure any campaign is cohesive and aligned to the business objectives and strategy.
Shelley Röstlund, co-director and the lead digital marketing strategy consultant at Harbour 32 says: “We have found that many businesses are still thinking that social media as something that you think of after you have ‘sorted everything else out’. The challenge for us, as specialists, is in helping businesses to understand that, today, it’s crucial to take much more into account when you are putting your business objectives into play through your marketing and communications plans.”
With audiences on social media growing into the billions; technology driving innovation in the workplace and at home; and customers becoming more impatient and sophisticated in their buying processes – Harbour 32 feels that 2020 is ‘the year’ for impactful change.
One of the best ways to harness digital marketing quicker and lead the way in your industry, is to work with a specialist.
More and more businesses are looking to blend their in-house marketing teams with carefully a selected specialist digital marketing agency to enhance their efforts and craft a more strategic approach to their content marketing.
Why choose to work with an agency?
The digital and social media field is like shifting sand. Knowledge and expertise are gleaned from thousands of hours of trial and error, experimentation, learning through specialist international peer groups and of course through more formalised CPD hours of training and conferences.
Facebook alone goes through multiple iterations within a 30-day cycle. Software is also a major driver of implementation and efficiency in digital marketing.
Shelley confirms that, as an agency, Harbour 32 is currently are using more than 24 different tools and software solutions to help to not only manage their team, and look after clients – but also to deliver their services in a streamlined and efficient manner.
When you work with a digital marketing specialist, you are gaining access to a treasure trove of knowledge and tools, so that you can make decisions quicker, act on foresight and gain an advantage over your competitors. With speed on your side, you can take advantage of opportunities as they arise and not watch from the sidelines as you learn from others.
What will make the difference in 2020?
Businesses who grasp the urgency to build in-house digital skills and work with agencies like Harbour 32 to help get their digital marketing activity back in line with business objectives – are the ones who will be well prepared for what the future brings.
Shelley says: “Use carefully planned content marketing which is driven by objectives, powered with human stories and concentrated into the channels where it will perform the best for you. The online world is noisy and too self-centred. You can make the difference in 2020 by being smart, picking your moments and of course creating juicy, valuable content that helps solve burning needs or challenges.”
If you are interested in taking a step back and re-evaluating your digital marketing activity, feel free to contact Shelley Röstlund and her team on 01604 968525 or at to arrange a no-obligation conversation about how 2020 can be YOUR year. Remember to mention you read about Harbour 32 in Business Times.
“For a company that is very hands-on, we do everything ourselves in terms of maintaining our social media platforms, our website etc – the danger is you get too close to it. So, to have someone come in – it made us stop and think: hold on, there are a lot of opportunities here we are missing, simply because we are stuck in that ‘ah, we’ve done it this way for years – so let’s continue.’ Thanks to Shelley and her approach – she has stimulated our thinking and strategic plans.”
– Mark Franklin, Managing Director at Usborne Books at Home
“I am so grateful for your help and guidance. The changes and day-to-day elements you helped us put in place to support better organic search authority has already made a difference on our search results. It was a long list – but we did it!
There are so many things to think about and aspects that are taken into account just for organic search – I am learning more every day. It really helps having you guys there to keep me on track and up to date.”
Victoria Garrett, Marketing Manager, Cynthia Spencer Hospice
“A big thank you to the Harbour 32 team for being our digital partners. Their consistent support, advice and mentorship of our marketing efforts has been incredibly useful for us. We are a busy, growing business and there are a lot of moving parts for us, as directors, to manage. With Shelley and Christian on board – we know that our marketing and particularly our digital marketing strategy stays on course and they keep us focussed.”
Richard Evans, Group Director, The Back and Body Clinic
