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Wednesday 15 January 2014

The power of #Wighthour


Yes really! ANY no matter how big or small, any business from the Isle of Wight, or any wishing to advertise to an Island audience needs to be taking part in #Wighthour (Times above).
It's an invaluable source of free advertising and a great place to find businesses and services you need... as mentioned by the lovely Veronica Pullen - Social Marketing Queen and Author of Social Prospecting for Twitter - on her website veronicapullen.co.uk/ <<Click to see! Her and her husband found 3 businesses they needed in one night all from #Wighthour


Monday 6 January 2014

Helping your business in 2014

Excerpt taken from previous blog post.

I feel that alot of Island businesses are losing out on a really good chance to promote themselves as much as they could with #wighthour. I appreciate that not everyone is especially twitter or tech minded so I am going to explain my idea behind #wighthour in very simple terms :)


#Wighthour


Using your business twitter account on a Monday evening between 8:30-9:30pm write a tweet describing your business/services/offers you do and somewhere in that tweet include #Wighthour (You don’t have to write the tweet to @Wighthour I will still see it).
I will retweet any business / useful/ informative tweet that includes the #Wighthour hashtag.
If you are promoting your business using #Wighthour then please retweet someone else who is doing the same, the idea being the more people who retweet each other then the more people get to see your original tweet and that will hopefully lead to more business coming your way.
To give you an idea of what I mean:
Imagine you only have 10 followers—you may think #Wighthour is pointless for you as ’who is going to see my tweet?’ but if you include #Wighthour in your tweet even if I am not one of your 10 followers yet then I will see it and retweet it to my 500+ followers  and some of them have 1000’s of followers so if they join in #Wighthour and retweet your tweet that I have retweeted then suddenly the answer to your question of ‘who is going to see my tweet?’ is potentially thousands of people!

I hope that makes some kind of sense! Please just say if you have any questions!

See you at #Wighthour

Saturday 4 January 2014

Got a bit of time you could spare?

I spotted this email recently and thought I would share it here in the hope we (#wighthour) might be able to start off the New Year with a good deed........

Hi! 
I am posting on behalf of Cowes Sea Cadets. We have a new building in need of some volunteer 'fitting out' workers! If you are a competent carpenter and would like to give some assistance over the next few weeks we would really appreciate it! We have some 'working party' days coming up on Saturdays during January, but can find plenty of opportunities to help at other times if you are able. Current jobs are fixing door frames, skirting and other slightly more technical jobs where a good knowledge of carpentry is needed. Other than the woodwork there will be many painting or tiling jobs to be done, but door fitting is our primary aim this coming month.
 

(Unless you happen to be an electrician or plumber! If so - we really do need you too!)
 
We have a good team of parent/volunteers on hand, with lots of tea and coffee and a friendly chat always available if wanted! Have you recently retired and feel the need to get your hands on some tools again? If so - we NEED you!
 
We are a registered Charity, and always looking for people willing to give their time to support some amazing young cadets who are working towards their citizenship awards and all manner of training schemes. Adult training leaders are also welcome to see if they have skills we can put into play as teachers for Cadet Nights. If you have time to spare and would like to pass on your knowledge and enjoy some great times within the Sea Cadet Corps, why not get in touch and find out more.
 
In the first instance, please email or I can be reached on 07846524036 during normal office hours. If you message me a land-line with your details I will happily call you at a suitable time.
 
Thank you for reading,
Jackie
Vice Chair of Cowes Sea Cadet Unit Management Team

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Featured Blog Post with Phileas Foggs of Ventnor

Who are you? 
Mark Randerson, Married to Lindsay, with two lovely children Charlie (9) and Leila (4). 
I have a passion for all things food and drink related, and my other love is sailing.
What do you do?
Myself and Lindsay are owners of Phileas Fogg's Restaurant, Ventnor. I spend most of my time in the kitchen, slaving over a hot stove. Well at least that's what I tell people :)
Where can people visit you/see your work?
The restaurant is open every evening from 6pm, except Tuesdays when we are closed.
I always come and say hello to our diners every evening, so you will be sure to see me.
On Tuesdays you'll either find me dinghy sailing with Charlie somewhere off Shanklin, or racing with my friend Tony at Cowes in his Yacht. (look for us near the back!! )
Do you have a website?
We love social media and really embrace it. It's a fun way of letting people know exactly what we are doing and when.
Follow us on twitter @Phileas_Foggs
Like us on Facebook
or visit our website
You will find we do not always take life to seriously!
Have you always lived on the Island?
No, we've been here for 2 1/2 years now.
It started with a holiday, a serious love for the IOW and Ventnor in particualar soon followed. Our house in Manchester was put on the market, notices handed in, and a serious lifestyle change was on the cards.
I love the Island, Ventnor is a joy, and I see it moving forward every year.
If you could have 1 wish what would you choose?
That I could sing! I would love to be in a rock band!
Stuck on a desert island what 3 items would you choose to have with you?
My I Pod, A corkscrew, and a case of fine wine
If 1 of your 3 items had to be music what album or artist would you choose?
U2, any album. My all time favourite band, some say I am slightly obsessed!
Is there anything you would like to see introduced on #Wighthour?
Quirky Island Business Facts, Intersting things about Island Businesses that peolpe would be intersted to learn about. 
If you could choose the next person to be featured on the #Wighthour blog who would you choose?
I would choose Geoff and Cheryll at Ventnor Fish Haven. One of our suppliers, enabling us to get fresh, local fish daily.
I imagine a fisherman's life is not the easiest or the most glamorous, it would be interesting to hear what they have to say!
-- 
Mark and Lindsay
Phileas Fogg's
11 High Street
Ventnor
PO38 1RZ
01983 855500

Monday 2 December 2013

#Wighthour Giveaway

You can win a pair of tickets to the Wight Island Radios Christmas party with #Wighthour 

Just send a tweet which includes #Wighthour AND #wirstudio and you will be entered into a prize draw to be held on Wednesday 4th December 2013 at 8:30pm 

There are 2 pairs up for grabs!


GOOD LUCK 
to everyone that enters! 
:) 



Friday 29 November 2013

Featured blog post..with Ventnorartsclub...

Who are you?
Stephen Izatt. I live in Bonchurch with my wife Liz and used to be flabbergasted by people who thought Newport was a long way away. I now pack a suitcase if I absolutely have to go to B&Q. 

What do you do? 
I am a serial meddler. I started in Naval Architecture, became seduced by the then sexy world of advertising, was brainjacked by music and still fall over in awe of creative talent. So I have a brand consultancy which pays the bills, Ventnor Arts Club which generates bills by the hour and, up until recently, was part of a Manchester based record label which was a hole into which I poured whatever money I had left. 

Where can people visit you/see your work?
Our brand work is all over the place, on conveyor belt sushi restaurants, on the chests of Rolling Stones fans and was everywhere in 2012. You can see my slight obsession for Art Deco and my penchant for colour at the Club. The legacy of music which was little to do with me but massively to do with my business partner in the label is heard daily - hourly if you are a BBC 6music listener. 

Do you have a website?
There's a bit of a theme going with our social media addresses;  www.Ventnorartsclub.com   / www.facebook.com/ventnorartsclub   / @ventnorartsclub

Have you always lived on the Island?
No, I was brought up in Surrey, lived abroad a little and in West London  but home has been here for 8 years now. 

If you could have 1 wish what would you choose?
I would dearly like this country to be run by a team of people who I could trust, for a period of time during which they could collaborate and make sustainable improvements. Instead of spending their time point scoring against the other parties trying to ensure they don't loose the next election.

Stuck on a desert island what 3 items would you choose to have with you?
My scuba gear, a nitrox mix air compressor and a wok. 

If 1 of your 3 items had to be music what album or artist would you choose?
Fleetwood Mac's greatest hits. The real Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green at the helm before he took one acid tab too many and got lost on the way home from the studio. 


Is there anything you would like to see introduced on #Wighthour?
Live events, speed networking, where faces can be put to twitter accounts. We can host them if you like.  (Watch this space!) 


If you could choose the next person to be featured on the #Wighthour blog who would you choose?
I think Mark at Philieas Fogg's would be interesting. As long as he doesn't talk about his weird neighbours. 


Thursday 21 November 2013

#Wighthourphotos


As suggested by the lovely @HollyMaslen  I am introducing #wighthourphotos I couldn't decide if I should run this on the blog or on twitter so I have decided to do both ...

Ok the rules...

A random topic will be chosen on roughly a weekly basis and you can submit photos that fit with the chosen subject, I will feature all entries here on the blog and will ask you all to pick your favourite! Please just mention on your tweet if its a photo from the internet or wherever and if its one you have taken let me know and I will put a note that its your image.
It's just a bit of fun - a different way to connect with other #wighthour users.

If entering on twitter please #hashtag your image #wighthourphotos

This weeks random topic is 'always makes me smile'

Have fun!

Sarah (@wighthour)

Saturday 16 November 2013

Featured blog post..with Vintage Vacations...

Who are you? 
I’m Helen Cunningham,living in Ventnor with my husband Frazer and our daughter Faber. 

What do you do? 
I run a holiday business with my husband Frazer … we were the first to bring American Airstream holidays to the UK and have just had our 10th season(which seems unbelievable ….Time flies!)This has grown into our full-­time jobs with the addition of some wonderful buildings that we are lucky to have been able to acquire. I guess our USP is our love of ‘old stuff’, quirky architecture and muchos kitschos that shines through what we do and attracts like-­‐minded folk. 

Where can people visit you/see your work? 
During the summer months we are at out Airstream site over at Ashey most days … we also hold regular ‘events’ throughout the year at the Airstreams or some of our other locations which have proven to be a great way of meeting new ‘Island’ people. Details on the ‘Special Events’ page of our website. 

Do you have a website? 
vintagevacations.co.uk is our website address 
Facebook page is www.facebook.com/pages/vintage-vacations
and I am @vintagehelen on twitter. 

Have you always lived on the Island? 
I’m from London and my husband is from Edinburgh but we have lived on the Island for about 8 years now full time. We first built a small holiday house here that is now our all-­the-‐ time home. 

If you could have 1 wish what would you choose? 
Oooooh *chews pencil* could everyone just play nice please? Failing that could every summer be like summer 2013! 

Stuck on a desert island what 3 items would you choose to have with you? 
My photo albums, trusty sewing machine and an everlasting supply of Montezamas chocolate buttons.

If 1 of your 3 items had to be music what album or artist would you choose? 
The whole Nile Rogers back catalogue. #cheating 

Is there anything you would like to see introduced on #Wighthour? 
Maybe Q&A’s …. On odd things – maybe you have seen a peculiar sign or an interesting house on the Island and would like to know more about it? 

If you could choose the next person to be featured on the #Wighthour blog who would you choose? 
@ventnorartsclub …. I’d expect some interesting answers!

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Wighthour

#Wighthour was a huge success this week with more new members joining it is getting more difficult to keep up! :)

This is actually a blogpost to anyone who follows me but who isn't a business taking part - or maybe not even a business at all. I can appreciate that during #wighthour I most probably feature quite heavily in your timeline/twitter feed, I hope this doesn't get too much that you feel the need to unfollow me, I am purely trying to support Island businesses and may just rt an offer or service from someone that may appeal to you! :)


Thank you all for your continued support! :) 

Sarah 
(@wighthour & @loves2crochetuk)