Advanced Digital Skills for Creatives

Hosted by the South of Scotland Enterprise, funded through the Creative Digital Initiative (CDI), and delivered by NSDesign, the purpose of these 5 new “digital deep-dive” sessions is to increase the digital awareness and vital skills of the creative sector.

Each session will be delivered via Zoom and have up to 25 places available. Places are limited to 1 participant per organisation.

They are FREE for small to medium sized businesses operating in the creative industries in Scotland.

1. Cyber Security Essentials for Creative Businesses

Dates: Wednesday 1st December 2021 10am – 1pm / Monday 10th January 2022 1pm – 4pm

One small business in the UK is successfully hacked every 19 seconds. With more and more creative business processes moving into the cloud, we need to be more cautious than ever, defending against hacks, exploits and scams. We all want to believe that every online order is a legitimate one, but one wrong click is all it takes to cause devastating impact to both our professional and personal lives.

This practical 3-hour webinar will look at website security, social media safety, password protection and more. Aimed at small creative business owners who want to embrace online opportunities, but who understand (or maybe don’t understand!) the real dangers and their impact in today’s connected world.

Run by NSDesign’s MD and senior consultant Gary Ennis, you’ll leave both scared, but prepared, ready to make simple changes to your digital practices to ensure you thrive online, and don’t become another hacking statistic. This might be one of the most important webinars you attend – the reputation of your business could depend on it!

Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cyber-security-essentials-for-creative-businesses-tickets-198132789507

2. Live Streaming for Creative Businesses

Dates: Monday 6th December 2021 10am – 1pm / Thursday 13th January 2022 1pm – 4pm

Live streaming is a powerful opportunity for every creative organisation to enjoy more engagement from their audiences. In this practical webinar, you’ll be given the essential skills and knowledge to get started with live video, and we’ll recommend a technical set up fit for any budget.

Following the Covid lockdown in March 2020, entrepreneurial businesses have evolved to find alternative, digital routes to market helping them connect with customers. Live streaming offers a chance to do just that, maintaining a ‘human face’ to the business, and communicating on a personal more deeper level despite the barrier of physical location.

Delivered by Colin Kelly – broadcaster, journalist and digital consultant with NSDesign, this 3-hour live webinar will guide you through everything you need to produce engaging live video streams for your creative business. We’ll explore the platforms you should be on and how they work, the equipment you need (with advice for any budget) and generate content ideas to help you understand the things you should talk about and showcase on your live streams.

Sing up: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/live-streaming-for-creative-businesses-tickets-198225175837

3. Getting started with Shopify for Creative Businesses

Dates: Friday 19th December 2021 10am – 1pm / Monday 17th January 2022 1pm – 4pm

Creating beautiful products might be your focus but selling them to customers needs to be a priority. While popular marketplaces like EBay and Etsy allow a simple route to market, having your own ecommerce platform ensures you maximise the benefits from selling online.

Shopify is the world’s largest and most popular e-commerce platform used by millions to bring their creative businesses online, well known for its ease of use and simple set up.

In this 3-hour webinar you’ll learn what e-commerce means for your business and what Shopify actually is. We’ll show you how to use the seller’s dashboard and take you around an example store so you can see if Shopify is the right fit for you. We’ll show you how to build your own store using Shopify for free using a trial. From products to payments, shipping to stock control, we’ll guide you through all the basics that you need to know to get started and have plenty discussions about how to promote your new online store using digital marketing.

Delivered by Jay Taylor – a consultant with NSDesign specialising in Ecommerce and Small Business Marketing.

Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/getting-started-with-shopify-for-creative-businesses-tickets-198243029237

4. Getting to Grips with Google SEO and Analytics for Creative Businesses

Dates: Monday 13th December 2021 10am – 1pm / Wednesday 19th January 2022 1pm – 4pm

A webinar of two-halves, this practical session will help you understand how to increase traffic to your website, then understand what those people actually do once there.

You likely know how important being found on Google is to the success of your business, but do you really know how to increase your chances of a higher ranking? Covering topics such as keywords and link-building, you’ll see that SEO isn’t all smoke and mirrors, and with even a basic understanding you’ll make a significant improvement in site traffic and conversions.

We’ll then help you gain more insight (actionable insight!) into what visitors are doing (or not doing) on your website or via your online company marketing, with a dive into the world of Analytics, both on your website and social channels. Being able to better understand and measure user behaviour, drives efficiency, improves performance and (importantly!) has a direct impact on increasing online sales, while lowering marketing expenses.

Delivered by one of Scotland’s leading SEO and Analytics guru, you’re in safe hands with Brian Tait, a consultant with NSDesign who holds just about every Google certification out there!

Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/getting-to-grips-with-google-seo-and-analytics-for-creative-businesses-tickets-198245316077

5. Instagram Reels and TikTok for Creative Business

Dates: Thursday 16th December 2021 10am – 1pm / Friday 21st January 2022 1pm – 4pm HURRY – BOTH DATES FULLY BOOKED!

New dates: Monday 20th December 2021 10am – 1pm / Friday 7th January 2022 10am – 1pm / Wednesday 12th January 2022 1.30pm -4.30pm

This practical webinar will cover everything you need to know about creating short form videos on your smartphone that will build you a following on TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and, ultimately, grow your business through fun creative expression, perfect for engaging today’s social customers.

Social media is changing. Organisations saying things doesn’t cut it anymore. The next generation of social media success is about people doing things. Instagram Reels and TikTok are currently two of the hottest digital platforms, attracting huge audiences and are growing fast. They can generate incredible reach for your business – their bitesize format makes them the perfect place for you to showcase your products, share your expertise and creative processes, and promote your brand values. The challenge is how can you use them without damaging your credibility while also achieving a return for your business.

This 3-hour interactive ‘Zoom’ webinar is delivered by NSDesign consultant Emma Baker, former media studies school teacher turned business trainer specialising in smartphone video production.

Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/instagram-reels-and-tiktok-for-creative-business-tickets-198247412347

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