Moore’s Fish & Chip Shop’s Chip In For Charity Day

Nov 7, 2013

Moore’s Fish & Chips, 254 King Street, Castle Douglas, DG7 1HA – Tel: 01556 502347

Yesterday I went along to Moore’s Chip Shop in Castle Douglas to find out a bit more about how they are planning on raising money for charity on Monday!

On the 11th of November 2013 , Moore’s Chip shop will be raising money for the Fisherman’s Mission as part National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) Chip –In for Charity Event to Celebrate 100 years of the Foundation!

They got involved with this event through the NFFF as the chips shop is situated so close to the town of Kirkcudbright, and because of the region’s strong coastal connection. D&G has over 220 miles of coastline and many fishing ports ! The Fisherman’s Mission has supported a number of local familys and individuals in the region! The team at Moore’s are proud to do their part to help the cause, as fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world , and without Fisherman there would be no fish for them to serve !

Moore’s Chip Shop which has been serving the community since 1977 has always supported the Fisherman’s Mission by having one of their collection tins situated in the shop, and they have held fundraisers for the mission in the past!

All the staff employed at the recently re-vamped state of the art Chippy take the greatest pride in serving the fish that is bought in from suppliers and fish markets in Scotland. Moore’s only sells fish that is bought from sources that are committed to the sustainable and environmentally friendly practices of catching fish !

So on Monday the 11th of November 2013 they will be raising as much money as they can by selling WEE FISH SUPPERS for a minimum of £1.00

The wee fish supper is comprised of a half fish with a half portion of chips and a small dish of mushy peas.

Opening hours on the 11th will be from 11.45 am all day long until 10.00pm and the WEE FISH SUPPERS will be available all day !

I chatted with Craig the Chip shop Manager , while he was busy serving, and he hope’s to see as many folk as possible coming along supporting this great cause.

DGWGO will be going along that’s for sure!

Featured Band – WAY UP

Nov 6, 2013

Dumfries band WAY UP are now celebrating the launch of their debut CD ONE MORE TIME. The Album with a mixture of dark intimate songs, bright acoustic work and brooding Blues numbers complete with a soaring instrumental finale is the culmination of several years of planning and recording. WAY UP has, at it’s backbone, lifelong friends Scott Kerr singer, songwriter, studio guitar and Brian “Scotty” Scott bass and acoustic guitar plus a host of other friends and fellow local musicians such as Neil Cockayne, Tommy Hall, Howling Clem Clements, Chris Lord, Linz Henderson and many others who have all contributed to the project.

Scott Kerr said, “we have been asked many times if we would move to various other places in the UK to further our sound but I think it would take an “Act of God” to get us away from SW Scotland. Not only is it our home but with the extraordinarily rich history of Music, Poetry, Theatre etc there is simply no logical reason why we should want to move. Where else can you sit somewhere reading Burns, my favourite poet, and sit where he once was looking at what he saw.

Where I stay I can be in the countryside in less than 5 minutes, the hills within 20 and at the Solway within 15 and every one of these places has certainly inspired my songwriting. I believe the Scots as a people can do deep and dark maybe even melancholy with regard to songwriting as well if not better than many other people and yet equally when we feel the need to dance we can bring that out again as good as any other people in the world too and I believe, or I certainly hope that has been reflected in my tunes.”

Regularly featured on Radio in the USA, Europe and Australia the band combine other personal music projects but get together when required to bring their own particular sound to a stage. Concentrating largely on Festivals in Scotland and Ireland plus with appearances at the NECC Birmingham, live on TV, BBC Radio picking up their songs and with several Net Radio Number 1’s already under their belt the future is definitely on the way up for this band of local musicians.

Copies of the Album can be bought at [email protected] and the band can be contacted at their own web site: wayup.webs.com , Facebook or on twitter @scottkerrwayup

DG Youth View Winners Announced

Nov 5, 2013

DG Youth View is an online photography project run by Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival in partnership with Phil McMenemy, Kim Ayres and DGWGO. Young people aged 13-21 were encouraged to send in their pictures with the aim of getting a snapshot of how our region looks to young folks, and bring together a community of people interested in photography.

In an online competition entries were asked for under the categories:

My Place: Photos of a place I spend time or love to visit
My People: Photos of people I spend time with
My Festival: Photos of performance.

We were delighted with the range of images, people and places that were produced and would like to give a big thank you to everyone who entered.

Kim Ayres said “It was great to see such a range of creative minds in action, with a wide variety of styles and interpretations.” Phil McMenemy said ‘We are grateful for the time and trouble our young people went to, to submit their personal take on all things Galloway.” Robin Baird added “It was a real honour for me to have the chance to see all the entries to DGYouthView! It was a very difficult task for all of us to judge ,which just goes to prove There is a lot of young talent out there in D&G”

The winners will spend a day learning from Kim Ayres and Phil McMenemy, and get a photographers pass to The Yah’s album launch at Eastebrook Hall on November the 23rd

The winners are:

My People

Winner Esme Kirsch age 17

Phil says: “The judges were struck by the timeless quality of this image. This could have been last week or last century – it captures the essence of childhood and made us all smile. Well done.”

Commended Joseph Stevenson, Lewis Crosby

My Place

Winner Lewis Crosby age 19

Robin Baird of DGWGO says: “This picture captured all of the judges eye’s. It showed a lot of thought , and really makes you want to know where that place is , and to visit it for yourself either in reality or in your imagination.”

Commended: Abbie Johnston Age 14

My Festival

Winner Brodie Donohoe Aged 15

Kim Ayres Says

“It’s not always easy to get a good performance shot – you have no control over the movements of the performer, the lighting or the background. This photo gives a good sense of the setting and the atmosphere”

Special Commendation

Nicola Henderson Age 20

Pete Renwick of Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival says: “To me this photo sums up the spirit of dgyouthview. It is a beautifully framed landscape shot and has a real sense of capturing enjoyment and belonging.”
To see all the entries go to www.facebook.com/dgyouthview

To see more of Phil and Kim’s Work see www.kimayres.co.uk, and http://philmcmenemy.smugmug.com/

The project was run by Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival with support from the Holywood Trust.

No 17 BISTRO , DUMFRIES

Nov 2, 2013

No 17 Cafe, 17 Church Crescent, Dumfries, DG1 1DF – Tel:01387 253832

For more than 40 years of being known locally, to the people of Dumfries and Galloway as “The Doonhamer”, proprietors Florence and Nicolae Popescu are delighted to open the doors once again to the café on 17 Church Crescent, Dumfries now known as “No.17”.

Back in the driving seat after a few months off, Florence and Nic are steering the newly named No.17 in an exciting new direction. The café opened its doors on Tuesday 15th October with a brand new sophisticated look; the chic, monochrome décor evokes a continental feel offering customers a warm and relaxed atmosphere whilst being family friendly.

Keep up to date with No 17 on their Facebook Page

No.17 is open from 9am Tuesday to Saturday. Customers can look forward to ordering a freshly cooked breakfast and home baking, accompanied by their renowned, delicious ,freshly brewed Grand Milano Italian coffee with a Belgian chocolate finishing touch.

Lunches are available from 12pm until 2.30pm, all created with fresh, seasonal and local produce. The daily specials board will offer a variety of home-made Italian and British mouth-watering dishes, including Nic’s famous Risotto. Lunch can be enjoyed with a glass of Sicilian house wine, Nero D’Avola, Prosecco or a chilled glass of Peroni Italian Lager.

Nic’s passion and love of quality fresh food brought him to Dumfries from Romania 12 years ago; he enrolled at Dumfries and Galloway College of Technology to study Higher Professional Cooking for 2 years followed by a further 2 years studying for an HND in Management and Hospitality. After 4 years of hard work and dedication he graduated and only a few months later both he and Florence bought what was “The Doonhamer”.

Florence brought all her cooking experience to the table in their new venture having opened Claudio’s Italian Restaurant in Moffat in 1996 (with her late husband Claudio Capriglione) and making it the success it is today with the help of her family. Nic prides himself in offering his customers fresh, delicious food at very reasonable prices and this is evident by the amount of regular customers that come through the doors on a weekly basis.

Florence, Nic& Staff are very much looking forward to welcoming back their regular customers who have faithfully supported them over the years whilst also embracing their new customers.

Perfect for vegetarians; other vegetables that are ideal to use for Risotto include broccoli, spinach, artichokes, marrow, courgettes, cauliflower & butternut squash. To enhance the flavour of the rice, recycle the vegetable cooking water.

Ingredients
Serves 6

500g fresh green asparagus (weighed after cleaning and trimming)
1.7 litres (3pints) water (for cooking asparagus and for risotto)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
80g salted butter 100ml dry white wine
350g Arborio rice
100g freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Wash and peel the asparagus and cut away 3cm or so of the hard white stalk at the bottom (use this and the skin to add the flavour to the cooking water). Cut off about 5cm of the tips and set them aside (as they are tender, they will need less cooking) and keep them intact for garnishing.

2. Boil the asparagus stalks with the trimmings in the 1.7L of water for 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness.

3. When they are half cooked, add the tips to the boiling water, when they are fully cooked, strain the stock and pop it back on the heat to let it simmer away gently. Separate out the asparagus tips, stalks and trimmings. Set the tips aside for garnishing, and chop the stalks finely and discard the trimmings.

4. On a medium heat fry the chopped onion in half of the butter, then add the chopped asparagus stalks and toss it for a couple minutes.

5. Now add the rice; coating it in the melted butter, after which pour in the wine making sure the rice absorbs it all and now proceed to the basic risotto method on a low heat.

6. Add the simmering asparagus stock slowly (a ladle at a time) until the rice absorbs each ladle full of stock; repeat this until the rice is al dente (to the bite) and creamy, but not too stodgy.

7. Remove from the heat and wait for a minute or two, stir in the remaining butter, some salt and pepper, and finally add the grated Parmesan and mix through.

8. Serve in bowls, and decorate with the asparagus tips.

9. Finally, pour yourself a large glass of crisp white wine and enjoy!!
BUON APPETITO!!!

Four Chefs, One Venue, One Day

Nov 1, 2013

On October the 19th and 20th 2013, Kirkcudbright Summer festivities held their annual Food Festival in the Town Hall.

It is estimated that over 1000 people passed through the doors over the weekend !

On the Saturday there were a huge selection of stalls , showcasing the finest food and Drink from right across the Region .

On the Sunday the Festival was all about food demonstrations , under the title of “Four Chefs, One Venue, One Day”

The 4 chefs involved where :-

Simon Rogan “one of the most innovative chefs in the country”

Double Michelin Star Celebrity Chef and proprietor Simon Rogan of L’Enclume in Carmel Cumbria. Simon Rogan not only has two Michelin Stars to his name but has also been awarded both the “Best Chef” and “Best Restaurant” award 2013 by Cateys (The hospitality industry’s equivalent of the Oscars). Simon has also appeared on the last two series of Masterchef, in this year’s penultimate show the contestants cooked Simon’s menu for the “Chefs Table” where each of the chefs hold three Michelin Stars. He competed on the Great British Menu 2012 and won the dessert course. He also managed to be in the top three dishes for the starter, fish course and main and was in many ways the man of the series.

Willie Pike MBE “probably one of the country’s best competition chefs”

Master Chef Willie Pike MBE. Willie has cooked for many distinguished guests and dignitaries, including the Royal Family. He has probably won most culinary accolades in his career including the Coveted Red Jacket from the Craft Guild of Chefs as the best competition chef in Britain. Willie was also the founder member of the Scottish Culinary Team winning 60 medals at the highest level and C.I.S Scotland’s Chef of the Year. Willie specialises in Sugar Craft and Desserts along with high quality local recipes .

Ian McAndrew “a mix of art, instinct and meticulous cooking practice”

Local Chef and proprietor Ian McAndrew of Blackaddie Country House Hotel Sanquhar. Ian won the Coveted Michelin Star in his restaurant venture in Canterbury where he gained a coveted Michelin star in his first year of operation. Ian was at the time the youngest Englishman to attain a coveted Michelin Star. Ian was awarded the honour of Chef Laureate to the British Academy of Gastronomes headed up by Egon Ronay. He has written three best selling cookery books including, ‘A Feast of Fish’ and ‘Poultry & Game’ his second book, referred to by most chefs as the best book on game ever to be written. He has developed a kitchen garden at the hotel and he regularly forages for wild foods and is a keen supporter of all local producers within the region.

Martin Avey “His presentation is superb and the taste even better”
Local Chef and proprietor Martin Avey of Del Amitry in Annan. Martin has already won recognition from leading food critics in Scotland, and has been awarded an AA Rosette, and in 2012 entered the Michelin Guide with 2 Knive and Fork awards. Martin has a comprehensive understanding of produce and flavours and is committed to ensuring the highest standards of quality and culinary skill.The menus are changed on a weekly basis, each embracing locally-sourced seasonal produce whenever possible.

DGWGO were lucky enough to be invited along to experience the day and to photograph it ! I have to say I didn’t really know what to expect . But what a day it was, really very professional and a total credit to the organisers . With huge crowds in the Hall for each demonstration , and with Giant Screens and great audio equipment you couldn’t miss a thing, plus the Smell, oh the smell of the food the chefs were cooking was amazing- and every time the Chefs invited the crowds up to sample what they had cooked , the whole lot got cleaned up! nothing was wasted , and the day seemed to be enjoyed by everyone that I spoke to, Including the 4 chefs and their Families !

Also winner of the Kirkcudbright Rotary Club’s Young Chef Competition Emma Hay had a chance to assist some of the chefs with their cooking , and she proved to be a total star and very helpful.

With the food festival being such a success , I chatted to Gavin from Kirkcudbright summer Festivities committee afterwards , he said they were overjoyed with how the weekend had gone , and here is to things being even bigger and better for next year !

All I can say is it’s a great event , a credit for the whole region as it showcased produce and food from right across D&G , and Food and Drink always bring folk together , and by the smiles in the crowds it makes them happy too !

RB

Featured Photographer – Kevin Sloan

Nov 1, 2013

[headline htype=”h4″] Featured Photographer[/headline]

Kevin is based in Heathhall in Dumfries currently 34 years old and living with his wife Linda and son Marshall. He has recently established his business in Dumfries in April 2013 after an unexpected redundancy.

With a strong interest in motorsport he decided back in 2004 to pick up the camera to record the sports he loves attending.

It wasn’t until 2005 that in Dumfries itself Colin, Alister and father Jimmy McRae all competed in the RSAC Scottish rally and I don’t think Kevin has put his camera down since.

Kevin is recognised for his dedication to Motorsport through many if his personal projects with the driver, teams, branding companies.

When he starting moving forward with his photography he moved on to other subjects taking in Eden festival which is a growing event that takes place at Raehills meadows in Dumfries and Galloway which landed Kevin with a double page spread in the well know Digital SLR magazine, other publications include Pacenotes magazine, Eden festival website, South Of Scotland car club website and various newspapers.

He feels privileged to live in Dumfries and Galloway as there is so much subject to photograph and so many events locally you are never stuck for fresh and different ideas.

Dumfries has good reputation and everyone he meets when out on location throughout the region usually either says a polite hello or even stops for a chat asking what he is taking photos of.

More recent additions to Kevin business venture include setting up a portrait studio which has enjoyed an early success and creating his own calendars both for landscape and motorsport which will be available soon featuring lots of local views and local rally teams.

Check out Kevin’s website for more information or his Facebook Page

Photography tips and advice:
Learn the basics and get out and take some shots to learn what different settings give you.
Nothing you take is wrong it’s all art in in its own way you are the only judge to say if it’s good or not.
Camera equipment:
Camera: Canon EOS5D MK2
Lenses: Canon 70-300mm IS USM Canon 28-80mm

[headline htype=”h4″] Featured Images[/headline]

Super Heroes & Super Villains in epic battle near Annan!

Oct 29, 2013

Steve Turnbull Photography went along to the Prozone Paintball, near Annan, last weekend for the final big paintball game of the season – Super Heroes Vs Super Villains

The event included 70 of the UK’s best Woodsball players coming from as far as Wolverhampton and Aberdeen to take part in this excitement packed weekend.

I arrived at Prozone Paintball early Saturday morning (26th October 2013) to find the day was already a hive of activity, players were arriving, trade stands were being set up and food vendors were busy firing up their stoves for the breakfast rolls. Soon there were more than 40 players on site; most of them had also set up camp for the weekend. The weather was poor but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits as the weekend promised to be a massive battle of good versus evil.

Players were gearing up for the three-man tournament in the bunkers zone for some 3 on 3 close quarter combat.

The atmosphere was alive, the trade shows hopping, there was music playing, and excitement was already building for the Sunday’s epic 6 hour game.

At 9am on the Sunday the fun started all players started to gear up checking markers (paintball Guns) by making sure they were firing at the legal limit for the day’s action. Some were in fancy dress; Batman and Robin made an appearance for the super heroes and there was even an evil Spiderman for the Super Villains.

Shortly after 10am the Super Heroes and Super Villains took to the field and battled out the first mission.

Both teams met head-on in the mid-field and paint, and smoke bombs started to fly! In true Hollywood style the Super Villains gave a good fight to start but to no avail as they lost the first game

1-0 to the Super Heroes and the banter started to fly

The second game kicked off, with both sides meeting head on in the village field. The Super Villains having to detonate a bomb as the Super Heroes looked to stop them yet again. The paint was flying with both sides playing some of the best paintball of the year. The Super Heroes took the win and stopped their opponents from detonating their bomb

2-0 to the Super Heroes

Game three was about defending the Super Villain’s secret base, deep within the bunkers were a maze of twisting and turning corridors and rooms. Paint was spilt, there were flash bangs and smoke thrown in. The Super Villains quickly got their act together and took game 3.

2-1 to the Super Heroes

The final battle was EPIC, to say the least. Both teams started out on the same side of the village field to rescue their captains from each other’s head quarters.

As soon as “Game on!” was called there was a mass of smoke bombs and flash bangs being thrown from all angles. The two teams clashed in an adrealin filled game which turned out to be one of the most fiercest fire fights of the day. There were some amazing moves made by players to get their team’s captains back to their base. Both teams fought hard and pushed the field but neither team managed to rescue their captains within the game time.

Final score of the day, and yes in true HOLLYWOOD style, the Super Heroes saved the day – Super Heroes 2 Super Villains 1

After the final battle, everyone met within the office area for the prizes give away where prizes, worth hundreds of pounds, were raffled off. All in aid of the charity PAINTBALL FOR KIDS

Prizes were donated by WARPED PAINTBALL giving away top of the range playing gear.

PROZONE paintball donated free entry to the Scotland and England game

TAZBALL gave away free entry to their two massive games

As I were driving home from the event, I was going over the entire day in my mind and couldn’t believe how much fun everyone had. The event ran smoothly, the referees did an amazing job of getting in the action and ensuring everyone stayed safe and followed the rules, and the objectives were fun and realistic to achieve. If you haven’t been to PROZONE PAINTBALL, I would highly recommend checking this field out. Hope to see you at a field soon or at next year’s big game!

http://www.prozone.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/ProzonePaintball

The Importance of Google+ Local For Your Business

Oct 28, 2013

More and more customers are shifting the way they search for products, services, and businesses from the out-dated yellow pages and newspapers to on-line sources—particularly search engines. Instead of finding the phone book and going down the list of companies it’s a lot quicker for them to open up their browser on their laptop or pull out their smartphone and do a simple search. In fact, recent studies have revealed over 80% of customers look on-line for small businesses instead of using traditional methods.

To succeed, you must be listed on these search engines and the higher you get the better. Recent changes and enhancements to the most popular search engine, Google, has brought a new type of result to local business search—Google+ Local.

What is Google+ Local and why is it important?

When users make a search for a local business on Google, it doesn’t display the same type of results an ordinary query (such as “how to train a dog”) would show.

Searching for a local business or service such as “plumber in Dumfries” will give a different type of results page, however. A short list of local plumbers will appear on the left similar to a yellow pages directory. On the right will be a map that has the location of each of these businesses.

It’s extremely important to note that the Google+ Local listings appear before traditional search results. This means even if you don’t have a website (which you should) or you have done any type of search engine optimization, you can still appear above everyone else—your competition—if you are listed in the Google+ Local results.

In addition, as users scroll down the page, the map that is positions on the right side of the page scrolls with the user. This keeps their eye on listings within their area and those that are listed on Google+ Local rather than the other organic search results toward the bottom of the page.

How Can I Use Google+ Local?

Using Google+ Local is technically as simple as claiming your page. By doing this you can have your business listed in the Google+ Local section but it’s important that you do this properly. If you fill out the information incorrectly or don’t follow the claiming instructions you could end up delaying the time it takes for your company to be processed. If everything is done correctly, you could see your listing appear in the results within hours.

Take note that just claiming your listing isn’t the last step, though. You most likely have competition in your area and there’s a good chance those competitors have already claimed their Google+ Local listing and will rank higher than you on the page. To rank higher, having citations across the web (on other on-line directories, websites, etc.), that reference your business and location is extremely important. When making these type of citations make sure the business name, address, and phone number appear exactly like you have it listed on your Google+ Local page. Any difference (even as minute as having the main office phone number on one listing and your personal number on another) can cause problems with rankings and cause citations to be discounted.

Ultimately claiming your Google+ Local listing and getting your business at the top of the results pages on Google is a fast, free, effective solution to boost your on-line presence and convert the traffic searching for your business or service into your buyers and not your competitors.

[headline htype=”h4″]Quick Tips And Facts For Google+ Local[/headline]

Claim your Google+ Local business listing today

Over 40% of all Google searches are local or location based.

Over 50% of all Mobile searches are local or location based.

Make sure you select the most relevant categories

Encourage happy customers to leave a Google review for you (put this on your business card!)

Make sure your listing is 100% complete

Claim your listing or update it now

7 Simple Ways To Boost Your Facebook Page

Oct 15, 2013

If you already have a Facebook Page set up and haven’t been happy with the amount of fans your posts have been reaching, then you need to be aware of Facebook’s news feed algorithm (formerly EdgeRank).

Long gone are the days where someone simply “liked” your page and then received each of your well thought out posts on their timeline.

You see, Facebook’s algorithm tracks how your fans engage (likes, clicks, comments, shares) with your posts and then calculates the likely interest of your future posts to your fans. Put simply, if someone rarely engages with your posts then that person will rarely see your future posts!

On average, only 16% of your fans will actually see one of your posts and what is Facebook’s advice to get a better reach? – pay for it! (source).

Facebook say they do this to stop people’s timeline becoming cluttered while others claim it is obviously to pay for their posts to be seen. Either way it’s tough and it’s going to get tougher and Facebook have even admitted it (source).

So, what can you do?

Well, you can either simply pay for your posts to reach more of your fans (I cover this more in this article) or you can focus on increasing your “rank” with Facebook’s algorithm.

I spend hours (too many hours probably) researching exactly what works and what doesn’t work to get your business seen on-line and these are my 7 tips to get your Facebook Posts seen by more of your followers.

1. Post frequently and make it compelling

A lot of companies create a Facebook business page, add their “About Us” sections, maybe a cover image, a post or two and then . . . stop posting. They’ll throw an image out there when they have a sale going on or something for holiday specials but that’s about it. People don’t want to see only these kinds of posts, they want you to be communicative and human!

Try to post at least twice a day – if not more (and make sure you post when most of your fans are on-line – see tip #7)

2. The type of content does matter

You can’t just cram price tags down everyone’s throats. Seeing this kind of corporate advertisement will make people turn their heads from your profile and your business. It’s important that you post relevant and engaging content that opens up a dialogue between you and the readers. This might sound like an easy task but once you start posting two or three times a day it can feel daunting. Just keep this in mind; Don’t get lazy with the content! Don’t shove advertising in people’s throats. Just talk about your industry. Talk about your location, educate people, talk to the people who are potential customers, and every once in awhile just post a positive quote, a client testimonial, some form of interesting, useful information and have fun!

haggis post — the infamous DGWGO Haggis post reached an amazing 257,000 people!

Not only will your readers appreciate this friendly approach but your reach will rise because of the positive reception these kinds of posts receive. You’ll be part of the community and not simply another business trying to hard sell them.

3. Length can affect your reach

No matter what industry you are in, very few of your followers are going to want to read a large essay that you put out on your news-feed; Quick snippets of information are better or a compelling headline that links to the essay are even better. If it’s on Facebook they are likely scrolling down and checking out all their updates. They don’t want to stop and just read no matter how engaging the content might be. Do yourself a favour and just link to that essay or a landing page that continues the story you want them to read but initially keep it short and sweet. If it’s under 100 characters then you can be sure that everyone is going to read it because, why wouldn’t they? This will also cause your reach to increase due to the popularity of the post and it’ll make it easier for you to post frequent updates.

4. Images are your Friend

Posts that are only comprised of text might be easier but they also look easier. If you post photos or videos you’ll get much more attention than just another text post. Plus, research has shown that images will generate 53% more like than the average post (source) by anyone who observed them. This also gets your reach up further so next time you’re about to make a post look at what you’re saying and see if you can say it with an image instead.

5. Use call to action posts

A call to action might take some thought but it sure can get your readers engaged. Whether they are just filling out a survey, talking about a product or check out a sale, if you request that the reader do something they’ll often want to do it. This means posting a question or a stance on something relevant to your industry. Then have them “like it to agree” or share it to “disagree” you can also just have them debate it in the comments with you and other customers. It’s a great way to raise your reach and open up a dialogue with your readers.

6. Make sure your page is worth their time

I don’t mean with fancy posts about just any old offer, I mean with exclusive content. This means give them specials only available on Facebook, give them discounts only available online, and give them interviews and other content only available online. That way they have a reason to continually come and check out your page. The increased in frequent visitors will help you raise your reach on Facebook.

7. Analyse your followers and post for their convenience

If your followers are primarily online in the early morning, post then so they can see your updates. If they are up at night or working late, then post late so they can read your posts right when they get home. (this article covers the new Facebook Insights and will show you how to find when most of your followers are online) Timing does matter but luckily you have access to a number of metrics that measure your Facebook traffic; check them out and make sure you post the right content at the right time so each of the demographics that comprise your readers can enjoy them.

when-your-facebook-fans-are-online2 — so what time would you post?

Running a business can be challenging but if you take proper care of your social media profiles and online marketing you’ll be able to achieve more business, and for an affordable rate. Give it a shot and see just how an increased EdgeRank can help build your fan base and maximize your bottom line.

Why not sign up for my newsletter and get REAL marketing tips directly to your inbox. I am also on Facebook and Twitter and would love to hear from you.

Good Luck!

Derek Pennycook

A visit to Phil McMenemy’s The Gallery at Laurieston

Oct 7, 2013

DGWGO Roving Reporter Martin Johnston went along to meet Phil McMenemy in his Gallery at Laurieston

‘A photographer of national standing whose work is widely exhibited and collected. His images celebrate the ever changing landscape of Galloway in contemporary fine art and traditional styles’

I recently took the opportunity to visit Phil, a much loved and valued photographer, at his Laurieston Gallery.

It is hard not be impressed at the range and quality of his work on show in the Gallery, and Phil’s warm, friendly and inclusive manner, Phil makes photography serious but also fun.

His love of the Galloway area is clear from his conversation and is reflected in his photography. The images while striking, beautiful and inspirational are also thought provoking, providing the subject of many interesting topics of conversation.

Phil has the capacity to see objects and landscapes that others would normally overlook, his understanding of the importance of light, colours(??), textures and patterns, and using them, within his images, to the fullest extent is nothing short of inspiring – it also needs pointing out that Phil is colour-blind.

Phil was originally born and brought up in Barrow in Furness but moved to the area, with his partner Louise, around 11 years ago. Looking for a change in career from Child Mental Health Nurse, he did a variety of jobs, before deciding to follow his love of photography.

He opened the Gallery in May 2008 which has steadily grown in popularity since its opening and now boasts an ever growing and loyal fan base. This success is mirrored by the steadily growing National recognition and accolades he has received.

One of his images was recently used as a front cover for “The Scottish Nature Photography Awards Portfolio Yearbook 2012” book.

His recent collaborations with nationally recognised, Langholm based, fine art painter Julie Dumbarton have led to very successful joint exhibitions and an acclaimed book called ‘Scene Through Different Eyes’.

He continues to roam the Galloway countryside, with his trusty camera and feels he is on a journey, forever learning and honing his skills and constantly looking for that certain image.

He has his own inimitable style and his growing body of work stands as a testament to the hard work, energy, drive and determination he has to succeed.

Having Phil in Dumfries & Galloway is without doubt a very valuable asset to the area, and I personally, and on behalf of DGWGO site wish him & his family every success for the future.

He is involved in a local initiative to help promote and mentor young photographers within the region and is frequently involved in community based activities such as visits to Retirement Homes to discuss his work and provide images of Galloway for the residents, which are much enjoyed.

A visit to the Gallery, which is open most Sundays, other days by request by prior appointment, is highly recommended.

[headline]Some of Phil’s Amazing Work[/headline]