The News Following

Today, I’m starting to map out a plan of how a new area of Carrbridge News will work. Carrbridge News is all about bringing together and connecting the community and wider area so it makes sense that we try and develop, what I’m calling, ‘The Following’. We’ve undoubtedly got a group – and quite a large group – of people following the initiative and checking back again and again for more news so it doesn’t make sense not to make the most of this. Those who have already signed up for email alerts via the website (www.carrbridgenews.co.uk) are automatically part of ‘The Following’ and so gain the special perks that a member is entitled to…

• Email alerts when we release big stories, to remind you when an Episode is to be released etc.
• A special 25% discount on any DVDs we produce (we’ll be making a compilation Carrbridge News DVD at Christmas)
• Updates from the initiative so they know what’s going on
• Reduced advertising rates on the website and in our print publications.

And a variety of other exciting things that are still to be thought over!
It’s hoped that we’ll have the following all sorted this week and ready to start accepting members in time for the Easter holidays.

Until then you really can ‘follow’ us on twitter @carrbridgenews

Over and out.

How’s the News?

The New Red Title Sequence!

It’s important that we, every so often, update on how Carrbridge News is doing  as it is a key part of what we do!

The second episode was released on the 26th of Feb (and it you haven’t yet seen it then check it out here) and shortly after this we re-launched the website with a new design and, more importantly, a new ‘read’ section – both of which have received great praise and we thank all who have supported our recent changes. If you’ve been keeping up-to-date with the blog you’ll know we also moved Carrbridge News onto it’s own hosting account – and had quite a bit of trouble on the way but it’s all smooth(ish) now – and this is an important step towards improving the accessibility and web presence of the initiative.

The facebook page, too, has gathered a great deal of momentum with more and more locals ‘fanning’ us and lot’s of people commenting and posting news on our wall – why not become our fan if you haven’t already! Click Here

One of the big tests with Episode Two of Carrbridge News was to see whether the same amount of people would watch the episode without the printed leaflets being distributed to every house in the village and the posters. So, we relied completely on word of mouth, emails, social media (our twitter and facebook) and one poster in the local Spar put up the day before the episode was released! The results are quite astonishing and far from what we expected. In a good way. We received a great deal more views on the release night of the episode and continue to see that more and more people are watching it than Episode One. So, we are able to draw from this the conclusion that the printed leaflets are not essential, that we have a ‘following’ of sorts and that it is this area which we now must attempt to expand – our ‘following’. We’ll be developing this area over the coming months. Having said that we aren’t giving up on print. In fact it is to play a big part in the expansion of the initiative.

Over the next year it’s our plan to release a few print publications which will be funded through advertising and provided free to all residents of the village and also placed in as many tourist accommodation providers as we can get on board. The first printed publication we intend to release is ‘Carrbridge Then and Now’: a booklet which will feature old photographs and newer ones to show the difference in times. Hopefully this will act as a great keepsake for those in the village and a fantastic souvenir and interesting booklet to carry around for those visiting the village.

If you’re interested in advertising in this first publication or are a tourist accomodation provider and would like to have these booklets in your establishment once they are printed (at no cost to you… unless you advertise in it of course!!) then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

fthom@carrbridge-films.co.uk

We don’t yet have a precise date for Episode Three and are putting off releasing this until as late as possible but it’s likely to be in June at some point and we can reveal that plans are already in place for the news stories and special features we’ll be covering!

That’s all for now!

Over and out.