Status Social

Imagine achieving your business objectives through social media...

Status Social is an ethical, multi-award-winning social media agency.

Led by former BBC and ITV journalist Mark Saxby, we were one of the first specialist social media marketing agencies in the UK, and we focus on what really matters: You, and your results.

We’re here to help you achieve your business goals.

So far, we and our clients have generated more than £19.1 million in sales through social media.

We've trained more than 6000 delegates to achieve their objectives through social media.

Our clients have also increased brand awareness, recruited better staff and seen big improvements in social media customer service.

Find out how we can make a difference to your business. Call us on 01332 776 910 or 0115 824 8242.

Alternatively, message us through Facebook or email us at [email protected].

Are we the right social media partner for you? We've worked with organisations from FTSE 100 businesses and top universities to sole traders and charities.

They include:

Vision Express
Marriott Hotels
Booker Wholesale
East Midlands Railway
University of Nottingham
Saniflo
North Midlands Construction
ITV
NHS
VINCI
University of Loughborough
Derby City Council
Derbyshire County Cricket Club

We don't work with everyone - just those who are looking for a trusting relationship open to strong teamwork. Any relationship has got to be right both for you and for us.

We even once turned down the opportunity to work with Cristiano Ronaldo! (Ask us why when you speak to us).

Find out more about working with us by calling us on 01332 776190 or messaging us through this page. Or check out our website: https://www.statussocial.co.uk/

We have worked with many wonderful people, who recommend us to many more. Here's what some of them had to say:

"Status Social truly are fantastic to work with. They’re an agency who really work in partnership with you; always taking the time to understand your needs and objectives, then always going above and beyond to deliver against these. Results are always delivered, targets are always exceeded." Hannah Legg | Pets & Friends

"An exceptional company to work with who deliver quality results, go above and beyond and all with a positive attitude. I recommend them." Adam Buss | QUAD

"Fascinating afternoon exploring social media." Jenny Wye | Vision Express

"Status Social demonstrated expertise, creativity and effectiveness in delivering this support and I would not hesitate to recommend them." Anthony Byrne | Derby City Council

"The website views during Status Social’s campaign were unreal. During the two months the Facebook adverts were running we received more than double the amount of visitors compared to the same months the previous year." Lydia Grayston | Sipcam UK

"We are really pleased we decided to try a whole new way of recruiting facilitated by Status Social. We finished up with an extremely strong pool of interested candidates which made making a final decision very difficult." Tom Morgan | trentbarton

"Eye-opening and very informative. Mark and the team are bloody brilliant! Helped us bring in quite a bit of business let’s just say….."(£1.2m). Jamie Berta | SALCS Installations

We are specialists in social media - the platforms change so fast we couldn't do our jobs properly if we did anything else!

Here's how we could help you:

Social media strategy: Do you want to ensure your social media has a purpose? Then a social media strategy workshop is a must.

Social media training: Our social media training workshops will give you the knowledge you need to run your social media effectively.

Social media management: We run social media management campaigns, including social media advertising, with results at the heart.

Social media customer service: We help customer service teams to win over their audience on social media.

Social media recruitment: Using platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, we can attract better candidates without incurring high recruitment agency fees or using the hit-and-hope approach of platforms like Indeed.

Social media presentations: Founder Mark Saxby is a member of the Professional Speaking Association and has shared a stage with Google and Mars.

Find out how we can make a difference to your business. Call us on 01332 776 910 or 0115 824 8242, or email us at [email protected].

You can also find out more about how we can help you at https://www.statussocial.co.uk/social-media-services/

Who are Status Social and why should you care?

Status Social exists to make a difference

Through helping you achieve your business objectives and having a positive impact on society.

We were founded in January 2011 and operate according to our values – being ethical and honest, and providing excellence are our three key ones – and we don’t compromise on them. Everything we do is influenced by our values.

What does being a values-led business REALLY mean for you? It means we don’t over promise and under deliver. We won’t train you or take on your social media if we don’t think it’s right for you. We won’t take your money if it’s not right to do so.

Status Social is led by husband and wife team Mark and Kerry Saxby. They live near the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire with their three children. As well as running Status Social, they also founded the schools' charity, Positive Social.

Let's talk! Call us on 01332 776910 or message us through our page.

Is it morally wrong for me to write LinkedIn posts for others?

Am I pretending to be someone I'm not?

(Writes Status Social director, Mark Saxby)

This question came up in a fascinating post by copywriter Vicki Handley, who's part of the wider Status Social family.

I'd say perhaps it is wrong - if a writer is putting words into the mouth of the poster; words they may never say. Perhaps those words could make them look like they are better at their offering than they really are?

But that's not how I work.

I interview my subjects once a month, using my journalistic skills to pull out great stories and information.

And then I turn those words into algorithm-friendly LinkedIn posts, fitting the principles that I've learned over 12 years of LinkedIn success.

But, of course, it's STILL not the poster creating the content.

Well my justification is that the people I write posts for will never do so without my help. They're either:

- Too busy

- Lack the consistency

- Can speak, but can't write

- Lack confidence in putting content on social media

- Don't actually like social media!

My clients are so insightful, making my role so brilliant because I get to spend time with inspirational people! I learn so much from interviewing them.

And if I didn't tell their stories and share their wisdom, do you know what? They would never be seen on LinkedIn at all.

So if you don't feel your stories, your wisdom, your insights are being revealed on LinkedIn, then get in touch!

Forget the roses.

This is the way to win his or her heart.

We virtually guarantee it.

When can you call yourself an expert?

Is it when you have a masters in the subject?

Is it when you've been working in the same profession for ten years?

Is it when you've got a proven track record in your trade?

Is it when you can answer every question about it in Mastermind?

Jonny Gray from Greendog told Status Social's Mark he was a social media expert when the company had only been going a few years.

He said because we'd been employed to teach others about social media and therefore someone else thought Mark an expert, he must be one.

What he was saying was that although Mark couldn't call himself an expert, others could.

It was an interesting thought!

And Jonny's words have stuck with Mark. He rarely calls himself an expert.

That's because there's so much about social media he doesn't know!

Before every training workshop, we ask the delegates to score their business social media knowledge out of ten.

Some people give themselves an eight or nine out of ten. One even gave himself a ten!

So in such cases, Mark informs the delegates at the start of the workshop, he'd only give himself a seven and if he keels over, those with higher scores than him can take over!

But what's interesting is that in most cases, those who have given themselves high scores have admitted they knew less than they thought by the end of the workshop.

Meaning that Mark probably is an expert after all!

But how would define an expert?

Last year we turned down the opportunity to work on a Cristiano Ronaldo brand.

Yes, him. The world's best-known footballer.

When we told our friends, they could barely believe it.

(Perhaps they were surprised that a little social media consultancy in Derby could have been asked to get involved in social media management involving such a celebrity in the first place!)

So why didn't we do it?

Surely it would have been a great client to have on our books, you may say.

You want the honest truth?

The project and the timing was just wrong.

And we don't take on campaigns that are not right for Status Social.

We looked at what Cristiano's team wanted us to do for them, and we decided it just wasn't us.

Plus, the request came through just before we were about to go on a long holiday and we didn't want such a campaign to disrupt our valuable family time.

So we said no.

And we've not regretted it for one moment.

Why would you not want to see Mark Saxby in action?!

If you don't know where the finish line is, why are you running the race? Status Social

Book your FREE place to attend this seminar https://www.lovebusinessexpo.co.uk/speakers-workshops/

Not long to go now until Status Social's Mark Saxby delivers his amazing presentation at Love Business East Midlands.

Are you booked in yet? Mark's talk is free and could transform the way you run your social media... https://www.lovebusinessexpo.co.uk/speakers-workshops/

We're pleased to say that when Status Social's Mark Saxby speaks, he not only draws a crowd, he gets incredible feedback as well!

He recently spoke at a national conference, receiving an average score of 9.1 out of 10 from the 40 delegates who filled in their feedback forms.

And that was the highest score of all the speakers!

So if you'd like to breathe life into your event, conference or meeting this year, then speak to Mark or comment below!

12 years ago today…

How do you find ideas for your social media channels?

During our workshops, we speak about putting on your 'social media goggles'.

Of course, we're not talking about actual eyewear - it's about a shift in mindset.

Firstly, you need to understand your target audience and what they want.

And secondly, it's about being switched on to potential social media content as you live your life.

And capturing it, as soon as you spot it. Or hear it.

Which sometimes can mean getting down and dirty, as Status Social's Mark Saxby had to during a trip to Sneinton Market in Nottingham!

Don't believe everything you read on social media this Christmas...

Phew! We've done it!

It took us until two months into our LinkedIn advertising campaign with an East Midlands company before we made the breakthrough - and what a breakthrough!

We'd tried lots of different ads and played with the landing page on numerous occasions but had no success.

Perhaps LinkedIn ads are not right for our target audience, suggested the client?

But we were determined not to give up and the client didn't really want to either.

So we tried what we considered the final throw of the dice - a particular sort of LinkedIn ad that had rarely got results before - and usually cost a fortune.

And then the leads started coming - including the best one of the year from a major UK company!

Proving once again that you should never give up!

People think we're obsessed with social media.

But the reality is that we actually think social media is a life-killer.

It can rob us of time with our families; negatively affect our mental health; leave us addicted to meaningless engagements.

What we hate most of all is the impact on young people who struggle to make good choices when it comes to social media.

And their parents, who don't know how to guide their children in a world that's so different to the one they grew up in.

Don't get us wrong, from a business point of view, social media is incredible and such an amazing way to communicate with customers or potential customers.

But as parents of three children, we see the destruction social media is causing.

We've been going into schools since 2014 running workshops with students through our charity, Positive Social, and have seen some incredible things - including young lives being freed from the impact of social media.

We've done a few sessions with parents too - but not enough.

Which is why next Friday (December 9), we're running our first free online Positive Social session for parents. The hour-long event starts at 12.30pm, meaning you can take part while you eat lunch.

And hopefully it will empower parents to make wise choices when it comes to social media and their children.

If you'd like us to join us, the link is in the comments below. Or alternatively visit the Positive Social page and click on the Event link there.

"We're getting sales!"

It's been so fabulous to check in with the delegates of a recent social media workshop and hear they're now getting sales from social media.

When we ran their training before the summer, they knew they needed to up their game on social media - they'd been putting out content for years without a strategy.

As a result, they couldn't even put one sale down to social media.

What we love most of all is that they've adopted the strategy we came up with during the workshop, testing and measuring it, and then tweaking it to make it work.

And now they are seeing sales - and recordable sales at that!

That makes us very happy indeed!

Her loyalty knows no bounds, her teamworking is incredible and the positivity she brings to the job lifts everyone.

That's India Ward.

And after more than five years we've said goodbye.

India made our clients feel like superstars.

They often arrived at Status Social more excited to meet her than anyone else!

One day, India told the Status Social directors, Mark and Kerry Saxby, that she had been approached by one of our clients, who wanted her to leave Status Social to work for them.

I don't want to go, of course, she told them. But I don't want to keep any secrets from you so I had to let you know.

That's what loyalty looks like. And why India was - and always will be - a part of the Status Social and Saxby family, no matter who she works for.

We've already worked with organisations in eight countries but now we've conquered.... Australia!

This week we've begun working with a well known sporting institution Down Under.

But rest assured, we'll still always support England!

They did it! They took the whole of August off!

No being slave to social media, no being tied to their emails, no chasing leads.

Just great family time.

Mark and Kerry effectively closed down Status Social for the whole month while they travelled across France, enjoying Paris, Orleans, the Loire and the Tarn regions with their three children.

Posts were replaced with pain au chocolate; tweets with treats of the red wine variety!

It took them more than a year of planning to be able to take the time off.

And a re-shaping of the business.

They discussed their plans with their current clients, who were incredibly supportive, and told new potential clients, they just wouldn't be around during August.

And it didn't stop people wanting to work with Status Social!

Life is about so much more than work. The big question is now.... where do they spend their time next August?!?

"I've decided to support Manchester United."

It's the words (nearly) every dad dreads hearing.

This is how Status Social's unconventional social media consultant, Mark Saxby, handled it....

"My six-year-old son, Sam, came home from infant school and delivered the terrible news to me.

I had spent six years indoctrinating him on why he should support Grimsby Town (where my parents grew up) and it had clearly come to nothing.

His first match was watching the mighty Mariners play at Wembley, for goodness sake!

There was no way I was going to take this news lying down.

I picked up Sam and took him to the front door.

I opened it and I placed him on the doorstep.

As I shut the door, I said to him. "You can come back in when you decide to support Grimsby Town again."

It didn't take long for there to be a humble knock on the door and for Sam to tell me his hours supporting the evil Reds were over.

And 11 years later, Sam, is a dyed-in-the-wool Grimsby Town supporter.

Sometimes I have to shut the door on prospective clients too.

I tell them I won't help them with their social media until they get their own business in order first.

It's the equivalent of putting a potential client on the doorstep.

I'm hoping they knock on the door when they're ready. But if they walk away because they don't want to take my advice, that's totally fine with me too!"

And this is why we HATE automated messages.

How on Earth do we respond to this one sent to our social media consultant, Mark Saxby?

“I have had a deep look”…?

So deep, they’ve not realised Mark owns a social media agency.

So deep, they’ve got our name wrong (our name is just ‘Status Social’)

And they “love our brand”!

Oh dear.

9.1 out of 10!

It's always a great challenge to try and engage an audience and give them value to take away from a short talk.

So to score an average 9.1 out of 10 from the 40 delegates at the The National Association of Jewellers' Retail Jewellers' Congress left us feeling fabulous.

They were asked to score the content and the value to them, with the two scores combined and averaged out. Ten for perfect, zero for never again.

Making a score of 9.1 even more special!

We've found that storytelling is the key to any good talk - inspired by Sally Williamson's book, Storylines & Storytelling (What They Remember and Repeat), Mark's transformed his talks.

Instead of stats and facts, he illustrate how organisations can gain great results through social media - using his experiences of running campaigns over the last 11 years.

And his new style appears to be hitting the mark!

If you're looking for a different kind of social media speaker for your event, then get in touch!

PS Thanks for buying us Sally's book, Geoff Peel!