Businesses in Allerdale are being offered the chance to transform the way they market themselves online.

Allerdale Borough Council has launched a campaign to encourage firms in the area to make the most of digital marketing opportunities.

The three-month All Doing Digital campaign will provide support and advice on how to sell and promote your business online including:

• Factsheets on the Allerdale business website
• Videos celebrating local businesses who are already leading the way online
• Further help and training to create Google listings and digital marketing plans, including one-to-one support and webinars at the end of March

One of the businesses featured in a video is Lakes Escapes, Cumbria’s premier live escape room based in Workington.

Director Carol Watson says social media plays a big part in their business as it’s the way most people find them. Photos of teams are posted on Lakes Escapes’ accounts which leads to more interactions.

She is keen to encourage other businesses to make better use of social media.

"It is worth taking the time to keep your social media up to date and relevant. I would suggest creating posts that will intrigue and draw people in while highlighting the fun aspect of the experience.

"When running ads on any posts make sure you’re tracking how well they’re doing and if you aren’t getting results then change them - but give them time," she said.

Another business taking part is the Barista Cafe in Wigton whose owner Janice Evans is urging others to follow their lead.

She said: “Here at the Barista we use Facebook, we use Instagram and we use our website.

“Facebook is reaching out to more and more people all the time. To us as a business it really helps us to see how many likes we get and how many shares, especially if you’re putting out specials that you have for that day. You need that to get across to your customers straight away.”

Allerdale Borough Council Leader Cllr Mike Johnson said: “We’ve got so many fantastic businesses in tourism and other sectors here in Allerdale and the council wants to do everything to help them make the most of every opportunity for them to grow digitally.

“The All Doing Digital campaign will give them a chance to explore new sources of help and advice and strengthen their online presence.

“We want to celebrate the local businesses that are already doing well online and ensure Allerdale’s fantastic range of independent businesses get the support they need to promote themselves and sell online,” he added.

The council is working in partnership with Intro, Cumbrian PR and social media experts, to direct the campaign.

Intro co-founder and director Helen Statham said: “We are delighted to be working with Allerdale Council on their All Doing Digital campaign and look forward to helping local businesses make the most of the many ways to market themselves online.

“There are huge advantages to having a strong online presence and many benefits can be achieved quite easily with some training and being pointed in the right direction.

“We can’t wait to hear from those businesses who want to get involved.”

The All Doing Digital campaign is organised by Allerdale Borough Council and supported by HM Government's Welcome Back Fund and ERDF, the European Regional Development Fund.

For more information visit the Business Allerdale website.