Apprenticeships UK

White Hat SEO tips to Elevate your Search Marketing in 2022

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Laptop on wooden desk with Google search engine on screen

Whether your an organic search beginner or expert, our White Hat SEO tips will benefit your search marketing far beyond 2022. Read on to find out how.

Wait, what is White Hat SEO?

“White hat SEO” are SEO tactics that follow search engine-approved guidelines. This article will outline what those tips are so you can ensure you’re playing by the rules too. Also known as Ethical SEO, they are the opposite of black hat SEO. We will speak more about those below.

Why is White Hat SEO important?

“White hat SEO” are is important because they set a standard, ensuring Search engine results pages (or “SERPs) contain high quality results, which users find valuable.

Also, not following SEO best practice may result in a lower ranking or Google even banning your website from their result pages altogether. You may also end up with a ban from other search engines too. A disaster for your paid and organic search traffic!

So, what are your top White Hat SEO tips?

The following White Hat SEO tips will ensure your domain stays in the good graces of search engine providers, and search engine users:

1. Optimise for humans, not for search engines

Resist the temptation to optimise for higher rankings, rather than for your end user. It is obvious when a page is set up with rankings instead of customers because the tone of the content sounds robotic. Instead write well-written, high quality for your web users. Doing so increases the odds of them becoming a repeat visitor. Great copy will boost your site credibility, which will result in a higher position on SERPs!

2. Use fresh, relevant content to attract better quality traffic

Poor quality, repetitive, commonplace content will result in a lower result on search engine results pages. Make sure you publish regular unique, relevant and interesting content on your website to contribute to better organic search results. Also make sure your content is free of typos!

3. Ensure you use a natural amount of keywords

Gone are the days when people could fill their webpages with keywords and see their website rank at number one. Now, search engine algorithms are much more sophisticated and savvy.

A webpage should contain a natural amount of keywords, so that the page copy reads well. But how much is a good amount you may ask? Industry best practice recommends about one keyword per 150 words.

Three White-and-black S, E and O Scrabble Tiles on Brown Wooden Surface
Good SEO practices mean better organic search results!

4. Optimise images with alt attributes

Alt attributes allows you to add a text description to your images on a web page. They should be used for all images, as best practice.

Alt text is short for alternative text. If an image does not load due to a poor connection or error, the alt text will be displayed instead.

More importantly, alt attribute are vital for accessibility purposes. Web users with screen readers are able to understand what an image is displaying if you include alt attributes!

5. Link to relevant sites…

Linking to relevant sites helps search engine crawlers understand your website more. By looking at the sites you link to, and your internal links, search engines better understand what your business is about,

6. … And ensure backlinks are quality too

Ensure all inbound links are high quality. This is important because these backlinks act as a signal to search engines that a resource finds your content credible. Therefore if the sites linking to your websites are spammy or low quality, this implies to the search engine that your site is too!

7. Adhere to HTML structural best practice

Make sure your web pages are coded properly, using the appropriate tags. Think title tags, good quality meta descriptions and the other things that make up web pages. Well-structured web pages help crawlers to understand the structure of your site better, which may result in boosted rankings.

So there you have it! If you adhere to these White Hat SEO tips, your organic search results will be the best they can be.

P.S. DO NOT follow these Black Hat SEO methods

Make sure your web pages do not follow the tactics listed below, as doing so violates search engine rules:

  • Poor Quality Content
  • Keyword Stuffing
  • Cloaking (presenting uses and search engines with different content)
  • Sneaky Redirects to other websites or pages
  • Duplicate Content
  • Invisible Text
  • Link farming & Irrelevant backlinks
  • Blog comment spam

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Top tips when starting an apprenticeship!

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So… you’ve applied for an apprenticeship, decided that you didn’t want to go university, and you’ve now been accepted onto your apprenticeship of choice! Fantastic. Now then, what’s next? Don’t sweat it, us over here at ApprenticeTips.com have exactly what you need, we have gathered, what we believe are the best tips you will need before and when starting your apprenticeship.

1. Research and find out as much as you can prior to starting

One of the key and vital areas we feel any apprentice should be clued up on prior to starting their journey as an apprentice is to read up as much as you can about your course. That way, when you come to eventually starting your course, you will be able to gain a head start. A lot of information can be found on the government apprenticeships website: https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

2. Meet and connect with as many people as you can

A MAJOR advantage of starting an apprenticeship is the vast amount of people you will meet and connect with along the way. These could vary from colleagues, apprentice leaders and general people along the way on your journey, not only will you make some great friends, but you never know when these same people will come in handy later on in life and your career.

3. Ask questions!!!

Remember, you and all of your cohort are in the same position, if you are confused about something, or you just need further clarification, ask a question! The best advice we can give you, is that no question is a stupid question, and that’s the honest truth.

4. Take advantage of all the resources that are on offer

We cannot express this one enough, please please PLEASE take advantage of everything that apprenticeships have to offer, whether it be educational resources for you to learn more whilst your off the job, or material resources, like the amazing NUS Card. This card allows you to get discount on countless of shops, restaurants, and even entertainment venues like bowling or the cinema! What are you waiting for, go and see if you can apply for one now here: https://www.nus.org.uk/

5. Set clear goals and objectives

This one is vital, when starting your apprenticeship, you’re going to want to set key and clear objectives and goals for yourself. These could be goals for during your apprenticeship, or they could be for the end goal when you complete your apprenticeship. These goals should all be feasible for yourself and you would want them to be time conscious and inline with key dates on your apprenticeship.

6. Our last tip, enjoy the experience and absorb all you

Starting something new can be a very daunting experience, from knowing absolutely no one at all, to learning and being tested on new and exciting opportunities. In the midst of this all, do not forget to enjoy yourself and what you are learning, this is all shaping for your future career so absorb as much as you can whilst you’re on this apprenticeship and just know you’re not alone!

So, that’s the end of our tips for when you’re about to start your apprenticeship, we really do hope that these helped and we hope that you can take these on for when you eventually start.

If you do have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected], we will be sure to come back to you and help find your answer.

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Are you looking for your next big thing?

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Have you just left school? Are you having a hard time figuring out what to do next? Do you have an interest in designing, installing and service engineering systems? Have you thought about apprenticeships? Read below if the above applies to you!

We know the feeling. You’ve just finished College / Sixth form, some of your friends may be going to Uni, some may be starting jobs… you’re still trying to figure out what you want to do in your next step, do not fear! We have something that might interest you…

We believe that apprenticeships are the way forward if you are stuck in finding what to do, an apprenticeship will allow you to explore your skill-set in ways you thought you never could’ve.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is engineering-product-design-apprenticeship-l3__focusfillwze0ndasnjuwlcj5iiw1nf0.jpg

Our apprenticeship that we have to offer…

You’ll be able to gain experience in your selected speciality and gain an advantage over your peers, at ApprenticeTips, one of our speciality apprenticeship courses is the Building Services Engineering Craftsperson course. This course (in a nutshell) is basically a specialist branch of engineering within the construction sector. Craftspersons undertake the installation, testing, pre-commissioning, commissioning and decommissioning of large-scale engineering systems.

Whilst working on this course you will be able to work within new build construction sitres and existing buildings on their own, prodiciently and without supervision, in the most efficient and economical manner.

Requirements: Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

You’ll be able to learn the role of a Craftspersons and you will have to adhere to some of the following Knowledge:

  • Liaise and work with other traders, suppliers and clients as appropriate;
  • undertake work to comply with all relevant standards;
  • Contribute to adjusting the configuration of systems as they are installed

Whilst working on this apprenticeship, you will have to make sure that these skills have already been achieved prior, as safety is one of the most important things when working on sites:

  • Working Safely – Understanding relevant safety legislation and safe working practices applying to themselves and others in building services engineering working environments
  • Working Sustainably – Understand specific principles underpinning building services engineering industrial and commercial systems including measurement, force and pressure, heat and power, materials and electricity.

Below are some behaviours which we believe all candidates should have prior to applying for this apprenticeship:

  • Communicating Effectively – Using oral, written and electronic methods to communicate technical and other information effectivley with work colleagues.
  • Working Effectively and Efficiently – Work reliably and effectively without supervision, to the appropriate codes of practice and be aware of the needs and concerns of others.

The duration of this course will be 36 months minimum and after you will be able to take your EPA (End-Point Assessment) to get your final grade.

Qualifications

Let’s get what you have to have already before you sign up to the apprenticeship. Most candidates will have English and Mathematics at level 2, and Information Communications Technology (ICT) level 1. Now the exciting stuff! You will learn English and Maths at level 2 by the end of the apprenticeship, you will also achieve the Level 3 Heating and Ventilations Craftsperson qualification prior to undertaking the EPA.

If all of this information hasn’t caught your attention, or if you would like to contact us for more information on anything, please email us on: [email protected]

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Blogging should be in your digital marketing strategy.

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Someone writing a blog

Content marketing is a big part of digital marketing. Publishing blogs is a form of content marketing. The google definition for content marketing is “a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.” Content marketing can come in a variety of forms, from video, podcasting to infographics and email. This blog is dedicated specifically to blogging.

What are the benefits of blogging?

Blogging is great content as it is easy to manage and accessible on multiple platforms, whether you’re on a phone, tablet or a laptop, blogs can be accessed easily on all. Blogging can also help with SEO. Using Keywords is a perfect opportunity to get your blogs higher on the search engine results page (SERP). It is one of the key factors used for driving organic traffic towards your page. You also have the ability to add alt text to images which not only help with SEO but also help with accessibility. Alt text isn’t visible to us but is read by screen readers for people that may not be able to read the on screen content.

Drive organic traffic to your website

Blogging is a great way to drive organic traffic to your website. You choose what you post and only people interested in the topic will click and read. You can optimise these blogs by using heatmaps and analysing where customers read up to or start to stop reading. Hotjar is a great software for utilising heatmaps. Heatmaps show you the number of people that scroll to each part of the page, cold meaning not many people, hot meaning a lot of people get to that section. Hotjar also allows you to see where people navigate their mouse and click on the page the most using the hot-cold method. This is perfect for possibly changing the length of the post and it gives you an idea where you should place your call to action.

Utilise your social media platforms

Blogs are great ways to share information with your customers, especially through your social media platforms. If you have a strong following on social media that engage with your content often, that is a perfect opportunity to link your blog. For example, if you have a post on Instagram promoting your new service and people would like to read more, you can add a call to action under the post saying “Click the link in my bio for more information” and leave a link in your bio. Alternatively, you can post an Instagram story and ask people to “Swipe up” which will direct them to whatever link is given. You can set these links up at UTM’s which is a tracked link and track their activity to see if it leads to a conversion.

Using facebook

Collect data from your customers through e-mail

Collecting data from your customers, more specifically email addresses is another reason to post blogs. After someone has finished reading your blog, you don’t just want them to leave your website and never come back, asking them to sign up for email alerts is a great way to send outgoing communications to potential customers to entice them enough to come back to your website. This can be done by sending a newsletter, offering discounts or suggesting similar products to what they have already viewed.

Conclusion

Writing blogs is just the tip of the iceberg when talking about content marketing. Blogs are great because they have multiple uses, and the ones listed above are just some of the creative ways you can use blogs in your digital marketing strategy. Content marketing goes further than just blogs, next week we will be uploading a blog in regards to video so make sure to sign up to email alerts to be notified when the blog has been published.

Building Services Design Engineer Apprenticeship (Level 6)

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Worm’s eye view of contemporary, glass high-rise buildings

Are you excited by the idea of designing, installing and maintaining building services, like lighting and heating? Does infrastructure interest you? If this sounds up your street, read on to find out how the degree-level Building Services Design Engineer apprenticeship may be a great route to a new career.

Chapters

How the level 6 Building Services Design Engineer apprenticeship works

The Building Services Design engineer apprenticeship teaches an apprentice the skills needed to design the various services found in buildings and infrastructure projects.

Duration of apprenticeship

Typically 60-66 months (5-5½ years), depending on the apprentice’s previous experience.

What a Building Services Design Engineer job entails

A Building Services Design Engineer manages a team of engineers and technicians. They work with other construction professionals to design, maintain and install various services found in buildings and infrastructure projects.

The engineers work typically include the following:

  • Renewable and emerging technologies
  • Energy management
  • Heating
  • Ventilation
  • Air conditioning
  • Lighting
  • Power
  • Water services
  • Building transportation (e.g. lifts), and more!

Buildings and infrastructure can vary from newly built premises to the refurbishment of older facilities, for every sector of industry.

Building Services Design Engineers will undertake both the technical and commercial management of projects using engineering design solutions to maintain and enhance the quality of the environment and community.

They employ current and emerging technology to produce innovative engineering design solutions for development, manufacture and construction.

Career options with a level 6 Building Services Design Engineer Apprenticeship

Building services design engineers may work for a design consultancy, a contractor or a manufacturing company.

Salary

There are plenty of opportunities to earn an above-average salary in this field.

  • Starting salaries for a graduate building services design engineer average between a respectable £26000 to £28000.
  • More experienced design engineers earn on average a salary of around £40000, with more senior engineers earning above £55000.
  • Partners or highly experiences building services design engineers with chartered status may earn over £80000. Engineers in larger international consultancies can earn over £110000 a year.

TIP: Having chartered status also increases your pay level.

Entry requirements

Apprenticeship candidates will usually have at least three A levels at Grades A*-C including Mathematics and Physical Science or their equivalent.

Alternatively, they can complete a Level 3 Apprenticeship as a Building Services Design Technician.

Qualifications gained with a Level 6 Building Service Design Engineers Apprenticeship

Building Services Design Engineer Apprenticeship learner looks at plans on laptop
A Building Services Design Engineer apprenticeship will teach you a wealth of skills

With this level 6 apprenticeship, successful apprentices will earn a BSc or BEng building services degree with accreditation by the relevant professional engineering institution.

NOTE: Apprentices without Level 2 English and Maths must achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment.

Building Services Design Engineer Apprenticeship structure

The Building Services Design Engineer Apprenticeship is divided into three parts:

  • Approximately Month 0-60: Recommended on programme assessment through
    • Assignments
    • Projects
    • Portfolio of evidence
    • Development reviews
    • Examinations
  • Around Month 60: Gateway

Satisfactory completion of knowledge skills and behaviours including an accredited building services degree. Level 2 in Maths & English must be achieved. At this point, the application for the End Point Assessment (EPA) is confirmed by your employer.

  • Two months before expected end date: End Point Assessment
    • Presentation and questioning on the research assignment
    • Structured interview informed by the Engineering Practice Report
    • Assessment by assessors appointed by the relevant Professional Engineering Institution

You pass if you achieve the above. You’re then registered as an Incorporated Engineer

[Source: Open Government Licence for public sector information]

Key learnings

As mentioned above in part one of the apprenticeship, there are core learnings that the apprentice must develop and demonstrate during their apprenticeship. These divide into knowledge, skills and behaviours.

Knowledge

A Building Services Design Engineer apprenticeship needs an in-depth knowledge of:

  • Mathematical, scientific and engineering principles and methods. These are important because they underpin the design of complex building services systems.  
  • Digital solutions to model, design, analyse and evaluate building service systems.
  • Research techniques to improve how business services systems perform.
  • Quality standards, codes of practice, legal and regulatory frameworks. These govern the design of building services systems, in reference to health, safety and welfare and environmental impact.
  • Principles and techniques of whole life evaluation in the design of building engineering services systems. These consider account critical constraints like due concern for safety and sustainability.
  • Principles and techniques of effective project management. These include resources, cost and risk assessment.
  • How to manage teams and develop staff to meet shifting technical and managerial needs.
  • Effective communication effectively through reports, drawings, specifications and presentations. This includes how to explain design principles with both technical and non-technical people.
  • Dealing fairly and honestly when selection suppliers or contractors. This includes fair reviewing of tenders when making recommendations for award of contracts.

Skills

A Building Services Design Engineer will be able to do the following:

  • Use a solid, evidence-based approach to problem solving. These will lead to developing building services engineering design solutions to enhance the quality of the environment and community, and meet client, financial and safety objectives.
  • Identify, review and select the best way to design complex building services systems and components.
  • Champion the continuous improvement of the design of building services systems and components. This includes using latest industry developments and best practice and taking part in design reviews and evaluation.
  • Manage and apply safe systems of work. This includes being responsible for own obligations for health, safety and welfare issues, assessing and controlling risk, working with health, safety and welfare legislation and best practice.
  • Manage the planning, budgeting and organisation of tasks, people and resources Achieve this via the following:
    •  Appropriate management systems
    • Working to agreed quality standards, project programme and budget
    • Working within legal, contractual and statutory requirements
  • Manage teams and develop staff to meet shifting technical or managerial needs.
  • Communicate effectively through reports, drawings, specifications, presentations and discussions. Be able to do so with both technical and non-technical people.
  • Complete and document continuing profession development, maintaining and enhancing knowledge and competence as a building services design engineer.

Behaviours

A great Building Services Design Engineer will:

  • Have compassion and be perceptive. They are aware of the needs and concerns of others, especially in terms of diversity and equality
  • Show they’re reliable
  • Have integrity
  • Respect confidentiality
  • Be confident and adaptable when dealing with new or changing interpersonal situations
  • Create, retain and develop productive working relationships.
  • Have a strong commitment to health, safety and welfare.
  • Show personal commitment to professional and ethical standards
  • Recognize their obligation to society, the profession and the environment
  • Take responsibility for personal development, committing to learning and self-improvement
  • Be open to feedback

Although some of these components may feel unfamiliar, after completing the apprenticeship they will become second nature!

Conclusion

As you can see, the Level 6 Building Services Design Engineer apprenticeship is a fantastic avenue into an interesting, well-paid career. The ability to upskill and earn as you learn, in a varied role makes it a great option for anyone who loves learning and wants a job that’s far from boring. You’ll be sure to leave with a wealth of invaluable skills that will take your career to the next level.

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Why an engineering ductwork installer apprenticeship?

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Two industrial fans

Are you ambitious and looking for a challenge? Does installing and maintaining ductwork systems in large industrial and commercial buildings interest you? Does learning an impactful skillset with transferable skills and earning whilst you’re at it catch your eye? Becoming a building services engineering ductwork installer apprentice is the perfect role for you. Not only will you be gaining knowledge but you’ll be working in the field with professionals in the field. Continue reading to find out how this role can help you kickstart your career in construction.

Level 2 Building Services Engineering Ductwork Installer Apprenticeship

The building services engineering role is a specialist branch of engineering within the construction sector. Your job role will consist of assembling, installing, pre-commissioning, testing and repairing ductwork made from a wide range of materials. You will learn the technical side to the role such as installing ductwork systems components whilst also working on your soft skills such as communication, using oral, written and electronic methods to communicate information with work colleagues, other tradespeople, clients’ representatives, supervisors, and other members of the building services engineering and wider construction team.

It is unlikely that individuals entering this apprenticeship without previous experience will complete the apprenticeship in less than 24 months, not including your end point assessment.. You will earn up to £15,000 as a starting wage with a potential to earn £26,000 upon completion. Ductwork installer apprentices will have to have a  minimum of a level 1 maths and English qualification where you will have to take an examination for the level 2. This apprenticeship will have a competence based assessment where you will sit a knowledge test and an observed skilled test. The Knowledge Test will use a multiple-choice questions format to assess underpinning applied knowledge in all elements of the standard. The observed skill test will be used to confirm that the apprentice can work safely and contribute to the planning, installation, testing, maintenance, fault diagnosis and repair of the ductwork installation, to the specified standards, within a stated timescale.

Tools

Responsibilities as a ductwork installer apprentice

You will need to work safely by applying relevant safety legislation, codes of practice and safe working practices to self and others in working environments. You will be held accountable for your work and need to solve problems within your scope of responsibility. You won’t always be under close supervision and be expected to maintain and enhance competence in your own area to fuel your personal development. You will need to be versatile and adaptable as you’ll work within new build construction sites and existing buildings.

A ductwork installer’s key responsibilities are to provide clean air and/or remove used air, and move temperature controlled air around the inside of buildings as part of a building’s ventilation and life safety systems. They work in a variety of environments such as office blocks, factories, schools, airports and hospitals. You will also need to prepare work areas in new and existing sites to undertake allocated ductwork component installation work tasks.

Conclusion

This apprenticeship is perfect for someone that is trying to begin their career in construction. A level 2 qualification in Building Services Engineering is a great foundation. Not only will you be learning valuable skills that could lead you to multiple avenues, you’ll be earning a wage on top with a chance of progression. You will be given the guidance and knowledge from industry professionals but also have the responsibility and accountability which are skills where you will benefit in any position you progress on to.

Ready to make the move and accelerate your career in construction? Apply here.

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Why you should consider using Facebook Advertising

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Mobile phone with the Facebook log in screen and scrabble letters spelling out social media

You may have heard some less than positive news about Facebook in the past 9 months. They have had some challenging media to contend with as well as technical challenges due to a falling out with Apple. This has led to tracking issues after the iOS14.5 update which has resulted in advertisers experiencing increased costs and lower performance. It is not all bad news though. Their rebranding to Meta has generally been seen as a future-focussed move and they have stated that revenue grew 56% in Q2 last year. So before we dive into why you should use Facebook to advertise, lets first ask, what actually is Facebook advertising?

  1. What is Facebook advertising?
  2. How does Facebook advertising work?
  3. Benefits of Facebook advertising
  4. Tips for creating Facebook advertising campaigns
  5. Helpful tools when creating Facebook ads
  6. Conclusion

What is Facebook advertising?

If you use Facebook, then you have undoubtedly seen ads as you have scrolled through your feed. Businesses and brands create these in a digital tool provided by Facebook called Ads Manager which sits within Business Manager suite of tools [link to business manager]. It operates in a similar way to Google Ads [link to google ads blog], in case you have used this tool before. Within Business Manager you can control who you want to target, how much you want to spend and how you want your ads to look.

How does Facebook advertising work?

It works in a very similar way to Google ads. You create campaigns, then ad sets and then, in the ad sets, you create your ads. The ads are shown to the audience who you have chosen in your ad set. So instead of targeting keywords, as you might do in a Google ads search campaign, you are targeting a defined group of people.

These can be customers who have taken an action on your site but perhaps didn’t purchase. Facebook does this by using a tracking code called Facebook Pixel which you embed on your site. It enables the tracking of many things including which products your customers have viewed and whether they have purchased from you. They can also be brand new customers who have never interacted with you before.

After Facebook has determined who is in each audience and that this person is someone you want to show your ad to, Facebook then uses an algorithm to bid for an advertising slot in the auction process. Your ad creative ‘score’ and your budget dictate if your ad wins the auction and is shown. However, unlike Google, it uses CPM (cost per thousand impressions) instead of CPC (cost per click) as the bidding factor. This means that you pay for every view of your ad. However, if you have a high CTR (click through rate) you won’t be charged more like Google.

For comparison, if you typically pay £0.75 per click with a £5 budget and a 1% CTR, your ad in Google would generate 667 impressions and 7 clicks. In Facebook you might have a £5 CPM so your £5 budget is shown to 1000 people and with the same CTR of 1% you would have 10 clicks.

Benefits of Facebook Advertising

A huge benefit is being able to target anyone who fits your demographic requirements according to the audiences that you have created. With Google you can only target people who have shown an interest by already searching for related keywords. Using Facebook you are able to target people who might not have heard of your brand or are not aware that your type of product exists. This helps you find new customers as well as build brand and category awareness.

As an example, let’s say your target demographic is females aged 18-54 in the UK and the product you sell is potentially relevant to all of them. This will be an audience of several million people, however, on Google the combined search terms which are relevant to your business for this demographic might only be 100,000 a month.

Tips for creating Facebook advertising campaigns

There are a few helpful and cost saving things you should know before creating Facebook campaigns. Here is a list of a few of the most important ones:

Use a funnel approach when setting up your campaign and ad sets. The idea is to group your close audience bucket and filter out less relevant people, keeping your CPAs (cost per acquisition) low.

Don’t forget to setup correct UTM’s, so you can monitor the ad performance in your Google analytics account. You can then compare it against your overall performance to see how much impact the ads have had.

Use dynamic ad types and ad sets for users who have engaged with your site content. This is a great remarketing tool which shows the user products they have seen but not purchased as well as other products they may be interested in.

Scrabble letters spelling out the words digital marketing on a wooden background

Helpful tools when creating Facebook ads

If you have limited graphic design experience or resources, Canva is a great option which offers free and paid versions. Alternatively you can create ads in Adobe Photoshop or any other graphic editing software. These tools allow you to adjust image sizes to fit Facebooks requirements and add additional assets to help them stand out.

There are various types of ads which all have different requirements, you can find out more here. It’s great to test different ad types to see which work well with your audiences.

The dynamic ad sets are a bit different as they are generated ‘dynamically’ based on your website content which the user has either seen or interacted with previously. The setup for these ads just requires some copy and formatting regarding how the dynamic content will be displayed in the ad. For example, the headline can be the product title and you can also show pricing and any discounts.

Conclusion

Advertising on Facebook in 2022 is still a great option although it requires planning, optimising and utilising all of the tools at your disposal. Following the tips above will help to give you a head start in setting up your campaigns and avoid making mistakes that have been made before.

If you would like to learn more about Facebook and digital advertising, then I would recommend looking at an in-depth apprenticeship focussed on how to advertise online. Read our blog Digital Marketer Apprenticeship.

Should you do an apprenticeship as an Acoustics Technician? – Level 4 Acoustics Technician Apprenticeship

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Acoustics Technician and Engineer surveying railway development

So you are interested in starting your profession as an Acoustics Technician but not sure how to go about it? Don’t worry! We’ll cover everything you need to know in the article below. From what an Acoustics Technician is and what they do, plus what an apprenticeship involves.

  1. What is an Acoustics Technician?
  2. What does an Acoustics Technician do?
  3. How much do Acoustics Technicians earn?
  4. How can you become an Acoustics Technician?
  5. What does the Acoustics Technician apprenticeship involve?
  6. How can you apply to be an Acoustics Technician?
  7. What do you receive when you complete the apprenticeship?
  8. Future prospects

Doing an Acoustics Technician apprenticeship is a great way of starting your career. You’ll learn useful skills and gain knowledge in areas such as the calibration of acoustic equipment and understanding the science of sound and vibration for uses in construction, engineering and product design.

What is an Acoustics Technician?

When new railway lines are laid, tunnels created, products such as cars designed and theatres updated, sound and vibration have to be considered. This could be due to how much noise is being generated or where the sound and vibrations are being focused. This is where an Acoustics Technician comes in. They take sound and vibration readings, create models and make suggestions to assist architects and designers to improve or comply with regulations. Sound good!?

What does an Acoustics Technician do?

An Acoustics Technician is focussed on the science of sound and vibration. They do a variety of tasks, typically supporting Acoustic Engineers. Technicians are normally involved in projects where they focus specifically on the acoustic aspects alongside other acoustic experts, such as consultants and engineers. These projects are often in really varied locations such as stadiums, theatres, railways and many more.
As an Acoustics Technician you will typically undertake:

  • Noise and vibration surveying
  • Data collecting, processing, analysing and reporting
  • Acoustic modelling
  • Calibration of acoustic equipment

How much do Acoustics Technician earn?

An important question when it comes to careers, how much could you earn? Well, according to Glassdoor the typical Acoustics Technician earns around £27k a year based on the national average.

How can you become an Acoustics Technician?

There are various paths you can take too, such as studying in a university full time, doing an online course or taking an apprenticeship. This is the route that we would recommend as the hands-on experience you will gain whilst learning is invaluable to further your career and understanding.

Also, you won’t have any tuition fees or student debt to worry about. As employers normally cover the bill for the course, so you get paid whilst learning!

Acoustics Technician surveying a railway tunnel with yellow hard hat
A Acoustics Technician viewing a railway tunnel with yellow hard hat

What does the Acoustics Technician apprenticeship involve?

It is a 24-month course (not including EPA period) where you will learn the required knowledge, skills and behaviours to become an Acoustics Technician.

The knowledge you will gain:

  • Following law, regulations and standards in regard to acoustics
  • Scientific principles of sound and vibration
  • Level 4 mathematics
  • Use of various sound and vibration measuring equipment
  • Sustainable practices in the design and manufacture of acoustic products
  • Using Computer Aided Design software packages
  • Acoustic modelling, reporting and analysing data

The skills you will learn:

  • Identifying risks related to acoustics
  • How to do acoustics calculations manually and using spreadsheets
  • Interpreting sound correctly
  • Communicating effectively in both oral and written form
  • Produce models and reports

The behaviours you will display:

  • Accuracy and diligence
  • Teamwork
  • Attention to detail
  • Time management
  • Commitment to Equality and Diversity

How can you apply to be an Acoustics Technician?

You can find out more information about applying using the contact form below.

To be eligible to take the course you are required to have an equivalent of a level 3 apprenticeship preferably in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields. If you haven’t already achieved level 2 in English or Mathematics. You can do so during apprenticeship, however you need to finish it before the EPA (End Point Assessment).

What do you receive when you complete the apprenticeship?

Once competed you will have the skills and ability to do a wide variety of acoustic-based jobs such as:

  • Architectural and Environmental Acoustics Technician
  • Acoustics Laboratory Technician
  • Acoustics Calibration Engineering Technician
  • Supporting Environmental Health Practitioner for noise
  • Acoustics Product Design Technician

You will be eligible to register with the Engineering Council at EngTech level. Which is a globally recognised profession registration title. Valued by numerous employers and customers in the field so is a great option.

Future prospects

Once you have completed the apprenticeship you can progress on to becoming a Acoustics Engineer or Consultant. You can also develop into other senior roles detailed under the construction occupational map.

Finally, there are additional CPD (continuous personal development) courses which can be found through the Engineering Council or other engineering bodies.

If you require any further information or are interested in becoming an apprentice, please fill out the contact form below. We would love to hear from you!

Level 3 Advanced Carpentry and Joinery Apprenticeship

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Level 3 Advanced Carpentry and Joinery Apprenticeship using a woodworking machine

If you’ve got a knack for working with wood and other materials to build your own masterpieces, a Level 3 Advanced Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship is the perfect way to start a new career.

There is a growing demand carpenters and joiners within the industry, to help meet the need for new homes. So now is the best time to start!

If you enjoy taking the lead within projects, and using your unique skills to guide others to meet the needs of a client, this is the career path for you.

Want to know where to start? Read on.

Level 3 Advanced Carpentry and Joinery Apprenticeship entry requirements

To become a level 3 advanced Carpentry and Joinery apprentice, it is recommended that you take the Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery course prior to taking this course.

However, this depends on your employer, and if you have the right skills and experience already, this may not be necessary!

You’ll have the chance to work both independently and alongside others, with many opportunities for career growth and progression as you refine your skills to become a specialist.

What does a carpentry and joinery apprenticeship involve?

On a day-to-day basis, a carpentry and joinery apprentice’s key responsibilities are to work with wood and other building materials to create components for buildings. No two days will ever be the same, as your unique skills and knowledge will be essential for producing a range of custom components on a variety of projects.

Items that you will be responsible for producing and installing can range from windows and doors, even to staircases, floor joists and roofs.

It is essential that all work is completed to industry standards, following all the relevant safety regulations.

Within this apprenticeship, you’ll decide whether you’d like to become a specialist in either carpentry or joinery, which have very different functions.

Carpenter vs Joiner

Advanced Site Carpenter

An Advanced Site Carpenter typically works on building sites, and is in charge of creating and installing complex and bespoke components for new houses or other structures.

Most often, a carpenter will be working on irregular or complex roof structures.

You will normally collaborate with other tradespeople on-site, such as bricklayers, plasterers and plumbers, site management and contractors.

Advanced Architectural Joiner

An Advanced Architectural Joiner will more often work inside a workshop, producing complex components that require advanced skills with woodworking machines, or working to restore or repair existing components.

You will liaise with other workshop colleagues as well as architects, designers and customers.

Working in team is essential if you want to become a carpenter or joiner. You will also have to supervise other people while using machinery and tools to create, refurbish or repair structures or components from the designs, plans and specifications of architects and designers that meet the client’s expectations.

Once you have enough experience to supervise and be responsible for others, you will be able to progress your career to the next level and become a team leader, trade foreperson, contract, or works manager.

Level 3 Advanced Carpentry and Joinery Apprenticeship cutting wood

Level 3 Carpentry and Joinery Competencies

As part of your job role, you will carry out many different duties that will satisfy a number of competencies to meet the criteria of your apprenticeship.

Core competencies

There are a number of core competencies to meet during your apprenticeship. These include:

  • Identifying requirements and planning a schedule for your work, notifying colleagues.
  • Ensure all fire doors meet legal requirements.
  • Understand technical specifications and ensure all work is completed in accordance with legislations.
  • Select the right quality and quantity of materials needed for the work.
  • Take a lead when working in a team, especially when complex or non-standard work is involved.
  • Utilise a range of advanced skills which allow them to carry out complex work
  • Communicate professionally with a high level of customer service
  • Carry out quality checks of own and others work and take action
  • Carry out pre-use checks of all tools and equipment.

You will also have to undertake some more advanced competencies for your chosen specialist area. These will be different for carpentry and joinery.

Advanced Site Carpenter duties

Additional duties that you will be responsible for if you choose to become an Advanced Site Carpenter include:

  • Install complex and non-standard doors and window frames, shaped door and hatch linings, partitions with openings and changes of direction and staircases with turns.
  • Install accessible service encasements, bespoke wall/ floor units and fitments, panelling and stair components.
  • Erect inclined roofs with gables, roof verges and eaves.
  • Repair and or replace frames, mouldings, floor or flat roof joist coverings, door and window ironmongery, window components, structural joists and rafters, window components, guttering and downpipes.

Advanced Architectural Joiner duties

Additional duties that you will be responsible for if you choose to become an Advanced Architectural Joiner include:

  • Set out complex work tasks for non-standard architectural joinery products.
  • Mark out accurately from setting out details for the manufacture of complex and shaped doors, opening windows, units and fitments and staircases.
  • Manufacture complex and shaped architectural joinery products.
  • Set up and use fixed machinery.
  • Use and maintain relevant tools and equipment required for advanced work.

Knowledge modules for Advanced Carpentry and Joinery

As well as your daily duties, you will learn some knowledge modules as an Advanced Carpentry and Joinery Apprentice, to gain the skills and knowledge required to progress in your role.

Core knowledge modules

Some of the core knowledge modules you will take as part of your course are:

  • The principles of environment, health, safety and welfare
  • The responsibilities under current legislation and official guidance to undertake the work
  • How to use health and safety control equipment
  • The different workplace signs and safety notices and their meaning
  • The principles of building construction
  • How to interpret and produce relevant information from drawings, specifications and work instructions
  • How to estimate resource quantities to carry out work
  • How to communicate and work with others effectively in the workplace
  • The characteristics, quality, uses, sustainability, limitations and defects associated with timber and timber-based products and components
  • Hand Tools : how to prepare, use, maintain and store hand tools
  • Power Tools: how to prepare, use, maintain and store power tools
  • How to plan work activities for self and others in order to meet schedules and deadlines

Again, as you will be choosing either carpentry or joinery as your specialist area, you will have to take additional knowledge modules related to the area you have chosen.

Advanced Site Carpenter additional knowledge modules

As an advanced site carpenter, you will undertake the following additional knowledge modules:

  • The different types of fixings and fasteners for site carpentry work including their uses
  • How to form advanced woodworking joints
  • How to carry out complex first fixing work
  • How to carry out complex second fixing work
  • How to carry out complex structural carcassing work
  • How to install and maintain structural and non-structural carpentry components

Advanced Architectural Joiner additional knowledge modules

As an advanced architectural joiner, you will undertake the following additional knowledge modules:

  • The characteristics, quality, uses and limitations of relevant materials
  • Component performance requirements
  • Advanced architectural joinery technology
  • How to form shaped woodworking joints
  • How to set out and mark out for shaped joinery products
  • How to manufacture and repair shaped joinery products
  • How to take site measurements and site fix joinery products
  • How to prepare and use fixed machinery to create shaped work

Other mandatory qualifications for a Carpenter or Joiner

As a carpenter or joiner, you will also take a mandatory Level 2 qualification in Fire Door Installation Awareness.

Conclusion

To conclude, an Advanced Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship is a great option for anyone who would like a career in creating bespoke components with wood and other building materials.

You’ll be able to start your career in a growing industry, with lots of opportunity for career progression.

If you’re already working in the industry, it is a fantastic way to consolidate your knowledge and gain a qualification while working. The brilliant news is that you won’t have to pay a penny for your education, as this is covered by the apprenticeship fund.

For employers, it is an ideal way to up-skill your workforce and give your employees an opportunity for career development.

How to become a self made digital marketing expert

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Person using the internet to become a self made digital marketing expert

If you’re wondering how to become a self made digital marketing expert, here is the perfect place to start. Read on to find out the best tips and tricks to start a successful digital marketing career.

What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing is how you connect your brand with your customers, normally over the internet.

As more and more of our life becomes digitalised, digital marketing has taken over and there is a large demand for digital marketing everywhere. It is a great time to pick up the skill and take advantage of what digital marketing can do for your brand, or to start a career in digital marketing.

So, now you know what digital marketing is, you may be wondering how exactly to do it. Well, there are lots of new and exciting ways to get your brand out there, but let’s start with the basics.

Read on to find out how to become a self made digital marketing expert.

Types of Digital Marketing

There are many different forms and channels in digital marketing. however it mainly refers to:

  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
  • Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
  • Content Marketing
  • Email Marketing
  • Social Media Marketing

These are the main channels a digital marketer will use to reach their goals. A self made digital marketing expert will have to master all of these areas and more to understand how to grow their brand.

All of these channels have their own individual uses and you will need to learn the proper industry standards and best practices for them.

Getting digital marketing right

The most important part in getting digital marketing right is setting clear and realistic goals. You should start any digital marketing campaign in this way. You may want to get some new leads, or more sales on your website, or you may even just want to generate some brand awareness.

Whatever it is, you should keep a record of your targets and measure your success against them.

How to improve Search Engine Optimisation

Here are five quick ways you can improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation):

  1. Publish relevant, useful content
  2. Update your website frequently
  3. Optimise metadata
  4. Build up your backlinks
  5. Use alt tags on your images

Search engine optimisation is an often overlooked part of growing your brand, however it should not be disregarded. The initial investment of creating content may be high, but it is certainly worth it.

Here are 5 ways to generate more website traffic.

How to use Pay Per Click

Pay Per Click is just that – you pay advertisers per click you get on an ad. This is most often done through Google.

This is how you set up a PPC campaign in five steps:

  1. Set your goals
  2. Choose an advertiser
  3. Select the keywords you want to bid on
  4. Set up your budgets
  5. Write your advert and create a landing page for it to link to

PPC is a much faster way of seeing your return on investment (ROI), however it can be costly. Just remember to keep your budgets small at first, until you have an idea of what works for you.

Content marketing for beginners

Content marketing is all about finding out what makes your target audience ticks, and using that to attract them to your brand. This may include articles, videos, podcasts, and other media.

Content marketing is not to be confused with SEO. SEO is the process of optimising your web pages to rank higher in the search engines, whereas content marketing is used to reach more people to connect with your brand with the use of content.

As you can see, SEO is more technical, while content marketing is more creative.

Here are 7 ways to generate more website traffic.

How to up an email marketing campaign

Email marketing has been around since the start of the internet, and is still a very effective way of reaching the right audience. Here are some tips for always creating an successful marketing campaigns:

  1. Build your mailing list
  2. Set your goals
  3. Send different email types for different purposes
  4. Segment your audience
  5. Monitor your analytics
  6. Make your opt-in attractive
  7. Always follow up
  8. Create original subject lines

An important thing to be aware of is that sometimes less is more with email marketing. It may be tempting to always send everything to your whole subscriber list, but this will quickly begin to feel spammy and won’t generate the leads you’re looking for.

Instead, personalise and tailor your content for different audience segments and it will be much better received.

Here are 5 free email marketing tools to create effective campains in 2022.

How to launch a successful social media campaign

Now it is time to launch your first social media campaign. Follow these simple steps to never fall short again.

  1. Research your competition
  2. Decide on your strategy and change it if you need to
  3. Use different types of content within a campaign
  4. Use a mix of promotional and informative content
  5. Find out what’s trending
  6. Make your content stand out
  7. Create a social media schedule

Social media is a great tool to use as a digital marketer. You have the option to set up either paid or organic campaigns, suited to any budget. But which platform should you choose?

Find out more ways to make your social media campaigns successful.

Pie chart of social media for digital marketers

Pie chart of social media

It is also important to use the right platform. Research by Statistica shows that the most popular social media platforms in 2021 were:

Most used social media platform (millions)

  1. Facebook – 2,895
  2. YouTube – 2,291
  3. WhatsApp –  2,000
  4. Instagram – 1,393
  5. Facebook Messenger – 1,300
  6. Weixin / WeChat – 1,251
  7. TikTok – 1,000
  8. Douyin – 600
  9. QQ – 591
  10. Sina Weibo – 566
  11. Telegram – 550
  12. Snapchat – 538
  13. Kuaishou – 506
  14. Pinterest – 454
  15. Twitter – 436
  16. Reddit – 430
  17. Quora – 300

Must have digital marketing tools

  • Some must-have digital marketing tools include:
  • Keyword research tool – SEMrush
  • SEO dashboard  – yourSEOmarketingreport
  • Website analytics – Google analytics
  • Email marketing tool – Campaign monitor
  • Social media scheduling tool – Loomly
  • Photo editing tools – Canva or photoshop 
  • Website tool – WordPress
  • Google data studio

These will help make your life much easier by automating certain tasks, tracking metrics or assist with content creation.

Is digital marketing a good career?

Digital Marketing a great career for anyone who is both creative and analytical.

You’ll have a lot of variation in your job. From creating social media campaigns, to PPC and display advertising, to SEO and the daily running of a website. You’ll never be bored in digital marketing.

It is important to note that you will need good english and maths skills, as the job involves a lot of analysing data and writing content. So, as long as that sounds something you’ll enjoy, digital marketing is definitely for you!

How much money does a digital marketer make?

The salary for an entry-level digital marketer, like a digital marketing assistant can range from £18,000 to £22,000.

Once you are more experienced in digital marketing, you could be earning p to £30,000 a year.

In a more senior management role, you could get up to £40,000 and more.

Level 3 digital marketing apprenticeships

The best way to start a career in digital marketing is to take a digital marketing apprenticeship. This way, you’ll be able to earn and learn, while gaining experience in digital marketing. But what does this mean?

If you take a digital marketing apprenticeship, you won’t have to pay a penny towards your learning costs, as this is covered by the apprenticeship levy. You also will get paid for full-time work while getting extra paid time to work towards your apprenticeship.

Another great thing about a digital marketing apprenticeship is that you’ll get the chance to gain valuable insight, knowledge and experience while you learn. You’ll even get a recognised qualification after you finish!

Level 6 digital marketing apprenticeships

After completing a level 3 digital marketing apprenticeship, you’ll be able to progress onto a level 6 digital marketing apprenticeship, which is actually a degree course. So, you’ll be able to gain a university-level qualification without any student debt.

After completing a level 6 digital marketing apprenticeship, the world will be your oyster, giving you unlimited opportunities for career progression – you will truly be a self made digital marketing expert.