April 1, 2021
We’ve been very excited to see the sun in Bristol and are looking
forward to our long Easter weekend! In keeping with the theme of
Spring and new beginnings, we’ve had some team changes and have
been trying out some new platforms for our clients.
Firstly, a couple of weeks ago we said goodbye to our long-standing designer Ryan, who’s off to do some travelling and hopefully settle in New Zealand (when he’s allowed, of course!). Ryan has had two separate stints at Fanatic, the first starting way back in 2014. He promises he won’t be back for a third time, but we’ll see…
We’ve also had an influx of new people joining the Fanatic team which we’re very excited about – look out for their interviews to find out more about them.
How have you found life at Fanatic so far?
It’s been great. Everyone in the team has been really welcoming and I’ve enjoyed the variety of work that I get to do.
What were you doing before Fanatic and what made you get into Design?
I’d spent much of the previous two years working as a web designer in Herefordshire. Before then I was trying my hand at freelance work after graduating University in 2017.
What made you choose Fanatic?
I got really excited when I saw a web design company that also does motion graphics work. As soon as I applied Sam got in touch with me to discuss the role and it sounded perfect! I was very grateful to be offered the job a couple of weeks later.
What have you enjoyed most so far?
The one day I spent in the office was amazing. I’m from a small town in Mid Wales so I’m looking forward to moving to Bristol and working in such a vibrant city.
What are you looking forward to learning more about?
So far I haven’t had to work with the Development team all that much and I’m really looking forward to working alongside them on a site design.
What’s an interesting fact about you?
I was born at home in a town that (jokingly) claims to be an independent kingdom. There’s not many of us so I like to think I should be the natural heir to the throne somehow. I was also on an episode of a TV show as a kid called Xchange (I’m on the right in the pic).
How have you found life at Fanatic so far?
It’s been great! The last couple of months have whizzed by and everyone has been very friendly, welcoming and patient whilst I’ve been getting into the groove of things.
What were you doing before Fanatic and what made you get into Development?
During lockdown last year a friend of mine began teaching me a bit of JavaScript and I quickly fell in love with coding due to my love for languages and problem solving. I wasn’t feeling very fulfilled in my previous job, so I decided to leave to complete a full-time coding bootcamp, after which I was lucky enough to be offered my first developer role by Fanatic!
What made you choose Fanatic?
I was attracted by the opportunity to work for an agency where I could get involved with a diverse range of projects and also work with different technologies. Fanatic also seemed like a really friendly and positive company that was invested in its employees’ development.
What have you enjoyed most so far?
I’ve been enjoying learning the ins and outs of WordPress as I’d never worked with it before but had always been aware of how popular and widespread it was. I’ve also really appreciated the opportunity to take ownership of my own projects as it has helped me to learn a lot in a short amount of time.
What are you looking forward to learning more about?
I’m looking forward to further honing my development skills across the board, be that improving my existing skills or learning new languages and technologies.
What’s an interesting fact about you?
My university studies were in Russian language and politics, and I’ve spent time living and working in Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia. Aside from coding, my favourite thing to geek out on is anything related to the post-Soviet world!
Google describes Web Stories as “a visual storytelling format in Google Search results that immerses the user in a tap-through full-screen experience.” Just like on Instagram and Facebook, Web Stories can feature images, videos, text and more in a ‘snackable’ format. Although not currently rolled out in the UK, we can expect to see them in the not-too-distant future.
We’ve been looking into how we can use Web Stories to help our clients reach new audiences, increase their conversions and get their brands out there in a new and engaging way. WordPress have released a plugin to help users create Stories easily, so we’ve also been busy creating some ready for the UK rollout!
BrightonSEO held their latest virtual conference at the end of March, offering their usual wide range of talks and interactive sessions on SEO, linkbuilding, content writing and more. Members of our Digital Marketing team attended some of the talks and as always took away some ideas to incorporate into our clients’ marketing plans.
Our Digital Marketing Exec Amy particularly enjoyed Lucy Dodds’ talk on ‘Creating a Comprehensive Guide Hub that Users Care About’. Awareness content is something we use on behalf of our clients to help them answer their customers’ questions and show the value of what they’re offering. Get in touch with our team to find out how we can use guides to expand your brand reach.
Amy, Digital Marketing Exec
