Emma Mackley is Marketing Manager at Bespoke HR.

How long have you been with Bespoke HR and what attracted you to the business?

I joined in December 2016 and was initially introduced to the business through Digital Mums, a social media management training course I was a part of. As part of the course, I was matched with Bespoke HR, immediately loved the team, the ethos, the subject matter and the rest is history!

Can you tell us about your role?

I am responsible for promoting the business, whether that’s online or through partnerships – it’s my job to shout about our work and services. I manage our social media channels, produce blog content, communications for clients and generate press coverage to raise our profile. I also monitor and research the major issues and trends in HR for small businesses, so that we can let our clients know in advance of the things they need to be aware of.

Tell us about your career background

I have over 20 years’ experience working in communications. I started my career working in PR after completing a post-grad diploma in Public & Media Relations at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism. I worked both agency-side and in-house for a good number of years before moving into local government where I started to get more involved in marketing. After having kids, I went freelance and have enjoyed working on diverse projects ranging from trade exhibitions to recycling educational campaigns. I’m now lucky enough to be able to use all my skills in this role and am not limited to one particular area.

What are the advantages of working for a small business?

I absolutely love working for a small business, which is family-run. You immediately become an intrinsic part of the team and see how your work impacts the bigger picture. Being part of a close-knit team is so motivational – we all strive to be the best we can as we ultimately care about the business, our clients and providing the best service.

I also enjoy working with the consultants, learning about the issues our clients face and understanding how we can produce useful content for our followers on how they can tackle these challenges.

What are the HR trends set for next year?

No matter where you turn there is a lot of coverage in the press about AI and automation, and the threat of replacing jobs in the future. However, on a small business level, for our clients, it’s always how to handle difficult situations with employees who are not performing and also not having the correct policies and procedures in place to protect the business. Many of our clients come to us after the event has happened, and so a large part of the content I create is about stressing the importance of nipping issues in the bud before they escalate – anticipating what could be around the corner.

Our most popular-ever blog post was around the 10 HR challenges for small businesses, something which clearly resonated with a lot of people and we were happy to provide solutions on how to address them.

What advice would you have for other small business owners marketing themselves?

If you don’t have a big budget there is still a lot you can do with great content. Understand who your ideal customer is, what they read, where they go to find information and what their pain points are. Once you understand that, you can create engaging useful content to address their issues and share this from your website and social channels. Also, don’t underestimate the power of LinkedIn – connect with potential business partners, be active, engage and make the most out of this brilliant platform.

Linked In: Emma Mackley