Firm gets a spot on Facebook (From Ledbury Reporter)

Firm gets a spot on Facebook

3:10pm Monday 8th October 2012 in News

HOMEND businesses have launched their own Facebook site to promote themselves, in a pilot scheme to be rolled out to include the rest of the town centre in the new year.

The mastermind of the social media marketing project is former town mayor Spencer Lane whose wife Melanie is the owner of the Connections Dress Agency, in the Homend.

Ledbury failed to win funding earlier this year for the national Portas Pilots town centre regeneration scheme.

Mr Lane, who has designed the site called, “I Love The Homend”, said: “With the Portas bid failing and Ledbury surviving various trials and tribulations, this is a way for the businesses to promote themselves. This is a help yourself operation.

“A lot of independent businesses are operating out of the Homend, and the traders are doing a very good job.

But hopefully, with a bit of technology, they can improve their businesses.

“The message of Facebook is that it is very quick. It is instantaneous marketing, and information on special offers, for instance, can be updated speedily.

“The businesses need this and they need this now.”

Interest in the “I Love The Homend” site has been growing steadily since its launch a few weeks ago.

By Monday 25 people had expressed their liking for the site, and 52 people had expressed views.

Mr Lane said the aim was to upload Homend-related pictures, “tittle-tattle, what’s new, what’s going on, and why”.

But it is not all about marketing and promotion, with a 1950s image of York House already appearing, for general interest, taken at a time when the building was a Co-op.

Mr Lane said of the project: “The rest of the town will be included after Christmas.”

The new site is at facebook.

com/ilovethehomend.