Unit Websites

very true. :laughing:

This is where we need to keep most content on a site generic, and then its just published news and announcements that are dated.

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Thats how I run ours.

However all static images should be updated every 2 years inline with ACP 50. You can class older posts as archived news.

Before i rejoined my Sqn we struggled with recruitment but since implimenting what iā€™ve stated above weā€™ve done really well, we have also switched to 6 month intakes so itā€™s easier to plan for the cadets and for us as staff.

As I said the biggest thing every Sqn should do is have a GMB location that is optimised and owned by the Sqn, even if it is just to allow other staff and cadets to find the SHQ for courses.

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Would we really ā€œtargetā€ people with things like the BS ads that accompany many websites? I donā€™t many if any people actually respond to them. IMO they just get in the way, like all adverts.

Too much is made of websites, IMO basic is best. Iā€™ve seen many that try to be all things to all men and must need a lot of work.

I find that the best advert is getting cadets out in the community.

@Mouldy I would say that the change to 6 month intakes will have done a much as anything else. Any longer and the waiting can be oneros especially 12/13 year olds.

What BS type of ads are those ?

One of my jobs is using Google ads to promote products for companies the ROI that they get is unreal so yeah they definitely work.
I have a few small websites that I run with Google Adsense on and I make quite a bit off them myself, so again yes people definitely click on them.

Google Ads run free ads for charities and Iā€™m waiting to see if we qualify for the free ads, the Army cadets either qualify or spend money on it as to the Sea Cadets. Itā€™s very technical how ads are targeted and Iā€™m not getting into here as we would be here all night and well into next week. Very short version if someone types ā€œCadetsā€ or ā€œyouth organisationā€ you can get your ad to appear, you then in theory are the top search result in google.

We have had more people applying to join through the Squadron website and google my business then any other way, I ran a recruitment campaign on FB and the website. Before we had announced the change to 6 month recruitment windows.

Websites are not easy as I stated up there however they are worth while, Iā€™ve put over 100hrs into ours in putting articles and redesigning.

Getting out in the community is great we do that where possible however weā€™re slightly limited by staff numbers getting out. Do you also send stuff to the local paper still?

Any adverts that appear when Iā€™m browsing websites. Yep I know people probably pay good money for them to be there, but they just take up page space. Ad breaks on TV programmes are a cue for the toilet, get a drink or a few crossword clues and the mute button, given they repeat more than a curried egg and cress butty.

I do still put things in one of the local papers, I am on good terms with the editor/proprietor through one of my other voluntary things, so we get good print and online coverage. We are also on the clubs/activities listings,. I donā€™t bother with the other local paper as weā€™re not an estate agent or car dealer, councillor or been nicked. The last time I put something in for their consideration there, my A5 copy with 3 piccies, was condensed to two inches of a column and no piccies buried somewhere in the middle of the paper. The same got put into the other one as was with 3 piccies.

None of that is correct.

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Like I said before, our website is purley a way to keep the parents informed and somewhere for the cadets to lookup relevant information. Iā€™m not possessive about it so when the cadet portal comes to us we will embrace and use it. As more features are added to the cadet portal we will turn them off on our site and ultimately we wonā€™t need to maintain our current site. Sqnā€™s can get too hung up about this stuff, use it or donā€™t as long as what you do does not go against policy all is good.