Granite 5 2021 review

There is no denying that’s it’s been another tough year all round, with no end in sight for the pandemic. But one thing is for sure, that the resilience seen throughout this pandemic is still shining through. The resolve and support in businesses and communities alike during this challenging time is still strong, which is going to be vital as we enter 2022.

So, looking back on this last year, there have been many highlights for Granite 5.

Award winners

This year was an award-winning year for Granite 5! We started by winning a spot on the Breathe HR Culture Leaders List of 2021. The Culture Leaders List is to celebrate small businesses across the UK who actively put their people first, especially important given the year we have all faced. So, as you can imagine, being shortlisted for this award was a real achievement. We then ended the year with our very own Ellie Davison winning the Unsung Hero award at the DevelopHER Awards. We know she is a true hero, but it was incredible to see her receive this award to recognise her dedication despite facing tremendous personal adversity.

New clients welcomed to the family

It’s been another busy year with lots of new clients joining the Granite 5 family. We are proud this year to have supported the following new clients in their digital transformations Artios Pharma, Rise Above, Nebula Space, Cam Touch 3d, Magog Trust, Altilium Group, Tower Cranes UK, Sundown Products, Stanton Land & Sea, Barnes Commercial Insurance, World Sugar Research Organisation (WSRO), Meco Homes, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Charity and PIR International.

We look forward to supporting many more in 2022 and beyond.

Team culture

The team has continued to embrace the remote working life. We have introduced mental health first aiders who are there to support the team with any issues they are facing. Personal development has continued to be a focus within the agency in a variety of ways, including team members taking on a computer science degree, a project management qualification, a brand course, and content marketing to name a few!

Our team has also continued to expand throughout the year with the introduction of a new Digital Project Manager, Project & Content Manager, and Senior Full-stack Developer. It’s been great to see the team expanding and how this has enabled us to further support our clients.

Supporting our local community

We have always had a strong connection with our local community and support where we can, which is why we were incredibly proud to be awarded the contract to support local Cambridge businesses with strategic marketing consultancy by Cambridge BID at the start of the year. We have also delivered two webinars on behalf of The Cambridge Network to support local businesses. These included one on the much anticipated Google Core Web Vital update, and The Power of UX and beyond.

A new leadership chapter at Granite 5

This year marked a new and exciting chapter at Granite 5, with the appointment of Christian Scott as a new Director to join me in leading the agency. As well as becoming a Director of Granite 5, Christian also took on the new role of Strategy and User Experience (UX) Director. Having led the delivery team for the last 4 years, and making a big impact along the way, I’m really excited for what the future holds with him directing the business with me.

Supporting our membership clients

To further support membership organisations, which is a big focus for us, in retaining and growing their organisations, we have released a series of guides over the last year utilising our experience and expertise within this sector. These guides provide practical tips across the spectrum of digital marketing to support them in driving results. The guides include How to use inbound marketing for member acquisition, social media guide for membership organisations, leading through the pandemic, website optimisation guide for membership organisations, SEO success guide for membership organisations, and essential steps to create a successful membership website.

New services introduced

Inspired by HubSpot’s Growth Driven Design service, we have been running continuous improvement programmes for clients for some time, however, this isn’t a service that we have shouted about. But, with great results for our clients including a 96% increase in the web conversion rate for The Møller Institute, we had to share more about this amazing service. So, we officially launched our continuous improvement services this year. We also became a HubSpot agency partner, and now support clients with HubSpot migration and optimisation.

Thank you

Finally, I want to thank all our clients, new and existing, who we have worked with this year. We really do appreciate the opportunity to help you, and we look forward to many more years supporting your outstanding businesses.

Have a lovely Christmas and we look forward to all the exciting new projects to come in 2022!