Author: Tayler Cresswell

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Holby City finale – one year on

Holby City cast and crew at a special screening of the final episodes of the show, March 2022

It’s been a year since Holby City aired its final episode after 23 years on the BBC. It’s a bittersweet moment to reflect on the end of an era. Liberty842 ran the social media for the programme for seven years. We worked closely with the production team to connect with the show’s passionate fanbase, from live-tweeting during each episode to creating engaging content for the show’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

I remember the excitement and trepidation leading up to the show’s final episode, and the mixed emotions that came with saying goodbye to the characters and storylines that had become such an integral part of so many people’s lives. As we prepared to close the social media accounts, we were flooded with messages of love and support from fans who wanted to thank us for our work and express their appreciation for the show.

Holby City’s brilliant fan base

One of the most rewarding parts of working on Holby City’s social media was engaging with fans in real-time. During each episode, we would monitor the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and respond to viewers’ questions and comments. It was amazing to see the passion and dedication of the show’s fanbase, who would live-tweet each episode, create fan art, and share their favourite moments with each other.

I was blown away to be tweeted this from Holby’s brilliant fans who’d got together to send their thanks to us and the Holby team. If I wasn’t tearful at the end of the final episode, this tipped me over the edge!

As well as engaging with fans, we were also responsible for creating content that would keep them interested and invested in the show. We would share behind-the-scenes photos and interviews (huge thanks to Ali Liddle for her sterling work on the amazing #BTS content and cast and crew interviews which always rated top for engagement with our audience), and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes. We would also create graphics and videos that would highlight key moments from the show and encourage fans to tune in each week.

Kudos to the Holby City team

The time it took to develop and create the content can’t be underestimated, and kudos to the Holby team and their brilliant producers for investing in it. It was an incredibly rewarding job, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of such a talented and dedicated team. The one-year anniversary of Holby City’s finale has reminded me of the impact that the show had on so many people. Its ground-breaking representation of LGBTQ+ characters to its nuanced portrayal of mental health and medical issues (I know more about resuscitation, heart attacks – which present differently in women, and rare diseases than I ever thought possible!), should be applauded.

While it was sad to say goodbye to the show and the characters that we grew to love over the years, I’m grateful for the experience of working on the social media team. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the dedication and creativity that goes into producing a successful television show, and it allowed me to connect with a passionate and engaged fanbase.

I’m excited to see what the future holds for the talented cast and crew. I’m sure that they will continue to create amazing work that will inspire and entertain audiences for years to come. And as for me, I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to be a part of something so special. Here’s a lovely video put together by Ali and the team with us all saying goodbye to Holby and to the brilliant fans. 😢

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Making (Good) Trouble

Our sister organisation, Make (Good) Trouble, was brought into being on International Women’s Day in 2017 – it was an inkling of an idea. We wanted to helping young people to create a better future for themselves, to help parents better understand their children and to do something about the mental health crisis that is afflicting teens. Four years later and we’re rightly proud of this community interest company’s endeavours. All our projects are co-created with young people.

Two projects I’m most proud of are Raising Teens, a BBC Radio series developed by Make (Good) Trouble that looks into the issues teens face; and We Are Poppy, a research-based First World War project uncovering the often untold stories of women and trauma.

Raising Teens

We’re created three series of Raising Teens to-date and has covered everything from anxiety and sleep to eating disorders, bereavement and self-harm. Series three was created entirely in lockdown with guests and host all recorded remotely for broadcast on BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey.

https://vimeo.com/424258981
Alex Psaila from RELATE offers advice for families in lockdown

Look out for series four coming later in 2021.

You can find out more about the series and get links to listen to all episodes here: Raising Teens.

We Are Poppy

We Are Poppy is a conversation between today’s teens and the young women who lived through the trauma of World War One.

Our project was supported by the Heritage Fund and explores women’s experiences of the First World War and how the War affected their mental health. It is a story developed and told by young people who ask: what has changed for women in the past 100 years, and which challenges do we still face today?  Created in a time of Covid-19 and lockdown, there are new parallels to be explored.

All the project’s activities are documented on the wearepoppy.org website and includes a comprehensive schools pack with suggestions on how to create your own WW1 project. We were also featured on the Imperial War Museum’s blog.

The research culminated in an audio project where students brought women’s experiences to life for the listener.

https://soundcloud.com/makegoodtrouble/dear-poppy-ww1
Dear Poppy: A one-off podcast about women in WW1

You can also hear the full interviews with historians and a trauma specialist on the website. It’s a rich and fascinating story.

Find out more about Make (Good) Trouble:

www.makegoodtrouble.co.uk

Follow us on social media

Twitter @makegoodnews
Instagram @wemakegoodtrouble
Facebook Make (Good) Trouble

Join our parent Facebook Group: Raising Teens in Lockdown

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Daisy Cresswell, keynote speaker at Brighton Summit

Daisy Cresswell, Liberty842 co-founder

Daisy Cresswell, Liberty842 co-founder

The annual Brighton Summit is fast approaching and Liberty842 co-founder Daisy Cresswell is lined up to speak. The subject? “From WTF to What If… Making Social Better”.

In a world of economic and political uncertainty, Liberty842 co-founder Daisy Cresswell, will cut through the hyperbole and demonstrate the true value of social media to any business. Looking beyond marketing, she will show how brands can use social to connect, disrupt and engage with audiences in ways that are meaningful to them. With real-world examples, you’ll see how it’s possible to cut through the noise and make your business stand out.

Daisy will be joining a host of speakers and workshop hosts who are exploring the theme of “Embracing the unknown”.

Daisy gave an interview to Felicity Beckett which you can read on the Brighton Summit blog – if you’ve ever wondered what the film of Daisy’s life would look like, now’s your chance to find out!

The Brighton Summit 
Friday 13 October 2017
Tickets and info at brightonsummit.com/

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Holby HR doing sterling work on social media

Holby City fan tweet praising HR department

Holby City’s fictional HR department has been busy offering #TeamTips and sharing gossip with fans on Holby City’s Twitter and Facebook since mid 2016. Liberty842 creates and manages the ‘Holby HR’ content and tweets live during broadcast every Tuesday night.

This ramping up of engagement and the higher volume of tailored content shared with the show’s audience has seen a 200% rise in the use of the #HolbyCity hashtag when we compare the last quarter of 2016 with the same period the previous year.

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Hooten & The Lady for Red Planet Pictures

Ophelia Lovibond and Michael Landes in Hooten & The Lady

Over the next 8 weeks, we’re jetting off (metaphorically, of course!) to the Amazon, Rome, Egypt, Cambodia… all over the world, with Hooten & The Lady, the latest blockbuster series for Sky1.

We’re working with Red Planet Pictures, who made the series, to boost their social media and promote the new show.

Hooten & The Lady Instagram Game

Check out the Hooten & The Lady Instagram Game!

Follow Red Planet on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Hooten & The Lady, Sky 1  from 16 September – 9 November 2016.

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Holby City peaks on social media with “I’ll Walk You Home” episode

Holby City

Holby City fans said a fond farewell to favourite character Arthur Digby in their droves on Tuesday 7 June after the “I’ll Walk You Home” episode. #HolbyCity was the top trend on Twitter and during the episode there was a peak of 800 tweets per minute with most admitting to tears. The next morning ‘Holby City’ was trending on Facebook as fans flocked to social media to discuss the episode.

Looking at tweets around the #holbycity hashtag it was clear that the episode had moved its viewers and there was a huge amount of praise for the cast and producers of the show.

It was clear that many were watching the show on catch up in the hours and days after broadcast with many on social media admitting to sobbing on trains and in the gym as they watch. It provides a fascinating insight into how people are watching and how long the storyline has stayed in the audience’s minds.

Holby City‘s social media accounts saw a big uplift in follower numbers on Twitter and Facebook after their timely posts with extra online content posted as the show ended.

Follow @BBCHolbyCity on Twitter
Like  Holby City on Facebook

 


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Twitter delights – the Thames Brexit flotilla story as-it-happened

Brett flotilla 2016

Tayler CresswellIf you missed yesterday’s story of the Brexit camp’s flotilla sailing down the Thames with Bob Geldof in hot pursuit, never fear, it’s all saved for posterity in the Storify below.

I sat and watch the story unfold on Twitter as two journalists, Michael Deacon from The Telegraph and Marina Hyde from The Guardian, tweeted every hilarious moment. So much better than the fairly dry news stories that were shown on telly later.  This is why I love Twitter. It is brilliant at bringing you in-the-moment events. Particularly when they’re told by people who are great at telling stories.


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Open Mike Productions has a brand new website

Open Mike website

Today Liberty842 has launched Open Mike Productions’ brand new website showcasing their work.

Open Mike Productions have been in business for over 20 years and have created iconic TV and radio comedy shows which include Lead Balloon, Live at the Apollo, The Last Leg and Alan Carr: Chatty Man.

The website incorporates clips and images from many of their shows, links to their YouTube and social media accounts and their numerous DVD titles.

Liberty842 also manages Open Mike Productions’ social media accounts including The Last Leg, Alan Carr: Chatty Man and Open Mike’s  Twitter account.

You can follow @OpenMike_TV on Twitter.

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Instagram use overtakes Facebook in the UK – or does it?

Tayler CresswellI was interested – and surprised – to read on the Social Media Week blog that Instagram use had overtaken that of Facebook in the UK.

Casey Fleischmann writes on their blog: “According to new data from the Global Web Index, Instagram has taken over Facebook in the battle to be most used.”

So I skipped over to the post on The Global Web Index (GWI) website and found that it states nothing of the sort.

What it does say is that the percentage rise in active Instagram use in the UK has risen by 18%. Conversely, the percentage drop in active Facebook use in the UK is 7%. The GWI gives no data for total numbers of active UK Instagram or Facebook users on its blog, so unless Fleischmann has access to data that I can’t see, I don’t think they can be compared.

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Social media and live TV: The Last Leg’s #CleggLeg

Live TV presents a huge opportunity as well as a challenge for social media. Last week’s episode of The Last Leg featured Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg going head to head with Alex Brooker in an attempt to persuade him to vote.

With huge anticipation around the DPM’s appearance, Liberty842 ramped up the excitement posting photos and a video of Adam Hills and Josh Widdicombe from the dressing room at ITV Studios, reminding viewers to send in their questions and tag them with the #cleggleg hashtag. If we just look at Twitter, there were over 8,600 @TheLastLeg mentions on Friday, over 5,000 tweets tagged #cleggleg. That’s a lot to manage!

We had two people manning social media on the night, keeping an eye on sentiment and notable comments – many of the UK press were watching and commenting online as the show aired. The Last Leg incorporates Twitter into the show with its audience tweeting questions to us using the hashtag #isitok.

When it comes to live events, you need to be able to trust your social media manager. Whilst some content planning can be prepared in advance, there’s no time for every post to be signed off. Try that and you’ll miss the moment!

The person entrusted with your social accounts needs to understand your brand and your audience implicitly. They should be able to converse with your audience in-the-moment; to speak with authority and be knowledgable about your product, whether that’s a TV show, a bottle of rum or a historical novel.

Adam Hills and Josh Widdicombe in The Last Leg dressing room at London Studios