Member Article

New website and social media apprentice give Cestria the digital edge

A North East housing association is hoping to connect more effectively with the public online after launching a brand new website.

Cestria Community Housing has also taken on a new Social Media and Digital Marketing apprentice to help it reach out to people through sites such Facebook and Twitter.

The move is part of Cestria’s aim to support local residents to get online and to engage with younger and future customers who have grown up in the digital age.

ICT Projects Officer Paul Bainbridge said: “Our existing website hadn’t changed much since Cestria was first set up in 2008 and looked and felt out of date.

“We wanted a platform that was interactive and engaging, with the right information in the right places.

“Combined with the work our new apprentice will be doing to reach out to people through social media channels we are really excited about the possibilities for communicating with our customers and other local people in future.”

Cestria has always been at the forefront of digital communication developments.

In 2012 it became one of the first housing associations to launch its own mobile phone app and in 2013 set up its innovative Online Owls project, which has helped hundreds of local people learn how to use computers and the internet.

The new website, www.cestria.org, is mobile responsive, meaning users can access it from mobile phones and tablets as well as computers.

The site was designed in consultation with Cestria’s tenant communication group and is interactive, with users able to add events to an online calendar, chat live to customer services staff, pay rent and report repairs and anti-social behaviour.

The new site will be complimented by the appointment of 18-year-old Harrison Purvis, Cestria’s new social media apprentice.

He will be working to make Cestria’s social media channels more user-friendly with the aim of increasing the association’s online audience and connecting with other local organisations and community groups.

Harrison will be interacting with different teams within Cestria to ensure all news and information is shared and will also be looking at establishing a presence for Cestria on other social media sites such as Pinterest and Instagram.

Harrison said: “This is my first job and I’m really excited to get started. I’ve always been interested in IT and use social media myself on a daily basis.

“Using it for a business and looking at how it could be used to reach customers and promote Cestria’s work is a new experience but one I’m looking forward to – there is so much potential to explore.”

Paul Bainbridge added: “Digital marketing is a growing area and by taking on Harrison, Cestria is responding to this need.

“He is bringing a fresh new approach to social media and we think this is an area which is going to be really important for us in the future when it comes to connecting with our customers and the general public.”

Anyone interested in finding out more can find Cestria on Facebook by searching Cestria Community Housing or follow Cestria on Twitter @cestriahousing

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kelly Elliott .