A SOCIAL media campaign was starting Friday (July 14) to promote businesses in Watchet following fears of a slump in visitors after the closure of the B3191 road.

The B3191 was closed indefinitely by Somerset Council in January after surveys showed there was a risk of further cliff erosion undermining it.

Watchet Town Council helped to set up a task force to support affected businesses in the town which received £30,000 from the unitary council to spend on initiatives to boost visitor numbers, including through positive marketing, local events, improved signage, and longer term plans for regeneration and recovery.

Now, the town council has given £2,000 and chamber of trade WACET a further £500 to kick-start a social media and marketing campaign.

It will initially target four areas, food and drink, history, local business, and experiences. 

The campaign hopes to secure £12,000 from the task force to run for a year and employ a part-time freelance social media and marketing person who is also a professional photographer and graphic designer, with management oversight by Jen Jukes, of Perfectly Lovely Interiors, working with town’s visitor centre manager Fiona Payne.

Ms Jukes said: “This is a very exciting project for Watchet, we have so much to offer here in our town and it will be wonderful to show it off to the world.”

She said a photo shoot and video session would start the campaign on July 14 and appealed for anybody to get in touch who knew of something which should be promoted.

Cllr Peter Murphy, who is one of the two town council representatives on the task force, said: “We are grateful to Somerset Council for recognising the problems caused by the closure of the road by the award of the £30,000 grant.

“The task force has drawn up proposals to spend on a social media campaign to promote the town to promote new events in the town in the shoulder months and winter to encourage visitors and also an urban design piece of work with a view to making the town more pedestrian friendly.

“The initial work beginning this week is part of a larger programme which is still to be finally signed off by Somerset Council.”