About Us

Richard Brockley

Creator of the We Are communities and co-owner of We are Social

Richard Brockley is the creator and founder of the We Are… Facebook communities, which were originally created in memory of a dear friend, with a simple aim — to keep their spirit alive while bringing people together.

What started as a personal tribute has grown into a thriving network of local communities, including We Are Yorkshire, We Are Wetherby, We Are Harrogate and We Are Leeds, connecting thousands of people and giving local businesses a unique way to reach their audiences.

Over more than 13 years, Richard has built extensive experience in creating, managing and engaging huge social media audiences. He has developed a strong understanding of what makes people stop scrolling, what gets them talking and, importantly, what makes them engage.

Running communities at this scale has also meant learning the ins and outs of Facebook and Instagram — from constantly changing algorithms and platform quirks to understanding what content gets reach and what gets buried. Richard knows the tricks of the trade and how to work with the platforms to give content the best possible chance of being seen.

The success of the We Are… communities has come from understanding people and creating spaces they genuinely want to be part of. That same experience is now being used to help local businesses create better, more engaging content — and get it in front of the right people.

13+ years of experience. Huge audiences. Thousands of posts. And a pretty good understanding of what works.

Chris Barty

Small business & marketing professional and co-owner of We are Social

For more than 35 years, Chris has been setting up, running, developing and supporting small businesses, helping them build their brands, find customers and make the most of the opportunities available to them.

During that time, Chris has worked across a wide range of industries, including IT and technology, multimedia, design and print, display, graphics and exhibitions, web and graphic design, ecommerce, marketing and social media.

Chris has built businesses from the ground up, developed brands, created websites and marketing campaigns, explored new ways of reaching customers and dealt with the day-to-day challenges that come with running a small business. He has also successfully built and sold several businesses along the way.

That experience means Chris understands what it’s actually like to run a small business — not just from a marketing perspective, but from the inside.

Sometimes a business needs someone to help work out what to say, where to say it and how to get people to notice. Sometimes it just needs an extra pair of hands to get a website, campaign or social media activity moving. And sometimes it needs someone with enough experience to step back, look at the bigger picture and identify what isn’t working — and what could work better.

Chris works with sole traders, partnerships and small businesses, providing practical marketing advice, hands-on support and creative ideas without the jargon or agency-speak.

From branding, websites and social media to content, campaigns, print and digital marketing, Chris can help businesses work out what they need, turn ideas into something tangible and, most importantly, make sure their marketing actually supports the business.

Whether you’re just starting out, looking to grow, launching something new or simply feel that your marketing needs a bit more direction, Chris can help.