Trending on Twitter – Why we are obsessed with random nonsense!

In recent times on Twitter we have been subjected to #capslockday and trending topics including:

#reason2haveguybestfriend (Because they will tell you that you are tweeting rubbish?)

#sorryimlatebut (I was busy tweeting about the weather?)

#summerplans (To get a life and stop tweeting about what I eat for breakfast?)

Now as a marketer, these types of post do not help me promote the serious benefits of Twitter to my clients. I have won business through someone tweeting their desire for a marketing agency and found a supplier when I needed one within minutes… but most of the time, #Idontunderstandwhy certain topics trend and what drives people to write the nonsense they do.

Is it any wonder that businesses are reticent about putting posts on Twitter.. people have been fired because of Tweets posted and companies have lost clients for inappropriate behaviour online.

To make sure you are not one of them, here is our Twitter checklist for success:

· Have a social media strategy. Monitor what your company are saying as a whole and if you want extra protection… make sure that you put a note on staff Twitter profiles stating they are their own views rather than that of the company.

· Think about what you want to get out of Twitter and what to post… there is no point talking about Justin Bieber or football if you sell soap, focus is key and keep posts relevant.

· Tweet other people … just posting tweets on your own profile will not get you the interaction you need. Actively follow people you want to interact with, see what interests them and build an online rapport.

· Use # Hashtags, RT and @ to gain maximum coverage for your tweets.

· Don’t post negative things about your clients… airing public laundry is not always the best way to resolve your issues and can lead to lawsuits, negativity and most of all can damage your reputation.

The benefits of Twitter when used properly still outweigh the bad points.. you can win new business, find suppliers and build your network but only if you know what you are doing.. .and don’t post things about your boss!

If you want to Tweet me your thoughts on today’s trending topics you can get me on Twitter @marian_at_whale / #getagriponwhatyoutweetpeople !

Brand Development

I was recently at an old stately home in Hampshire and in their kitchen were a variety of old branded food items from times gone by.

I couldn’t help but notice this one for Cadbury’s and see how the brand itself is still recognisable over 50 years on!

Any good brand should stand the test of time, being developed and refreshed to remain contemporary whilst remaining recognisable. If you think your brand could use a refresh.. give Marian a call on 0161 236 5395.

Another new client win for Whale!

Whale are proud to announce our new client, Broughton Park Football Club (Rugby Union)!

The club are the 5^th oldest rugby club in the country and we are looking forward to working with them over the coming months.

Whale is designing the match programmes for the current season as well as helping Broughton Park generate interest in their superb venue. With spectacular panoramic views over parkland & views of the Pennines, Broughton Park offers the ideal setting for Meetings, Seminars, Team Building, Exhibitions and Training or Sporting Events.

So if you are looking for the perfect venue for your Christmas party or corporate event… take a look at this link and get booked in:

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/broughtonpark/a/conferences-events-398.html

Why a good content management system is just as important as a good website design

When setting up a new website for your business there are a number of factors which need to be addressed, for example is the navigation easy to use, will users be able to find what they are looking for, does the design fit your branding and is all the relevant content present. These are key parts to consider regarding the front-end of your website. But one factor that can often be overlooked is what will the back-end of the website be like?

A good content management system (CMS) is just as important as the website design as this is the area where you can have constant control over your web content. Website content needs to be regularly updated to ensure that the site is current and also to help with SEO rankings.

With a good CMS controlling your website is easy to do. A good CMS does not necessarily mean the one with the most frills and trimmings it just means an efficient system where you can upload content and images easily and quickly and that each update is consistent with the chosen design.

One problem we have come across when dealing with clients with existing websites is that they have none or very limited CMS capability meaning that whenever they need to change any copy or images they have to contact their website developer to make the changes for them. This is not only time consuming and costly it is a very inefficient way to make changes as you have little control over how the changes look.

A CMS enables you to manage the content on your website to make sure it is up to date, relevant and useful to users.

Some important factors to consider when looking into a CMS system are:

· Can you change layout and size of content?

· Can you access content on all pages?

· Are you able to upload your own media such as images or videos?

· Can you add news stories or case studies? Can you add new pages into the existing navigation?

The complexity of the website will determine what addition capabilities you may require as part of your CMS. It is important that you discuss all these options with your designer/developer before you start to develop your website.

But don’t forget even though a good content management system can be easy to use it still means that any changes made should be thoroughly checked and controlled. Poor content is one of the first things to turn someone away from your site.