Indeed.

It’s not cool to swear though, right? Or is it? Once frowned upon as showing lack of intelligence it now seems perfectly acceptable to cuss.

Stephen Fry, the cunning linguist says of swearing “the sort of twee person who thinks swearing is in any way a sign of a lack of education or of a lack of verbal interest is a f***ing lunatic.”

In an article in Stylist magazine last week they wrote that swearing had been scientifically proven to “ease pain, increase productivity and bond us at work”. F***ing hell. That’s impressive.

I remember the Sex Pistols back in the 70s (look it up kids) going on an expletive rampage when interviewed on TV. There was shock and outrage and parents ran to cover their children’s ears.

And yet turn on your TV these days and you’ll hear the likes of Gordon Ramsay turning the air blue whilst making an awfully nice lobster salad. Gordy’s show is even called The F Word.

So yelling a cuss word because you’ve got a parking ticket, broken your leg, or because you’re under stress at work all seem acceptable.

But how about writing swearwords? Is it OK to write f*ck, sh*t or b*llocks in your article, blog or tweet?

We try and get around it, of course, by substituting an asterisk for one or some of the letters as if this will protect the innocent or at least blame the reader for having a dirty mind. “Oh you saw sh*t and read it as shit did you? That’s your fault then. What I meant was shut.”

And then we end up with the sort of nonsense you get in the Sunday papers where you’re left wondering what the swearwords actually are. “Racquel, the 22 year old escort accused the premiership footballer of having a small p**** being s***** and a b***** a******. “

The Guardian regularly uses sh*t (sans asterisk) and even had f*ck on the front page recently. (Just for the record they’re using b*stard less whilst w*anker has remained stable.)

Cursebird monitors swearing on Twitter in a real time feed. And there’s loads of it. At the time of writing f*ck and sh*t are leading the way closely followed by b*tch and p*ss. Nice.

The talented @naomidunford over at Ittybiz doesn’t give a sh*t about swearwords and is famous for effing and blinding her way through her blog posts. It hasn’t bothered her readers and she’s got a huge following.

But I’m not so sure it’s for everybody. I once wrote that you shouldn’t say anything on Twitter that you wouldn’t say to your mum. And I think that includes swearwords. Yeah, the asterisk thing is a bit of a cop out I know. But it does acknowledge that you’ve given some thought to other people’s feelings.

What do you think? Should we refrain from cussing online? Or is it all a load of Anglo Saxon b*llocks?

Let us know in the comments.

F***ing hell. Is it ok to swear now? is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog

Social Media Lens was launched at the Marketing Week Live Show this week. Download your free copy here.

We all know about the benefits of using social media.

Take Twitter for instance. Get it right and you can build your brand, improve your reputation, drive traffic, get new customers and grow your business.

But get it wrong and you can easily make yourself look like a…twit.

So what does it take to be successful on Twitter?

Have high standards
Make sure that every tweet is useful, interesting or at least mildly amusing. In fact, you should see everything you write as an opportunity to inform, engage and influence.

So prepare a list of topics that relate to your business or industry and only tweet or retweet about these core subjects. And be strict about this. Don’t wander off and start tweeting about the weather. People are busy. They haven’t got time for drivel. So don’t tweet about what you had for breakfast; the contestants on America’s Got Talent; or how cute and funny your cat is. Never, ever tweet about your cat.

Be nice
Seriously. Be nice. And open, honest, and friendly. Let’s throw generous into the mix as well.

When you retweet other people’s stuff, include a few of your own words at the beginning of the tweet: A must read, Good stuff, Funny, Disagree, Well written, Great post. You’ll find that people will retweet your stuff in return. Remember to thank them.

Answer questions. Be helpful. Do this and people will follow you, trust you and recommend you.

Oh and don’t hide behind a company logo or an abstract image. People want to see who they’re talking to. Use a real picture of yourself. Preferably one that doesn’t make you look like a second hand car salesman or a bunny boiler.

Don’t be a smartarse
Or a clever-clogs or a show-off. No-one likes a show-off. People don’t care about what clients you have or what projects you’re working on or how busy you are. Really, they don’t. Waffle on about great you are and it’s the quickest to get unfollowed.

And don’t cuss. In fact, don’t say anything you’d be embarrassed to say in front of your mother. Unless, of course, your mother is a 15 stone trucker with a fondness for Hell’s Angels tattoos.

Remember anyone, anywhere can read your public tweets at anytime. Once they’re out there, they’re out there for ever. So criticising a client is not smart. Neither is moaning about your boss or complaining about a co-worker. Only tweet something you’d be happy to say to someone’s face.

Social media isn’t rocket surgery. But it is social. Which means you’re going to have to interact with real people. So think about what you want to share, be nice about it and don’t be a smarty-pants.

How to avoid screwing up in 140 characters is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog

Although I didn’t give too much thought as to why I was using Twitter and what I wanted to get out of it, I did think about what I was going to tweet.

I decided that all public tweets had to be related to what I’m involved in: Advertising, Marketing, Social Media, Design, Copywriting, SEO, Word Stuff, Grammar and Punctuation. Any post or article I found online that was interesting, useful or amusing I would share. Any tweet that was interesting, useful or amusing I would retweet. And I would always be friendly, sometimes funny, and occasionally insightful.

Oh yeah. And I wouldn’t tweet about what I ate for breakfast (who cares), what I was working on (who cares), or whether or not I was tired (who cares).

I started off by following just a few people. Mainly the big names whose blogs I read anyway. But pretty quickly I got a few followers. And I followed some of them back. And it sort of grew and grew. In the last year my Twitter friends have kept me up-to-date, informed, entertained and amused. Twitter has got me new clients, an interview for a book and various guest posts. It has enabled me to email some of the top industry bods with a question because, hey, we already have a relationship via Twitter. (And every single one of them has come back to me.)

And I’ve really enjoyed the amazing support, advice and luuuurve of my fellow copywriters. (Which if you’re a freelancer working on your ownsome is invaluable.)

But as time went on and ‘the people I know on Twitter’ became ‘friends I have on Twitter’ I felt the need to know more about the people behind the avatar.

So a few weeks ago I announced my quest: to call everyone I follow on Twitter and have a chat.

I’m starting off with all the UK copywriters and writers because I figure they’re going to be pretty cool. Then the overseas copywriters (via Skype, I guess.) Then the SEOers. Then the designers.

Luckily I don’t follow Paris Hilton or Ashton Kutcher. But I do follow No. 10, Arsenal Football Club and The Guardian, who I’m thinking may be fairly tricky to get hold of. And some of those A-list bloggers are going to be hard to pin down, if for no other reason than they’re always flitting all over the world attending conferences.

But so far so good. All the copywriters I’ve spoken to in the last few weeks have been fabulous, and happy to share a top tip or some words of wisdom. I’ll gather these together for a future blog post.

How long will it take? No idea. I only follow about 250 people, so under a year if I call one person a day (which I probably won’t). But I think it will be kind of fun.

So if your ‘phone rings in the next 5 minutes  – it could well be me.

Hey, how ya doin’? Why I’m calling everyone I follow on Twitter is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog

‘We did an infographic similar to that last month’ they told me.

Here it is. Take a look. It’s brilliant and way cooler than mine. I might have to give up ‘designing’ for good. Just click on it to enlarge it.

Copyright Datadial

SEO FAQs (Infographic) is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog

Do you agree? Is there anything else that needs including? Let us know in the comments.

The relationship between SEM, Online PR and SMM is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog

There was a time, where we took every review at face value. After all, why would Quickmix Boxer Boy bother to log in to iTunes to tell us how brilliant  Lady Gaga’s latest album was if he didn’t really think that? And yet. And yet…

The latest annual Trust Survey from Edelman’s has revealed that our trust in the information we’re reading online has reduced dramatically. In 2008 45% of us trusted the views of our friends and peers online. In 2009 that figure was just 25%.

So what’s happened?

Have big brands infiltrated the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to such an extent that we no longer trust what we’re reading?

Jennifer Leggio of ZDNet thinks so.

“Social networking used to be innocent, peer to peer conversation and now it’s turned into a marketing playground in which almost everything — blog space, tweets and, in some cases, opinion — is for sale.”

It seems that Tweets, blogs posts and comments are all up for grabs. Remember Paris Hilton’s “I love The Coffee Bean – The Frozen Chocolate Drink is Amazing. If you haven’t tried one before I deinitely [sic] reccomend [sic] it. :) x0x0 Paris”. Yeah, right. With all those calories? 

But if we’re starting to mistrust what we’re reading online, how else are the big brands going to reach us?

Last month the Sunday Times Magazine reported how brands and their ad agencies are now hiring actors for ‘brand experience solutions.’

The magazine interviewed David Chambers, a guy who had worked for an unnamed web search engine. He and a group of colleagues had infiltrated the studio audience of The Wright Stuff, a day time show on Channel 5 here in the UK, which relies heavily on audience participation. Chambers reveals “we were there to plant subliminal messages. It was all about inserting the key phrase, about freeing the information into the conversations.”

“The same day we did dozens of radio phone-ins, calling up and pretending to be different characters and just getting the phrase in”.

According to the Sunday Times, brands are increasingly targeting our conversations. One agency director revealed “it has all become a lot more under the radar. Sleight of hand, smoke and mirrors. Consumers will sometimes never know they’re being influenced by a brand.”

What does the future hold? Who can we trust?

Only last week we saw a release of the film The Joneses starring David Duchovny and Demi Moore. They’re a perfect couple with beautiful teenagers, a suburban McMansion, expensive designer clothes, smart looking cars and all the latest gadgets. And of course, they’re happy to recommend these products to their friends, family and colleagues.

But this is no ordinary family. They’re slick marketers employed by brands to sell their products.

Of course this is just a movie. But how long will it be before we see this for real?

So when that lovely family move in next door with their flash Audi A8, 3G iPads and Jimmy Choos*, don’t be jealous. It could be that they’re just being sponsored. Now, doesn’t that make you feel better?

*I have not been given any reward for mentioning these products. Or have I……?

Can I trust you? Why we’re not believing our friends anymore is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog

But if you’re a freelancer or you run your own company, it’s easy to put your own blog on the back burner while you get your real work done. Especially if you’ve run out of ideas about what to write.   

But stick with it. Because your blog is one of the easiest, quickest and cheapest ways of getting freshly baked content on to your site – and Google loves fresh content; it’s a great way of getting traffic to your site; and it’s the perfect way to build relationships with your customers and attract new clients.

But what to write about? Try some of these ideas for inspiration.

• Interview someone in your industry or someone you’re inspired by
• Ask a question
• Review a product and show how you use it in your business
• Tell a personal story and let people know the real you
• Review a book
• Write about something that affects your industry
• Read the Sunday papers for inspiration (I especially like the Sunday Times magazine)
• Write a response to something someone else has posted, giving your point of view (and link to the original post)
• Review a piece of software and show how it’s helped your business
• Take photos on your camera phone, whilst you’re out and about, and use in a post
• Write a post on something that’s in the news today (look at the BBC website first thing or see what’s trending on Twitter)
• Use a band or a movie as inspiration. The Sex and the City post over at Copyblogger was one of my favourites, like, ev-ah.
• Do a survey – and then publish the results
• Write about how you screwed up or how you learned a lesson
• Write a How to blog post…

And if you have a flash of inspiration for a post, leave yourself a voice memo on your iPhone or write a note in Evernote.

Any more ideas? Share in the comments.

How to write a blog post…when you’ve run out of ideas is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog

“Oh, I don’t use Twitter, it’s a complete waste of time.”
“Yes, Sarah, but have you got any work from it?”
“I’m glad you’ve got the time to muck around all day.”
“No, I’m far too busy for that.”
“What’s Twitter then?”

And it got me thinking: what do I use Twitter for? And why do I love it so much? In no particular order, I use Twitter for:

Keeping me up-to-date with the world of blogging, Social Media marketing and SEO by following the likes of @mashable, @copyblogger, @problogger, @mattuk and @seoptimise.

Giving me direct access to top SEO copywriting bods such as @nickusborne, @karonthackston and @andymaslen.

Chatting to fellow UK copywriters who provide an amazing and supportive network. People like @nosloppycopy, @jamiehudson, @Mr603, @tomcopy, @firstforcopy, @goodcopybadcopy, and @benlocker (to name just a few).

Brightening my day by following the likes of @shitmydadsays and @jimmycarr. Hilarious.

Following all the latest footie news via @arsenalchat and @arsenaldotcom.

Being inspired by the likes of @zenhabits.

Getting the low-down on local Laaaan-daan stuff via @LDN.

Keeping in the digital loop by following @guardiantech and @BBCClick.

Building stronger relationships with clients. Too many to mention.

Driving traffic to the Turner Ink website and blog.

Meeting potential clients. Yep, Twitter has got me a number of projects.

And the whoopee-do thing is that this is all in one place. I don’t need to check my RSS feeds, look in my inbox, or browse heaps of websites. I just click on Tweetdeck three times a day (ok, maybe 6 or7) and everything I want and need is in one place.

What’s not to love?

What do you use Twitter for? Share in the comments.

What’s the point of Twitter? is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog

Turner Ink: Hey Jonny, thanks for stopping by. Ok, tell us a bit about online PR. How does it differ from traditional PR?

Jonny Stark: People get hung up about the differences between online PR and traditional PR. But at their core they’re very much the same: it’s all about relationships. In the old world those relationships are with journalists and analysts. In the new world those relationships are with Facebook users, Tweeps, and bloggers – those with influence.

TI: So how do online press releases differ from offline press releases?
JS: The important thing with any press release is that it tells an interesting story. And that goes across the board, whether it’s online or offline.

The main difference is the issue of search engine optimisation (SEO). A press release for online use will be optimised for keywords or keyphrases appropriate for the campaign. We want anybody searching online for our clients’ products or services to be able to find relevant, positive articles as easily as possible. And you can embed video and images too, which bring the story to life.

TI: So that’s what’s often referred to as SEO PR?
JS: It’s one part of SEO PR: any news releases, blog content, or articles will be optimised with keywords. The other is the proactive influencer relations that go along with it!

TI: So is the aim to drive more traffic to a client’s website?
JS: The aim is to have the first few pages of Google full of positive, relevant articles, reviews or comments about our clients’ products of services. These include not only the press releases and official articles, but also features and posts written by third party influencers because they are interested in what we have to share or say. That can result in increased traffic, but it’s really about building a brand’s reputation…

TI: And how measurable is online PR?
JS: Well, there’s a lot of talk about this. It is measurable of course. There are tools like Google Analytics which measure the increased traffic to your site and the source of the traffic. But that’s only useful if increasing traffic was the aim of the campaign. If it’s about improving brand perception then it becomes a question of sentiment. There are various bits of software that claim to measure sentiment. But the best way is still to use real people! So we take a snapshot of a client’s online reputation at the beginning of a campaign and then we monitor it throughout. There is a ream of data available. The trick is knowing what data to choose and how to analyse it properly.

TI: How is Social Media used in online PR?
JS: Social Media is all about networks. Multiple communication channels which are all interlinked. And we simply use whatever’s the right medium for getting our message across to the right people. So it may mean focusing on blogs, YouTube videos, Twitter or Flickr. But the great thing is, as they are all networked, your campaigns spread out and kickstart conversations all over the place! Interaction is crucial. It’s what makes Social Media so powerful.

TI: Ok, talking of Twitter. How are your clients using it?
JS: BMI Baby, Sony and Total Jobs Group are just some of our clients that are using Twitter. And they’re using it in different ways which are right for their brands. For instance, BMI Baby uses it to let their customers know about the latest deals. While Sony uses it for targeting key media and technology influencers in Europe.

TI: So how involved are you with the tweets? Do you write them?
JS: No we don’t. We encourage our clients to write their own tweets. But we will advise them on relevant trending topics. And we monitor mentions and retweets using tools like TweetBeep.

TI: So why do you encourage clients to write their own tweets?
JS: Well, the whole point about Social Media is that it’s a way to be authentic and transparent with your customers. So whether that’s a Facebook page, Twitter, or blogging, it’s a way of adding a human element to the brand. For me, it’s about enabling a company to reveal itself and build a rapport with its customers. If a PR company writes tweets and blog posts then you lose that authenticity.

TI: How are brands getting onboard with Twitter?
JS: Some are using Twitter very well. Others are not as successful. There are numerous examples where a Twitter account has been set up but there have been no tweets for 6 months. This is actually brand damaging. You’re better off with nothing at all. I think a lot of companies underestimate the time that’s needed to manage their Social Media activity.

With Twitter no one size fits all. It’s really important a company has a clear idea of who they’re trying to reach – whether that’s industry people or customers – before they start using Social Media, and not the other way round. You can read more about brands using Twitter in immediate future’s white paper.

TI: What sort of clients does immediate future work with?
JS: When we started out, we were a traditional B2B PR agency. But in the last few years we’ve become well known for our online PR work for big brands such as Sony Europe, Bailey’s, BMI Baby, Hotel Chocolat and the BBC.

TI: So do you work alongside traditional PR companies? Or instead of?
JS: Some of our clients only run online PR campaigns. But most will do both. So we’ll often work alongside a traditional PR agency or we’ll do the offline PR as well.

TI: How will online PR develop in the next few years?
JS: I think that the digital discipline as a whole will change. Digital teams from CRM, marcomms and PR are beginning to converge already; in my opinion the future will see a full merger.

TI: And how do you see Social Media changing or developing in the next few years?
JS: Well, with regards to Social Media, it’s all about upcoming technological advances – semantic web; faster access including anytime, anywhere access; increased web personalisation etc. and the impact that they will have on our behaviour.

TI: And finally, how did you get into online PR Jonny? Do you come from a traditional PR background?
JS: Well I started out at the London School of Journalism, before getting in to freelance publishing and working for a number of traditional PR agencies. But with online PR the core skills are the same – being able to spot a story, building relationships… I think the best online PRs come from a traditional PR background, although I would say that!

TI: Thanks Jonny for your time. 

Jonny Stark, Account Director at immediate future, has worked across a number of on (and off) line campaigns for a wide variety of immediate future’s clients. From conversations about Hotel Chocolat’s luxurious chocolate treats, to talking about the new must-have TV from Sony, he has gained valuable experience as a digital implementer, not just a digital theorist.

As a result, he has seen firsthand what works and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t.

Online PR: what’s it all about? An interview with Jonny Stark of immediate future is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog

Turner Ink: Ok Rob. Tell us a bit about what you do. You do more than keyword research don’t you?
SEM London: Well what I do is market a company on the internet. I increase a company’s internet presence. So that includes detailed keyword research, website optimisation and inbound linking. And then of course there’s PPC campaigns, integrating blogs into websites, and helping clients set up their Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. So yes. It’s a bit more than keyword research.

TI: How has your work changed from a couple of years ago?
SEM: Well, I guess the use of social media has been the biggest change. Potential customers now expect companies to engage with them on different levels whether that’s blogging, Facebook, Twitter or other social media opportunities.

TI: What’s involved in the SEO process? Where do we start?
SEM: Of course keyword research starts the whole process off and is the most important thing to get right. Keyword research not only tells you what key phrases to target in your content but it can even dictate what web address you choose for your site.

TI: I wrote a post a while back about dodgy SEO ‘experts’. How do you differentiate yourself?
SEM: Well, when I’ve been approached by clients that have worked with other SEOs, the thing they have in common is the lack of proper keyword research. Without detailed keyword research it’s just a bunch of guesswork.

And I don’t bamboozle clients with loads and loads of reports that they won’t read. I’d much rather show clients how to use Google Analytics and analyse other metrics, so they can get a real feel for their visitors, customers and potential customers.

To be honest, I just don’t know how some of these SEO ‘experts’ justify £500 a month and then just chuck a fat monthly report at their clients. So many clients come to me having spent a few thousand pounds – and they’re not really sure what on! If a monthly fee is how you wish to charge then it should be clear exactly what you’re getting for that fee each month.

TI: There still seems to be a lot of smoke and mirrors around SEO. Why is that?
SEM: Well there shouldn’t be. It’s true that search engines like Google keep the algorithms – the criteria they use to rank your site – a secret, and, of course, they often change this.

But SEOs should be transparent. You should say what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it and the sort of results you’d expect to see.

TI: Is blogging important for SEO?
SEM: Definitely. If a search engine doesn’t see your site evolving with fresh content or increased backlinks then, rightly so, it decides your site should be given less weight over time. That’s why SEO and website content is an ongoing thing. A blog is a brilliant way to get new content quickly and easily on to your site. A website should never be ‘finished’!

TI: Do you make any promises about getting a client on to page 1 of Google?
SEM: No never. Because you can’t promise something that isn’t entirely under your control. Organic search results cannot be bought. But with proven techniques your chances are greatly enhanced. So when a company starts an SEO campaign they should realise that it needs its own annual spend and it’s an ongoing process. For large organisations this may even require a new role to be created. Website, Search and Social Media Liaison Manager would be a good title!

TI: Tell us a bit more about link campaigns. Why are incoming links so important for the Search Engines?
SEM: An inbound link is a vote of confidence. A vote from Site A to Site B is saying that Site B is worth checking out. But the quality of links is essential. A hundred links from non related or irrelevant sites is less valuable than five from well renowned and trusted sites.

So a link campaign consists of researching linking opportunities. On a basic level this can be links on free business directories or something like Best of the Web Blogs as well as paid-for directories. On a higher level there are things like article marketing.

TI: What’s around the corner for SEO?
SEM: SEO is still very much in its infancy. So I expect demand to increase and the job of SEO to become harder. Much of the real change will depend on the direction the search engines take. Improvements in localised search and possible changes within paid search will provide new opportunities.

TI: What does an SEO project cost?
SEM: Basic keyword research and website optimisation can start in the region of £1.5k.This will get you started on the road of an SEO strategy. Unfortunately marketing yourself online is an ongoing process and an annual budget should be allocated to it. A beneficial initial strategy may cost up to £5k.

TI: So tell us a bit about your background Rob. What did you do before you became an SEO bod?
SEM: In 1995 I was running a small company’s computer network and maintaining their website. I taught myself HTML and how websites should be built. I even did a few myself although I was never much of designer! I got into SEO back in 2003 as I felt the content and the ‘findability’ of the site was more important than all the design bells and whistles that were going on at the time.

The internet taught me about the internet. And I am constantly learning about this evolving industry.

TI: So what’s happening with your website Rob? When are you actually going to get some content on there?
SEM: I know, I know! I first need to find myself a good SEO copywriter. Ha ha! Time constraints and my clients’ success have meant I’ve been unable to practise what I preach. I guess in a way I’m lucky that I haven’t had time to get my own site – SEM London – sorted. But I will do soon. I promise.

TI: And finally, how can people get hold of you Rob?
SEM: Well I have managed to complete a LinkedIn page!

Rob Dobson is a freelance SEO Consultant. He works with clients directly or via design and development agencies. He has worked for South West Trains, PayPoint, MTV, SITA, and Sanderson as well as many SMEs.

Putting the ‘oh’ into SEO: An interview with Rob Dobson of SEM London is a post from the Turner Ink Copywriting Blog