The Turner Ink blog contains rants, bloopers, observations and opinions. It also has handy tips on grammar and punctuation such as colons: semicolons; and full stops. As well as some very useful ‘how tos’. Feel free to leave comments. Be nice though.

Turner Ink

Copywriting Services London

Posts tagged 'facebook'

Can I trust you? Why we’re not believing our friends anymore

5th
May
by Sarah Turner

When you book a holiday, buy a gadget or download an album, chances are, if you’re anything like me, you read all the reviews on Amazon, TripAdvisor and iTunes before parting with your cash. Once, much to the annoyance of the boyf, I changed our hotel booking in Marrakech – just because Enid Williams in Basingstoke hadn’t thought much of the quality of the linens in my previous choice.

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……?


Tags: edelman, facebook, iPad, iTunes, Social media, trust survey, twitter
Posted in Social media | comments icon No comments yet »

It’s a Wide World out there: An interview with Miles Jepson of WideWorldMag

20th
Jan
by Sarah Turner

What do you get when you put four outdoor-loving sports-mad mates together? WideWorldMag.co.uk that’s what. A site dedicated to outdoor pursuits and adventures, and tipped by The Independent as ‘one to watch’ in 2010.

It does help that the four guys involved consist of two experienced journos; a marketing whiz; and a creative web designer. And it’s the designer behind WideWorld’s look, Miles Jepson, who I’m pleased to be talking with today.

Turner Ink: Hey Miles. Thanks for stopping by. How long has WideWorld been up and running now?
Miles Jepson: We went live with the first version of the site in May 2009. We’ve just launched the second version.

TI: So how did it come about and why?
MJ: I’ve known Alex Hannaford and Rob McNicoll for ages and I met Ed Chipperfield through Alex. We’re all keen outdoorsy types. So we finally decided to combine our skills and create a site for people like us, basically!

We thought about it for a year before we launched the site. And of course there were very little in the way of start-up costs as we’re working for free for the first year.

TI: Who’s the site aimed at?
MJ: Well anyone from 16-60 really. Or older. The site is not so much aimed at those obsessive weekly triathlon types. It’s for people who want something new or exciting to do at the weekends. So we cover running, hiking, sailing, skiing, travel, Nordic walking, pot holing, abseiling and outdoor adventures – to name just a few.

We want people to search for activities in their area. And they can do this by just tapping in their postcode. Some recent London trips included a ‘London Canal Safari’ and ‘Sewers of London’ trip.

TI: What are the features of the site then? What do you get if you join?
MJ: Registration is absolutely free. And then you have access to the WideWorld directory which is the biggest of its kind on the Web and includes 100s of activities. There are product reviews and competitions, which you’re automatically entered into. And you also have access to the archive of articles including the popular How to… series.

TI: Oh yes. I’ve read the How to run a marathon and How to survive in a jungle…just in case!
MJ: Those guides have been very popular. Plans for this year include producing the How to…guides as ebooks.

TI: So who’s in the WideWorld team?
MJ: Ed has written for Loaded, The Sunday Times and Men’s Health. Alex has written for The Guardian, The Independent and The Big Issue. Rob McNicoll is an online marketing consultant and then there’s me of course. I’ve worked on design projects for Sony, Microsoft and Reebok.

TI: So where are your contributors based?
MJ: All over the world. We have about 40 journalists and writers who regularly contribute. They review gear, interview sports stars, research travel features and get sent to cover various events. We sent someone to the Barbados Sailing Regatta last year. And we regularly feature explorers on adventures round the globe. Anyone can contribute, in fact. Just send an article to Alex or Ed in the first instance.

TI: The site got very popular very quickly. How did you market it?
MJ: Rob set up a Facebook fan page. And we use Twitter a lot, as well as email marketing. A lot of the site’s growth has been by word of mouth.

TI: So what are the plans for year 2?
MJ: Year 1 was a soft launch really. It was about making sure the site was working really well, and building up our subscribers. We now have 5000 unique visitors a month and 25,000 page views.

In Year 2 we’re pushing the marketing up a notch. We’re going to create customised blogs; we’ve got a couple of contributors who will be on expeditions this year, so you’ll be able to follow their highs and lows via their blog. We’re creating a series of ebooks as I previously mentioned. And we’re just in the process of creating an iPhone app.

Miles JepsonTI: So how about the design? What was the thinking behind that?
MJ: I wanted to move away from that loud trashy skater boy look. I wanted a design that was clean and white and appealed to as wide an audience as possible. It’s similar to an online newspaper format and it’s very easy to navigate.

TI: And finally. When free stuff comes into the office, for you guys to review, who gets it? (Hint hint!)
MJ: Hardly ever me! I’ve managed to grab the odd pair of trainers. Oh and I got a pair of goggles once!

TI: Thanks Miles. Visit the WideWorldMag website. And follow them on Twitter.


Tags: facebook, marketing strategy, twitter
Posted in Interviews with cool people | comments icon No comments yet »

Don’t love ya no more: how ‘unfriend’ became word of the year

25th
Nov
by Sarah Turner

Want to know what this year’s best word is? Tweep? Obamamania? Jedward? Nah. It’s ‘unfriend’. Blimey. How brutal.

Last week, The New Oxford American Dictionary chose ‘unfriend’ – a verb meaning to remove someone as a friend on a social networking site like Facebook – as its word of the year. And what linguistic luminaries did it beat? How about ‘sexting’, ‘deleb’, and ‘funemployed’.

Facebook screenshot

So how has ‘unfriend’ made it into the dictionary? Each year, researchers at The Oxford Dictionary track changes in the English language, and choose their word of the year “to reflect the ethos of the year and its lasting potential as a word of cultural significance and use.” Ok-ay. According to Christine Lindberg, senior lexicographer for Oxford’s US dictionary programme, ‘unfriend’ has “both currency and potential longevity”. Well I guess all the time we have friends there will be opportunities to ‘unfriend’ them.

What other words were on the hot list? The economy, politics and current affairs all featured heavily. As did technology, which is a constant source of new words and phrases.

‘Sexting’, sending sexually explicit text messages made it on to the list. Nice. As did ‘intexticated’, driving under the influence of texting. Possibly while ‘sexting’?

‘Funemployed’, people taking advantage of their unemployed status to have fun or a career break was there. As was ‘zombie bank’, a financial institution still operating even though its liabilities are greater than its assets. Oh dear.

Novelty words which made the shortlist were ‘deleb’, meaning a dead celebrity. And ‘tramp stamp’, referring to a tattoo on a woman’s lower back. Classy.

So back to ‘unfriend’. There seems to be some discussion on the blogosphere that the term is actually ‘defriend’. Facebook spokeswoman Meredith Chin said that, both internally and on the site, Facebook uses several terms for the act of removing a friend. She added that the site managers are now considering making ‘unfriend’ the official term.

“Overall, we’re thrilled that the idea of people connecting, or even unconnecting, with each other on sites like Facebook has officially become part of the lexicon,” she said.

Hmmmm. ‘Unconnecting’? Surely, a contestant for 2010.


Tags: facebook, unfriend
Posted in Word stuff | comments icon 1 Comment »

Online PR: what’s it all about? An interview with Jonny Stark of immediate future

19th
Nov
by Sarah Turner

For this month’s interview I’ve managed to pin down the ridiculously busy Jonny Stark, an Account Director from online PR agency immediate future, to talk about online PR, using Social Media and, of course, Twitter.
 

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 Starck, immediate futureJonny 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.

 

 

 


Tags: facebook, press releases, public relations, seo writing, twitter, youtube
Posted in Interviews with cool people, Press Release writing and PR, Social media | comments icon No comments yet »

Putting the ‘oh’ into SEO: An interview with Rob Dobson of SEM London

9th
Oct
by Sarah Turner

This month’s interview is with colleague and SEO consultant Rob Dobson of SEM London. Over a pot of hummus and some carrot sticks (true!) we chatted about a number of things including, why blogging is so great for SEO, the future of SEO, and why Rob still hasn’t got any content on his website!

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, SEM LondonRob 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.


Tags: facebook, linkedin, seo company, seo writing, Social media, twitter
Posted in Interviews with cool people, Social media, Website & SEO copywriting | comments icon No comments yet »

1 2   next page »
 

Definition of a blog: A blog or web blog is a website usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. (Wikipedia.com)