Three reasons why you should not have a social media manager

We prefer the real thing to a fake…! At lunchtime today the weekly spectacle of verbal jousting takes place at Prime Minister’s Questions. David Cameron will square up to the new Labour Party Leader, Ed Miliband. Who’s your money on to make the first joke, or get the deepest dig? …

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Write every day if you want to succeed online

Agony Aunt Claire Rayner passed away yesterday marking the end of an era. I met Claire several times and worked with her on a number of occasions. I remember her warmth, her sense of fun and the encouragement and support she gave to young writers. I asked her once what …

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Forget money to become richer online

Simon Cowell – does he worry about money?Picture courtesy: Wiki Edit Jonny There are two things we know about X-Factor judge Simon Cowell for sure: one is he is very rich, two, he knows loads of people in the entertainment industry. From a business perspective it is interesting to think …

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People want you to give them something for nothing

David Cameron signalled the end of the “something for nothing” culture when he spoke at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham today. He said that the days are gone when the state would support you if you could work, but decided not to. This is manna to the Tory faithful …

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Retailers show their ostrich tendencies

Gordon Brown has gone quiet on us, hasn’t he. One speech recently, but other than that, out the back he went. It’s almost as if he pretends we’re not here, we’ll go away. Indeed, while he was our unelected Prime Minister, he seemed to behave as though ignoring the financial …

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You cannot please everyone online

Will Mrs Clinton rescue David Miliband?Picture Courtesy: US Department of State. The Miliband Brothers – it sounds more like a vaudeville song and dance act than a couple of politicians. But they both appear beset with the same fundamental problem – trying to please all of the people, all of …

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Paper-based blogging system yields results

OK – here’s a quick quiz. Question 1: What is the fastest way to contact someone? Did you say email? Or Twitter? Or an SMS text message? If you came up with some digital method – it’s the WRONG answer. The fastest way to contact someone is…wait for it….the telephone. …

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Do not remind customers how useful your products are

David Miliband keeps reminding us that his brother Ed, is really a great leader. The former Foreign Secretary doth protest too much, methinks. When we have to be reminded of things, when politicians keep telling us they don’t mind losing an election or when some hapless no-hoper from The X-Factor …

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Twitter expert reveals dramatic change for future of business

Twitter Expert, Mark ShawPicture courtesy: www.markshaw.biz Mark Shaw is the UK’s leading expert on Twitter who has started to publish a “Hall of Shame” of companies who use Twitter badly. Many firms set up a Twitter account and then do nothing, leaving their brand to attract dust. Or they set …

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Your customers will not remember what they choose

City spivs might not choose to vote Liberal Democrat again after being attacked by Business Secretary, Vince Cable, today. They might choose to vote for another political party in the future. On the other hand, though, they might forget all about this little spat and support the coalition party once …

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How to put a calming influence on your website visitors

Hypnotherapists often ask you to imagine you are laying down somewhere peaceful; perhaps you are on a deserted beach in the afternoon sunshine where all you can hear is the sound of the water gently lapping the sand as you feel the warmth of the summer on your skin. Your …

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10 ways to deepen your relationships using Twitter

The Pope is in Britain amid controversy over past misdemeanours by Catholic Priests and comments by one his aides on the “atheism” of Britain. It’s almost 30 years since a Papal visit and no-doubt part of the reason for this trip is to repair the damage done by abuse scandals, …

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Messy websites are increasingly common

Content is king, or say the saying goes. The problem is that the king can sometimes be rather maddening, something like King George. Website content grows, spread and almost appears to have its own life. How much of your website content do you actually keep track of? How many of …

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Personalised web spaces are the key to success

The “Fat Cats” are back it seems; the latest figures on the FTSE100 shows that the bonus culture never really went away. Many bosses are paying themselves handsome salaries, even though some of their colleagues in the top firms are showing some restraint. They may need to, because today sees …

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