Searchopt

Search will not really answer your questions

Finding out what Chancellor George Osborne says today in the Comprehensive Spending Review is easy – you can listen to it word by word on BBC Radio Five Live. Alternatively, you can log on to the Government’s own live streaming service, Parliament Live TV. Not only that, Sky, BBC News …

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Chilerocks

Social networks need to be even more social

The President of Chile, Sebastian Piñera, arrived in London yesterday with a bag of rocks as a present for the Queen. Of course, those rocks were from the depths of the mine in San Jose where 33 men had been trapped for 70 days. The rocks are a symbol of …

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Storefails

You need the online competition to fail

We learn more from the mistakes of our competitors than their successes Liverpool football fans are gob-smacked, no doubt, by the latest goings-on in the trans-Atlantic tussle for the club they love. In years to come, it will probably be a case study on MBA courses across the globe. But …

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Business bosses fail to grasp social media

Don’t tell your boss at work, but almost certainly he or she is living in the past, unable to grasp the modern world. They want it to be “like it used to be” and mutter things like “it was never like this in my day”. They thump their fist on …

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Tussaud

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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Cowell

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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Ostrich

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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Milibandclinton

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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Blogfiles

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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Markshaw

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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Choice

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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