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18.6.10

17.6.10

Blogging for Business Workshop

Over at GREEN we are running a series of informal training event. It starts with an all-day workshop on Blogging for Business. At the end of this training session you will have a fully-functioning blog live on the web.

Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Where:The Art House, Drury Lane, Wakefield, WF1 2TE
Cost: £199.00 + VAT - Get a 20% Discount if you book before June 24

REGISTER HERE

The power of a good blog should never be underestimated - they're flexible and powerful. Get it right and they can open doors to new clients and recruits, grow your organisation and improve your Google search results. A blog should be at the centre of your social media strategy even if you do have a website.
The day will be led by men and colleague Thomas Atcheson. Between us we have many years experience in digital media having worked in the past with Venturedome.com, Fuelmyblog.com, Annanova, Insider and others.
We have also worked on strategies for the likes of the Children’s Workforce Development Council, Greens Health & Fitness, Soppa e Sotra, LINPAC, Blue Monday, Wensleydale and the Alchemist’s Foundation.
Includes lunch and refreshments!

Course Programme
Introduction

What are blogs?
Different types of blogs and platforms
Typical features and functionality of blogging platforms
How can they be used?

Strategy

The role of blogs in communications and business
Introducing the link economy and the role of
Blogs in search engine optimisation
How your blog can become the key element in your social media strategy
What else can blogs be used for - campaigns, websites, microsites, live events and more.

Developing a content strategy
Segmentation - identifying your readers and who you are communicating with
What to write? Identifying relevant topics and subject matter.
Considering blog post length
Resourcing and identifying writers
Case studies and examples

Blogging basics - Where you do the work
Setting up your blog
An introduction to templates and simple ways to make it look good
Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad - what suits you?
Adding authors
Comment moderation
Understanding posts and pages
Setting up a blog roll
Creating content

How to write a post
Tips on writing posts and how to optimise for best results
Adding links and images

Benefits
Following this training course, you will be able to:
Recognise the importance of blogs and their role
Create business objectives and manage expectations from your blog
Use a blog to connect with your audiences
Increase visitor numbers to your website and influence sales
Encourage interaction with your prospects as well as loyal customers
Manage your blog effectively
Create a strategy for your company blog

For further information email info@greencomms.com or call us on 0845 4503210.

12.6.10

World Cup: No-go zone for social media

News just in from Mashable which I re-report here: During this year’s FIFA World Cup games in South Africa, players on several competing teams will be unable to tweet, poke, buzz, checkin, like or in any other way make their presence known on the social web.
It’s not uncommon for coaches to ban sex or alcohol during the World Cup, but increasingly, they’re also instituting ad hoc bans on social media sites, including Twitter.
So far, players on the teams from Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Holland, Germany, Argentina and England are forbidden to use social services such as Twitter. One coach, Marcelo Bielsa of Chile, banned all social networking and even put a curfew on regular or non-social Internet use during the evening.
In the U.S., similar bans have been enacted over the past year during the American football season and basketball season. Players in the NFL, for example, are prohibited from using social media during all games and for a 90-minute period prior to and following a game. Moreover, players are not allowed to have someone else post an update or tweet on their behalf.
As the World Cup-related hashtags trend on Twitter and millions of people around the world use the web to tune into and talk about these matches, do you think it’s a bit unfair that the players themselves aren’t allowed to participate in this conversation? Or are these strict coaches doing us all a favor by keeping their players focused? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Social Media Social Club

We've set up the Social Media Social Club - North of England Chapter. Come a join us on Linkedin here.
The Social Media Social Club is open to anyone exploring new developments in social media and how it can impact on your business.
We are also interested in hearing from anyone using social media to improve their business performance, drive sales, recruit new staff - any fact anything.
RSS, virtual worlds, Typepad, Blogger, podcasts, wikis, Facebook, YouTube, Technorati, BlogLines, BuzzMetrics, BlogPulse,Twitter, Digg and del.icio.us. The flow of information across the huge array of new platforms and services that make up the social media sphere can seem uncontrollable.
As a result, social networks represent the biggest change facing the media in 50 years but how are they impacting on PR? How do you own a part of a conversation that is happening without you, where the consumers have begun to take an active role in changing public opinion about your brand?
Join the Social Media Social Club to keep up to date on new developments and get access to our special training and networking events.

5.6.10

I wish we could row like this...

PC or Mac?


I have a had a trusty Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop for more than five years now but it's starting to show it's age now - possibly because of the number of people using it.
My daughter has her iTunes on it and is constantly downloading video and other applications and for some reasons shuts down when it gets bored or just freaks out. I've always shied away from Macs until we started using one in the office a couple of years ago when we bought two of them for the designer - desktop and laptop.
Now I am considering replacing the old Inspiron either with a new one or a Mac.
Now I know Mac as a brand has some real evangelists who really get into everything that is Mac - from laptops, to iPhones (I have a Blackberry) and iPads. And up until recently, I have resisted joining the Mac cohort but may now join them.
Any thoughts people - should I abandon Dell for Mac?