The last ten years have seen the internet flourish, expanding exponentially with the growth in business websites and personalised blog-centric content. Previously the domain of web designers with programming expertise, it's never been easier to create and manage your own content online.

The growth in popularity has brought with it a flood of CMS (content management system) platforms onto the market. For newcomers the choice can literally be overwhelming. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the key features to look out for when choosing your content management system.

Managing Your Web Content With Ease 
Choosing the right content management system for your website could make all the difference to your online publishing plans. Here are some pointers to help you choose.

a) Clear, Accessible Interface 
An absolute pre-requisite for any CMS – users should be able to navigate menus and locate basic functions with ease. Impenetrable front-end design is entirely counter-productive in terms of your time, effort and motivation. A good CMS will guide you fluidly, making micro-management of content and categories a breeze.

b) Admin Rights 
For those working in small teams or allowing external freelancers to contribute content, a clear admin system is vital. The ability to retain tight control over who can and who can't access certain areas of the system will ultimately prevent any unwanted interference or nasty surprises.

c) Updating Meta-data 
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has come a long way during the last few years and, whilst no longer the be all and end all, meta data still have a vital part to play. Ideally a good content management system will offer full control over each individual page instead of offering a blanket meta description. Try to avoid sites offering default meta-data.

d) Editing Your Content 
A basic component of most modern CMSs is a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor. A CMS that offers this facility offers users the best of both worlds. Those who aren't familiar with HTML coding can create content quickly and easily, whilst more advanced users can tweak down to the finest detail.

For users somewhere in between the two, such an editor enables them to switch between the two – thus catering to coders of all levels.

e) Statistics and Logs 
Knowing who changed what and when is essential when it comes to running a tight ship. It will also assist in preventing problems before they occur. Overlooked by many amateur administrators, statistics also provide a useful method of gauging a site's performance and identifying areas for improvement.

Whilst it's highly unlikely you'll find a CMS offering every single feature mentioned in this article, the best advice is to decide which are the most relevant to the type of site you intend to create and go from there. If you like some help and advice in choosing the right CMS to suit you, call 0845 345 2592.

Alongside Facebook and Digg, Twitter has become the digital marketer's platform of choice when it comes to reaching an increasingly content-hungry audience. In its simplest terms – recycling (or retweeting as it is now known) your Twitter content is a cost efficient and incredibly powerful way of pushing your content to a wider audience.

Twitter is presently free to use and is fast becoming an essential part of many businesses' communications strategy.

Using Twitter to Spread the Word 
In this article we'll look at some simple strategies to get your content moving across the digital highways and byways.

1. You Get What You Give 
A simple philosophy that can be applied to most areas in life, yet one that is often overlooked by digital marketers. If you interact with others, they are more likely to interact with you – which in this case means retweeting their content.

Be selective in terms of quality, because after all it is your name that will be associated with the rewteeted post. Don't forget to include @reply so that the author is aware of your reposting.

2. Use Hashtags 
Assuming you know what a hashtag is (if not, visit Hashtags.org), be aware that they should be used appropriately as opposed to liberally. Organised into relevant and clear categories, hashtags are an excellent way of spreading your content amongst like-minded folk interested in a particular niche or topic.

3. Keep It Short 
The whole basis of Twitter is built on the notion of short, concise snippets or statements that retain the reader's interest. As such the format features a 140 character limit on all entries.

With this in mind, the secret is to get as much information across as possible in as few words as possible. Not so easy when you consider that the allocation can easily be consumed by shortened URLs, @reply, hashtags and reweets.

So, unless the entry you'd like to see retweeted is short and sweet, it may end up sliced and diced by Twitter when re-posted by someone else.

4. Choose Your Moment 
Whilst there have been a number of studies concerning the best time to launch content for maximum response and exposure – there is little in the way of concrete evidence to support a theory one way or another. Instead, consider at which points during your working day you give tweets the most attention, and then use this as a basis for a structured posting strategy.

This may not be the most scientific approach, but is surely better than randomly launching tweets in to the ether and hoping for the best.

5. Ask and Ye Shall Receive 
Here's probably the most obvious but overlooked option of all – request a retweet in your entry. Call-to-action is one of the most basic marketing principals, and certainly has its place in the realm of social media. Of course one may need to exercise a little more restraint and subtlety due to the medium, however it is still a valuable tool when used strategically.

If you would like help planning and implementing a social media marketing strategy for your business please call us on 0845 345 2592.

Improving Your Local Search Rankings

In this age of affordable web design and local business directories, getting online is no longer an issue for even the smallest of businesses. Being seen, however, is an entirely different ball game. By virtue of the fact that every man (or woman) and their dog are now able to establish at least a basic web presence with ease - for those businesses dependent on local trade staying ahead of the pack has never been more important.

In this guide we'll outline some key tips for staying on top of the pile – from social networking to business directories and a few pointers in between.

Getting Local Search Working For You 
Local search is gaining importance, quickly becoming an essential part of a localised online marketing strategy. The following tips are designed to outline what that strategy should include.

1. Size Up the Competition 
Obvious maybe - but a vital component in building a successful strategy. Experiment with a few searches to find out who's showing up on the first page in your local area. What tools are they using? How does their meta-description read (the sentence that follows their entry)? What keywords are they using? Identifying some of the top search terms will enable you to start to building them into your copy.

2. Never Forget Where You're From 
SEO (search engine optimisation) isn't rocket science, but there are certain basic rules to follow. When it comes to local business and the internet - it's all location, location, location. Don't be afraid to tell people (and more importantly search engines in this case) where you are.

Display your address wherever possible (at the bottom of the page for example) to give the search engines something to pick up on, and consider using local landmarks such as railway stations to give directions.

3. Get Yourself On the Map 
Free facilities such as Google Maps and Yahoo Local are probably one of the easiest and most effective ways of raising your search engine profile quickly. Many of the major players such as Google even display a map and corresponding businesses as part of their local results, so if you're lucky you can appear near the top of the page with very little investment.

Longer term of course this strategy alone won't suffice, but to get started if you haven't already – do it now.

4. Be Sociable 
Social media is currently one of the most powerful online marketing tools available. To start with, reach out to your audience by setting up a Facebook page for your business (free, and very easy). Use Twitter to promote various offers and tell people what's going on in an informal, interactive atmosphere.

Lastly, starting a blog is a great way to engage your demographic, promote your business and invite discussion. Use regular updates and take any opportunity to offer advice and present yourself as an expert in your field.

5. Organic is Best 
As with any good strategy, relying on one approach alone is unlikely to yield results in the long-term. Compliment your active efforts by submitting your business details to local trade listings – or use one of the many sites who offer multiple listings on major directories for a small fee.

Link building, otherwise known as organic growth, is as important as applying any amount of SEO wizardry to your site. Remember – the majority of these simple tips are achievable with even the most basic of technical knowledge. Local search is gaining importance, and you don't need to be left behind. If you would like to improve your local search results, please call 0845 345 2592.

Over the last few years, developments in online marketing have changed the way we work forever. From social media, blogging and tweeting through to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns, there are literally endless inventive ways to promote your business online.

SEO and PPC are generally regarded as more substantive, 'traditional' approaches to driving traffic direct from search engines. Considering how often online marketers tend to bandy these terms around however, for many the benefits and drawbacks of either remain unclear. In this article we'll try and deconstruct the myths surrounding this much-debated topic.

PPC or SEO – Which Is Best For You?
Billions of searches are performed on the major search engines every week, and a large percentage of those searches are made by people who are actively looking for products and services to buy online. So how does SEO and PPC differ and which will help you win more web traffic.

What's the Difference?
Both SEO and PPC relate to driving traffic to a website directly using search engine results. More confusingly, both achieve similar results using very different methods.

An SEO strategy aims to optimise a website with a view to achieving healthy 'organic' rankings. PPC involves paid advertisements (on a pay-per-click basis) which appear in the sponsored column found to the top and side on most search engine results pages.

Short Term vs. Long Term
PPC can be set-up virtually immediately, with visible results within the first few days. Optimising web content with keywords, metatags and so on could involve months of testing using multiple strategies before any results are seen.

As such, PPC could be viewed as a useful tool in relation to short-term promotions and new websites looking for a quick boost. Longer-term, SEO offers a viable route to sustained traffic via consistent rankings.

Cost Effectiveness
It's difficult to weigh which approach actually offers a greater return on investment – there are a great number of external factors involved. PPC represents the greater short-term investment by charging each time a visitor clicks through. Monitoring results carefully however, this approach represents little in the way of risk as cost can be adjusted as required.

On the other hand, SEO could prove to be truly cost-effective by providing consistent added value over a sustained period.

Measuring Results
Well known providers such as Google and Yahoo provide PPC customers with comprehensive tracking results as standard. Clicks, leads and sales can be tracked from the word go, allowing users to measure cost per sale.

Measuring SEO results may not be as straight forward, but still possible to do with any good website analytics package. Website analytics can be a complex subject – which may discourage first time users – but shouldn't put you off considering a full SEO strategy.

How About Both?
Really it comes down to whether you're looking for short or long-term results. The most effective online marketing strategies will often use elements of both, in conjunction with other platforms such as blogging and social media.

For example, once a website is returning healthy organic rankings, PPC can be an effective compliment to your longer-term strategy by:

• Targeting specific keywords
• Pushing promotions and driving traffic
• Testing strategies such as new keywords and landing pages
• Promoting areas of the site not showing healthy result

If you would like a no-obligation consultation to get SEO and PPC marketing working for your business, please call us on 0845 345 2592 now.

No matter how savvy you feel you are when it comes to the subject of email marketing, the landscape is constantly shifting. To stay ahead of the crowd, then, it has become vital to regularly review your strategies and to adapt according to the latest trends.

Even with increased competition, email newsletter marketing continues to be one of the best ways to cut marketing costs while reaching more customers than ever before. With the popularity of social media engagement and cross platform marketing, your newsletter can still play a key role in coordinating your online promotions.

Taking your Email Marketing to the Next Level
As with all forms of marketing, your company's email newsletter shouldn't stand still. In the second part of this two part series we look at the latest techniques to maximise your email marketing.

Perception of Value
Okay, they may have given you their email address at some point in the past, but don't be fooled into assuming your current subscribers (a) remember who you are or (b) even care. Whether you send out weekly, monthly or quarterly newsletters – find a subtle way of reminding the reader of your unique value proposition that prompted them to sign up in the first place.

Consider the Bigger Picture
When it comes to marketing a service or product, an email is rarely just an email. It forms part of the overall customer experience (as opposed to just subscribers). Avoid slipping those blinkers on and thinking of email marketing as a sterile environment.

Consider how your marketing efforts align with your overall brand and image, and ensure your message is consistent.

Use your resources
Only by using data correctly will you ensure your subscribers' experience is a fulfilling one. Data holds the key to any successful marketing campaign. However, as you collect data be careful not to discard or dismiss vital information such as user preferences (how information is used, frequency of messages etc.) – this information is arguably as important as your creative marketing efforts.

Listen to what they have asked for, and deliver on your promise.

Carrot and Stick
Whilst blindly firing out emails and asking for subscribers may result in an initially high success rate, the subsequent drop-off may prove less desirable. Remember, you want people to want your email.

Consider including a sample with your initial mail-out or promotional offer – this will ultimately result in an engaged, receptive readership as opposed to an indifferent one.

Bite-Sized Chunks
You can't please all of the people all of the time, and expecting your content to be absolutely relevant to every one of your subscribers is – in short - unrealistic. With this in mind, the email 'mini-series' has become a popular vehicle for many email marketers.

Pick a topic that engages the reader and bears some relevance to current events – for example the 12 days of Christmas, New Year's resolutions, 7 deadly sins and so on. Placing your message in some kind of social context provides fresh and stimulating ways to engage your readership.

So, when you sit down to write your next marketing email – consider some of the points above. Don't be afraid however to experiment and learn from the results – the rest is up to you!

If you would like assistance in evaluating the effectiveness of your email marketing activities, or wish to create your own email marketing strategy, call us on 0845 345 2592.

There are virtually no rules in the world of blogging – from political commentary to personal diaries – the scope is literally endless. Recent years have seen an explosion in the use of blogs as an effective internet marketing tool, but for many the most challenging aspect of business blogging remains knowing what to use as content.

In this article we'll examine some simple ideas to come up with fresh, engaging content designed to drive traffic to your site and keep them coming back for more.

Blogging Your Way to New Business
The goal for any blogger is to publish unique and compelling content. With this in mind, it's probably worth noting here that the following ideas are designed as a general guide, so feel free to take the ideas presented somewhere new and get your creative juices flowing!

How to...
How many times have you asked Google to come up with the answer to a particular question? How to? guides present a fantastic way to engage the reader and encourage interaction through working examples and so on. They are also a great way of demonstrating your expertise and credibility within your chosen niche. Support well-written, informed content with great visuals and downloadable content for extra bonus points.

Common Problems – Great Solutions
Just as the internet is a great resource for finding out how to do things, it also provides a valuable opportunity to find new ways around general or specific problems. It therefore follows that presenting a structured, concise entry dedicated to a particular issue is a surefire way of both attracting traffic and presenting yourself as a knowledgeable expert in your field.

Proven Methodology
One drawback with the internet age is that anyone can present themselves as an expert in anything. A great way of building credibility and attracting traffic is through the use of referenced case studies. Back up your advice with hard evidence, demonstrating how a methodology has been applied to assist a particular client and the subsequent results. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

The Latest News
A great case in point for regular updated content – positioning yourself as a valuable resource for the latest industry news is a great way of attracting and retaining traffic. Becoming your clients' 'go to' resource for the latest news via a simple RSS feed is a great way of staying connected to your audience.

Book Worm
Don't assume that everything your audience reads is online. In fact, the majority of internet users are only interested in snippets of information. Providing references to offline material is a great way of demonstrating both empathy for your readers' needs as well as your own knowledge on a particular subject.

Feedback
Requesting feedback is by far the most simple method of both gauging your success and encouraging user interaction. Don't assume you know it all, open up your blog and invite your readers in – you never know what valuable ideas and suggestions could come out of it.

As you can see, blogging provides you with a versatile online publishing tool – which can also be used as a hub to coordinate your social media activities.. If you need some help and advice to get your business blog up and running, call us on 0845 345 2592.

The benefits of successfully engaging customers through social media marketing has prompted much to be written on the subject. In fact, you might be forgiven for thinking everyone has an opinion on how best to market your business using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter – the list of do's and don'ts is literally endless.

Despite this apparent prevalence of opinion, there are certain hard and fast rules when it comes to the subject of social media. In this month's article, we'll look at some of the key pointers for the ever-popular Facebook.

Your Business on Facebook
Social media brings with it a whole new level of customer interaction. Spark discussion; invite feedback; share experiences – and so on. With this in mind, the following tips are designed to focus your Facebook marketing efforts.

Keep Up With The Times
Facebook presents a unique opportunity to connect with your audience – more so in fact than you could ever hope to achieve through your blog or website alone. If you're in business for yourself, you're more than likely to be keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in your chosen field. You may even run regular webinars and talks, alongside consulting with clients and prospects on their business needs.

You can channel all this valuable content into an interactive playground like your Facebook page, where an interested audience seeks out fresh new content to digest.

From industry tips and insider knowledge to the latest trends, your Facebook page is a dynamic environment that promotes discussion and interactivity. By passing on the benefit of your knowledge for free you'll also be raising your stock.

Keep 'Em Coming Back For More!
Whether you choose to reward great ideas with discounts, or simply want to conduct a little market research, Facebook represents an invaluable platform from which to reach out.

Keep your readership engaged by adopting a varied approach, and don't be afraid to experiment. Judge how well you're doing by the level of interaction occurring on the page itself.

Broaden Your Horizons
It's no longer just about the wall. Facebook's meteoric rise in popularity is matched only by the host of plugins and applications flooding the market on a weekly basis. From shopping tabs to hosted support pages, there is a veritable treasure trove of useful material you can use to heighten the customer experience.

Oh, and more importantly, to drive traffic to your site! Check out 'Get Satisfaction' and 'Fan Appz' to get yourself started.

And Now For Something Completely Different...
Facebook is generally acknowledged as a place for light-hearted social interaction. Even if your company has a reasonably serious image, Facebook provides a valuable opportunity to show some personality by injecting humour into proceedings.

For those of you who want to keep it 'strictly business' – Facebook is still a useful tool for promoting your brand and breathing a little life into the business. Use the page to highlight significant events and milestones on the company calendar – supported by high quality corporate images to add a little variety and credibility.

However you choose to use Facebook, there is no doubting its value as a unique and dynamic marketing platform – don't be afraid to experiment and, most importantly, listen to feedback. If you would like to review the effectiveness of your social media marketing activities, call us on 0845 345 2592.

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Spread the Word with Social Media

Nowadays it's rare to receive an email or marketing letter without an RSS feed, Twitter or Facebook link. Social Media has changed the way we do business forever – ushering in a new age in marketing. The opportunities are limitless, with the power to reach more people than ever before.

Think beyond providing a simple link however – give your readers a reason to spread the word by providing compelling, engaging content (video content is a fantastic tool for this). Experiment with different types of content and placement, and include regular offers as an incentive for your readers to engage.

I use an image in my signature file that advertises this month's webinar that we are running. If you follow the link you can download a white paper that is associated with the webinar. So I advertise the event and give some free information in a downloadable format as well as collect email addresses for further marketing.

Try it you may be surprised at the results.

In these 5 Top Tips for Writing a Press Release we can consider the best methods of being found online. Originally, press releases were used to inform the TV and print media about new information or products. But the days of the standard, market-spun press release are pretty much over. Whilst words still certainly have their part to play, the landscape has most certainly shifted to the point where simple marketing rhetoric won't cut it any longer.

Online marketing is changing the way we think and like it or not Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is playing a bigger role than ever. The traditional press release now has to work that little bit harder to keep up.

Getting Press Releases Working For You
Ultimately, the purpose of a press release is to provide information that is of interest to its readers. The following tips will look at the essential things to consider when writing a press release, in order to appeal to the search engines as well as your target audience.

1. Keywords Are Key!
The importance of keywords must not be underestimated. In simplest terms, a keyword (or key phrase) is a specific word or term used commonly in search engines to find a particular subject, service or product. As such, before you even start writing your press release, you should have a good idea of the key words or terms you're going to be using.

2. Spread the Word
There are numerous conflicting arguments when it comes to 'keyword spread' or how many times a particular search word or term appears within the body of text on the page. Ask a range of so-called experts and you're likely to end up with a range of answers.

The general rule of thumb is that each chosen keyword or term should not exceed around 2 – 3% of the overall word count – thus avoiding saturation and rejection by search bots.

3. Take a Look at Your Layout
As important as knowing which keywords to use is understanding where to place them. The following guide can help you construct your press release and make the most of your chosen words:

• Title – Try to keep it concise and attention-grabbing. Ideally the title should balance keywords with an irresistibly clickable quality!
• Summary – During the first few sentences try to give an overview as an introduction, using one or two secondary keywords or phrases.
• Body – Write subjectively and in the third person. This is the main body of text and should contain the bulk of your keywords or phrases.
• About the Company – A short synopsis of your company's services, including a link.
• Press Contact – Provide contact details of one person who will act as point of call for all enquiries. Include name, email and contact number.
• References – Don't forget to reference your quotes and statistics. This lends the work an air of credibility.

4. Consider Your Content
Try to choose a compelling subject with broad appeal. Put yourself in the reader's shoes – would you take time out to read the release? Of course, this is where an attention-grabbing title comes in, but just as important is the content. If there is nothing current of note happening within the company, choose something you have done and make it fit – easily done with a little spin.

Remember, the principal aim of any press release is to draw attention to the company. Company quotes can be as self aggrandising as you want them to be, it's your press release after all! Don't be afraid to sell yourselves.

5. Designed for people, not just search engines
Never, ever sacrifice content for the sake of SEO. This is an all-too common mistake and can be at the detriment of a company's overall image. Think of it this way – the release will be worth nothing if, having found its way onto the screen, it doesn't hold the reader's attention long enough to drive the message home.

If you would like to learn more about using press releases to improve your search engine appeal please contact us

Keep to One Keyword per page for best SEO results

One of the most common mistakes that people make when trying to optimise their web site is that they try to go for too many keywords on the one page.

This is the most important aspects of on page SEO yet so many people are either unaware of its importance or forget to do it. It's just so much easier to target a single keyword per page than to target 10 to 20 keywords per page as I see with so many websites. At the very maximum, you can target 2 keywords, but you should try to keep it to just one. Focusing your efforts on 1 keyword per page will get greater results quicker. Now of course you do need to add additional similar keywords on the same page but keep them associated with the same core keyword that is in the Title and is used as a header on the page.