what we do
Apart from blogging on here and sending out the odd tweet, what does Social Tech Solutions Ltd. actually do?
We set up Startup-Meetup with a couple of associates. (A networking group for entrepreneurs, investors and online marketeers)
We’re working on a couple of (currently) secret online projects…
AND
We offer Social Media Marketing consultancy, via web and marketing agencies. If you’d like to know more about how we could help your business, please read our service offerings document. (PDF)
Please drop us a line if you’re a web design or marketing agency who’d like to re-sell our services, if you’re lucky we might even invite you to our new offices and treat you to some delicious cake…
Read Morelinks from traditional media
There’s a growing problem for campaigns across mixed forms of media, how do you link back to your internet page/site from a TV, radio or print advert? Friendly, memorable URL’s are becoming scarcer as the internet gold rush means that most are already taken (even if not in use).
Some campaigns get it very right, using memorable URL’s for a campaign: how could you forget “Compare the meerkats”?
Others go for a subdirectory like “example.com/offer09″ – not bad, but harder to remember and more likely people type it incorrectly, although they’d still end up on your site, its harder to track which visitors were arriving as a result of which elements of the campaign.
Recently there’s been a trend towards “search for:” for example the new “Search for: Change 4 Life“.
Are these a good idea? Well there are a few points to consider:
It allows your competitors to sponsor the exact phrase you are paying to advertise – see the PPC ads now listed against the pharse above.
Other entries could overtake your own as the number 1 ranked spot, a blog entry discussing the campaign is already in 4th place.
It IS more memorable, the campaign can be built around a pharse, which you’ve heavily SEO to appear.
Radio ads don’t need to clarify spelling “Connections, with an x” – great for remembering it, but uses up valuable Ad time.
For some campaings, a variation on this kind of advertising is “Search Facebook for:” and then using the group/fan page name as the phrase – that will avoid PPC targetting and it would be easier to complain to Facebook about rivals targetting a specific phrase, but parody groups/pages could easily rank next to your result.
Certain products are experimenting with 2D barcodes, too techy for most, although good if you’re targetting the geek niche I guess.
What are your preffered ways to spread the URL love? Did I miss any?
Read Morewhat a difference a day makes
From the so called “most depressing day of the year” to Inauguration overload in one day.
I’ve read “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama and it did make me really optimistic about the years ahead… the wave of sentiment growing in Americe, could be seen as a real turning point in the fortunes of the world when we look back at this day in history.
Something that I’ve been pondering, and I apologise for going slightly off tangent today… the downturn was largely fueled (and caused) by the markets acting irresponsibly, the continued slump seems mostyl that they still don’t trust each other and that as this continues it becomes a spiral.
What if the recovery did not come from the markets?
What would the world look like if in a month or two’s time Obama sentiment is still running high?
Could their economy start recovering off the back of consumer sentiment?
There has been some commentary that the markets haven’t reacted to Obama because they fear some of his initiatives will harm their profit taking… does that mean the economy of America as a whole couldn’t recover despite the markets?
I don’t know, but I’m ever the optomist in some respects.
Your thoughts please on my “Springer’s final thought” – Does the UK need an Obama-like figure?
Read Morethe speed of news
This weekend, I heard the sad new of Tony Hart passing away via twitter first.
Image from B3ta
In the last few months news and eye witness accounts (and photos) of major events are often coming first from Twitter – the viral nature of the RT (retweet) phenomenon meaning that a story goes viral in seconds, after an initial tweet from an eye witness…
The BBC talks about the coming of age of twitter, through recent event in Mumbai and of course the incredibly skilful ditching of an aeroplane into the Hudson river…
Outside of news, how does this speed affect YOU as a business?
Anything can go viral very quickly, regardless of accuracy, are you prepared?
At talks I give, I often start with a quick survey…
1) How many of you use some form of the social web/networking personally? (Facebook, myspace, linkedin, bebo, twitter…)
2) How many of you have a strategy for the social web in your business?
At a recent talk of around 40 business leaders, about 35 raised their hand for question 1 and about 3 for question 2.
It always seems to work in waking people up to what I have to say about the power and opportunity of the network.
Being engaged with the changing way people use the internet, having channels open to spot threats and opportunities makes for a more agile and successful business.
Read MoreThe first Startup-Meetup
Thanks and hello to everyone who turned up for the first startup-meetup @ blend coffee shop in Christchurch. You never really know who’s going to turn up or what’ll happen at these kind of events, I was pleased that we had a good turn out and that all involved seem to take something good away.
We’re using the twitter hashtag #supmup, here’s some of the comments from those who attended:
adammills:Just got back from Startup Meetup #supmup at Blend Christchurch running third Thursday of every month at 10am. Really useful networking.
First_Exact:Enjoyed #supmup this morning and ended up meeting a great new contact whose skills slot into a gap in my design and dev portfolio
simonmelaniphy:Enjoyed #supmup Dorset meet this morning – good to expand my local network with some interesting digital peeps
markng:finished up at #supmup – drove from wales this morning. Met some interesting people, and had some good conversations.
janineb:#supmup Bomo Startup Meetup underway and loads of interesting people talking about their projects and opportunities to make money!
I’d like to see more “show n tell” type stuff at the next one, I know there were a few people who through injury (Get well soon) or server failure couldn’t attend.
Personally, I’ve set myself the challenge to demo something at the next one… what will it be? Watch this space… See you on 19th Feb!
Read More
latest comments