R-E-S-P-E-C-T: An all too rare quality among “digital natives”?

Karen    Building trust, Opinion, Social Media    

In the world of light speed change that is the social media universe, being self-taught is the norm rather than the exception, and the average age of social media specialists gets younger every day.

Unfortunately, in this environment of no degrees, no rules, no hierarchy, some also seem to be suffering from a lack of respect.

Yes, you may be a “wunderkind” when it comes to getting eyeballs on social content, or launching the next ubiquitous meme, but the basic rules of business, teamwork and respect for others are still highly relevant. read more

Pinterest and Paper.li – Are They Good for #SEO?

Karen    SEO Revisited, Social Media    

So the buzz online seems to be all about Pinterest at the moment – and how it is driving more traffic than Twitter or Facebook to some sites.

Is that how it’s working for you? Are you on Pinterest yet? read more

Ever Disappeared Down the Reddit Rabbit Hole?

Karen    Opinion, Social Media    

This week’s anti-SOPA protests, initiated largely by the Reddit online community, illustrated the power and reach of this community and their ability to mobilise for what they consider to be a worthwhile cause.

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Is Traditional “Search” Rapidly Going Out of Style?

Karen    Opinion, SEO Revisited    

A question for you – has the traditional “one size fits all” version of search results now well and truly been confined to the dustbin?

With the recent rapidfire launch of new online assets and functionality by uber-adserving-platform Google (no longer really simply a search engine giant), are we seeing an ‘end of days’ … not for life as we know it, but for old style search and what it means?

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Google Search Incorporates Google+ – Why is Anyone Surprised?

Karen    Business Tools and Resources, Opinion, Social Media     conversion optimisation, Google +, social media

Blog posts with inflammatory headlines decrying the latest move by Google to further link together its web properties, by incorporating Google + results into SERPs have been circulating the net the last week or so. I can’t help but wonder why anyone at all is surprised by this.

Google have signalled all along they are integrating their assets together – and why wouldn’t they? the incorporation of elements like the +1 button has been around for a while, providing you are logged into a Google account of any kind. And personalised search is pretty much unavoidable – even when you turn off search history, you will still get personalised and localised results. read more

Six things I wish our clients knew …

Karen    Building trust, Opinion, Updating site content    

For the last two and a half years, I have been working with a web design and development company. The following observations are my own and are echoed by many of my colleagues.

1. Research takes time, and there isn’t always something tangible to show for it. When we scope something for a client project, it might take five hours just to work out that it can’t actually be done in the way the project was envisaged, or with the existing technology platform. Correction – it can’t be done cost-effectively – as they say in the business, anything can be done if you throw enough time and money at it.

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The Best Way to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Karen    Business Tools and Resources, Inspiration    

So we are a week into the new year, 2012.

And what have you done? Did you make a resolution to lose weight, go to the gym daily, quit smoking, cut back on the alcohol or change some other damaging vice or bad habit?

Do you believe in making – and trying to keep, New Year’s resolutions? Or have you ‘been there, done that’ so many times without results that you just don’t bother any more?

I’m pretty much in the latter camp, but just recently I had a little ‘aha’ moment that I think could really help in achieving the things we would really like to change or improve in our lives in the year ahead. read more

Worshipping at the altar of “efficiency” – will it be the end of us?

Karen    Opinion    

Is worshipping at the altar of efficiency going to be the end of our world? The harbingers of doom are all around us, yet what if it is not the Mayans or the religious rapture believers who are behind our demise, but something much simpler and more pervasive. Making a god of Efficiency … above all things.

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