Motley.co.uk

Stop, put that QR code down and step away...

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 03:04:00 +0000

You've probably, by now, heard about QR (quick response) codes- those square shaped digital graphics that, when scanned with an app on your smart phone, whisks you away to view some new and exciting content.

QR codes over the last year have become more ubiquitous and I have always thought that they have got huge potential in a variety of areas and if used correctly can make a huge positive impact to a business' marketing efforts.

The key to the last paragraph is the phrase 'if used correctly' as there seems to be a proliferation of QR codes all over the internet. It has never been easier to generate the graphics for the code with any number of websites offering free services which allow you to 'push' the viewer to any type of content you could wish to.

So, I hear you thinking, what is it that is getting my goat? Well, simply put QR codes are a platform designed to get people in the 'real world' (eg standing at a bus stop or in a museum) to access your digital content. Used in this way they are ideal and can be used in many clever ways.

However, I see more and more QR codes being used online to push digital traffic to content.

Think of it this way, wherever you have put that QR code, whether it be on your website, your blog, a forum signature etc, you are asking that person to take their phone out, open their scanning app up, scan the code and then go to your content on their phone. What is the point of doing that when they were already on their PC and all they had to do was click a link to view the same content on a big monitor rather than some pokey smartphone screen?

Remember the rule to put yourself in the shoes of the person that you are asking to take a certain action and wheher or not it is something that you would appreciate. It just doesnt make sense, nor is it clever, to use a QR code on a platform which makes it counter intuitive to what you are trying to achieve when using a simple link or clickable graphic would be far better and easier for the user.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad (Social Media) Wolf?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Wed, 04 May 2011 06:48:00 +0000

I was recently asked to help a friend understand why anyone would want to use Twitter specifically and social media in general.

The main concerns that they had, as others do, were:

1. everybody knows/is aware of what you are doing every second of the day
2. everybody knows where you are
3. if you’re a small business you’ll be inundated with more work than you can cope with.

Legitimate Concerns

These are legitimate concerns but ones that are easily answerable. As with any social activity (online or in real life) there are many layers of interaction and possibilities for you to buy in to at whatever level is comfortable for you – whether it’s dipping a toe in tentatively or wholeheartedly throwing yourself in at the deep end.

1. Everybody knows what you are doing and when you are doing it.

The simple answer to this is, if you want people to then yes they will, but on the flip side you are able to maintain as much privacy as you wish to. As with any conversation it is down to the user to decide how much, or little, information that they wish to let the reader know.

A Social Media conversation is no different to any other, its just a different platform that is being used. As with any conversation, you are able to determine what you will and what you wont talk about so if there is a topic or a subject that makes you feel uncomfortable, then just don’t let it develop. If someone asks you a question that you don’t feel you want to answer either ignore it, or, as would be my preference, explain to them that you don’t feel comfortable with it.

2. Everybody knows where you are.

There is a growing number of location based services and apps that are out there, and many of the applications that you may use on your smartphone or tablet may use your GPS location to pinpoint your exact location (many of which can be very helpful to you as a user such as Maps etc)

These are aspects of your digital presence that you can choose to be a part of or not. If you’re not happy with your location being public, don’t use 4Square or Gowalla or, in the case of an iPhone, go into your settings and disable the location settings that you don’t want known.

As an example, and to highlight the fact that it is easy to ‘obscure’ your location, last year (2010), I went on holiday with my family to Portugal for a week. Apart from my close friends on Social media, nobody knew this nor would they have suspected that I was away unless I chose to tell them.

3. As a small business you will be inundated with work that you cannot hope to fulfill or handle.

Wow, what a position, if that were indeed the case, to be in! The holy grail of marketing where you just switch it on and suddenly the world knows all about you.

Clearly, this is far from the truth, and in fact when you start out on Twitter, the very nature of this platform is that you are talking to yourself for a time!

Even if the statement were true, surely it would be better to have that business with the ability to upscale your business and business process to accommodate?

You are in control, so is there anything to be frightened of really?

Most of the people that follow me on Twitter, at least the ones that I interact with regularly, will all be aware that I don’t talk about where I am, show pictures of my wife or daughter and don’t use their names either… (this is based more on the fact that I choose to be on Twitter whereas they have not made that decision themselves).

I hope that this post has helped allay any fears that you might have if you are thinking of getting stuck into Social Media. On the upside, you will find a rich, vibrant, engaging and welcoming group of people who will, in some cases, become amazing friends. The downside is you will meet people you don’t like – these you just ignore and don’t engage with, quite simple really!

Sound a bit familiar? Welcome to real life!

If you want to connect with me, I am always happy to have a chat – hook up with me on twitter and say ‘Hi!’ @JamieForster

It's all About the Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 15:25:00 +0000

In business, we are all selling a product or service and indeed we are none of us unique insofar as there many others out there selling the same as we are.

Ask yourself what makes you decide you want to use a service or buy a product from a particular business. Is it just about price, or is there something else that 'demands' your loyalty?

So what is it that we an use to differentiate ourselves from the competition?

The answer, in the main, is simple really, it's all about the experience that you give to your customers, potential customers and even your window shoppers.

Make sure that their experience of you and your business is the best it can be from first point of contact all the way through to follow up customer service.

Have you made sure that whatever they do with you, the whole process is smooth and easy for them even if it makes you the proverbial swan (serene on the surface yet paddling like mad below the surface)?
If you make yourself stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons you will create a following that is loyal and reap the rewards of repeat custom.

Ultimately, make sure you treat others the way you want to be treated yourself and you wont go far wrong offering exceptional customer service!

7 Reasons Used Not to Use Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:23:00 +0000

Humans have been communicating for millennia using a variety of tools and platforms which have developed over the years into ever more sophisticated arenas, culminating in where we find ourselves now with the advent of mass communication and engagement.

To me the term "social media" really refers to a mindset and a set of software tools and applications that allow groups and individuals to engage in two way conversations.

So whats stopping you from getting involved?

Traditionally, business has been about broadcasting a message rather than one of listening and engaging with the end user.

The biggest road block to SME buy in to social media is one of fear and a lack of understanding. The skepticism that I have come across over the last year can broadly be covered by the following, some of which you will, I am sure, be familiar with:

1. There is no measurable ROI (return on investment).

It IS harder to measure the ROI of social media but certainly not impossible. How many times have you had a conversation with a friend about a product that has led to you buying it? Is that conversation truly measurable by the vendor? No, all they are aware of is that they have made a sale, not how it was marketed. So does that mean a business shouldnt try to develop a WOM (word of mouth) strategy just because it is harder to quantify the ROI? Of course not and the same has to be said for social media. All you need to do is define your targets and objectives and build the measuring capability to allow you to report that success (or not as the case might be!).

2. My target customers don't use it.

Have you actually asked them or are you making the biggest mistake in assuming that everyone is like you? 81% of adults with an internet connection use some sort of social media....are you trying to tell me that within that 81% you have NO customers or potential customers? Are you also making the mistake of not selling through your 1st level contacts and customers? Remember that they have connections which can be invaluable to you if leveraged properly.

3. It's going to be too time consuming.

Anything that isn't done properly or without a plan can be time consuming. Does that mean it isnt worth working on a plan that can make it less time consuming and more sustainable? As with any new marketing or sales strategy, the results can be slow to realize, but that doesn't make them any less effective or worth investing the time and effort into and discovering the myriad of tools available to you to make your social media experience far more efficient and therefore enjoyable.

4. The consumer has too much control.

There is a perception that by participating in social media, a business is giving up control of it's brand and handing it to the consumer........ Of course, in this open society where crowdsourcing is common place people are inevitably going to be talking about your brand whether its good or bad but surely that is going to happen either with or without your participation? Wouldn't it be better to be a part of the conversation to look after your brand from the outset so that you are ideally placed to put your best foot forward?

5. I don't like Facebook, Twitter et al.

Just because you don't like a particular social media platform, or social media as a whole, doesn't mean you shouldn't be active on it. Go where your clients and customers are...create as many valuable and sustainable touch points as possible so that you're not excluding potential business.

6. Nobody is talking about you online.

Firstly, I doubt that is ever the case, but if it were, personally, I would look at that as a HUGE opportunity to get the conversation started....You may be surprised at where it takes you!

7. We dont have a plan and we dont know how to start.

All businesses need a variety of plans, financial, sales and business to name but 3 and marketing (which social media is a part of) is no different as it defines the strategy of how you as a business go about finding new customers...that's why you're in business isn't it? Social media and marketing require a good plan that is kept updated frequently so that all stakeholders are aware of the roadmap - this doesnt just happen and needs to be worked on.

So, which of the above have you been using to avoid getting involved? Do any of them really ring true now? Perhaps you've got one that isnt listed above, if so I would love to hear about it in the comments.

With the increase in the use of social media, a fundamental shift in the way businesses need to think and how they connect with existing as well as new customers is emerging - is this something you're going to be able to take on board and bring into your overall business strategy or are you going to continue playing catch up with your competition who are one step ahead of you?

Just remember just because you're not listening or participating, doesn't mean that others aren't talking about you - would you rather be able to participate and benefit from it or dig your head the sand?

So, what are the obstacles stopping you?

Don't let them tell you that you CAN'T do it....

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:19:00 +0000

Recently a friend of mine (@dickiearmour) had to help out with the feeding of his father in law's livestock on their farm.

It was hard, but enjoyable work and at one point Dickie had to take some feed to the top of a hill.

Being the sensible chap that he is, he loaded the feed into the back of the LandRover and drove it up this steep hill and fed the animals.... It wasn't until he had come back down that he was told that he shouldn't have gone up the hill in the first place as the vehicle was supposedly incapable of either getting to the top or making it down safely again!

So how was it that Dickie was able to get to the top safely, and down again, of this supposedly challenging hill that technically he should NOT have been able to drive up or down?

Could it have been due to the fact that because he wasn't AWARE that he shouldn't have been able to get up the hill he had no self-imposed limitations on his capabilities or his ability to do it?

So my question to you is, what is it that other people, or indeed your own mind, have been telling you that you can't do?

Perhaps that's all it is, in your mind...so why not give it a try? You may surprise yourself!

What's in a (domain) name?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:35:00 +0000

You may be aware that 86% of Britons will use a search engine first and foremost to research new products and services. If you didn't know that you do now and you should understand what a HUGE marketing opportunity you have available to you and one that, if you're not doing at all or not doing well, you WILL be losing out on business to your competition - something I am sure really don't want to happen!!

So, I am writing about the importance of the domain name, the "www.’s".

Your business' 'home' online

A domain name is your business' address on the internet and is obviously synonymous with your website.

It's how people can visit 'you' to see your message and offering. It's the first rung of the digital brand ladder and should be the area that all your other activities ultimately 'point' to.

Your domain name is just as important to your business as your own name is to you.

Ultimately, your domain name defines your business' space on the Internet and will usually be the first point of contact that potential customers will often have, whether it be as email or the website itself, it acts as your company's digital home.

A unique domain name, coupled together with your website, is the SINGLE most important marketing tool that you and your business have available to you and gives a greater perception of professionalism and identity as it tells people that you care how your company is perceived.

Why are you still using a free email address?

A business that is not using a domain name, or not using one 'properly' is just sending out the wrong message. If your business, for example, is sending email using a branded email system such as hotmail or btinternet.com

it is just promoting someone else's business when it should be promoting yours
it is simply portraying the wrong level of professionalism

I always tell clients that, in whatever aspect of their digital presence they look at, to make sure that they put themselves in the shoes of their customers and prospective customers - in this case, ask yourself how you perceive a business using the free email addresses? If you can see and agree that these types of of email send the wrong message, why would you still want to use one especially when you know that domains are cheap to 'buy' (a .co.uk, you should not be paying more that £10 for a 2 year registration, .com's are a little more expensive).

Protect your brand online

Another aspect of domain names that you should be aware of, and investigate' is brand protection.

Think about registering alternative domain names such as mispells, ones that are spelt slightly differently to the actual name or even using hyphenation.

After spending all that time, effort and money in getting visitors to your site, you don't want your competition to benefit from that traffic by owning a domain that is a misspell of one that should be yours!

If you've already got your own domain, or if you're thinking of getting one, its a great idea to make sure that it scans well as its all to easy to be added to the following tragic list:

whorepresents.com

Whorepresents.com is a website for agents of celebrities and athletes in the US, clearly there's probably another level of representation that they didn't think about!

expertsexchange.com

Expertsexchange.com is a site about technical computer experts and their helpful forum. This one is no longer active, but no less amusing!

penisland.net

Penisland.net is a site that sells pens apparently!

powergenitalia.com

And finally, my favourite - Powergenitalia.com is Italys electricity company.Whatever it is they have, I want some!

Clearly, as amusing as these examples are, they are being remembered for all the wrong reasons and are trotted out time after time by people like me writing a post like this.

Make sure that you and your business are being remembered for all the RIGHT reasons.

Who's having to contact who?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:56:00 +0000

Never has there been a more exciting time for small business' to be marketing themselves.

There is a plethora of enterprise level tools and platforms that have levelled the playing field and taken away the distinct advantage that corporates and the large institutions have enjoyed for so long..........until now.

So let's get started and I will be showing you how you can leverage a certain tool that is available to you and begin your path of digital branding.

Are you keeping in touch?

Are you keeping in touch with your customers or are you relying on them to contact you when they need to? If it's the latter, are they contacting you or has the phone gone eerily quiet just because you're not at the forefront of their mind?

We all know that it is far easier, and certainly cheaper, to engage with and sell to an existing client than find a new one. Having already done business with them they already know you enough to trust what you have to offer.

So that being the case, what's the differentiator that makes them pick up the phone and call you rather than your competition?

Don't let the fact that you havent been keeping in contact with them and therefore not been at the forefront of their mind determine whether or not you get that call, especially when you have an amazing tool at your disposal which allows you to keep out front!

What's stopping you?

And ultimately what is your barrier to making regular targeted contact?

Is it the cost of calls and the time it takes to ring round?
Are letters and the postal service too slow and unreliable?
Is the cost of getting a set of flyers designed, printed and delivered too high?

These 3 reasons aren't flights of fancy on my part, they are very real issues many small businesses that I have come across over the years.

So now, with the digital age at our fingertips, there are no longer ANY reasons not to have a cohesive plan to keep in touch with your customers.

Have you given any thought of using email as your primary mode of keeping in contact?

There are email database management systems available that are designed for incredible ease of use, which are intuitive and allow you to easily collect and manage all of your email contacts whilst managing the subscribes and unsubscribes.

You want to know who opened your email? You got it!
You want to know who didn't? You got it!!!
You want to know how many clicked a link, at what time and if they were drinking tea or coffee at the time. You got it!! (well maybe not the tea or coffee bit, but I think you get my point)

There are many systems available to you which are easy to use and technologically incredibly advanced allowing you as a business to get on with what you do best.

Go on, have a banana break.

The system that I always recommend to clients is one called MailChimp, you may have heard me waxing lyrical about it if you follow me on Twitter (@jamieforster).

It is a system that is incredibly easy to use and is FREE, yes you heard that right - FREE, to use for up to 1000 email addresses and 3000 emails a month (for a full list of product features click here).

As with other systems available to you, MailChimp allows you to manage all of your contacts and who has subscribed or unsubscribes taking all that fuss away from you.

It allows you to create BRANDED emails which you can personalize to the recipient (ie Hi John or Dear Mrs. Miggins) and then, once you have sent your email you can check all of that lovely analytics info on who did or didn't open the email.

Did I mention that this was all FREE?

MailChimp, with it's competitors, has revolutionised the ability for SME's in keeping in touch with customers professionally and on a regular basis with newsletters, product offerings, product launches etc.

Don't let you be the pinch point!

So now that I have shown you how to save yourself a LOT of time and money and given you the best chance of getting in front of your customers and keeping you at the forefront of their mind when they need you, what's stopping you?

Don't allow the barrier to keeping in contact with customers be YOU!!!

If you need hand with setting it up, just get in touch with me through Twitter - @jamieforster - I'll be happy to help!

Is my new iPad just a toy or can I really justify it?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:32:00 +0000

I recently bought an iPad which I initially thought was a bit of a frivolous bit of kit, but have changed my mind considerably since I got it a little over 2 weeks ago.

Why this shift in opinion (a shift which is contrary to my firmly entrenched PC background)? Quite simply, it's the efficiency increase and ease of doing certain tasks that I would normally rely on a laptop on but couldn't be bothered to boot it up for.

The 'instant on' is a huge attraction and has been beneficial many times since purchase to jot an idea down, or just to quickly tweak this or that.

The other aspect is the synchronisation between my iPhone, the iPad and PC which is streamlining my work life and therefore giving me more time to spend with my family - THE most important part of my life!

So, to the list of my 'must have' apps and why:

1. Pocket Informant (iPhone and iPad) : this is an app that combines your Google calendar(s) together with your to do list using the formats of 'Getting Things Done', 'Franklin Covey' and 'Toodledoo'. It has a wonderful GUI which many older users of Palm may appreciate if they used Agendus on that platform. A much richer experience than the native iPhone and iPad calendar. PI is also planning on bringing the contact interface in to the application as a whole. The ease of use and the ability to synchronise to Google calendar Means that I have all my info and tasks to hand wherever may be.

2. Notebooks (iPhone and iPad) : simply a godsend. This app is on both my iPad as well as the iPhone and syncs between the 2 as well as my desktop through DropBox where I am able to read and amend using either the native Notepad app in Windows 7 or Notepad++ . Notebooks is now how I take all my meeting notes, client discussions and you can even make doodle notes if you so choose. This app has taken me one step closer to being paperless and now I do not use a traditional notepad at all......

3. Reeder (iPhone and iPad) : with over 100 blogs that I subscribe to and read every week, quite simply this is a life saver in both time and effort. It allows me to sift through my feeds at a glance, choose which articles I want to 'star' or allows me to add them to ReadItLater (the next app on my list). My only negative about Reeder is the inability in app to add a feed.

4. ReadItLater (iPhone, iPad and Firefox) : this does what it says on the tin. It allows me to create a reading list of any webpage that I may not have time at that point to read but wish to read at a later date. Whether I am on my iPad, iPhone or firefox I am able to access that list and read saved pages at any time.

5. Twitbird (iPhone and iPad) : there are many Twitter clients out there and I have tried most of them. To me none of them encompass all that I want so inevitably use them for different reasons. However, for my general day to day tweeting, I use twitbird. It just feels more comfortable to me.

6. Hootsuite (iPhone and iPad) : another Twitter client. This one I use purely and simply for the analytics side of things as there is a simple stats 'package' under the hood as well as the scheduling aspect which I find it the easiest, fastest and most intuitive application to do that.

7. Xmarks (iPhone, iPad and Firefox) : this is a superb utility app which allows me to have all of my favourites and bookmarks from whichever device synched to all 3 machines.

8. IThoughtsHD (iPad) : fantastic full featured mind mapping application allowing you to brain dump (is that term still considered 'un pc'?.. Ahhh who cares) whenever and wherever you are. It also allows you to export mindmaps as graphic files (png) or as various desktop mind mapping tool formats such as Freemind (an open source mind mapping tool for desktops)

9. Photopad (iPad) : a great and simple graphics package which allows me to edit images, resize, crop etc to be used in blog posts etc. Remarkably powerful all things considered. NB. I arranged my apps and took a screen grab then used Photopad to resize the image at the top of this post.

10. DropBox & Box.net (iPhone, iPad and Firefox) : 2 cloud based storage offerings which allow you to keep files etc always available (subject to Internet access) as well as giving the ability to synch apps above such as Notebooks. dropBox gives you 2gb of storage free while Box.net gives you 5gb

11. Bonus - AngryBirds (iPhone, iPad) : productivity is all about having a clear mind and the ability to focus on the task in hand. A major part of any day is having some time out to relax, disengage and do something other than what you were focussing on. AngryBirds is an addictive game app that allows you to do just that. Beautifully simple yet inherently difficult, this game has taken the mobile gaming world by storm and is available across most of the major smartphone platforms.

My productivity has increased since getting the iPad, I am now blogging more and finding it easier to bring my thoughts together. It has streamlined various aspects of my working life which, as a sole trader, frees up time to do other more important things

So, what apps have you discovered that you just can't do without? Would love to hear about them in the comments.

All the best.

Pay it forward - do as you would be done by

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:26:00 +0000

Cash-flow is king. We've all heard this expression many many times and it's as much a truism for you and your business as it is for any one of your suppliers.

One lesson that was drilled into me growing up was "do as you would be done by" (ie treat others as you would like to be treated). This expression is something I try to live by and dictates most of what I do, or don't as the case may be, every day.

In business we are all subject to the vagaries of cash-flow and the headaches that it brings in juggling and keeping a business liquid and healthy. Many is the time a healthy business 'goes to the wall' due to the terms it has offered to it's clients and the subsequent trials in chasing down delinquent and tardy payments.

How do you like chasing payment or sit waiting 30, 60 or perhaps even 120 days for payment? No, I didn't think you would....and funnily enough nor do your suppliers!!

Personally, I don't intend to build my business on someone else's credit particularly in this extreme low interest environment we find ourselves in - what's the point? Wherever possible, which is in most cases, I settle invoices either straight away or within a few days of receipt.

Why do I do that and not hold onto the money earning interest for 30 days? Quite simply:

1. Low interest rates yield minimal returns over whichever time period you choose to look at, particularly for the small amounts most businesses are finding they have to pay regularly.
2. Quite frankly, and in light of point 1 why bother expending excess time and energy managing and tracking when you could be harnessing your time better?
3. I know what it's like waiting for money I could really do with it.
4. It just feels good to be on top of your finances.
5. Surely if you value your supplier (whatever it is they may be supplying you) then surely it's better to do your bit to ensure their survival than earn that £0.56 of interest?
6. Its a good thing to do and makes you feel good!

I know that this is a relatively simplistic view of cash-flow but let's face it, it isn't the most complex of subjects and if you took a good look at yours I think you would find it's probably a lot simpler than you first thought.

So give it a try, pay it forward - you never know, the universe may give you something back in return as a reward!

Good luck!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

You wouldn't pay peanuts for a flyer would you?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 09:37:00 +0000

Picture this scenario:

You are just about to launch a new product or service and you've decided that at the top of your marketing list is to have 1000's of flyers printed so that you can hand them out all over town and put them through peoples doors.

So, that having been decided you, go down the road to your friends house where Frank, his 15 year old son has got something like Publisher, a CD of 1000's of clip art and an ink jet printer.

You spend an hour putting the 'artwork' together and then get little Frank to print off 1000's of flyers on his inkjet printer which are going to 'professionally' reflect and promote your business to the outside world.

Great result! No?

What do you mean 'No way, that's not something we would do!'? This is something that 1000's of businesses across the country do EVERY DAY!

The SINGLE most important marketing tool that your business has available to it is a professionally designed and constructed website which has been designed to generate business and has not just been thrown together by some friends child in their bedroom!

Remember that, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. You may be getting a website from little Frank on the cheap but in the medium to long term it will be costing you dearly especially when you take into account that 86% of Britons search and research products or services online

So if you don't have a site, or you do but it has been poorly delivered both in design and the way it's been constructed, then you WILL BE LOSING BUSINESS and will inevitably be a false economy!

Follow or follow back - do you want to be part of a conversation?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:43:00 +0000

I’m sure that you will have heard, from many sources, that it’s not the quantity of followers on Twitter that counts but the quality and that your influence is not necessarily dictated by the 1000’s of people that follow you.

Yes, I agree 100% with that – it’s just like being in the pub and shouting out something – some will ignore you, some won’t hear you and a few will take notice – perhaps more if you’re shouting “The next round’s on me!”

One thing that there seems to be a split in opinion is the ‘follow’ or ‘not follow’ question, ie do you follow back people that follow you.

Prior to the implementation of lists on Twitter, I would be hard pressed to argue the case of following back everyone that follows you (except the bots and the spammers) as it is incredibly hard to follow a stream if you are following more than 150 to 200 people.

However, now that lists are in use and you are able to easily segment different groups of people into manageable bitesize streams, why is there such a problem with following back all the genuine followers? If they do turn out to be non-genuine or not ‘your cup of tea’ you can always unfollow them at a later date – simples.

Surely Twitter is about engaging first and foremost and as such if you do not follow people that follow you, you are making a statement that “I don’t rate you as much as you rate me so” and to use the pub analogy again, would you turn your back on someone that struck up a conversation with you at the bar without even saying ‘Hi’?

If we were all to have that attitude then we would all be staring at a Twitter page wondering why we are talking to ourselves with 0 followers and 0 lists – and that sort of defeats the whole point of SOCIAL MEDIA.

Bottom line is, if you’re not following me, why should I make the effort to engage with you? It’s a 2 way street and if you want to be able to broadcast your message to me, have a little humility and just follow me back, then I’m all ears!

150% Out of the Box Blue Sky Thinking???

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Tue, 04 May 2010 10:39:00 +0000

It seems that we all are bombarded with these types of expressions that are designed to 'show' that a person is going above and beyond the call of duty, if that is, indeed, possible.

I was always taught that, whatever you chose to do or were asked to do, you did it to the best of your ability.

If I was asked to come up with ideas it was assumed that I would be thinking as creatively and cleverly as I possibly could. I wasn't asked to 'think out of the box', or' blue sky think' - it was expected that I would do my best. Nothing less, nothing more.

So what has happened when it seems that society accepts mediocrity as the standard or default state and we have to ask someone to 'think out of the box' or give it 110% to make sure they do their best?

Why does one have to stipulate that thinking needs to be out of the box or blue sky? Surely, if you are tasked with coming up with ideas, you should be thinking at your optimum?

At what point, and who, decided that 100% just wasn't enough and we had to give more than that?

To be sub optimum, although undesirable, is, of course, a possibility but anything over 100% is an impossibility.

Whatever you do, just make sure you do it to the best of YOUR ability, that's all anyone can ask or expect - good luck.

'Bye for now,

Jamie

Well this is my first blog entry so I had better introduce myself!

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Forster) — Sun, 02 May 2010 11:10:00 +0000

A very warm welcome to you to the Motley blog. This area is for me Jamie Forster, the owner of Motley.co.uk, to put virtual pen to virtual paper with my thoughts, observations and, on occasion I am sure, rants.

I have a lot going on in my life, with a young family and a business to run, and I have a lot of things I am interested from a business perspective.

I have always been an early adopter (except in the case of blogs!!!) and have been involved in the internet from the mid 90s I am passionate about the internet and all that it has to offer. I am particularly evangelical about business websites and the use of social media to improve a businesses conversation with its customers.

Having been around the business block over the last 10 years I have seen a few things, done a few things and consequently am able to help in a few things. I love helping other small businesses and get real kick out of making a difference in someone elses life and business.

Please do leave a comment or get in contact. I love a lively debate and fully appreciate that not everyone is going to agree with me!

'Bye for now,

Jamie